If you grew up in the ’80s and the ’90s, you undoubtedly know that surfers were a clean-cut crew back then. Sure, their hair was long and bleached by the sun, but they had a very distinct culture that wasn’t aligned with today’s love of tattoos. Well, Matt Archbold changed all of that and paved the way by going a bit more punk rock and rebelling against the entire culture. Not only that, but he was an insanely talented surfer who charged hard at waves others avoided. After a hard life of substance abuse going along with his punk lifestyle, he cleaned himself up and opened Archy’s Garage, a niche shop for true lovers of the sport and the culture. Although he shut it down to move to Hawaii, he is back and relaunched it. Now collaborating with Birdwell, he has a set of products perfect for the love of the sport.
“Growing up, I was always inspired by Matt Archbold and the way he pushed the limits of surfing with his style, both in and out of the water. It’s been amazing to bring together Birdwell’s legacy of making the world’s best boardshorts with the timeless performance and custom culture of Archy’s Garage,” said Eric Crane, CEO of Birdwell. “The product is incredible, and the feedback has been just as great. We’re proud to team up with someone like Matt, who’s still shredding in his 50s!”
Built for speed and born to ride
There are two highly fashionable and attractive pieces in the collection. The sleek nylon Coach’s Jacket features a custom Archy’s Garage screen print, a black floral printed cotton liner, plastic-coated snap closures, elastic cuffs, and side seam pockets. And lightweight, quick-drying, zero-chafe, 4-way stretch recycled polyester, and bonded, heat-welded seams throughout, the board shorts are made to function in the most demanding conditions. Both are built for speed just like the inspiration.
