Before becoming CEO of Firewire Mark Price had executive positions at many of the surf brands you’ve heard of - Gotcha, Rip Curl, Reef and others. He competed as a professional in the early 1980’s before beginning a career in the surf industry that has spanned 35 years. Today he arrives at work in board shorts on many days where he runs a surfboard brand that is owned by Kelly Slater and his group of environmentally minded investors. This makes Mark one of the better examples in our industry of making a living as a surfer, close to the beach, over ones entire lifetime. This episode functions as a toolkit for business owners, entrepreneurs and others who want to navigate buzzwords like “sustainability” and “environmentally friendly”. But we also cover much more. Enjoy!
Jess Ponting was the first person in the world to earn a PHD in Sustainable Surf Tourism Management years ago. Today he is the Director of The Center for Surf Research at San Diego State University. Sound fun? It is - he dables in many exotic surf destinations you've heard of promoting environmental and social sustainability. He is also the co-founder of Stoke Certified; the world's first sustainability certification program for surf and ski tourism operators. Jess is exciting as a case study on how to align career ambitions with life passions, but he's also much more than that: this conversation contains a fascinating look at the way our actions as surfers in the ocean (or in wave pools) have impacts both good and bad, on everything around us. Enjoy!