Surf’s up with Katie Vernola, our Playmate of the Month for June 2010. A student from Southern California, she has beach-blonde hair, green eyes and soft curves. Born in the Mojave Desert and raised in San Clemente, Orange County, she was a cheerleader for eleven years – evident in her ease and range of movement – and when she turned eighteen she started modeling for local photographers. “I was working with this one guy, and he asked if I was interested in Playboy,” she says. “I’ve always wanted to do Playboy, so of course I said yes.” Katie submitted her pictures, tested for Playmate, and made history as the youngest girl ever to appear in the Centerfold. Katie lives in San Clemente with her dog and birds, and she spends her days at the beach, going wakeboarding and riding on the dunes with her friends. She got up on a surfboard for the first time on location for her Playmate pictorial, and she made herself right at home. “I can’t wait to do it again,” she says. “I live in one of the best surf towns in the world, so I’m sure I can get an instructor.” When she’s not at the beach, Katie is in the garage – she’s a pretty good mechanic, and she can change your oil, rims and tires faster than you can say ‘cowabunga, dude’. She’s looking forward to a successful career with Playboy, but not necessarily in front of the camera. “I would love to work in production for the magazine,” she says. “That would be my dream job.” Katie talks shop, pop culture and her ideal date in her Facetime interview.