Hot 25: 2009 Honorees
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Sean Collins
President and Chief Forecaster, Surfline
Age: 57
Fact: He was inducted into the Surfer’s Hall of Fame in July 2008.
What he does: “I pretty much live in the water.”
Chasing waves from Huntington Beach to Mexico to Tahiti, Sean Collins isn’t just playing around; he’s doing his job. As president of Surfline, a global surf-reporting and forecasting Web site, Collins lives a life that revolves around riding waves – and he’s built a big business in the process. His service is used by surfers and boaters all over the world.
“Every surfer’s goal is to try to avoid getting a real job if they can,” Collins says. “I’ve been able to live my dream and make it a job.”
Wherever he may be, Collins has the tools to help pro surfers find perfect swells on the other end of the county or the other side of the world. It helps to have 150 “surfcams,” which Collins developed in 1996, throughout the globe streaming live on the site.
Surfline originally launched as a phone service in 1984. It now has 35 full-time employees and a team of eight forecasters who hit the waves whenever they feel like it. After all, Collins has his priorities in order.
“When we set up schedules and meetings,” he says, “I say, ‘OK, as long as there isn’t a swell.’ If there’s a good swell, I like to chase it.”
– Ashley Eliot
OC METRO's 2009 Hot 25 honorees:
Toby Bost | Mike Gillespie | Anil Puri | Sean Collins
Kevin Boylan & T.K. Pillan | Dr. Jason Knight | Hugh Hewitt
Luke Allen | Tina Aldatz | Sukhee Kang | Glenn Gray
Amelia & Florent Marneau | Tim McFerran | Tallia Hart
Bill Sanderson | Henrik Fisker | Janet Hamada | Wayne Gross
Julie Miller-Phipps | Michael Ruane | Carl St.Clair
Pretend City | Phil Willms | Sheryl Bourgeois | Steve Nichols
<<< Back to 2009 honorees
Web extra:
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of OC METRO's Hot 25 awards, here are our original Hot 25 honorees, who were featured in 1990.
Doug Rankin | Erich Vollmer | Dennis Aigner | Greg Patton
Janice Mittermeier | Carol Stogsdill | Carl St.Clair
Anton Segerstrom | Christopher Cox | Christine (Reed) Iger
Dr. Robert Bade | Thomas Mays | Mike Goode
Richard Gadbois | Rudy Castruita | Debbie Miede
Ernest C. Brown | Mossimo Giannulli | Daniel L. Rasmussen
Cynthia Ellner | Kathryn Braun Lewis | David Wilhelm
<<< Back to Web extra main page:
first Hot 25 honorees
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President and Chief Forecaster, Surfline Age: 57 Fact: He was inducted into the Surfer’s Hall of Fame in July 2008. What he does: “I pretty much live in the water.” Chasing waves from Huntington Beach to Mexico to Tahiti, Sean Collins isn’t just playing around; he’s doing his job. As president of Surfline, a global surf-reporting and forecasting Web site, Collins lives a life that revolves around riding waves – and he’s built a big business in the process. His service is used by surfers and boaters all over the world. “Every surfer’s goal is to try to avoid getting a real job if they can,” Collins says. “I’ve been able to live my dream and make it a job.” Wherever he may be, Collins has the tools to help pro surfers find perfect swells on the other end of the county or the other side of the world. It helps to have 150 “surfcams,” which Collins developed in 1996, throughout the globe streaming live on the site. Surfline originally launched as a phone service in 1984. It now has 35 full-time employees and a team of eight forecasters who hit the waves whenever they feel like it. After all, Collins has his priorities in order. “When we set up schedules and meetings,” he says, “I say, ‘OK, as long as there isn’t a swell.’ If there’s a good swell, I like to chase it.” – Ashley Eliot OC METRO's 2009 Hot 25 honorees: Toby Bost | Mike Gillespie | Anil Puri | Sean Collins Kevin Boylan & T.K. Pillan | Dr. Jason Knight | Hugh Hewitt Luke Allen | Tina Aldatz | Sukhee Kang | Glenn Gray Amelia & Florent Marneau | Tim McFerran | Tallia Hart Bill Sanderson | Henrik Fisker | Janet Hamada | Wayne Gross Julie Miller-Phipps | Michael Ruane | Carl St.Clair Pretend City | Phil Willms | Sheryl Bourgeois | Steve Nichols <<< Back to 2009 honorees Web extra: To celebrate the 20th anniversary of OC METRO's Hot 25 awards, here are our original Hot 25 honorees, who were featured in 1990. Doug Rankin | Erich Vollmer | Dennis Aigner | Greg Patton Janice Mittermeier | Carol Stogsdill | Carl St.Clair Anton Segerstrom | Christopher Cox | Christine (Reed) Iger Dr. Robert Bade | Thomas Mays | Mike Goode Richard Gadbois | Rudy Castruita | Debbie Miede Ernest C. Brown | Mossimo Giannulli | Daniel L. Rasmussen Cynthia Ellner | Kathryn Braun Lewis | David Wilhelm <<< Back to Web extra main page: first Hot 25 honorees |
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