Rob Machado, proud new owner of his new title: Investment in Happiness Ambassador. Image: Vuori
Editor’s Note: This piece was done in partnership with Vuori.
Every now and then, a person is so good at something a company creates a position just for them. Such is the case with Rob Machado and Vuori, a California lifestyle brand that slants towards fitness, surf, sport, and art. Vuori has something they’ve coined “Investment in Happiness,” which is a product guarantee… plus a bit of syrup on the pancake.
It’s not just a guarantee. It is a commitment to a great experience for their customers. It’s a philosophy about how they go about doing business. It’s how they treat their team, the community, and the environment. Invest in happiness, and everyone reaps the rewards. Enter Rob Machado, who has just landed the first-ever role of Investment In Happiness Ambassador, a title that fits him as snugly as a wetsuit.
He was chosen for good reason: Vuori wants to inspire and unite people from all walks of life to create as well as share positive, meaningful experiences, and Rob does that every day. Machado, as you know, is one of the greatest surfers in the world. Not just because he was a top 10 tour guy for over a decade straight, or because he was inducted into the Hall of Fame (twice, for good measure), but because he is a surfers’ surfer. Despite the fact that he’s a living legend, he hangs out in a beat up van in the parking lot at his local spot.
He surfs the same waves he surfed as a kid. Rob is the guy who smiles at everyone in the lineup. He’s also the guy who surfs better than everyone else in the lineup. Even when he was competing, he couldn’t help but high five Kelly Slater at Pipeline when a world title was on the line. It was just too good to not celebrate the fact that two good friends were surfing perfect Pipe.
Back in 2004, he started a foundation (fittingly) called the Rob Machado Foundation, which aims to help young people make good choices around sustainability. Both Vuori and Rob agree that the planet needs to be taken care of. The sustainability aspect of Machado’s foundation is something that Vuori shares, so they decided Rob would be a good fit — and Rob agreed.
“When I decided to take Vuori up on the offer to be their first Investment in Happiness Ambassador,” he said, “I knew I was not only aligning myself with a great group of people, but with a brand that shares so many of my personal philosophies. Vuori is such a positive force in the apparel industry. I know that by coming together, we can make a truly powerful impact in our respective communities.”
Vuori takes making their products seriously. They don’t simply shoot a design off somewhere and hope for the best. They think long and hard about five things: the materials they work with, how they can reduce waste, the offsetting of 100 percent of our carbon footprint, the social responsibility they hold, and how they can best be leaders in the community they’re working in.
Take, for example, the Cruise boardshort. In a nod to Mother Ocean, it’s made sustainably with recycled plastic bottles, something both Rob and Vuori can get behind. With a scalloped leg and a high-performance fit, they’re perfect for surfing or just for cruising around looking good. And they’re available in six colors, so you can take your pick of what kind of looking good you want to be.
“We couldn’t be happier to officially welcome Rob to the Vuori family,” said Joe Kudla, Vuori Founder and CEO. “We’re especially looking forward to this partnership because Rob is not only a world class surfer, he’s an inspirational individual in our community, surf communities, and environmental communities. Suffice it to say, we are proud supporters of all things Rob Machado, including the incredible work accomplished through the Rob Machado Foundation, and we’re honored to have him on our team.”
See more from Vuori here.
