#SurflineSXSW

Power of Surf: How Wave Forecasting is Saving the World

Mar 13, 2022

10:00am – 11:00am CT

The pandemic has changed how people view their connection to the ocean. More people than ever are enjoying beaches, boating, fishing and of course, surfing. And no one knows the ocean better than Surfline, the company that invented the science behind wave forecasting and started deeply connecting humans with their passion for the ocean 35 years ago.

In this fireside chat, hear how the company has evolved from a dial-in number, 976-SURF, that helped surfers find the best spots to drop in, to building AI and ML tech for surfers that ended up having crucial worldwide impact in areas like environmental modeling, climate change and ocean death prevention. Kyle Laughlin, CEO of Surfline\Wavetrak will talk about how unintended use cases can turn into unexpected business opportunities, and how his experience in senior leadership at companies like Amazon, Disney and Yahoo! prepared him to run a company powered by the most dynamic force on earth: the ocean.

Programming descriptions are generated by participants and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of SXSW.

photo of Kyle Laughlin
photo of Jamie Mitchell
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