Entrepreneurs, upwardly mobile business owners, and corporate executives are increasingly hitting the waves rather than the golf course to network, blow off steam and even come up with their next venture. Shah Gilani covered the growing phenomenon in a recent Forbes column, citing the Kalon Surf school as one of the movement’s key incubators.

“We have pretty much an equal number of men and women coming to surf, some of whom are bankers and lawyers, doctors, entrepreneurs and families from all over the world come to Kalon,” said founder Kjeld Schigt, who was previously a mover and shaker at BP.

Kalon’s exclusive clientele includes a Vogue editor, an AT&T executive and a Miami general contractor to the stars. These executives flock to the Costa Rica surf camp to learn to ride the waves in an exotic, luxurious environment.

Gilani’s column is right on par with the findings of the latest survey by Robert Half Management Resources which found that over half of U.S. executives don’t check in with work goings-on during their vacation. This figure is up from 26 percent in 2010, suggesting that those at the top of the corporate food chain are finally learning how to relax when they’re away from the office for an extended period.

Do you think corporate surf retreats are the next phase of this phenomenon?

Source: Payscale.com