Surfholic Expands Busan’s Marine Lifestyle with New Runner’s Station
Busan, South Korea – Marine leisure brand Surfholic, led by CEO Shin Seong-jae, has launched a community base space for runners, ‘SongJeong Runner’s Station,’ at its main store on Songjeong Beach. This initiative marks an expansion of Surfholic’s offerings beyond surfing, aiming to cultivate a broader beach lifestyle platform encompassing running and wellness.
Building a Community Hub for Runners
The Runner’s Station provides a dedicated space for running enthusiasts to connect, train, and socialize. Inspired by similar community-focused spaces found overseas, Surfholic is pioneering a privately-led running base in Korea. The station hosted its inaugural running meeting with the Busan-based running community, BRC Crew (Beach Running Club), on its opening day.
Integrating Running and Marine Wellness
Surfholic’s expansion into running is rooted in its experience operating surfing education and marine leisure programs at Songjeong Beach. The company aims to propose a new marine wellness culture by integrating the beach environment, running courses, and local community resources. A participant from the BRC Crew remarked on the station’s inviting atmosphere, noting its design encourages both activity and relaxation with ocean views. Surfholic explained that the space has proven to function as a community base for runners.
Future Plans for Songjeong as a Lifestyle Base
Surfholic plans to expand the Runner’s Station’s offerings with regular running meetings, programs linking running and surfing, and additional marine wellness content. The long-term vision is to develop Songjeong Beach into a comprehensive lifestyle destination that combines surfing, running, marine activities, and wellness culture.
“Songjeong is already a beach known for surfing, but at the same time, it is a place with a great running environment for running along the sea,” said Shin Seong-jae, CEO of Surfholic. “Through the Runner’s Station, we want to create a new marine lifestyle that goes beyond surfing and connects to running and wellness.” He further emphasized that the space is intended to be a platform for experiencing the region and fostering community. Surfholic has been instrumental in promoting surfing culture at Songjeong Beach, attracting both local and international surfers.
The company initially focused on systematic surfing education, differentiating itself from simple “try-it-on” experiences by offering a step-by-step curriculum. Surfholic also established its own reservation system to manage the complexities of surfing lessons, including weather, time, class size, and equipment. The business gained momentum as surfing became recognized as a tourism content, leading to its designation as a tourism venture company by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.