Anyone have any advice or can point me to a tutorial to make a standing figure? I want to make a topper of a girl surfing on a surfboard but not exactly sure how to begin ?!?

Thanks!

There is this one on lovely tutorials of a ballerina that you can easily turn into a surfer. It is in Portuguese but it has pictures and you can use google translator. I believe you now have to set up an account but it is free.
http://www.lovelytutorials.com/forum/showthread.php?t=384