Shaun Tomson

POWER POSSE

At some time in the '80's, before the OP Pro Surf Contest, I was watching the action at the Huntington Beach Pier.

A young bloke caught my eye - power jammin' with fluidity and style - a contained explosive aggression - no spurious rail changes - just pure on the rail surfing. Someone like me who also worshipped the Gods of Carve and Power. Lightning laid out there in front of you, ready to explode.

His name was Brad Gerlach and for while he was the #1 surfer on the planet - maximum flair and charisma, and mucho drive and ambition. I was honored to be able to sponsor boards for Brad to help him as he took his first steps on his path to greatness.

I connect periodically with Brad and he is a treat to be around. Lots of style without flash, a genuine warmth and mega cred. beyond his pro tour wins. Brad and his pal Snips Parsons rode some of the biggest waves ever, out on the terrifying Cortez Banks.

This pic was taken a couple days ago at the grand opening of SHACC - the Surfing Heritage & Culture Center that is dedicated to preserving and honoring surf culture.

One day me and Brad are going to do a program fusing his surf technique maximizer, Wave Ki, with my Code Method - igniting purpose to maximize performance.

Watch out for more lightning!

Good vibes always B-Rad.

Happy Father's Day

To all the Dads out there - have a love-filled day.

A man's greatest responsibility in life is being a good Dad.

Give your children time
Give them love
Give them joy
Give them kindness
Give them stoke

All my love to Carla and Luke

.surf .za

The Dawn Patrol

The intentional choice to wake up at 4:30 AM, pull on a freezing cold wetsuit in the dark, and paddle out before the rest of the world even opens its eyes.

People often ask why we do it. Why leave a warm bed for a freezing, pitch-black beach?

Science is finally catching up to what surfers have known for decades. There was a study recently showing that waking up early actually lowers your risk of depression by over twenty percent.

I am not a neuroscientist, but I know the feeling. Waking up and moving your body before the rest of the world opens its eyes builds an unbreakable foundation for your day.

When you step into that silent morning, you are not rushing to jump on the treadmill to business success. You are not reacting defensively to the clock or scrambling into the corporate chaos. You are starting the day on your own terms. That early movement brings a rush of pure stoke, it changes your whole perspective about optimism long before the stress of the day even has a chance to hit you.

That next wave will be mine...

We become who we want to be when we choose commitment over comfort.

You don't need to live near the ocean to have a Dawn Patrol. You just need a routine to motivate yourself to get up and go before the world busts in.

Photo: Bay of Plenty by Jeff Divine

Rincon in June!

Some years back, I lucked out into a beautiful June swell at Rincon. Glenn Dubock took the pics. In this day of computerized models that tell you to the second when the swell is arriving, it is good to crack it based on a bit of local knowledge.

Gotta love Rincon with a Channel Islands under your feet

Thanks to Al, Britt, Scott, Aaron and the crew for the great boards and support for the re-ignition of Instinct.

CI is now an employee owned brand - the cool cats that make your boards also pilot the ship and share in the success.

Proudly made in the USA about a mile from where this pic was taken.

Amen to the core!

.surf .za

Magical Man

My best pal Kim Robinson sent me along these pics taken by Santa Barbara photo ace Chris Orwig of me and Tom Curren.

Al Merrick was the first person to tell me about his young team rider - this was pre twin fin revolution and I had a chance to see Tom fluidy convert a green Rincon wall to white lines of foam and spray. It was one flowing connection of mind, body, board and wave.

I met up with Tom for the first time in competition during the finals of the 1981 Katin Contest at Northside Huntington on a perfect 6' day. Tom was about 17 at the time and I beat him by the narrowest of margins. I remember, because he was still at school, he declined the prizemoney.

A few years later I met up with him again in the final of a pro event in Australia in Cronulla. This time he beat me resoundingly.

Through the '80's I surfed a lot of heats with Tom. I was always amazed how he could conjure waves out of ether like a magician. At my best, inside the tube, I felt I could bend time and space, and curve the wall to my will. But, unlike Tom, I could never make a wave materialize on command - that took a truly special gift.

Every now and then Tom pops up on my web feed, sometimes riding a wild creation of wood and plastic or sometimes jamming across a wall in Mex or Rincon, still with that same beautiful style that has aged like a fine Santa Barbara Pinot.

Wishing you well on your unique path magical man...

.surf .za

The Human Code to finding Flow

I recently spoke at the Western Positive Psychology Conference in beautiful Claremont - a grouping of historic universities that is called the West Coast Ivy League.

The conference featured a collection of leading academics focused on the science of happiness and wellbeing.

In this era of Artificial Intelligence, many speakers spoke on the importance of human connection in life and in business.

Thanks to Stewart Donaldson and Shari Young Kuchenbecker for the opportunity to share my contribution to the field.

I presented the Code Method - my transformational program that inspires, motivates and unites people for a better and more flourishing life.

I had planned this as my intro but my time got compressed - here it is for your enjoyment:
"My mission is to awaken a powerful wave of purpose throughout organizations and schools, across the planet, to activate positive change to make a better self and a better world.
The desired result is higher levels of engagement, wellbeing and improved performance.

My approach is to tell stories and share a simple, quick and low-cost intervention to activate the power of purpose in organizations...

I tell stories to community groups, religious groups, associations, high schools, universities, seal teams, sports teams and to some of the world’s finest corporations.

I tell simple stories of passion and purpose.
I tell stories of – character - ETHOS
I describe how to create a simple Code to activate purpose - TELOS

I offer no prescription, only my stories and my perspective, of ethos – character, and telos purpose, – and the Code, to help others find their purpose their power and their path.

After my stories are told, I encourage particpants to write their own Code, 12 lines of commitment, 12 lines of purpose and power, melding their ethos (character), and telos (purpose) into a commitment to action. Because without a commitment to action, purpose is like a mirage, shimmering and desirable, but without substance.

These 12 lines of code are written within 12 minutes in a group setting, each line beginning with the words “I will” and then read out loud to the group.

This process, The Code Method, is a tool for individual introspection, collective engagement, commitment and accountability, that seems to help distill and reframe one’s purpose and focus one’s psychic energy into an actionable 12-line mantra for positive change.

It is a way to find and define one’s purpose.

Underlying the code is a simple equation of committed action formulated to bring purpose to life:
I Will = Power I will = Power I will = Power

The Code is a way to find one’s best self, and a way for others to know one’s best self.
I believe this simple intervention can help individuals and organizations find meaning and purpose in the challenging sea of life, and l today I am excited to share this simple process with you.

Perhaps it may help you like it has helped me and many thousands of others...
It is open source code so you this code is my gift for you to use for yourself or others.

There are only 2 ways that each and every one of us have become transformed by purpose:

We find purpose, or purpose finds us.
Purpose found me...

The Human Code

I recently spoke at the Western Positive Psychology Conference in beautiful Claremont - a grouping of historic universities that is called the West Coast Ivy League.

The conference featured a collection of leading academics focused on the science of happiness and wellbeing.

In this era of Artificial Intelligence, many speakers spoke on the importance of human connection in life and in business.

Thanks to Stewart Donaldson and Shari Young Kuchenbecker for the opportunity to share my contribution to the field.

I presented the Code Method - my transformational program that inspires, motivates and unites people for a better and more flourishing life.

I had planned this as my intro but my time got compressed - here it is for your enjoyment:

"My mission is to awaken a powerful wave of purpose throughout organizations and schools, across the planet, to activate positive change to make a better self and a better world.

The desired result is higher levels of engagement, wellbeing and improved performance.

My approach is to tell stories and share a simple, quick and low-cost intervention to activate the power of purpose in organizations...

I tell stories to community groups, religious groups, associations, high schools, universities, seal teams, sports teams and to some of the world’s finest corporations.

I tell simple stories of passion and purpose.

I tell stories of – character - ETHOS
I describe how to create a simple Code to activate purpose - TELOS

I offer no prescription, only my stories and my perspective, of ethos – character, and telos purpose, – and the Code, to help others find their purpose their power and their path.

After my stories are told, I encourage particpants to write their own Code, 12 lines of commitment, 12 lines of purpose and power, melding their ethos (character), and telos (purpose) into a commitment to action. Because without a commitment to action, purpose is like a mirage, shimmering and desirable, but without substance.

These 12 lines of code are written within 12 minutes in a group setting, each line beginning with the words “I will” and then read out loud to the group.

This process, The Code Method, is a tool for individual introspection, collective engagement, commitment and accountability, that seems to help distill and reframe one’s purpose and focus one’s psychic energy into an actionable 12-line mantra for positive change.

It is a way to find and define one’s purpose.

Underlying the code is a simple equation of committed action formulated to bring purpose to life:
I Will = Power I will = Power I will = Power

The Code is a way to find one’s best self, and a way for others to know one’s best self.

I believe this simple intervention can help individuals and organizations find meaning and purpose in the challenging sea of life, and l today I am excited to share this simple process with you.

Perhaps it may help you like it has helped me and many thousands of others...

It is open source code so you this code is my gift for you to use for yourself or others.

There are only 2 ways that each and every one of us have become transformed by purpose:

We find purpose, or purpose finds us.

Purpose found me...

The Code Method The Code Method is an academically validated self-development program that inspires, uplifts and connects individuals and teams.

Entrepreneurs in Training!

An awesome day today talking about the power of the Code at Miguel Vences' entrepreneurial class at San Marcos High School. Great to have my son Luke in the audience with his pals - maybe Dad knows a little more than you think he does!

So inspiring to be around the youthful energy of future leaders, innovators and rain makers.

All wrote their Code - 12 lines each beginning with "I will..." and then we shared their most resonant lines about being better and helping others be better.

All part of my Double Shakka program - every time I do a paid keynote I do a pro bono event for a school or NGO.

Giving is good for the soul and good for healing and good for wellbeing.

My lad Luke is the one busting out the double shakkas.

Check out what the latest study on the power of the Code revealed:

• 99.65% Positive Post-Talk Sentiment > “Participants arrived with nearly 30% of responses reflecting negative psychological states like stress, exhaustion, and confusion. Following the intervention, participant sentiment shifted dramatically, with 99.65% of post-talk takeaways reflecting positive orientations.”

• A Massive 10x Surge in Clarity and Purpose > “High-clarity responses (focused on purpose, intentionality, and direction) skyrocketed from 2.29% pre-intervention to 21.32% post-intervention, making it one of the strongest indicators of the Code Method's immediate impact.”

Find your purpose
Find your power
Find your path...

The world does not need another surfwear company.

When I first started Instinct in 1979, my goal was to make great surfwear based on the feeling of riding inside the tube – when you are operating on instinct. But when the time came to bring the brand back, I knew we had to build something greater than another clothing brand.

I wanted Instinct to return as the world’s first social purpose surfwear brand. I wanted to build a company that impacts the community from the surf to the sand.

When a local surf shop decides to carry Instinct gear, I connect with a local school in their area. Then we bring the community together to host a live event at the shop, often screening a surf film, hosting a book event, or lecturing at the school, and having students sit down to write their own twelve lines of commitment.

For the last week I have been travelling the great state of Texas meeting surf shop owners, connecting with young employees and hard-core surfers, doing Surfer's Code events in South Padre Island, Corpus Christi and ending last night at the inspiring Texas Surf Museum in Galveston.

Thanks to the entire museum crew for an amazing evening and igniting the motivation to make my tour happen!

People often ask me about our marketing strategy and say it has 3 parts:
Grass roots
Grass roots
Grass roots

A portion of all Instinct sales goes directly toward funding these outreach programs. I call the program Double Shakka - the extra "k" is for kindness.

It brings local business and education together. It gives young people a space to define themselves and commit to a positive future...

We are building a positive groundswell, one store, one school, one town at a time.

And at the core of Instinct is Surfer’s Code, our values manifesto, with the little 12-line card attached to every hang tag on every garment

We literally live our values on our sleeves.

If you want to support a brand with a true social purpose, check out Instinct.

We are small with a big mission to build a positive wave of purpose across the world. And if you run a local shop and want to bring this program to your community, reach out to me personally.

[email protected]

The world does not need another clothing company.

When I first started Instinct in 1979, my goal was to make great surfwear based on the feeling of riding inside the tube – when you are operating on instinct. But when the time came to bring the brand back, I knew we had to build something greater than another clothing brand.

I wanted Instinct to return as the world’s first social purpose surfwear brand. I wanted to build a company that impacts the community from the surf to the sand.

When a local surf shop decides to carry Instinct gear, I connect with a local school in their area. Then we bring the community together to host a live event at the shop, often screening a surf film, hosting a book event, or lecturing at the school, and having students sit down to write their own twelve lines of commitment.

People often ask me about our marketing strategy and say it has 3 parts:
Grass roots
Grass roots
Grass roots

A portion of all Instinct sales goes directly toward funding these outreach programs. I call the program Double Shakka - the extra "k" is for kindness.
It brings local business and education together. It gives young people a space to define themselves and commit to a positive future...

We are building a positive groundswell, one store, one school, one town at a time.

And at the core of Instinct is Surfer’s Code, our values manifesto, with the little 12-line card attached to every hang tag on every garment

We literally live our values on our sleeves.
If you want to support a brand with a true social purpose, check out Instinct.

We are small with a big mission to build a positive wave of purpose across the world. And if you run a local shop and want to bring this program to your community, reach out to me personally.

[email protected]