Meet Sean Mattison

You moved to a very successful retail career working at Surf Ride. Tell us about it.
When I was competing on the Bud Pro Tour, I got married at my early 20s – we had our first child two years later. The economy was very weak in the 90s because the US entered into the first Gulf War. I found myself waiting at the mailbox for my checks from my sponsors and a consistent income became more inviting. The owners of Surf Ride called me and offered me a management position. I took the job and started a new chapter in my surfing career.

After getting the job I realised that I didn't know as much as I thought I knew. After this revelation, I made it my goal to use my retail experience as a way to learn everything I could about design, history and business.

I was surrounded by the icons of surfing and design. I started working with shapers and fin designers testing and helping to refine board designs behind the scenes. I got to the point where I was testing up to five to seven new boards each week from many of the best designers in the business. This knowledge I was learning helped me guide people into the right board for them. I could comment on any design because I had tried it first hand. I worked this job for twelve years and was a fantastic experience, but more importantly my retail career was my super college in design and I am super blessed on the opportunity it gave me.