People Who Surf

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Shaun Tomson was the poster child of surfing's Free Ride generation...literally. He redefined the art of tube riding at Off The Wall in the mid 70s, and helped usher in the age of the modern day pro surfer. Shaun won the World Title in 1977, and remained surfing's first gentleman on The Tour all the way up until he retired in 1990.

Today, Shaun's resume is a laundry list of accomplishments. He's an entrepreneur, author, documentary filmmaker, and philanthropist. But his primary role today is motivational speaker. He teaches groups and individuals about leadership, individual and shared purpose, and turning hope into action. He's given his lessons to corporate juggernauts like Google, GM, Disney and Cisco, as well as prisons, rehab centers, elite universities and some of the poorest schools in South Africa. 

Shaun's message of hope, optimism, and self empowerment is especially encouraging considering how far into despair he fell after the death of his son Matthew in 2006.

We spoke about all that and the state of surfing today, of course, in this first episode of Season 2. I hope you enjoy.

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After becoming employee number one at Volcom in 1991 at the age of 18, Troy Eckert spent the next two decades reshaping the landscape of surf, skate and snow culture. As the head of marketing, he assembled one of the most colorful team rosters in history, completely rewrote the book on grassroots amateur events, produced more than 15 films, and created a company culture that was the envy of the industry. The magic they bottled, and the impact they made, is the kind of stuff marketing gurus teach today. 

And while this episode certainly covers the Volcom story, it's more about the lessons Troy's learned since. After leaving in 2011 he seemed set for life…at least on paper. After all, Volcom's market cap topped a billion dollars at its peak. But life has a way of messing up plans. His marriage fell apart after he moved to Kauai. He lost a good chunk of his fortune on what he calls "bad, ego-centric bets." Then came a mysterious health problem. Within a few short years the dream life he’d built came crashing down around him.

But Troy’s proven to be nothing if not resilient. After some deep soul searching and self care, he’s reemerged back in Southern California happier, healthier, and more grateful than ever for the challenges that have made him the man he is today -- the new man...Troy 2.0. Now this renowned surfer, skater, snowboarder, businessman, and yogi is teaching others how to face adversity and find out what really matters.

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Joe Sigurdson is the creator of the 100 Wave Challenge, the largest fund-raising event of the year for Boys to Men, a youth mentoring program he co-founded 20 years ago with help from his late, great father Herb, and his good friend Craig McClain. 

Over the past 10 years Joe and his team have rallied the San Diego surfing community behind the Boys to Men cause of providing at-risk youth the guidance needed to keep them off the streets, out of gangs, and away from destructive habits that destroy lives. Sadly, in San Diego, like many urban centers, that task is daunting. Yet thanks to Joe’s surfing buddies, and the larger San Diego surfing community, the success of the Boys to Men program is being championed widely by San Diego school administrators, teachers, and counselors who are blown away by the results.  

Their original San Diego Chapter has helped thousands stay out of trouble, and county officials are so fascinated by the results they want to make it available to every school in the county. This is all testament to a surfing community at its best.

As is usual with heroic stories like these, there’s a colorful backstory involved. Joe Sigurdson made some bad decisions of his own back in the day, decisions that, for a time, turned him into a nefarious criminal, drug addict, and thug.  

In this episode, Joe gives us the gritty details of his bad deeds, his long road to redemption, and those experiences—good and bad — that motivated him and his friends to save the lives of kids in need. You’ll also hear from Joe Ross, who was 12-years-old when he joined the Boys to Men program, and today is one of their most prolific mentors. 

When you understand the amazing work these guys are doing, my hope is you’ll understand how easy it is to save some lives simply by catching a few waves or supporting somebody else’s effort at this year’s 100 Wave Challenge. To find out how, please go to boystomen.org where you can also learn more about the program, including how to start a Boys to Men chapter in your town.  

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Before Nick Carroll became a treasured journalist and celebrated author, he was one of many red-hot surfers from Sydney’s northern beach of Newport. Matter of fact, the older Carroll brother was a two-time national champion in Australia in 79 and 81. 

He was also a founding member of the Newport Plus Surf Club, one of Australia’s most powerful. Midway through the 1981 season, the Newport Plus crew had six surfers sitting in the Top 30 on the world rankings. 

In 1984, when Shaun Tomson and Tom Carroll came to Bells Beach for the world title showdown, it was Nick who eliminated Shaun, securing his little brother his second-straight title. Nick then got busy writing about that day's events for Tracks, where he was the editor. 

Today at 59, Nick hasn’t slowed at a bit. He’s still surfing his brains out, and channeling his competitive fire into various swim, paddle, and endurance races. He coaches and trains with some of Australia’s hottest talent in that arena, and he’ll be doing his seventh Molokai Challenge in the summer of 2019. 

Nick’s been writing about surfing for more than 40 years now, gathering incredible insights into our ever-evolving culture, so it’s always a blast catching up with him. As a bonus, there’s some added color from Derek Hynd, a fellow Newport Plus member. Topics run the full spectrum, so strap in and get to know one of surfing’s most coveted tribal leaders. 

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In the early 90s, Bryan Doonan and his identical twin brother Kent were two of Quiksilver's budding pro stars. They were two of the hottest surfing talents from LA County, a feat that's all the more impressive when you consider they grew up deep in the Crescenta Valley, near Pasadena. Bryan and Kent both became National Champions and were hidden heroes of the Momentum Generation. Today, Dr. Bryan Doonan owns five Urgent Care centers in Southern California, as well as a Sports Medicine and Family practice in Newport Beach. During this episode of the People Who Surf Podcast, Dr. Doonan talks about balancing work and surf, his link to the pros of today, and the incredible adventures he enjoyed growing up as a unit with his brother. I hope you enjoy.

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Peter King is one of surfing's most charismatic characters and a creative tour de force. He’s best known today as the man behind the award-winning web series Tour Notes: a raw, behind-the-scenes look at life on the Championship Tour. But whether he's following The Tour or not, King is always embedded with surfing’s vanguard. He's an accomplished musician, photographer, and filmmaker who never sleeps. Host Chris Mauro sat down with Peter to discuss his pathway to becoming one of the most powerful forces in surf media.

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Don Craig is "Exhibit A" when presenting the case that "old guys rule." At 70, he's still ripping San Onofre, Church, and Trestles on a regular basis. Though he's only lived in San Clemente for the last 30 years, he's been a fixture in its lineups since the 1950s. Back then his strike missions were family affairs. HIs dad would pile the family in their camper van and head down the coast from their home in Hermosa Beach almost every weekend. Don grew up in LA's South Bay when it was the epicenter of the fledgling surf industry. His father, Doug, started surfing the same area during the depression. Don's silky style made him a hot commodity in those competitive days, when guys like Dale Velzy, Hap Jacobs, Bing Copeland and Dewey Weber were lighting the industry on fire.

Sixty years later, Don's caught a lot of waves both in the water and out. He's spent his entire career in the surf industry, helping launch companies like Quiksilver, Rip Curl and Instinct before becoming one of the most celebrated Southern California reps around. About twenty years ago, on a whim, Craig honored his father and his father's buddies by getting some stickers and T-shirts made that said, "Old Guys Rule." They were such a hit, he trademarked the phrase, and today his side hustle has become his annuity plan. Former Surfer magazine editor, Chris Mauro, the host of People Who Surf, sat down with Don to talk about his incredible six-decade journey. The result was a fun backstage pass to California surf history.

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