Name: Mike Walker
Born: April 1979
Resides in: Riverside, California
Years Surfing: 20
Years Wakesurfing: 7
Started shaping: 1996
I started building boards out of my garage while living down in Northern Baja Mexico. The waves there were pretty powerful and I kept going through a lot of boards, so I began shaping for fun. Friends ended up ordering boards when they would come down to surf and eventually I moved back up to San Diego where I had the opportunity to be around some of the best shapers in the world. I was really fortunate to have the chance to shape under so many skilled craftsman like Rusty Presindorfer, Rick Hamon, Bill Johnson, Xanadu, Marcio Zouvi of Sharp Eye, Mike Hynson (of Endless Summer fame) and Larry Ricci at South Coast.
Building boards was never about making money, which is a good thing because there really isn't much there, but when the economy tanked back in 2008 I was quickly faced with the reality that so many other people were confronted with. Eventually I had to go find a "real job" and then do my board business at night, 15-18 hour days and 6-7 days a week. This was really eye opening.
At the end of the day, working for someone else for a j.o.b. (I call it "just over broke"), is fine if you like what you do, but most people just do their job because they think that it is there only option. The employee mindset is developed by most Americans at a young age: go to __________, get good __________, find a high paying ___________, save enough to ________. Most people can fill those blanks in without even thinking about it ... because that is what we have been trained to think. But the reality is that there is sill opportunity for those who are willing to step outside their comfort zone and become an entrepreneur. For me, that meant going back to just building boards and pursuing projects that I WANTED to do.
I had to get back to shaping full time and I eventually found a way to escape the rat race by leveraging the power of the internet, social media, and creating an extra income source that didn't depend on me trading hours for money. Today, my team and I have created a global group of people from all walks of life, developing a marketing platform that teaches people how to do the exact same thing and in a way where they can avoid all the "trial and error" that I had to go through.
This is why I founded Get Paid to Ride- an extra income source for individuals to pursue the boardsports they love. The best part is ... it's actually very simple. Most people actually already have the skills sets in place, they just haven't had a business vehicle to apply it to. Our approach has changed that. Just like the shapers who mentored me when I was new to the board business, it was because of their input and support that I was able to get the skills needed to excel in the industry. Having a mentor makes ALL the difference in the world.
We are currently accepting submissions to be on the team and I will personally reach out to each person who applies. Anyone who is looking for an opportunity and is ready to apply themselves, success is right around the corner where you can have more time to follow your passion. That is what it's all about with GetPaidToRide.com, check it out!
Mike Walker
Founder of Get Paid to Ride