Name: Tom Kiernan

D.O.B.: 3 Tuesdays after Jimmy Carter was elected!

Hometown: Dunedin, FL

Occupation: Currently, a stay-at-home dad to my daughter Teagan; but also part time here @ the shop, where I’ve spent time on various rungs of the ladder since being hired way back when the Shop was only 14 years old, ha!

Sponsors: The Surf Station and all those nice folks who trade in funky, offbeat boards that I usually swoop on!

Website: http://www.facebook.com/tom.kiernan

Years Surfing: Since Pottz won the World Title

They Call Me: Tom K., Talkin’ Tom, Hey Hon, Dah-Dee!, Dammit!

3 words to describe me: Off-kilter, Honest , Kind

My Boards: Too many to list here; but about 30 from 5’4″ to 12′ and 1 to 5 fins. Currently getting the most use out of my 5’8″ EPS C.I. Neck Beard Swallowtail and my 5’4″ Fishcuit ‘Fiddlestick’ Quad with a center LB box to mix things up!

When I’m not surfing, I’m: Any or all of the following: Talking profusely, Dancing badly, Singing off-key, Playing with my daughter, Facebooking, Cleaning house, Hanging with my wife, Reading, Cross-wording, Fishing, SUPing, Kayaking, sometimes sleeping!

My Typical Day: Being awakened by my cute little alarm clock somewhere either side of 7 am, then feeding our pack of dogs (four rescues that add up to a combined weight of 230 lbs) before getting Teagan and my wife, Erica, breakfast & ready for work/daycare respectively. If it’s a daycare day, I drop Teagan off and then go for a surf from 9:30-11:30, or for coffee with a friend or fishing if it’s flat. non-daycare days, we usually go for a walk around the neighborhood, to the park, beach, or for a short hike at one of our many local WMA’s. Noontime on any day is lunch for Teagan & I, then it’s naptime for her (and sometimes me!) around 1pm. If awake, I do the always fun tasks of sweeping up hair & dirt from the dogs, laundry, dishes, outside projects, etc. If these are done(or if I just don’t feel like being productive!) I’ll hop on the ol’ FB and see how interesting everyone else’s life is that day. When the cute little beast awakes sometime between 3 & 4pm, we’ll either go for another walk around the ‘hood or play in the back yard for an hour or so. If I napped or slacked off while she was sleeping, I’ll usually catch up on chores while she plays inside or watches a Baby Einstein DVD, though I try to employ the “electric babysitter” as little as possible! :D. Around 5ish I usually start getting dinner ready for us all and now that she’s gotten most of her teeth, she can eat pretty much what we are, just chopped up really small. Thus making prep easier for me, yeeww! Teagan hits the hay around 7, after a good scrubdown to remove any dirt or dinner that she may have decided to wear. Then it’s relax time on he couch for Erica & I to watch a little Hulu or DVDs, as we don’t have cable. Finally, it’s crash time about 10 to do it all over again manana!

My Dream Day:
Wow…Actually a hard one, especially if you don’t want to sound too selfish, ha! Wake up, have a great brekkie with the fam, go for a surf and have it chest to overhead rights & lefts for 3 or 4 hours with my whole quiver on the beach for friends, family & I to share. Come in, have some lunch, then go fishing in the creeks/flats for a few hours. Bring home a Red/Trout/Flattie Slam for the grill and have a couple dark beers by the fire pit and then still miraculously have enough energy to have a lovely evening with the Missus! 😀

Dream Job:
Another difficult one! Hmm, something having to do with surfing, fishing, or boats, where I could be outdoors most of the time and make enough to live on and put my kid(s) through college, while still saving for retirement. Pipedream, or what?!

Favorite Surfing Memory: Lots to choose from, but probably my 1st ride: 2 seconds long, on a 5’2″ Natural Art Twinnie rental, in August of 1989 behind Beacher’s Lodge in Crescent Beach. Bought my first rashie from The Deuce v 1.0, then, too! Who’d a thunk I’d be working here less than a decade later?!

The best thing about me: Usually easygoing and I always try to walk at least a mile in everyone’s shoes that I meet!

My type of girl: My wife of course! She’s put up with me this long, she’s definitely a keeper!

If I could pick one place to surf it would be: Jeffrey’s Bay or a warm water equivalent.

On my iPod: Everything from Jimmy Buffett to Social Distortion and Miles Davis to Metallica

Favorite Song: Wow, depends on the mood I’m in @ the time, but I’d have to say “Stand By Me” by Ben E. King is up there.

If I could be any animal, I’d be: A dolphin or an otter, they seem to have the most fun!

Choice of Drink: Pineapple or Guinness

Favorite meal:
The Works Pizza or tacos

Favorite Hangout Spot:
The Surf Station, pier parking lot or anywhere on the beach!

Do You have a celeb crush? Zooey Deschanel and George Clooney(I hope I look like him when I’m 50!)

If you could have any super powers? Teleportation, gills, or flight.

My Theme Song: “Happy as a Clam” by Rhythm Collision

I never go anywhere without: Cellphone and most days, Teagan!

In ten years, I:
hope to be happy, healthy & humble; beyond that, it’s wide open!

Life Influences: So many folks have had an impact on my life, positive & negative, that have all helped me grow.

How long have you been on the team? I’ve had a sticker on my board & been getting free wax since the last days of the Clinton Administration.

Favorite Quote or phrase you live by? “Fall 7 times, stand up 8”-Chinese Proverb in a fortune cookie I opened about 15 years ago

Advice for other surfers:
The Golden Rule, and don’t ever paddle in from a session!