If there’s a name in the industry that defines influence, it’s Woolcott’s Volcom. During 2006, his company hustled-up $205.3 million in revenues (their net income was $28.8 million). And beyond the profit and loss, Volcom owns two houses at Pipe, operates a music label and has a skate-park at its 86,000 square foot Costa Mesa headquarters. It also boasts an athlete roster that includes Bruce Irons, Shaun White, Ryan Sheckler, Gavin Beschen, Andrew Doheney, Derek Dunfee and Claire Bevilacqua. The Stone can seemingly do anything, go anywhere and now, for better or worse, sells to almost anyone. More impressively, the founder and builder of this brand still runs the show – long after taking his brainchild public and having the opportunity to retire in grand fashion like Eddie Murphy at the end of Trading Places. So here’s to a guy who was on the U.S. Surfing Team, broke his neck, then created a worldwide culture and now successfully jousts with Wallstreet. Who’d have thought that going “against the establishment” would be so well accepted? 

California Roots: Costa Mesa

Master of this Domain: Famous for Richard Branson-esque guerilla marketing that has kept his brand from becoming too “established looking.” Such tactics range from dressing as a banana to the RV that happened to “break down” smack dab in the middle of a recent U.S. Open (coincidentally it doubled as Volcom’s Promotional headquarters until it miraculously restarted). His Company also spreads its gospel through ubiquitous sticker bombing and ultra secretive ASR themes. 

Non-Bling Factor: Woolcott evidently still runs Volcom from the jerry-rigged desk he made when he started the Company in 1991 (the contraption consists of a door on top of two file cabinets). He also lived in a trailer near his choice, Laguna surf locale until December of ’05. 

Big Corpo Connection: Woolcott and his father, Rene (Volcom’s present Chairman), are close with Quiksilver CEO Bob McKnight. Richard Woolcott worked in marketing and promotions for Quik from 1989 to 1991. 

Career Lowlight:  In 1985 Woolcott was an aspiring 19-year-old pro on a Baja photo trip when he broke his neck on a sandbar. For nine months he sported a halo that was screwed to his skull. Doctors reminded him that only about two percent of people who sustain such an injury actually survive it. While the near-death-experience was a “lowlight” in his surfing career, it surely intensified Woolcott’s focus on the industry’s business-side.

Red Carpet Moment: Accepting the 2005 SIMA manufacturer of the year award – given to the company that represents the best in both leadership as well as strategy. That… Or taking his company public in 2005 (btw, Woolcott turned his 21 percent ownership stake into $133.4 million).