Nikolaus Philippe Salzmann Von Rupp Keynote Speaker

Three-time WSL Nazaré Challenge winner and one of the world's leading big wave surfers
Star of HBO's Emmy-winning documentary series 100 Foot Wave
Leadership speaker on resilience, decision-making and performing under pressure in high-stakes environments

Nikolaus Philippe Salzmann Von Rupp's Biography

Nic von Rupp is a professional big wave surfer known for riding some of the heaviest waves on Earth, including the giants of Nazaré. With Portuguese, German, and Swiss heritage and fluency in five languages, he has built a career that stretches well beyond the surf world, becoming one of the sport’s most recognized names.

A three-time winner of the WSL Tudor Nazaré Challenge (2022, 2025 & 2026), Nic also received the Biggest Wave Award in 2023 for surfing one of the largest waves ever ridden. He is a central figure in HBO’s Emmy-winning documentary series 100 Foot Wave, which follows the pursuit of the world’s biggest waves, and his work has been featured in more than 140 publications, including GQ, Men’s Health, Vogue, Paris Match, and The Times Magazine. His profile even reached Mark Zuckerberg, who shared footage of Nic surfing Nazaré to showcase Meta’s immersive technology.

Nic has partnered with brands including Tudor, Moncler, Yamaha, AG1, Pyth, Defender, Hurley, and RED, and has appeared in global advertising campaigns in cities such as Lisbon, London, Oslo, and Tel Aviv.

Off the water, Nic speaks to corporate and business audiences, including Forbes, Medtronic, the Tudor/Rolex Group, Moncler, Boston Consulting Group, and TEDx, about what big wave surfing has taught him about performing under pressure, managing fear, and working as part of a team when the stakes are highest. Drawing on his experience facing some of the ocean’s most dangerous conditions, he shares practical lessons on resilience, trust, decision-making under uncertainty, and the mindset needed to perform consistently in high-stakes environments, insights that translate directly into leadership and team performance in the business world.

Nikolaus Philippe Salzmann Von Rupp's Speaking Topics

Nic shares how lessons from extreme sports apply to the corporate world, sharing real-life insights on teamwork, leadership, facing fears and performing under pressure.

Discover how passion becomes a sustainable source of motivation and high performance.
Learn practical strategies for facing fear, managing uncertainty, and making confident decisions under pressure.
Understand why trust, communication, and shared purpose are the foundation of exceptional teamwork.
Gain insights into building resilience by embracing setbacks, adapting to change, and maintaining focus in challenging environments.
Explore how lessons from extreme big-wave surfing translate into leadership, accountability, and performance in the corporate world.
Leave with actionable tools to develop a resilient mindset and perform consistently in high-stakes situations.

His talks are built around a simple idea: the mindset that gets him through a giant wave at Nazaré is the same mindset that gets a team through a difficult quarter, a big pitch, or an uncertain moment at work.
He is a three-time winner of the Tudor Nazaré Challenge and holder of the 2023 Biggest Wave of the Year award, giving him firsthand authority on preparation, risk, and performance at the highest level.
He has been named one of the 21 Most Influential Surfers in the world by STAB and featured on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list, reflecting a profile that reaches well past the surf industry.
He usually speaks for corporate audiences including Medtronic, Tudor Watches, JLL, Boston Consulting Group, Pyth and others, so he knows how to make his experience land for a business audience of professionals and executives.
His background in one of the most physically demanding and dangerous sports in the world gives audiences a memorable, high-stakes reference point for lessons on fear, teamwork, and resilience they can apply directly to their own work.