Surfer’s Code: 12 Simple Lessons for Riding Through Life

Jun 29 2009

Surfer’s Code: 12 Simple Lessons for Riding Through Life

Posted by Tim at 11:00 am on June 29th, 2009 to Books, Surf Media.

Surfer's Code
Somebody gave “Surfer’s Code” by Shaun Tomson to my dad a few weeks ago, so I picked it up for a read. Shaun Tomson is a world champion surfer and successful entrepreneur, and in “Surfer’s Code” he shares 12 lessons that he learned during his life.

The first few lessons are titled: “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”, and “I will paddle back out”. These lessons are all centered on surfing but Tomson links them to everyday life. For a surfer, this book keeps you very interested as Tomson shares experiences he has had surfing all over the world.

“Surfer’s Code” is much different than other surfing books I have read. Shaun Tomson has had so much experience as a professional surfer and successful entrepreneur, and it’s really exciting to read about his life.

ShaunTomson In the 5th lesson entitled “I Will Paddle Back Out”, Tomson says, “Now if anyone had told me while I was getting mauled by that wave at Waimea that the business world would be a lot harder than surfing, I never would have believed them”. In this lesson Tomson teaches us the importance of not giving up during a crisis. His experience of getting crushed at Waimea Bay helped carry him through whatever crisis he faced afterwards.

The lessons found in “Surfer’s Code” will apply to each of us in different ways, but as surfers, we can all relate to Shaun Tomson’s experiences. Tomson says it best himself as he sums up the purpose of his book: “In a sport growing more crowded every day, with so many different people now entering the water, a few simple ideas can go a long way to help bring everyone together”.