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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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