Tom Helbig
Living and surfing in a small town in Florida means that you start to recognize people by the vehicles they drive. You start to know where and when the surf is good by seeing what cars are parked in the lots as you drive up and down A1A. I began to notice a brightly colored sprinter van with “Tomfoolery” painted on the side that was driving around the north end of the Amelia Island and parking at certain surf spots. I wondered what “Tomfoolery” was referring to. Was is a rented van, or maybe a new local adventure company? I pulled into a beach access one day and parked next to the mystery van. A guy was standing on the boardwalk with his wetsuit pulled down around his waist. We said hello and made some comments to each other about the surf conditions before I walked to the beach and did my surf check. Was he the owner of the van? I didn’t ask. The surf looked good and I decided to go home and get my board. When I returned, the same guy was sitting on the railing next to the van and eating a sandwich. This time I decided to introduce myself and ask about what he was doing. This sort of lifestyle has always intrigued me and at one point in my life I was on the verge of buying a van and living the van life. He introduced himself as Tom. He was friendly and gave me the short rundown about his van and lifestyle and I went on my way to surf. That day on the way home I realized I wanted to know more about Tom and his lifestyle and decided that the next time I saw his van I would stop and ask. And thats exactly what I did!
This is Tom Helbig. He’s been coming to Amelia Island for the the last three years during the winter months. His first encounter with the Island was back in 2018 when he was cycling the perimeter of the US, a 15000 mile journey on a bike during the span of four years. Leg 2 in 2018 was a trek from key west to Canada. While he was passing thru Amelia Island he camped on American Beach, biked up to Sliders Restaurant for a beer, remembered the experience fondly, and wanted to come back in a van and spend more time. A few years later, he was back with his van exploring the Island, drawn to its beauty and small town feel like the reason so many of us landed here. Amelia Island provides easy access to mountain biking, fishing, paddle boarding, body boarding, and surfing. All things Tom loves to do! This is the first year he has met surfers and learned how to surf. Its been a game changer, taking his lifestyle to a whole new level.
I asked him about dating and he said, “Dating sucks!” Dating is sacrificed with the lifestyle. Either people are turned off immediately by how you live, or they think it’s super fun and sexy until it’s suddenly not. Every decision you make affects the other person, where you are going day by day, where are you parking, etc, a unique set of challenges. There’s no courting period, you meet and then you are immediately in that lifestyle, together, in a state of constant change. A complicated situation for such simple lifestyle.
Tom started this journey back in 2015. After working behind a desk in a cubicle for the parks department in Ohio for 18 years, he began to think there has to be something better in life. It wasn’t a sudden change, but more of a succession of things. He had always lived a simple life and enjoyed the outdoors, being mindful of how his life was affecting the planet. He started to mull over the idea of starting an outdoor adventure company. At the time, he didn’t have the finances but figured if he lived simply and saved, he could make it happen. Sitting around campfires with his friends and talking about life’s possibilities, he asked himself if he was going to be the guy that always talks about it and never does it, or the guy that actually makes his dreams and visions come true. “All in” was going to be his best shot. So he saved and bought a tow behind trailer, lived in it for a year, then bought the van where he currently resides.
Along the way, Tom has created and runs several adventures. The core his of business that supports him is in Southwest Ohio producing such events as a music festival called Canoe Grass and three bike tours for charity in Dayton Ohio called Spooky Brew, Santa Foolery, and Bikesgiving. This year Tom travelled to Baja, Mexico for a few months where he obtained his yoga and reiki certifications. He is currently in India and Nepal doing humanitarian work with the GWC Projects team.
