# 4
J O H N W I L S O N
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With the surf industry being a massive part of your life,
what got you into surf culture in the first place?
Just growing up in San Diego, Southern California. I was
very fortunate to have parents who loved the beach and took
me at a really young age. I didn’t start surfing until I was in
junior high. Being able to stand up on a board and ride the
wave was a next-level experience. I was just drawn into it at
a young age.
What is different about surf culture compared to other
sports cultures?
I really enjoy a lot of different sports and activities such
as basketball and baseball, so when I sit back and look at the
differences, with surf as an activity and surf culture vs other
sports and their cultures, I feel one of the biggest differences
is that surf is more a way of life than a sport or activity.
There are so many elements to that way of life. The travel
- I love travelling, going to these places and discovering
new surf spots and the beauty that’s out there surrounding
the ocean. The music component, that which comes directly
through surf culture and that which surrounds and is inspired
by it. The fashion influence, with brands that have come from
within the surf market. Then there’s the art, the photography,
the videography, which is all woven into surf, and when you
bring all of that together into the activity and participation, it
becomes more a way of life than other sports and activities.
I think that’s why it draws people in and that’s why it’s so
inspiring.
Has there been one collaboration, whether music, pop
culture
or sport, that has stood out to you?
What’s interesting in having this conversation about
certain cultures, is that though we in Stance have our roots
in boardsports, we’re a very eclectic brand. We love the
juxtaposition between, say, Chris Cole and Rihanna. We chose
the term Punks & Poets because we’re not just an XYZ brand.
Our tagline is The Uncommon Thread. That really speaks to
originality.
Specific to some of the collaborations we’ve done, a few
have stuck out, from completely different spectrums. Captain
Fin, a really cool brand out of ocean-side California, was
started by a guy called Mitch Abshere, who is a great surfer
and a great board builder. He really brought a lot of energy
to the fin category and got the name ‘Captain Fin’. It was
probably our second season when we collaborated with
them and there’s a sentimental side to it because these guys
saw what we were doing and got it. I mean seven years ago,
telling people you wanted to start a sock brand. “What are
you talking about?”
The other side of the spectrum is someone like Rihanna,
and it wasn’t necessarily the celebrity, but how involved she
was. Someone with her status could easily turn around and
say, “Sign the cheque and I’ll do X many Instagram posts,”
but on the photoshoot she was saying, “This should be there,
maybe we should try this.”
When you do a collaboration you’ve got to think, is it going
to be brand developing or are we going to sell any socks,
and sometimes there are more brand enhancers but not
many commercial opportunities, and some which do a lot of
volume. But with Rihanna it was her hands-on involvement,
and I can remember being on the photoshoot and thinking,
“I can’t believe this is freakin’ Rhianna and she is so amped
on what we’re doing and what she’s doing with us.” It was
definitely a cool moment.
ubculture can go beyond a taste in fashion or music, and sometimes what links these groups together is a similar
mindset. Individuals form a union from their mutual understanding of each other and also of their surroundings.
John Wilson, CEO and founder of Stance, took to surfing long before the sock brand was conceived. Described
by him as a “way of life”, surf has influenced all elements of his life beyond that on the board. Having collaborated with
countless individuals through the brand’s Punks & Poets movement, John Wilson reflects upon his experience alongside
other cultures across the spectrum.
S
WO R D S BY K A R L MO N D TA N G - K A R L MO N D . C OM | @ K A R L MO N D
P H O T O G R A P H Y -
“I feel one of the biggest differences
is that surf is more a way of life than
a sport or activity.”
