Meet Chris Hissom | Founder & Surfer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Chris Hissom and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Chris, what role has risk played in your life or career?
It’s the thrill of the hunt, and I can best describe it with a story about my high school surf years in Florida. I remember the rush I felt when my high school friends and I shouted “Attacckkkk!!!!!”, and we sprinted from the sand and into torrent waters. I lived in Florida at the time and, for readers that haven’t visited South Florida, the ripples, not waves, make a soft “fshhhh” sound when they gently meet the shore.

So, what’s there to surf in Florida? Well, stormy days turn the ocean to something that looks like the surface of a jacuzzi on full blast. That’s probably why we were screaming as we ran into the waves. It was hurricane season for parents but hunting season for us. You dive into the water and its chaos. Your paddling in, dodging waves and wake, and squinting your eyes trying to spot a set. Suddenly, your intuition shouts! It’s an irresistible burst of energy that drives you in a specific direction, even though it all looks the same. And then you see a massive wave, you are paddling towards its peak, and there is just enough time to catch it. So, when my wife told me about the pain points she experienced as a beginner surfer, it hit me, and I was driven to find a solution …. I wanted her and others to be inspired by the thrill of adventure rather than a fear of the unknown.

Of course, it wasn’t all smooth sailing, my team and I took a huge risk on day 1, but I’ll save that story for the next section.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
We stuck a cardboard sign and some of my old surfboards in the sand, sat at a distance, and waited. The cardboard sign instructed readers to download an app that didn’t exist and scan a QR code that didn’t work. It was a huge risk for me to put a partial representation of my idea out in the wild during our first team meeting. It was nerve-racking but after what felt like an eternity, our first potential customer approached, fiddled with his phone for a while, and then walked away, frustrated. I chased after him, introduced myself, and struck up a conversation. I wanted raw, unfiltered, feedback, and he told me exactly what he liked and didn’t like about our concept. That’s how we got to where we are today, by talking to real customers.

Fast forward to today and SurfUp’s SurfPods are no–contact, no-hassle, automated surfboard rental stations. Picture yourself walking down Diamond Street in Pacific Beach. You and your friends are on your way to the water for a casual beach day and up ahead, next to the sidewalk, you see surfboards in a metal rack. As you get closer, you see QR codes next to each board, and a sign with a headline that reads “Life’s a beach, so let’s surf.” While your friends are busy reading the sign, you download the SurfUp app, scan the QR code, and unlock your surfboard. And just like that, you transformed the casual beach day into a memorable story.

We work with beachfront establishments to install our SurfPods in locations that are accessible to everyone. Diamondhead Inn is our premier partner location and home to our first SurfPod, next to the sidewalk in Pacific Beach. SurfUp simplifies the rental process so that a small spark of interest is enough for you to start your next adventure. Our story starts by the beach in San Diego but our vision is to create a brand that eliminates barriers to entry and revolutionizes how you experience the outdoors. We are just getting started and recently launched an equity crowdfunding campaign that is open to anyone with an interest in investing and becoming a part of this story.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Stay at Diamondhead Inn, in a room overlooking the beach

Rent a soft-top surfboard from the SurfPod

When you’re done, grab a burrito from Kono’s cafe or a burger from Board & Brew

Follow the boardwalk towards Mission Beach and keep an eye out for Slomo

Explore Belmont Park, take a ride on the Giant Dipper Roller Coaster, take a pitstop at Draft Coffee

If you managed to do it all in one day, here are a few more fun things to do

Visit La Jolla, rent a paddleboard from Surf Diva, paddle around La Jolla Cove, and look out for Dolphins.

When you’re done, grab lunch at Barbarella on Avenida De La Playa (plenty of great restaurants here).

If your feeling adventurous, see if you can find the hidden swings in La Jolla.

From classy to beachy, visit Ocean Beach on a Wednesday. Start the day at “No Surf Beach” by Sunset Cliffs, grab a bite to eat at Wonderland Ocean Pub or Surf Lodge, check out the Farmers Market in the afternoon, and head up to the roof of The Holding Company for cocktails (order the Jimmy Buffet).

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Every person that we have interacted with has directly or indirectly helped SurfUp or myself and all deserve a shoutout. I’d like to give a special shout-out to my team, family, and mentors. In particular, I’d like to give a shout-out to Del Foit, the professor that taught the lab 2 market course at Rady School of Management, UCSD [where this all started]. Del asked all the right and tough questions. He also introduced us to our mentor then and advisor now, Mark Bowles; founder of ecoATM and overall business guru. We took what we learned from “the lean start-up method’ by Eric Wise, followed in the footsteps of our mentor, and started talking to potential customers on day 1. I’d also like to give a shout-out to Derrick Oien, mentor/advisor who played a huge part in the development of our app, Kim King and Lada Rasochova from UCSD’s StartR incubator, and Paul Shockley & Mark Leibowitz from Investment Prep.

Website: https://surfupapp.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/surfupapp/

Other: https://invest.microventures.com/offerings/surfup