Wild Ideas Worth Living

Chris Cote is a professional action sports personality. He got his start as a competitive surfer and skateboarder, became editor of Transworld Surf Magazine, and is now a commentator on the World Surf League, the commentator and host of the Vans Park Series, the editor Encinitas Magazine and the host of his own podcast, the Monday M.A.S.S. He’s also a hilarious and positive guy who can still skateboard and surf with some of the best pros in the business.

Steve Casimiro is the founder of Adventure Journal, an online magazine with a beautiful quarterly book that covers the deeper side of adventure. Steve got his start in newspapers, then helped start Snowboarder Magazine, was the founding editor of Bike Magazine, and then the west coast editor of National Geographic, before he jumped into the world as a media entrepreneur. Starting a media company at the height of the recession wasn’t easy, but Steve had the experience and the willingness to make it happen

Shanti Hodges is a journalist, writer, and mom who started a community called Hike it Baby. The non-profit organization’s mission is to connect families and get them outside, especially when their children are young. Hike it Baby is now responsible for bringing families and babies on over 3,000 hikes a month in over 330 cities.

Damien LeRoy is a professional and world renowned kiteboarder, paraglider, stuntman, and athlete. Last year he had a terrifying crash where he fell over 150 feet from the air into a forest of mangrove trees and broke his leg, ribs, punctured his lung, and more. He could have easily died, but ten months later he is almost completely recovered and already back on his board. 

Cyrus Sutton is a director, filmmaker, surfer, adventurer, and sought-after brand ambassador. Cyrus has produced Emmy Award-winning films, including Stoked and Broke, and is the founder of Korduroy TV, a website that explores creativity and sustainability in the outdoors. His latest film, Island Earth, documents how we grow our food, and explores the challenges between using conventional agricultural practices versus using ancient techniques to feed our population and our planet.

Grant Trebilco is the creator of One Wave is All it Takes (OneWave), a nonprofit tackling mental health issues, literally one wave at a time. The organization started in Australia, and has quickly gained worldwide attention through its “Fluro Friday” events, where participants surf in bright colors and wild outfits, drawing attention to a darker issue. One Wave has become an international movement, and thousands of people at hundreds of beaches participate in Fluro Friday OneWave surf sessions every wee

Rebecca Rusch has been a professional athlete for over three decades. She is a seven-time World Champion who continues to shatter the glass ceiling in whatever sport she tackles. Rebecca’s most recent journey goes much deeper. She biked 1,200 miles along the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Southeast Asia to search for the crash site of her father’s plane where he was shot down in the Vietnam War. Her journey was documented in an epic film by Red Bull Media House called Blood Road that just hit theaters.

Angela Davis is an international fitness evangelist and motivational coach, who’s helped lead events alongside people like Oprah. In addition to being one of the most inspiring voices and coaches, she’s a former member of the USA track and field team and was a five-time All-American who held world rankings in the 100 meter race. These days, Angela can be found instructing one of the most sought after SoulCycle classes with long waitlists and tons of celebrity clients.

Izzy Tihanyi started the first all-women’s surf school in 1996. Prior to founding Surf Diva, Izzy was a competitive collegiate surfer, competed on the professional women’s longboard circuit, hosted a TV show for action sports, and at one point was even my surf camp counselor. Izzy has an awesome story, which is why she frequently gets asked to speak at business and sports events.

Gretchen Bayless and Taylor Hood are the founders of Roamerica Rentals, a camper van rental company based in Oregon that lets you take their vans all over North America and even to Canada. Their vans are decked out with items like Rumpl blankets, Stanley stainless steel cooking ware and local organic coffee, so all you have to do is show up with clothes and hit the road.

Devyn Bisson is a documentary filmmaker who got her start as a beach lifeguard in Huntington Beach, Calif. At just 25 years old, Devyn has produced and created several award-winning films, including The Wave I Ride, and a short about Syrian Refugee Crisis, Lighthouse Molyvos, that’s coming out this summer. Even though she’s young, Devyn has a lot of wisdom about the power of telling a story, and how you can tell your story now.

Brogan Graham is a former collegiate rower and coach with a giant heart and a huge personality. He and a buddy needed a way to work out in the winter months in Boston, so they started the November Project. What started with a few people running stairs at the Harvard Stadium and doing workouts around Boston has grown to a movement with thousands of followers in over 37 cities around the globe. The November Project has been described as like Fight Club, but with hugging and some pushups instead of punches. 

Mark Lukach is a father, husband, teacher, surfer, and the author of the new book, My Lovely Wife in the Psych Ward, published by Harper Collins and on shelves this month. Six years ago, Mark submitted an essay about his wife’s struggle with mental illness and its effect on their marriage that was immediately accepted and published in The New York Times’ famous Modern Love column. The story quickly led to a book deal, and to many reaching out thanking him for sharing about such a difficult topic.

Norah Eddy is the co-founder of Salty Girl, a sustainable seafood company with an innovative way of doing business. She grew up in a small New England fishing town and has worked on and around fisheries and boats all over the world. As a surfer and all around water-woman, her love for the ocean is apparent not just in her work with Salty Girl, but in her personal life too.

Becky Mendoza is the founder of Changing Tides Foundation, and Emi Koch created Beyond the Surface International. Both non-profits connect surfers and travelers around causes that give back to local communities, and create positive change. These young women are inspiring not only because they took their wild ideas to do good on a local level, but because they’ve also been able to organize others to implement their ideas on a global scale.