Hidden Gems: Meet Melissa And Jeff Booth of Distant Local

Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa And Jeff Booth.

Hi Melissa and Jeff, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My husband Jeff was born and raised in Laguna Beach California – He’s a waterman – grew up near the ocean and surfing. He was also a scholar – straight A honor student, which didn’t quite jive with the “Spicoli”. surfer stereotype of “Fast Times at Ridgemont High” fame. He started surfing pro – did well and dropped out of college to put his focus there.

I am an East Coaster…Grew up inland , so my beach experience was mainly about having a cute suit for summer trips to Margate. I went to FIT in NY to study design – had dreams of designing Oscar gowns…but had a vacation to California – fell in love with it and somehow ended up in the surf industry. That’s where we met – He was surfing pro and sponsored by Quiksilver and I was the creative director there. I didn’t know a lot about surfing at the time – and always thought it strange Jeff would come in and hang out – I thought he was kind of a bum – that he should get a job. I had no idea he was a top pro surfer – 4th in the world. I think that’s why we worked – I appreciated his surfing career but knew him for the man beyond that.

The ocean for me is more therapeutic – and Jeff and I would meet up all over the world – I’d be traveling to factories for work and he’d be surfing the tour – it was exciting – romantic…

Married and 2 kids later Jeff moved on into sales, working for a few of the big surf brands . I continued on to start my own design and sourcing agency, where I continue to make for the big brands and we started our own brand, Distant Local 5 years ago, where we make maps of surf destinations for tees and fleece.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
We are still learning…everyday. The main challenges are cash flow as we finance our business ourselves, but we are having success through our partnership with a reputable screen print company in that they are taking on some of the clerical/production responsibilities and helping with financing as we put our focus on product and growing the company. Collaboration is key for us.

As you know, we’re big fans of Distant Local. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
With the kids growing up near the ocean, and Jeff being a former pro surfer, we figured surfing would always be a big part of their lives. Jeff of course was the hands on guy, but to feel a part, I commissioned a local artist to paint Travis a SoCal coastal map for his birthday. It showed all the breaks and hung above his bed for years, with the kids memorizing all the spots,

As they got older and competed on the high school surf team, I was shocked to learn that scholarship programs existed for most sports – except surfing. As a clothing designer in the surf industry, and a surf mom, I was fired up to do something. Working with another local artist, we created our first map: Laguna Beach, which we printed on t-shirts and sold through local shops. The proceeds funded the scholarship we started, which helps send local graduating seniors to college.

With Jeff’s pro surfing history and being so connected in the industry, word started spreading organically, and we began to see real potential for this to become a business. I think I always remembered how much that original painting meant to our son. Knowing other kids might wear their local map or hang one on their wall and feel that same sense of home, was especially motivating. As a designer, I’m used to traveling, researching trends, and churning out collections four times a year. This is the first time in my career where what we’re building feels truly timeless—and fueled by real emotional connection.

Our hand drawn maps feature icons from folklore tales to icons that tell the story of these amazing places …within our own back yards. Our mission has always been to create maps that a tourist can take home as a memory, but that a local feels stoked to wear. Authenticity and respect for the community are really important when creating art that can live in both worlds—and the best way to do that is to go straight to the source. Surf shops know their communities better than any research we could do on our own. So while we ground the maps with familiar landmarks and fill in the blanks with stories we love, it’s the shops that supply the local references that make each one special.

Shops like On the Beach honor their local surf legends through the Monterey Bay map. Joe from Surf N Sea added a skull on the North Shore map where, according to legend, human sacrifices took place in the 1800s. We hope these references live on as talking points—stories the shop crew can share with the surf community. As far as surf spots go, the secret ones are sacred. Because our maps are co-designed with the shops, everything on them—especially surf breaks—are shop approved.

What do you like and dislike about the city?
We mostly visit the beach areas of LA – what we love is the diversity in cultures, food, shops. Orange County is beautiful but being from New York, I like options and movement. So for Jeff and I its a good combo – he’s a bit more country – I’m a bit more city.

Pricing:

• $35-40 tees
• $60-$75 fleece

Contact Info:

• Website: https://distantlocal.com/pages/our-story
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/distant_local/

Image Credits
Madeline Javier