While competing at the U.S. Open for Surfing in Huntington Beach, CA, best friends and surf duo Matt and Anne Marie came across a group of local surf enthusiasts and took them to lunch. 

They discovered that this group loved to watch surfing but thought they were too old to learn it.

Partnering with a local surf shop, the duo facilitated an impromptu lesson to the group and realized that competing may not be their only calling.

In 2017, they opened Crushing Blue in Venice Beach, where they do weekly surf lessons for those wanting to learn from pros.

Matt and Anne Marie became surf instructors in the most unusual way.