Laird, not wearing anything from his line of clothing.
“Look at Laird! What a kook!” A few days ago, a friend of mine was telling me a story. He and another guy (who shall remain nameless, but he’s pretty deep in the surfing industry) were at Malibu, and Laird was about 20 feet away–definitely within earshot–and he was called a kook. Called a kook by someone who hasn’t done–and probably wouldn’t ever do–half the things Laird’s done. That’s surfing for you, though, isn’t it? And now Laird has launched another venture that will undoubtedly get shit on by a lot of paddle-haters: a clothing line.
If Kelly Slater can’t make clothes without getting trashed online, what’s going to happen to the shirtless, Millennium-wave riding, Laird? He’s a bit of a divisive figure in surfing. Love him or hate him, though, he’s surfed a lot of gigantic waves and pushed a lot of boundaries. He’s had a pretty massive hand in shaping what surfing has become. He almost single-handedly brought stand up paddling to where it is today… which isn’t exactly great for regular surfers.
Laird’s new line of clothing, aptly named Laird Apparel, is a multi-faceted affair: three collections, each based around different parts of Laird’s lifestyle. There’s the water-based part, which includes board shorts and wetsuits, there’s the fitness part, which includes “technical fabrics and ergonomic design”, and there’s the lifestyle part, which one can only assume includes linen pants, and short-sleeved button up collared shirts, designed not for wearing, but for being slung over the shoulder while looking stoically out to sea.
Want to see the entire line? Check out Lairdapparel.com.
