Shaun Tomson (born 21 August 1955) is a South African professional surfer and former world champion, environmentalist, actor, author and businessman.
In 1975, Tomson was an integral part of the “Free Ride” generation. Along with Australians Wayne Bartholomew, Mark Richards, Ian Cairns, Peter Townend and Mark Warren, they rode the infamous waves along Oahu’s legendary North Shore with a style, aggression, and raw courage unseen prior to their arrival. Collectively, these surfers changed the face of surfing and were the first to really apply themselves as serious professional surfers. With his good looks, eloquence, and undeniable athleticism, Tomson served by default as the face and voice of this movement and he is still viewed as the prototype blueprint for today’s pro surfer, with legions of fans throughout the world. Tomson won the highly coveted IPS World Championship in 1977.