Surf Culture, Licensing Models and Upcoming Events

This Week at Ponto Beach Club - February 24th Edition

Author

Jeran Fraser
February 24, 2025

If it’s your first time here, welcome to the Ponto Beach Club.

If you’re not familiar with the name, it’s a beach in South Carlsbad and one of my favorite surf spots.

I am on a mission to connect great humans to create successful outcomes.

Read on for my weekly slice of sneakers-on-the-sidewalk insight into the SD business community.

Where My Heads At This Week 👇

I have lived in San Diego for 30 years. I moved here at age of 17 and the ocean has always been a part of my life. Surf culture has been in my DNA for decades.

I worked for a surf brand called Dakine in my early 20’s and have always looked at surf culture from a unique lens. Today we are staring at surf industry that looks entirely different than 20 years ago. If you’re in your 40’s you’ve likely seen the lifecycle of several successful brands in the industry.

The surf industry has been in decline for years, and yet, ironically, it's still influencing mainstream fashion and lifestyle brands in subtle ways. The brands making headway these days are far from surf-centric, but rather tap into that aesthetic and mindset without relying solely on the core surf consumer. The ones that survive long term are those that understand how to leverage nostalgia and its evolution.

The licensing model has its pros and cons. On one hand, it allows legacy brands to remain in circulation without the weight of full operational costs. But, as we've seen with Authentic Brands Group (ABG) and others, when you start acquiring too many brands without a strong plan for differentiation, you dilute brand value. The recent shake up with ABG and Liberated are proof that you can’t just keep slapping a legacy name on new products and expect cultural relevance to follow.

It’ll be interesting to see how this all plays out. Chaos absolutely creates opportunity, and if the right people with deep cultural roots step in at the right time, there is a chance we’ll one or more of these brands make a comeback.

I found a brand recently that I love and it’s from Waco, TX of all places. Armadillos and Possums are right up my alley 🙂.

Sendero Provisions, Co

I will continue to stay on top of what’s happening in San Diego, specifically in North County. I am building a bit of a hit list of events in the coming days and weeks.

The No Agenda Event Series is in full force in 2025. I’ll be your host with one goal to make it a great experience. Each event series will have a focus on categories from sports tech to operations to marketing to AI. Each event has a cap and is industry specific, meaning we’re pretty strict on attendance to keep conversations at a high level.

Upcoming Insider Events:

Tuesday, February 25th No Agenda Sports Tech Happy Hour 

Wednesday, February 26th SheBelieves Cup - US Women’s Soccer at Snapdragon Stadium. This link to Tick Pick is my favorite one because it doesn’t have the fees that Ticketmaster and Stub

Thursday, February 27th Captain America Night at Frontwave Arena with the San Diego Clippers vs Indiana Mad Ants. Come meet Yauhen Massalski “The Squirrel” at some of our events and then watch him dominate at Frontwave Arena.

Sunday, March 2nd Veterans Night at Frontwave Arena - Bronny is 0-2 in playing at Frontwave Arena but he’s back and being an SD Clippers fan, I am hoping Bronny plays this time around!

Here are some friends links that have some interesting events:

My Startup Beach Events - Hussein Yahfoufi

The Social Coyote - Jonah Peake

AI Events with SDx 

Hustle... it's often times the missing link.

I like to surround myself with people that are elevating their game, whether it's on the court or behind a desk. The hustle isn't about shaking hands, it's about execution.

I enjoy helping others, it's my nature. That said, I choose to help those I know have the ability or desire to execute and those that appreciate the help. One way friendships and business relationships don't last long. And when I need a favor, I always try to make it reciprocal.

I met this guy a few months ago, Yauhen Massalski. He's the San Diego Clippers big man and one of the funniest and most hard working guys I know. He's got big dreams of an NBA contract, but in his off time he's grinding, building relationships, being a brand ambassador and making people laugh. He's refining his skills on and off the court.

If you want something, go get it. The resources are at your fingertips. From AI to LinkedIn, you've got access to all the brainpower you need!

North County Spotlight

Hussein Yahfoufi and I met not too long ago. He’s been keeping the start up and tech scene alive in town with his new technology MyStartupBeach.com and his events. Hussein and I are big into the local sports scene and with SDFC finally kicking off their inaugural season, we’re going to have a lot more to cheer for. I have a suspicion he and I will be hanging at a lot of sports events in the future.

What’s Next at Ponto Beach Club?

I’m hosting a private ‘speakeasy-style’ Happy Hour at the Leucadia Club for those in the sports tech space.

📅 DATE: February 25th at 5:30pm - 8pm

📍 LOCATION: The Leucadia Club (speakeasy), Encinitas, CA

No sales pitches. Just good drinks, better stories, and maybe a wig if the mood strikes. If you’re in the North County manufacturing scene, hit reply, and I’ll get you an invite with the address.

Until next week,

Jeran Fraser
Ponto Beach Club Ambassador