Making Waves Matter

Michael Baron’s life story inspires hope that dream jobs do exist, and that work doesn’t have to feel like work. From catching his first wave at the age of five as a micro grommet on the South Coast, to competing internationally in his teens, he made a pivotal decision at 18: trading the World Surf League Qualifying Series for a career in surf coaching. That choice has since come full circle, landing him a dream role on the North Coast, where he now heads up the first-ever Club Med surf school in the world.

Mikey (as he is affectionately known) started competing at the age of eight and quickly secured sponsorships from Gotcha and later Billabong, the latter of which stayed with him for 13 years. One of the highlights of his competitive surfing career was being invited to compete under the South African flag at the ISA World Junior Surfing Championships. There, he won the U16 title in the South Africa vs New Zealand Challenge – a pre-championship warm-up contest.

Later, Mikey was faced with the often difficult decision of whether to pursue a career in professional surfing, a costly path on a highly competitive tour that only a small, elite group of athletes ever succeed in. “I had to decide between spending money trying to make it on the pro tour and creating a lifestyle through a career at home,” Mikey explained.

He chose to branch into professional surf coaching, a business decision that has served him well. He began coaching in Durban under Quintin Jones, better known as “QJ”, the surf coach who helped shape his own surfing. Four years later, at 22, Mikey went solo, launching his own surf school, Stay Salty. Now, nine years on, at the age of 31, his career in the surf industry stands on the cusp of another evolution as the head coach at Club Med Tinley Manor.

While spreading the stoke through coaching, Mikey has built a life out of the water. He is married to Morgane, and together they have a daughter, Aurora, who, at four years old, can be seen regularly catching waves with her dad in Umdloti.

On the highs and lows of surf coaching, Mikey says being in the water with his students all day fuels his own passion for surfing. It keeps him in the water, even on days when he might not otherwise paddle out, pushing him to surf more. As for the lows, he says there are few, if any – aside from occasionally seeing parents push their children beyond their limits – that take the fun out of surfing by pressuring them to compete when they don’t really want to.

Mikey has also channelled other talents into his business. He previously modelled for Models International and appeared in catalogues for Boardriders, The Sector Group and Billabong. Alongside coaching, he has added another dimension to his work through surf, wedding and event photography, and has been a regular contributor to the iconic Zigzag surfing magazine.

Opening Image: Hennie Potgieter
Photos: Morgane Baron