If you’ve been to any major surfing events in France over the past 15 years, chances are you have seen a yellow background with the big black letters MC BOX on pick-up trucks driving along the beach or on the back of staff T-shirts. These letters represent the company, that Stéphane Marteau founded in 2008 and which has become a benchmark in cultural and sporting events management. They also embody his successful path through the initially emergent and eventually blazing surfing industry, some fifteen years earlier.

Stéphane sat down with us to talk about his formative years in the Sarthe.  He talks about elite horseback riding but also how he first got into skateboarding and waves, which would completely upend his world. After discovering snowboarding in the Alps and later Hossegor in the early 90’s, he eventually came to understand that was where he wanted his life to go from that point on.

Over a 30-year career, Stéphane has had a variety of jobs (working in a Volcom shop, manager at Boardriders or Rockfood, marketing manager at Omareef/ Quiksilver, a stint in the movies…), which would all, unbeknownst to him, be stepping stones towards his own success with MX BOX Events…they would also make for many great stories.

But events are not Stéphane’s only playing field. He will also tell us about his successful experience in the restaurant business and his ambitions in business tourism. Today he continues to pursue these other projects, while keeping a sharp eye on the various key events he’s involved in, from the Paris-Dakar, to Hell Fest, including the Roland Garros French Tennis open, and of course surfing events that intertwine with action sports culture, its industry and athletes.

This episode throws a rare light on a key player in our industry, who usually stays out of the spot light.

Enjoy the ride.

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