Surfing USA & Beyond
What started out as an idea to help a friend stay in shape has turned into an $8 million business for Sarah Ponn 2006.
Sarah was in college at the time, studying to become a personal trainer as a side job. One of her clients, a professional hockey player who stayed in shape during the off-season surfing, consulted Sarah on ideas on creating a similar workout so he could keep his physique when he couldn't get to the beach.
That client, by the way, Mike Hartwick, became her husband in August 2014. Together, the couple designed a “surfboard” exercise machine they built out of various parts they purchased online and in hardware stores.
“We were so amazed with what we had developed that Mike quit his job, we built 11 more machines, and we moved to New York City to launch SURFSET,” recalled Sarah. “We were immediately asked to be on several national media shows including Good Morning America, The Today Show, Fox News, Access Hollywood, Martha Stewart and the list goes on.”
That was in 2011, and from there, the couple realized that they had to secure a large investment to get the manufacturing going. Sarah and Mike ended up appearing on ABC's Shark Tank. They received a $300,000 investment from Mark Cuban and have now grown SURFSET to a company earning $8 million in revenue with 250 locations in 19 countries worldwide.
SURFSET licenses their trademarks and classes to gyms and personal trainers and offers products such as the mechanical surfboard and clothing.
Although SURFSET keeps Sarah and Mike traveling all over the world, they are grounded in Manchester, N.H.
Mike, who earned an MBA from Dartmouth College in international finance, is from New Hampshire. And Sarah’s mother, Dr. Teresa Ponn, a breast surgeon at the Elliot Breast Health Center, lives in New Hampshire. As an aside, Sarah proudly notes that her mother has repeatedly been named “Top Doctor in New Hampshire” (and she’s doing very well!).
Sarah’s sister, Amanda Ponn 2004, is in nursing school at Northeastern University in Boston. Amanda is a captain in the Army National Guard and was just appointed commanding officer of a large company in New York state. According to Sarah, her sister is engaged to a “wonderful man” who is a major in the U.S. Army. The wedding will be in New Hampshire in October 2015.
Sarah and Mike set up SURFSET’s corporate headquarters in Manchester to be close to their families. The couple spends a lot of time in Los Angeles and New York City, and Sarah hopes to visit Hamden Hall one of these days when she’s closer to the area.
“I frequently reflect on my time at Hamden Hall and am so grateful to have had such wonderful and caring people surround me as a young adult,” Sarah said. “My experience on the lacrosse team and the guidance of Coach Iampietro has been one of my best experiences to date. I also have a deep sense of gratitude for Mr. and Mrs. Gonnelly who were like second parents to me as a teenager. Mr. Gonnelly believed in me, encouraged me and helped me grow as a student and a person, and that I will never forget.”
After Hamden Hall, Sarah attended the University of Virginia to study communication before transferring abroad to study journalism at City University London's School of Journalism in the UK.
Now in her fourth year with SURFSET, Sarah enjoys a professional life that “marries” perfectly with her personal life, and keeps her and Mike “surfing” all over the world!
Hamden Hall Country Day School
1108 Whitney Avenue
Hamden, Connecticut 06517
Phone: 203-752-2600
Fax: 203-752-2651
admissions@hamdenhall.org
Hamden, Connecticut 06517
Phone: 203-752-2600
Fax: 203-752-2651
admissions@hamdenhall.org
About Us
Hamden Hall Country Day School, located less than two miles from Yale University, is one of the best private schools in Connecticut to enroll elementary, middle, and high school students. Our nurturing and inclusive community provides a dynamic learning environment that promotes academic excellence by understanding each child and fostering their individual growth.
