Here's a brief glimpse, to a look back, on some of the memories. Heads up, some of these shots were before iPhones and fancy cameras :)....
The Original Blue Lava Team (2000)
(L to R, Circa 2000, Eastside Santa Cruz: Tyler "Smiley" Walls, Mark Dude aka "Mardoo", Seth Peralta aka "Saydoo", Chase Nicholson aka "Chain", Michael Barrios aka "Shark's Left Mike", and Alex Ransone aka "Ransone" )
Smiley, Chase, and Seth.
Smiley and Mike Dude in The Hook parking lot. We used to sell board shorts out the back of the truck when we weren't surfing.
Amazing how time flies…..18 years ago. (Capitola, CA aka The Eastside)
Even though Dane wasn't in the above original pics he joined the Team shortly after these were taken. You could say he's been there since day1. If you've ever surfed The Hook then you know Dane. He has surfed there is whole life and is synonomous with the spot. Dane actually won gold Reef slippers for the Mick Fanning look-a-like contest sponsored by Surfer Mag or Reef (can't remember). Pretty awesome but hilarious at the same time. Mick is Dane's favorite surfer. Oh yea, and Dane rips too! :)
The Early Logo (By Tim Ward, 2000)
The initial concept was to have a circular logo with Blue Lava in it. The left one we made stickers of and put on some boards. Initial response on the water was, "What the fuck is Glue Lava!". Tim and I went back to the drawing board that day and changed the lowercase "b" to an uppercase "B" and the rest is history. We did a run a board shorts with this logo as a woven label. Ironically, we have never made a t-shirt with just this logo on it since 2000. We think it's about time we brought it back.
Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History (Logos by Tim Ward)
Extremely humbled and grateful to be a part of this exhibit. It was an honor to be among all the great companies and artwork. Thanks Tim for allowing us to be a part of it!
Inspirations and Influences (Tim Ward)
Well said and 100% agree.
History of Blue Lava's first line-up (2001)
Our first run for Blue Lava was heavily orchestrated with the help of Tony Hoffman and his crew down at Hoffman Fabrics in Mission Viejo. If you're not sure who the Hoffman's are they're a cornerstone for fabrics of the surf industry and the world in general. Walter Hoffman, a legend in his own right, is the Grandfather to Christian and Nathan Fletcher.
When you get to tour their warehouse it is a MASSIVE museum of boards lining the walls with a little snippet about each board. On the warehouse floor, there was insane amounts of different and cool fabrics. The "guest book" at the entrance was a who's who for companies. With names like Bob McKnight (Founder of Quiksilver) and James Van Doren (Founder of Vans), we knew we were in the right place and went for it.
The O.G.'s
(Microfiber with inner mesh lining and custom side-seam. Way before the technology of today)
Island Fever
(Microfiber with inner mesh lining and custom side-seam. Way before the technology of today)
The Checkmate
(Woven button-up with pearl snaps)
Pleasure Point (Our Home, Seth Peralta, 2001)
Art imitating life. Localism was real and you had to earn your spot in the lineup. That meant everyday, every swell, and years of dedicating your life to a spot if you wanted a wave. With Blue Lava, it was no different. Back then, your friends, guys in the water, and your integrity were measured by your presence, and not online. Blue Lava was out there and we rooted ourself in the community, not only in Santa Cruz, but in Hawaii as well.
"What….Kook" (Jimbo Phillips, 2003)
When founder, Seth Peralta, brought this idea to legendary artist Jimbo Phillips he was way down to give it a go. The idea was simple. Art imitating life. Jimbo could relate and knew exactly what we were after. I think there was a couple revisions and this was the result. Safe to say, it was a hit amongst all of us. Ironically, we haven't printed this since 2003. However, we plan to do some rad stuff with it coming soon.
The Hook (2005??)
This was after some new stairs were put in at The Hook and along the Point. As you could see, they weren't well received. Law of The Land.
Blue Lava "In-Line" Logo (Jimbo Phillips, 2001)
Wanting an in-line logo that still had an edge but captured the essence of Blue Lava we again reached out to Jimbo Phillips. The way I remember it, we wanted to have it sort of like spray paint but a brush effect. At the time, "brushes" on photoshop and Illustrator weren't readily available like today. The alternative was to get out a brush and scan your drawing in, which is exactly what Jimbo did. We remember thinking it was the sickest thing ever and to this date we still think it is. We use this logo a lot and love the history of its creation. Thanks Jimbo!
Blue Lava "Wave" Logo (Tim Ward, 2001)
Working with Tim on our past logo, we decided to keep with the tradition. We went to Tim wanting an object logo. No words, just an iconic object logo. We mentioned how we wanted something that flowed and could capture the essence of a barreling wave. Something that was clean, contoured, and simple. What Tim came up with was not only the creation of the identity for Blue Lava but captured every essence of the brand's identity. As you can see from above, we got some sketches and then refined it a little, ultimately cleaning it up in Illustrator for a final touch.
Gunshot (Art by Kilchanzy)
This was a Jimbo/Tim double team. Both logos working to create a rasta print with a touch of street influence.
Bryn N' Bones (Art by Bryn)
Having worked with so many fabulous artists, Bryn is right up there with the best. We worked hard on this one and it turned out INSANE! Try and see if you can make out what the art is as a whole, then see if you can spot the symbolic Blue Lava logo within the art. One of our favorite pieces ever!
The Team Grows (2008)
As Blue Lava grew, so did the Team. On this occasion below we decided to do a photoshoot for the upcoming release of products at Ano. We rented a Ford Econoline Van loaded up and headed up north. It was a fun trip to say the least with so many memories and stories made. One that I remember pretty vividly was the groms getting dead legs all the way up and back into town. When we got back into town, we were driving by "26" (26th Ave) and Froddo (front right) got so sick of it he jumped out of the van. I fuckin couldn't believe it! What a kook! Fun times and an awesome day.
Ano Nuevo Photoshoot (by Kiki, 2008)
(L to R) Tyler "Smiley" Walls, Paul Ramirez, Alex "Ransone" Ransone, Dane Young, Michael "Mike Dude" Barrios, Chase "Chain" Nicholson, Tyler "Lawn Brow" Mortensen, Caleb Adams. (Front) Seth "Saydoo" Peralta and Ryan "Froddo" Fulton
Houseshoes & Hooligans (Ano Nuevo, photo by Kiki, 2008)
(L to R) Alex "Ransone" Ransone, Chase "Chain" Nicholson, Tyler "Smiley" Walls, Seth "Saydoo" Peralta
Welcome Caleb to The Team (2008)
Caleb was a local grom at the time that like everyone else shared the passion for surfing. We brought Caleb onto the Team for this reason and his hacks pictured above. He was always down to surf and represented Blue Lava to the fullest all the time.
Welcome Tyler to The Team (2008)
Tyler, aka Lawn Brow, was a Hook loc in the making. Grom was out there everyday. We forced him into the biggest sets, even when it was closing out. Like everyone else on the Team he had a good attitude and a passion for surfing. He took a lot of grom beatings but that was standard procedure back then. Later known as "LB" for Lawn Brow because of his bushy eyebrows.
Welcome Ryan to The Team (2008)
Ryan, aka Froddo, was also a Hook loc in the making. I remember meeting Ryan for the first time. Already a gifted motorcycle track racer he could pick a line on a wave that no one else was taking. He also had no fear. The BIGGEST wave would come thru and he was on it. We called him Froddo because he was like a little Hobbit. Quick as shit too. Grom went against the grain and didn't give a fuck. Voted in, 2008.
Welcome Mac Dude to The Team (2008)
For the final addition during this time, we added Mac Pridham to the roster. Mac was already an accomplished athlete in soccer and loved to surf. We'd see Mac out in the water and around the neighborhood. His attitude and love for the ocean was infectious. Mac was voted in and welcomed into the club. He was a true amabassador for Blue Lava back then and still is today. Thanks Mac Dude!!
The Team Grows Again (2012)
Team Photo Shoot (New Additions, 2012)
(L to R: Chase Nicholson, Seth Peralta, Tyler "Smiley" Walls, Michael Barrios, Hunter Korwonkowski, Dane Young (kneeling), Paul Ramirez, and Tyler "LB" Mortensen). The 2012 Blue Lava Team photo shoot took place on Depot Hill in Capitola just across the way from the original photo shoot 12 years prior. This year we added Hunter Koronkowski and Sebastian Ospina (not shown).
Welcome Hunter to The Team (2012)
Hunter came onto the scene and just ripped! He had a fuse that was always lit but in a good way. His skating was insane and he made pools his bitch. As a grom, surfing came naturally because of his gift for skating. He quickly earned his spot into the line-up and pretty much surfed everyday. He was always down for whatever and represented Blue Lava to the fullest.
Welcome Sebastian to The Team (2012)
We met Seabass thru LB since they worked together at a local surf shop. Seabass was always pshyching to surf and represent Blue Lava. He traveled to Hossegor at one point and took so many sick pics of the Blue Lava logo blasted everywhere. Like many others on the Team with various talents, Seabass had a knack for coming up with creative ways to represent Blue Lava where we couldn't afford to do it. Like the shoes above. He called me up and was like "hey, I got some Blue Lava shoes!" Of course, I was like WTF?! Then he showed me. Pretty damn good! You can see he carved a sick pumpkin with the logo and added some sort of paint to his board to make it look like a bleeding logo. Yea Seabass!!!
Giving Back
At Blue Lava we have always supported the community of Santa Cruz and Hawaii. Whether it's supporting an aspiring Photographer, Videographer, or needs for a local surf comp. The giving back was always a way for us to say "thank you" outside the water. We didn't have a lot of money but we always did what we could. It's been an awesome ride to see the growth of some of the people and organizations we've supported. Here's a small snapshot:
Kyle Buthman
I met Kyle around the neightborhood and in the water back in '00 or '01 (can't remeber). He grew up in SC right on Pleasure Point. Back then, he was a grom but his passion for shooting surf vids was like nothing I've ever seen. When he wasn't in the water, he was constantly filming from the cliff and fine-tuning his craft. I always told Kyle whenever you come out with a vid or something I wanna support it. Well, that one day came in the form of "Get Rad!" When I saw the Trailer above my mind was blown. Mind you, this was 7 years ago and some of the guys in here are legends in their own right but have also gone on to do big things. Currently, with expanded horizons and multiple trips around the globe, Kyle's passion is still what it was when I first met him. Stoked for ya Boothy and thanks for always supporting us as well.
Liam McNamara (2012)
The McNamara's are one of the more well-known names on the North Shore. I met Liam back in the day while staying in his condo at Turtle Bay. Condo was sick! I can't remember how it all went down, or how it came about, but we talked almost everyday passing by his shop at Sharks Cove. I mentioned I owned a clothing company out of Santa Cruz called Blue Lava. He mentioned he was doing a first-ever comp for the North Shore Surf Shop. Rest was pretty much history. I sent over a black Blue Lava banner and a huge box of boardshorts with some t-shirts. I admired Liam's generosity and his relentless nature to give back to the community. Thanks for the opportunity to be a part of something so awesome! Stoked to see it is still going strong.
Fourth of July Surf Bash (Pleasure Point, 2015)
The 4th is always a big deal, especially in Santa Cruz. In 2015, the surf community decided to do its first annual Surf Bash. A way to bring surfing and the local community together to celebrate the 4th of July. The event was orchestrated by Bud Freitas, Shawn Dollar, and Darshan Gooch. It was held at Pleasure Point and will go down as the start of a new tradition in Santa Cruz. We were stoked to be a part of it and happy to see it is still going strong.
Final Thoughts
Looking back, It's been one of the most amazing things I have done in my life. What started off as a group of local surfers focused on our love for the ocean, Blue Lava became a brotherhood that lives on to this day. We will have these memories forever and it is the foundation for what Blue Lava is today. ~Seth Peralta
