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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