Expanding Abalone - Introducing the "Ama"

When we came up with the name Abalone for our business, it wasn't anything more than a surf spot that rests along the cliffs beneath our school. It was a place for people to connect, hang and bond over the beauty of both the ocean and the art of surfing. We wanted the name of our brand to resonate with those who felt this sensation while out on the water, and now wanted that feeling to come in the form of a hat or shirt. Little did we know that the name Abalone carried so much more weight than just our simple surf spot along Sunset Cliffs.

It was during one of the pop up events at OB Beans that Will met a former film and business student that turned into an underwater videographer in Baja Mexico. Like seriously, one hell of a guy with an even crazier story. He does freelance work, and one of his main film subjects is a group of people who free dive for sea life -- like abalone -- and were originally inspired by a group from Japan called the "Ama."

Hopefully you are still following along, but this is where we introduce the Ama, also known as "the women of the ocean" or "sea women" in Japanese, and the inspiration for our first t-shirt. Our goal as a company and brand was to craft more than just clothes, and being able to incorporate the Ama into our brand on a graphic t-shirt feels like the perfect start. 

After a super fascinating conversation in OB Beans, Will learned how these divers both in Baja and in Japan have the ability to dive close to 80 feet deep with no gear. The Ama date back over 2,000 years, and have become one with the ocean as a means to survive. They bring everything from abalone to pearls back to the surface, both to eat and sell to make a living. When Will came back to us with this story thanks to his new friend from OB Beans, we knew fitting the Ama into our brand was a must.

In a lot of ways, the Ama embody what Abalone stands for. They come from humble beginnings, have a deep respect for tradition, community and nature, and don't take the easy way out when pursuing what they are passionate for. 

On a 100% cotton t-shirt carefully made in Portugal, you can learn the story of the women of the ocean and tell it to those around you. It's a colorful, inspiring story told through a vibrant blue and stark white. This shirt was our canvas, so no; we didn't pull stock images off Google or copy and paste something quick from Pinterest. This is a shirt and a story we took the time to cultivate and draw ourselves, and tell in a way that would form deeper connection and tell the real story of the sea women.

We said it at the beginning: Abalone is by us, for you, worn everywhere. And now it's becoming a story you can tell everywhere. You aren't just wearing a shirt, you are paying homage to the women of the ocean and entering a beautiful community. So welcome, we're stoked you're here.