Nick Woodman wanted pictures of himself on a wave, and no camera could ride along. So he built one. GoPro started as a wrist strap for a cheap camera and grew into the little box on helmets, surfboards, and handlebars all over the world. When it filed to go public in 2014, YouTube was full of GoPro clips. Woodman and his family owned about half the company.

A Surf Trip, a Strap

Woodman started the company in 2002 as Woodman Labs. Surfers then had no good way to film themselves. His first product was a strap that held a camera to the wrist. Later models became small, waterproof digital cameras with wide lenses. Athletes filmed stunts and posted them online. Each clip worked as an ad, and each ad sold more cameras. The company built its brand on that loop.

From $24 to a Rescue

GoPro priced its offering at $24 a share on June 25, 2014. The stock closed its first day on Nasdaq at $31.34, up about 31 percent. Smartphones then got better cameras, and GoPro's sales slowed. A drone recall and years of losses followed. In 2026 Woodman lent the company $20 million. That September, GoPro agreed to merge with Starman Optical in a $285 million cash deal, set to close by year end.

Cover: Prout's Neck, Breaking Wave, Winslow Homer. Art Institute of Chicago, public domain. Chosen for a breaking wave (surf and action).