#waxandwool Pinwheel

Working on this collaboration with Woolrich has been the most thorough collaboration we have done, to date.  There is so much history, and so many iconic images to pull from, when you start diving into their heritage.  Finding the intersection of what we do, and what they have been doing since 1830, was a challenge we were eager to take on.  All the way across the line, but specifically on the surfboard side, we wanted to incorporate elements of their brand in a way that felt natural, authentic and unique.  Most would agree that the red and black buffalo plaid is Woolrich’s most well-recognized pattern; and getting elements of it into the surfboards was a must for the Woolrich team.  Laying heavy wool under the fiberglass, as a fabric inlay, was immediately ruled out as an option, for obvious structural reasons.  We opted to enlist the help of some friends and print the black portion of the plaid directly onto fiberglass, and laminate the board using the printed cloth.  Then we did a red resin tint (for more on that, read this article) to give the board some visual depth and texture.  In an effort to draw back to California surfing heritage a bit, we scaled up the plaid to resemble resin panels. Long story short, this is how we landed on the 9’0 Pinwheel you see below, we just wanted to share some of the insight as to the process behind the collaboration.