Tag Archives: Alison Overholt

Izzy & Coco Tihanyi Surf Diva for kicking sand in the face of conventional wisdom After seeing Blue Crush a few years ago, I signed up for surf camp. Friends (male and female alike) laughed when they heard. Surfing is hard, they said. Even for guys, was the unspoken part. Apparently, no one told that to Izzy and Coco Tihanyi, the 32-year-old twins who founded Surf Diva, the camp — taught for girls, by girls — that I signed up for. The sisters set up shop in 1996 with $328 and Izzy’s surfboard collection. Guys who surfed the same beach heckled their classes and sometimes cut in front of their students. “They thought they had some sort of claim to the ocean,” says Izzy (above, right). But the sisters kept at it, and the business grew. Today, Surf Diva’s 50 instructors teach thousands of people to surf each year. Half of all revenue comes from sales of Surf Diva fashions sold at a company-owned boutique and by 50 retailers in the U.S., Japan, and England. All is not well in the surf-camp world, however. State beaches have begun asking camps for as much as 20% of gross revenue in exchange for the correct permits; cities want up to 10%. To defend their surf turf, the Tihanyis set up an industry group to lobby officials. “Can the city really enforce this kind of restriction of use of the ocean,” Izzy asks, “and can they really force us to open our books to them and just take a percentage like that?” My money’s on the divas in this fight. After all, it’s their world. We just surf in it. Alison Overholt Martha Stewart, Martha Stewart Omnimedia because she took one for the team Richard Branson, Virgin Group because he’s game for anything. In fact, everything. Michael Dell, Dell Computer for being brilliantly straightforward Jim Sinegal, Costco because who knew a big-box chain could have a generous soul? Diane von Furstenberg, Diane von Furstenberg Studio for staging an elegant comeback Julie Azuma, Different Roads to Learning for offering hope and help to the parents of autistic children Fritz Maytag, Anchor Brewing for setting limits Ray Kurzweil, Kurzweil Technologies and other companies because he is Edison’s rightful heir Craig Newmark, Craigslist for putting the free in free markets Jack Mitchell, Mitchells/Richards because his family business makes an art of customer service Frank Robinson, Robinson Helicopter for whipping an entire industry into shape Mark Melton, Melton Franchise Systems for giving immigrants their shot at the American Dream Michelle Cardinal & Tim O’Leary, Cmedia and Respond2 for rewriting the rules for husband-and-wife teams Mike Lazaridis, Research in Motion because someone had to stand up for all those frustrated engineers Trip Hawkins, Electronics Arts and Digital Chocolate for still scrapping Warren Brown, Cake Love and Love Cafe because only in America will someone quit a secure job as a lawyer to start a bakery Muriel Siebert, Muriel Siebert & Co. for being a notable first with a worthy second act Chuck Porter, Crispin, Porter + Bogusky for verging on reckless Katrina Markoff, Vosges Haut for setting a completely unreasonable goal for her business Barry Steinberg & Craig Sumerel, Direct Tire and Auto Service for showing the power of the peer group Victoria Parham, Virtual Support Services for serving as a mentor to military spouses Tom LaTour, Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants for staying at fleabag hotels so that we don’t have to Mitchell Gold & Bob Williams, Mitchell Gold for creating a true comfort zone Izzy & Coco Tihanyi, Surf Diva for kicking sand in the face of conventional wisdom Tony Lee, Ring Masters for saving 16 jobs, including his own Rueben Martinez, Libreria Martinez Books and Art Galleries for simultaneously building a business and nurturing Latino culture