Once the sport of "beach bums and bohemians," surfing has grown into as much of a venue for networking as golf or tennis. Surf schools worldwide are catering to the corporate elite. Even the real estate market has felt the effect of the surfing boom, with land that surrounds prime surf breaks quickly being bought up and developed.
Santa Cruz residents will remember well the days when being a surfer and having a career were incompatible. Now, surfing is not only a status symbol in the work place but an ideal sport for making business connections due to its long periods of downtime. Richard Schmidt used to give surf lessons in Santa Cruz on a part-time basis while he worked as a lifeguard. Now, his surf school takes trips to Costa Rica where his clients also enjoy yoga classes and an in-house masseuse. Surf Divas, a school based in La Jolla, hosts corporate clinics throughout the year; many of their clients are from Wall Street or the New York fashion industry.
To find out more about surfing's new image, international surf schools and vacation packages, read the full article by Matt Higgins: Surf's Up, and Upscale, as Sport Reverses Its Beach Bum Image
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