Meet Tommy. He’s a rad dude, a great surfer and a friend of salt + snow. He surfs waves with the best of them, and guides our fearless founders, Kathy and Sara, into the dreamy glassy swells of Nosara, Costa Rica. He gets hyped to the music of the Foo Fighters, and cools down to the tunes of Norah Jones––can we say he’s a dynamic man? We think so! Get to know our expert Wanderist below.

 

NAME:

Tommy Potterton

HOMETOWN:

Playa Guiones, Costa Rica

SALT OR SNOW:

Salt

SPORT OF CHOICE:

Surfing

FAVORITE DESTINATION:

Indonesia

WHAT DOES ADVENTURE MEAN TO YOU?:

I like to think I've shaped my life around chasing adventure!

WHEN SEEKING ADVENTURE, WHAT’S THE FIRST THING YOU DO?:

Plan, plan, plan, and plan!

THREE THINGS YOU CAN’T TRAVEL WITHOUT:

Surfboard, good music, camera

HOW YOU GOT STARTED IN SURFING:

I got a job at a surf school in North Cornwall at the age of 13. My job was washing wetsuits, digging holes, photocopying, and running errands. If all my morning tasks were completed, I was allowed to go along with the beginner surf lessons and join in or help. 

TIPS FOR ANYONE LOOKING TO START SURFING:

Get instruction...So much of what I do is trying to unteach prohibitive habits

FAVORITE SNACK TO FUEL WITH AND WHY?:

Flapjacks! The closest thing you have in the USA is a Cliff Bar

PUMP UP SONG:

Foo Fighters - Times Like These

COOLDOWN SONG:

Norah Jones

WHO IS YOUR ROLE MODEL AND WHY?:

Role models include Morgan Freeman, David Attenborough, Nelson Mandela and Bethany Hamilton

THREE FAVORITE BOOKS:

White Tiger, The God of Small Things and Harry Potter

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST MOTIVATOR AND WHY?:

I am really motivated by competition and driven by goals