In the last few years, there have been a handful of strange pairings in the surf world. Remember when Kelly Slater had a furniture line with PBTeen? And now, the WSL and IKEA have announced a line of sustainable, surf-inspired products. They enlisted Rob Machado and Kassia Meador to help.
“KÅSEBERGA collection spans over a range of products and includes bags and beach textiles, simple exercise tools as well as furnishings and decorative items,” a press release reads. “All are made of renewable and recycled materials to address the global challenges of our planet, while supporting a healthy, sustainable and mobile everyday life — in and around water.”
The line has a little more than 25 products in it. Included is a hand plane, a beach chair, a portable grill, a coffee table, an indoor board holder, a surf-inspired backpack, a balance board made from renewable materials, and a bag designed with the express purpose of beach cleanups, among other things.
IKEA and the WSL first announced the collaboration back in 2019. The idea was to learn more about what surfers need. Since surfers are (supposed to be) concerned about the planet — we have an “inherent connection to nature” according to IKEA — and the planet is our home, IKEA thought it might be a good thing to ask Machado and Meador for a little assistance.
“IKEA knows how to make lives better at home,” says IKEA’s James Futcher. “At the same time, surfers are also concerned with this planet that we all call home. Surfers have an inherent connection to nature, so who better for IKEA to partner with than the World Surf League? Though a collaboration may seem like an unlikely pairing, it actually makes a lot of sense.”
IKEA enlisted over 3,500 surfers to give design input before releasing KÅSEBERGA. They came from all over the world: Brazil, Japan, Sweden, and Hawaii. They conducted research and tested the prototypes, then came back with a few suggestions. And thus, the IKEA/WSL collaboration came to life. It’s available globally in May, 2022.
