A few months ago I did a ding repair job for one of the folks from Airblaster. We started comparing notes from surfing and snowboarding adventures and found that the two lifestyles were more similar than they were different. Before long, we came up an idea to create a collaboration project that highlighted the cross-over from mountain to beach and the idea of the Airblaster X Blackfern ninja suit was born.
Airblaster knew their way around the manufacturing of a surf-inspired ninja suit so it was our job to come up with a concept board that suited the style of the collaboration. I drew up a sketch of a ninja inspired board, reminiscent of something Daniel Tomo would shape. With a ninja spike tail and an angled nose, the board promised to be a unique craft, emblematic of what we strive for. Cool to look at, but hopefully it could catch waves.
Tail shot of the board being shaped.
This shot shows how the tail turned out and highlights the other unique attributes of the board- black bottom tint/ rail wrap (super difficult to pull off on the tail), fabric inlay, and a red leash plug for added detail.
Along the way another awesome NW brand, Push fins, chipped in on the project and outfitted the Ninja board with an beautiful quad set, well suited for its wide tail.
Once the ninja suits were ready to roll, it was time to see if the Ninja Board could keep up with the functionality of the Ninja Suit! As fate would have it, surf options for the weekend were pretty limited so we headed off to more distant lands in search of waves.
The results of our search were mixed but we managed to find a few gems and had a heck of a good journey along the way. The ninja suit was a smashing success- providing an additional layer of warmth on a particularly cold and wet Northwest Weekend. As for the board- it was a blast! It was fast and efficient like a mini simms but the tail shape/ bottom contours helped it turn well in spite of its boxy outline.
All in all, we are thrilled that a backyard conversation turned into such a rad and authentic collaboration between two grass-roots NW brands. If you want to check out one of the Airblaster X Blackfern ninja suits, head over to http://myninjasuit.com/products/black-fern-ninja-suit#.VTWBDxPF9yQ