John West’s brand of comedy, and business ideology, seems to be resonating. Photo: Phillip Hernandez
When you think of the pioneers in surf entrepreneurialism, who comes to mind? Dale Velzy’s innovations in commercial surfboard shaping, Jack O’Neill’s surf shop and wetsuit, and The Fletcher family’s Astrodeck ring my bell when I think of people who made a living in the business.
While traditional shops — shaping, surfwear, etc. — still emerge, the internet has changed the landscape for those who want to own and operate a business in the surf industry.
John West, aka That Surf Guy, is a modern surfpreneur. You might have seen some of his content on Instagram; a tongue-in-cheek style satire of surf culture. He dances the line between the typical angry local and the modern day, non-core surf influencer. But he’s more than a content creator. West is another person who tuned out of his normal existence to chase the dream of a surfing life.
“I quit real estate a few years ago after asking myself if I’d still be stoked doing it 10 years from now,” says West. Obviously, his answer was no. “It felt like a constant act where you had to be Mr. Perfect; it didn’t feel authentic to me. I didn’t want to water myself down, so I kicked real estate to the curb and reconnected with my passion for surfing.”
He started chasing his dream with the whole content creator thing. “I was thinking of starting with a surf lesson business,” says West. “But I got my start through social media content. I thought it was a good way to establish a name for myself and become a trusted authority in the space.” It seems to have worked out for him. “I have amassed north of 420,000 [nice] followers across platforms and made some solid connections.” He doesn’t have the surf lesson business, but he came up with something new.
CityPro, West’s brainchild, is a mobile application that connects surfers with surf videographers and photographers in coastal California. “Whether you’re surfing in San Diego or up to Santa Cruz, you can schedule a booking and have a videographer or photographer capture your best surfing moments,” he says. The idea came to him when an injury sidelined him from the lineup. “After tearing my meniscus and getting knee surgery I thought about what was missing in the surf industry. I felt that all the hype, love, and attention has been focused on pro surfers, while everyday surfers, who make up 99 percent of the surfing population, were left out,” says West.
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Every surfer knows the feeling of catching a great wave, then wondering if someone on the beach happened to get it on film. West’s application aims to fill that gap. “We can easily film birthdays, weddings, vacations, and every important moment on our smartphones. Surfers don’t have that same level of accessibility being in the water,” he says.
It’s also a way for people to improve their wave riding. “Progress can be slow and hard to notice without video feedback,” West laments. “For new, or experienced surfers, they can actually see what they’re doing.”
West’s dream isn’t just to make a surf life for himself. “I want to be the example that you can build a career in surfing without becoming a pro surfer,” he says. “And at the same time, open doors for videographers and photographers so they can make a living doing what they love instead of settling for a soul-sucking job. Leaving real estate helped me reconnect with who I truly am, and if I can help others do the same by creating opportunities where the beach becomes their office, that would mean everything to me.”
We all can’t make surfing our lives, but we love to hear about someone who does. And West is easy to root for. He’s trying to help others who love the ocean do the same thing.
