Water way to come back: surfer launches range

BYRON BAY: Australian surfing legend Bob McTavish is set to dip his toes back into the heavily populated apparel waters.
McTavish, who sold clothing rights to his brand to Rip Curl International seven years ago, has announced plans to launch a new range of surfwear after teaming with long-time business partner Ben Wallace and local businessman Ben Harper to buy the rights back earlier this year.
Timed to co-incide with the surfer's half century in the sport, McTavish will launch a 27-piece collection of men's hoodies, T-shirts and boardies in October with plans to extend the range to womenswear and accessories further down the track.
Available in sizes medium to XXXL in tees and sweatshirts and 32 to 42 in shorts, the initial collection will be manufactured in Australia and constructed from 100 per cent cottons and fleeces to help uphold what Wallace terms the "brand value".
McTavish, whose core business is making surf boards, said the target market for the range, dubbed McTavish, will start with the brand's existing surfboard customers and their peers - most of whom were aged between 35 and 55.
"There are a lot of great surf fashion clothes around but our gear is designed for surfers who spend a lot of time in the water and who really understand the freedom and stoke the surf gives us."
McTavish, who shot to fame after being the first surfer extradited from Hawaii, has engaged former design partner Paul McNeil to design the range, which came about over several years.
McNeil, a former designer at both Mooks and Mambo, first partnered with McTavish some years ago to design a collection of limited edition surfboards.
"I still shape and design boards so I told Paul if he wanted to design clothes with me, the only time he'd have a chance to work with me was either in the surf of in the factory," McTavish said.
Wallace admitted the collection would be "greatly influenced" by McTavish's "colourful past" and the rich history of the Australian surf culture in general with "certain surf icons" - understood to include McTavish's original 'Bluebird' and 'Big M' labels - appearing prominently throughout the range.
Price points for the range, which will initially be available from the brand's website and a limited number of McTavish Surfboard retailers, will be from $49.95 for T-shirts through to $84.95 for boardshorts.