Though destined to be a doctor like his father, his grand-father and great-grand-father before him, François Payot dropped out of medical school to pursue studies in architecture. But right before graduating, he met an Australian surfing champion who was looking to develop the brand Rip Curl in France. This encounter would change the course of his life and launch François all the way to the top of one of the world’s leading surf brands.

“I never felt like I was going in to work. We worked where we thrived.”

“At first, whether it be the Mayor’s office, the banks and the business world, no one believed in surfing and Action Sports.”

“Whether it was Billabong, Quiksilver or Rip Curl, our objective was to develop surfing. We always got along very well among CEOs because we were all working towards the same goals.”

“I have received so much from the surfing world that now I owe it to the industry to give back in return.”

Podcast only available in French.

You can also listen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcast and Deezer.

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François Payot: Linkedin

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Editorial production: EUROSIMA

Animation: Romain Ferrand / Rémi Chaussemiche

Technical production: Fred de Bailliencourt

Photos: Stéphane Robin