The inspiration for our latest surfboard model comes from an unlikely source: my dear friend, and Montana bison rancher, Matt Skoglund.
In addition to the usual shared respect that exists between passionate and idealistic entrepreneurs, Matt and I share a surprising number of interests. Matt is a Montana bison rancher who loves to sneak away to the coast to surf. And I am a coastal surf kid who loves to sneak away anywhere bison are found.
Matt, along with his wife Sarah and their two kids, operate a ranch outside of Bozeman, MT called North Bridger Bison, where they are as fanatical about the biodiversity of the land under their care as they are about the quality of the meat they sell to their customers.
The Skoglunds' commitment to ecological health is more than just lip-service to sustainability. This is one of my favorite quotes from Matt:
“We manage our ranch first and foremost for biological diversity because we have found that the more diverse our ranch is the more resilient it is — and we’re currently in the middle of an extinction crisis, and we want to do our part to try and help. And then we’re totally obsessed with meat quality, as we are genuinely trying to provide our customers with the best meat they’ll ever taste — full stop.” - Matt
Matt and his family came out to visit us here in Orange County last year for Spring Break, to surf and share a meal together, and I’ve been to Matt’s ranch on two separate occasions:
The first was for one of the Outstanding in the Field Dinners back in the Summer of 2023, along with my Dad, brother, and our brother-in-law. (Those dinners where they line up a long table for like 200 people in an epic setting.)
Photos: Jeffrey Allee
The second time was April of this year, Matt invited me to tag along with him for one of the most intimate events that happens on the ranch: a bison field harvest. That’s a story for another time, and something that will forever give you reverence for the food you eat and the people that make it possible.
So what does this have to do with surfboards?
Matt has been a surfer for over 15 years, and is fully surf-stoked, yet he lives amongst the sagebrush in Montana. So you can imagine that he doesn’t get to paddle out as often as he would like. When he does make the trek to the nearest body of saltwater, wave-count and versatility are the top two priorities.
Wave-count because you’ve got to get as many waves as possible every opportunity you get.
And versatility because when you plan a trip in advance, you’re never too sure what the conditions are going to be when you get there.
So with some back-and-forth with Matt, we narrowed in on a custom longboard that would help him make the most of every future surf trip: 10 feet in length, plenty of volume, and a generous enough rocker to make the board easy to turn and control, without sacrificing the glide and paddle speed that you’ve come to expect from our boards. Less about noseriding and more about all-around enjoyment in the surf.
This is a board designed to glide into waves, and swing effortlessly through the little turns required to maximize length of ride and hooting and hollering.
It occurred to us throughout this process that Matt (although his excuse is probably better than most) is far from the only surfer who doesn’t get to paddle out as often as they would like, and would benefit from a board that prioritizes wave-count and versatility. So, The Sage was born.
Named after both the sagebrush that sprawls across our friend Matt’s ranch, and the wisdom that comes with age and choosing the appropriate equipment for the desired outcome.
Am I painfully aware of the confusion that happens when you name a board model after one of your most popular resin tint colors? Yes.
But was the meaning worth the potential future confusion? Also yes.
So with that, we’re proud to present a brand new longboard model for the wisest surfers in the lineup: the Sage.
