Quitting work and moving near the ocean to surf is not uncommon for wayward 20-somethings. The founders of SURFSET Fitness in Manchester, though, quit their day jobs to create a surfing experience people can have far from the ocean, and it's proving far more lucrative than riding the perfect wave. SURFSET Fitness created the RipSurfer X, a surf board that sits on rubber air bladders and is used in group fitness classes and personal training to mimic the feel of surfing.
SURFSET Fitness wants to become the Big Kahuna of fitness-and it is well on its way. The company generated $500,000 in revenue in 2012 and has set a goal of generating $5 million in 2013.
Co-founders Mike Hartwick, CEO, and Bill Ninteau, head of operations and business development, surfed to stay fit during the hockey off-season. That's when they got the idea of turning surfing into a fitness regimen. They then recruited another founder, Brand Manager Sarah Ponn, who has fitness industry experience, to help launch a company.
After going through four engineers with undesired results, but with more than 200 people interested in buying boards to set up fitness club franchises, SURFSET needed capital fast. So the company founders went on Shark Tank last fall, the ABC show where entrepreneurs pitch ideas to investors. They asked for $150,000 for a 10 percent stake. Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks basketball team, offered a $300,000 investment for a 33 percent stake, but dropped to 30 percent after the other sharks counter offered. What he was offering us was a more hands off approach, which is what we like, says Ponn. We got into this because we wanted to run our own company.
The company has since sold 750 boards, and more than 40 gyms now offer classes using those boards, including two in Canada. The company has also received a lot of press, including being featured on Good Morning America and in Martha Stewart Living. It's hard to believe that something you created in your basement, and in your mind, suddenly becomes this tool that is so effective, Hartwick says. Our ultimate goal is to develop a brand like a Nike, a Zumba or a TRX, as examples. Hartwick says surfing is a total body workout that focuses on core strength, given the natural instability of a surfboard.
Among their clients are three NH companies: TI Fitness Training LLC, a local fitness club in Manchester, Exhale Yoga in Londonderry, and Body Design by Joy in Gilford. TI Fitness purchased 10 of the RipSurfer X boards for group fitness classes. The club's business has since doubled, and it has expanded its offerings to include SURFSET Jr. classes for kids. The club now offers six SURFSET classes, with hopes of adding more. It's a game changer for the business, says Christine Lewis, co-owner of TI Fitness. It has definitely put a huge spin on our business. We've gotten a lot of interest and met a lot of great people.
In addition to the boards, customers get fitness videos and certification training. SURFSET uploads new workout videos monthly that are filmed on a makeshift beach in their Manchester offices. (While the business is based in Manchester, the boards are now made in Ohio, though the founders hope to bring production to NH.)
The SURFSET crew travels the country selling boards and training people to teach classes. They recently returned from a trip and had 25 messages from gyms and fitness studios looking for training. We can't produce them fast enough, Hartwick says. They now have 13 master trainers, who travel to provide training to gyms that buy boards. They are focusing on selling to major national fitness clubs including Anytime Fitness. For more information, visit surfsetfitness.com and totalimagept.com.
Current Issue - May 2024