With his wetsuit zippers blown open, his flotation vest filling fast with water, and his diaphragm heaving, Andrew Stark thought his time was up.  But a monster wave on one of Hawaii’s most feared breaks was no match for Stark, a leader who thrives when faced with a threatening swell. 

Whether it’s mounting world-renowned events at Bell’s Beach or Sunset, or convincing the world that surfing is professional sport, Stark rides every wave all the way to the shore. 

A tragic family event when Stark was young forged a connection with the ocean that carries him through every tough challenge: “Surfing saved me. I could have gone in any direction, but all I wanted to do was go to the beach.” 

So with the pandemic threatening the future of all pro surfing events, he’s more determined than ever to harness that passion into a successful recovery. 

And he tells you more about that in a bonus episode, available in your podcast feed now. 

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Curveball is the show where leaders are honest about their darkest moments.  We take you inside a company at a pivotal moment, and share tips on how to thrive in challenging times.  

Keep up to date with Curveball by following @_deadsetstudios on Twitter and @deadsetstudios on instagram.  

Find out more about the show or suggest a guest by visiting www.curveballshow.com

We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the land on which this show was made. 



Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With his wetsuit zippers blown open, his flotation vest filling fast with water, and his diaphragm heaving, Andrew Stark thought his time was up.  But a monster wave on one of Hawaii’s most feared breaks was no match for Stark, a leader who thrives when faced with a threatening swell. Whether it’s mounting world-renowned events at Bell’s Beach or Sunset, or convincing the world that surfing is professional sport, Stark rides every wave all the way to the shore. A tragic family event when Stark was young forged a connection with the ocean that carries him through every tough challenge: “Surfing saved me. I could have gone in any direction, but all I wanted to do was go to the beach.” So with the pandemic threatening the future of all pro surfing events, he’s more determined than ever to harness that passion into a successful recovery. And he tells you more about that in a bonus episode, available in your podcast feed now. +++ Curveball is the show where leaders are honest about their darkest moments.  We take you inside a company at a pivotal moment, and share tips on how to thrive in challenging times.  Keep up to date with Curveball by following @_deadsetstudios on <a href="https://twitter.com/_deadsetstudios">Twitter</a> and @deadsetstudios on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/deadsetstudios/">instagram</a>.  Find out more about the show or suggest a guest by visiting <a href="http://www.curveballshow.com/">www.curveballshow.com</a>   We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the land on which this show was made.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

The human experience is all about adapting. Whether it’s a CEO trying to ride out an international travel crisis, a surfer struggling against a monster wave while his floatation vest fails, or a media star whose whole life changes in an instant, rarely do you get to glimpse what’s really going on during a someone's darkest hour.

In these revealing, personal conversations with a range of successful people, Curveball host Kellie Riordan gets the lowdown on how people grow in extraordinary times. 

Keep up to date with Curveball by following @_deadsetstudios.com on Twitter and @deadsetsetstudios on Instagram. Find out more about the show or suggest a guest by going to www.curveballshow.com

Curveball is also now a LinkedIn newsletter! It's a weekly top-up of the best advice our guests have to help set you on the right path. Subscribing is totally free.

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Whether it’s mounting world-renowned events at Bell’s Beach or Sunset, or convincing the world that surfing is professional sport, WSL boss Andrew Stark rides every wave all the way to the shore

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