by Marilyn Hawkes | Photography by Angelina Aragon
After attorney and developer Cole Cannon moved his family to the East Valley from Utah in 2016, he noticed a lack of family entertainment options. Tired of driving 30 minutes or more for activities, Cannon envisioned and created Cannon Beach, an entertainment district in Mesa anchored by Revel Surf, a 3.3-acre surf lagoon with a wave pool, cliff diving area and skate park, along with a restaurant and bar overlooking the sandy beach. While the energetic father of six doesn’t have an actual surf shack at Cannon Beach, he let us peek into his office, which serves as one.
Cannon will never forget his participation in the Ireland Ironman 2022. “I had a massive fever that morning, and the Celtic Sea was 57 degrees. The water cooled off my body.” After completing the race, he tested positive for COVID.
These words hung over Cannon’s kitchen table growing up and inspired him to believe in himself. “That saying has stuck with me for years, and as a kid, I felt like a superhero. This taught me at a very young age that even more than love, people want to know that you believe in them.”
Cannon keeps Speedo Endurance swim shorts in his work bag because he frequently has to jump in the water. “The [media] comes here a lot, and they say, ‘We need to see you surf,’ so I have an emergency stash of swimsuits.”
Cannon learned to surf in grad school in California. “I’m from Utah. Compared to Southern Californians, I’m pretty bad at surfing, but compared to a Utahn, I’m pretty good.” He applies FU-WAX Base Coat to his surfboard before the top coat to enhance grip.
“I bring my [Traveler Ultra-Light electric] guitar to the beach all the time to practice and play, and carry it when I travel,” he says. “It’s small enough to fit in my backpack. I’m an intermediate-novice guitar player who should have been a rock star, but sold out and went to law school.”
