12th Annual Tommy Tant Memorial Surf Classic Presented by Nautica

Last year one of our most successful Nautica Ocean To Ocean video stories featured pro surfer Will Tant. Will leads an annual surf memorial contest in Flagler Beach, Florida in honor of his late brother, Tommy Tant, who died suddenly of an aortic aneurysm. We filmed Will, his dad and their community doing a traditional surf "paddle out," where a group of surfers has a moment of silence out in the waves to remember those who have passed away. And Nautica saw in Will the kind of person who might represent the brand: a handsome, active, compassionate man who cares about water, his family and his community. So he was hired to become the model for Nautica's international marketing campaigns. When Karen Murray, Nautica/Sportswear Coalition President, met Will in person, she discovered that Will and his late brother share characteristics of the same condition as her son Michael, who suffers from Marfan Syndrome, a disease of the connective tissue which often results in life-threatening heart problems. She invited Will to come to New York to speak at the National Marfan Foundation annual gala. Then this year, Nautica became the lead sponsor for the Tommy Tant Surf Memorial Classic in Flagler Beach, where Karen spoke about Marfan Syndrome awareness and Nautica's amazing connection with Will Tant, who started out simply by telling us how much he loves the ocean. This is Nautica Ocean To Ocean at its core. Real people, real places, and real stories that powerfully embody the Nautica spirit.

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[Skye Robinson]

Fabulous event by fabulous people! Can't wait until next year!

[Carla Michelle]

beautiful!!