The Why - Preston Martin 12/12/23

I break norms and have a hard time listening to people. I structure my bets as a thesis that I stand behind.

I have built my short career around the industry I desire to overtake. An industry with little competition, limited advancement, at the precipice of widespread adoption.

I have a small team of believers who see the same future that I do and each day the vision becomes clearer.

The Surf Industry has been rapidly expanding and is set to explode. The popularization of wave pool technology is leading to an untapped blue ocean; the same way ski resorts dramatically expanded the number of skiers around the world.  

Thesis 1: Wave pools will allow the incubated market of inland surfers who have been wearing Hurley t-shirts since they were kids to progress in the sport without having access to an ocean. 

Thesis 2: The new surfers need new tools.

As this cottage industry expands, there will be an opportunity for a new guard to overthrow the current hierarchy of the industry. Positioning myself to be the technological solution to the problems of surfing has been my goal since I was studying mechanical engineering at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Irked by the environmental impact of planned obsolescence in the construction of surfboards, I looked to new materials that would lead to less waste and fewer broken boards. I found a combination of Carbon Fiber, Kevlar, and Fumed Silica to be a good starting point.

The consumers demanded more than I could produce, knowing I had a product the market desired, I took a step back to solve problem number two. The scalability of high-tech surfboard production.

Working with mentors from my college venture competition, I was able to find a reliable partner in Singapore who has been instrumental in quality improvement, scalability, and cost reduction.

I have the best Carbon Fiber board on the market, the only Carbon-Kevlar board in production, and the only manufacturer that can produce up to 500 Carbon boards per month. 

I have been lucky to find many people who believe in me and the future of this company: Founder of SurfLakes – Aaron Travis, Owner of Silverlakes and the future LA SurfLakes – RJ Brandes, Founder of Las Vegas Wave Group – Torrey Ward, World Surf League Judging Coordinator  - Tim Millikan, Founder of AIPA – Duke Aipa, and Marketing Director for Burton Snowboards - Jeff Lord

Standing on the backs of these pioneers, I plan to go further and do more than anyone can anticipate.