On the remarkably short list of things that Santa Barbara lacks, say, cross-country skiing and department stores, surfwear clothing would likely fall near the bottom of that list, somewhere between great breakfast burritos and seagulls. Where other cities face rodent infestations, Santa Barbara’s local flavor is the beach rat, a prolific species clad in hoodies, board shorts, and flip flops, all of which can be seen from the sands of Leadbetter to the pavement of State Street. However, UCSB graduate Blake Cañas saw things differently. When Cañas looked at his fellow surfers, he saw a community of surfwear stagnation. Enter SB Surf Co.
The 25-year-old Cañas founded SB Surf Co. in 2020, originally as a surf photography company. An Orange County native with an excess of Southern California surf brands, Cañas came to UCSB and quickly found a place in the surfing community, yet he noticed a distinct lack of variety in the fashion surrounding him. “Over here, you only see Yater Surfboards,” said Cañas, referring to the ubiquitous Santa Barbara Surf N’ Wear merchandise, which can be found plastered on backs across the city. “You see that diamond shape just about everywhere. And that’s where the idea came in.”
For Cañas, surfwear is about much more than something comfortable to carry you from the sand to the ocean. Surfwear acts as a reflection of Santa Barbara itself, capturing the essence of its very being. “Let’s create a surf brand that truly represents the area and shows that on our shirts and apparel,” said Cañas. “Something you can wear on your back to feel a sense of pride.” SB Surf Co. was born from the desire to crystallize the city itself, a piece of red tile roofs, State Street, and cold ocean waves to literally wear on one’s shoulder, whether you’re just passing through or you’re a born-and-bred Santa Barbaran.