In Surfer’s Code, world champion surfer Shaun Tomson shares the life lessons he’s gathered from decades of surfing—from his boyhood adventures in South Africa to the world tour in the late 1970s to the business world today. For Tomson, surfing is a hobby, a sport, a religion, an obsession, and more—it is a way of life. Tomson’s life lessons have guided his career to the top of both professional competition and the world of business. These lessons are born of the collective wisdom of the surf community and are a powerful source of inspiration in the face of extraordinary challenges of everyday life.
I will never turn my back on the ocean
I will paddle around the impact zone
I will take the drop with commitment
I will never fight a rip tide
I will watch out for other surfers
There will always be another wave
I will always ride into shore
I will honor the sport of kings
I will pass along my stroke
I will catch a wave every day
All surfers are connected by one ocean
Shaun Tomson was named one of the twenty-five most influential surfers of the twentieth century, and one of the sixteen greatest surfers of all time. He has created two multimillion-dollar clothing brands--Instinct and Solitude. He was born in Durban, South Africa, and now makes his home in Montecito, California.
Patrick Moser is the editor of Pacific Passages: An Anthology of Surf Writing (University of Hawai'i Press, 2008). He collaborated with Shaun Tomson on Surfer's Code: 12 Simple Lessons for Riding through Life and has written articles for The Surfer's Journal and Surfer. He currently teaches writing and French language at Drury University in Springfield, Missouri where he also offers a course on the history and culture of surfing.