Pro Surfer Shaun Tomson to Speak at Anacapa School

World champion surfer, author and entrepreneur will share his outlook on life with high school students

March 21, 2012 — Santa Barbara, Calif.

Anacapa School’s First Thursday Open Breakfast Club continues with a presentation by champion surfer Shaun Tomson on Thursday, April 5 at 7:50 a.m. on campus.

Tomson is the best-selling author of “Surfer’s Code: 12 Simple Lessons for Riding through Life” and award-winning documentary filmmaker of “Bustin’ Down the Door.” He will talk about the influence of positive values on success in life and business based on his own experiences of overcoming seemingly insurmountable challenges, in and out of the surf.

“As a surfer and filmmaker myself, I am really looking forward to Shaun’s talk,” said Patrick Alcerro, a 17-year-old 11th grade student at Anacapa. “He has combined two passions of mine into a really interesting career.”

Tomson founded, managed and sold two $50 million clothing brands – Instinct in the 80’s and Solitude in the 90’s. He is a business administration and finance graduate from the University of Natal and an inductee in the U.S. Surfers’ Hall of Fame, Jewish Sports Hall of Fame and the South African Sports Hall of Fame. He has been described as one of the greatest surfers of all time and one of the most influential surfers of the century.

In 2004, Tomson was at the pinnacle of his professional and personal life as a former world-champion surfer, a successful entrepreneur and an inspirational speaker, when his 15-year-old son, Mathew, died in a tragic accident. In his book, Tomson proclaims that “every moment holds the possibility of failure and tragedy, every moment the promise of success and happiness.”

Anacapa School hosts dozens of expert guest presenters each year. Each month, the school opens its doors to the wider community to honor a special guest lecturer as part of its First Thursday Open Breakfast Club speaker series. Prospective parents and their students who are interested in Anacapa School are welcome to attend to see a Breakfast Club in action. After the presentation, guests are invited to join a conversation with the speaker.

Anacapa School is an independent, co-educational, WASC–accredited, college preparatory day school for students in grades 7-12. Founded in 1981 by Headmaster Gordon Sichi, Anacapa enjoys the best student-teacher ratio of any school, public or private, in Santa Barbara at its historic campus located in the heart of the Santa Barbara civic center.

Media Contact:
Levi C. Maaia
805-604-5384  •  levi@anacapaschool.org
www.anacapaschool.org • www.facebook.com/anacapaschool