Before he was CEO of Tilly's, Nate Smith was a Navy SEAL, a Naval Academy graduate and one of the steadiest hands in action sports during one of the industry's most turbulent stretches as Boardriders' Americas President. In this conversation, Smith opens up about the leadership lessons he rarely talks about publicly, what it actually took to hold a team together through years of ownership changes and cost cutting, and what he knows now, sitting on the retail side, that he wishes he'd understood back when he was leading sales for wholesale brands. It's a rare look at the discipline, humility and hard won perspective of someone who has sat on every side of the table, and what the industry needs to learn about reaching the next generation of shoppers.

Hear from industry leaders across several key sectors share and discuss how they see the industry and where it's headed.

This panel explores the changing media landscape within the surf and action sports industry, charting the shift from traditional print and digital media to modern influencer and creator-driven strategies.

Action sports have always built strong cultures, but sometimes those cultures become fences that keep new people out. Drawing from his journey from snowboarding to hospitality, Brad Steward explores how surf businesses can turn those fences into gates, welcoming new audiences, creating new revenue opportunities and growing the industry without sacrificing the culture that made it matter in the first place.

ABOUT BRAD STEWARD

Brad Steward has spent four decades building, disrupting and redefining businesses, from pioneering professional snowboarding and building Bonfire into a global powerhouse to launching Salomon Snowboards across 39 countries and backing Nixon from the beginning. Today, he’s bringing that same challenger mindset to hospitality as co-founder of Caravan Outpost, proving that the best lessons in leadership often come from carving your own line.

10-Minute Spotlight Presentation

What happens when a country puts surfing at the center of its tourism and economic development strategy?

In this fast-paced spotlight, delegates from Surf City El Salvador will share how El Salvador has leveraged its world-class waves to build a global destination, attract international events and visitors, invest in infrastructure, and create new economic opportunities around surfing.

Attendees will get a behind-the-scenes look at what has been built, what El Salvador has learned along the way, and what comes next—including opportunities for the global surf industry to participate in its continued growth.

AI experimentation is everywhere, but separating real business value from the noise is becoming a critical challenge for leaders.

In this executive session, Riley Stricklin, Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Cadre AI, will cut through the hype to explore where AI is delivering measurable impact, what leading organizations are doing differently, and the shifts leaders should be watching as AI reshapes how businesses operate and compete.

Attendees will leave with a sharper understanding of what’s working today, what’s coming next, and where leadership teams should focus to stay ahead.

We’re taking lunch outside the Super Summit for a walking experience through surf culture. Attendees will visit legendary Hobie Surf Shop for a firsthand look at one of the industry’s standout retailers, then step inside the newly opened Surfing Heritage & Culture Center to experience some of surfing’s greatest treasures, stories and history.

Q&A with Natural Selection Surf Athletes

Twelve surfers. Ten days. A remote stretch of South African coastline. And no guarantee what the ocean will deliver.

Fresh off the 2026 Natural Selection Surf event, athletes from the competition join us for a candid conversation about performing when conditions are unpredictable, the stakes are high and there’s no playbook to follow.

We’ll explore how elite surfers manage risk, make decisions under pressure, adapt when plans change, trust their instincts and the people around them, and find the confidence to commit when the moment arrives.

It’s a conversation about surfing, but the lessons on leadership, resilience and decision-making translate well beyond the water.

What are retailers seeing, what’s selling, and where are the opportunities? Orange County Register’s Laylan Connelly leads a candid Q&A with Robert Howson of Harbour Surfboards and Dickie O’Reilly of Spyder Surf Shop for a real-world look at today’s consumer, the challenges facing shops, and what brands need to know about the road ahead.

Every industry has its founding stories. Few are as authentic as surfing’s. Hear directly from Dick Metz, one of the pioneers who helped birth surfing from a lifestyle into a global business. Hosted at the newly opened Surfing Heritage and Cultural Center, this intimate fireside conversation explores the people, risks, innovations, and defining moments that built an industry and what today’s leaders can learn from its origins.

Yes. Qualified retailers, students and nonprofits are invited to join us with a special rate. Please email vipe@surfindustry.org with your request!

If you work in surf, outdoor, or any industry connected to the culture, you belong in the room. Join us for a full day of fresh ideas, valuable insights, meaningful connections, and conversations designed to move you—and the industry—forward.

The Tides Laguna Beach is walking distance, affordable and walking distance to The Rivian Southcoast Theater.

Plan to make a full day of it! Doors open at 8:30 AM and we’ll keep the energy going through 8:00 PM. Along the way, we’ve got you covered with breakfast, lunch, happy hour, and dinner—plenty of time to learn, connect, catch up, and build some new relationships.