Born and raised by the beach in Southern California, Valeri Horn lives and breathes West Coast culture and its surrounding artistic charm. Valeri, with a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and a Minor in French, continuously seeks to explore the beautiful and obscure and enjoys sharing her adventures through captivating interviews, strategic storytelling, and clever copy.
Valeri is currently the Senior Copywriter at Outerknown.
Posted: June 2, 2017 8:02 PM
Great things are coming. Two of the industry’s longest lasting and most trusted brands, Hobie and Katin, are creating a new experience for their longtime loyal customers. Hobie Surf Shops has teamed up with Katin and legendary Katin seamstress since 1961, Sato Hughes, for an exclusive collection that will feature a limited-edition run of Katin x Hobie collaborative surf trunk.
In addition to the handmade surf trunks, the Hobie x Katin collection also offers custom pocket t-shirts, graphic t-shirts and a hat, made right here in the USA.
This special-edition collection truly highlights both company’s united dedication to providing both endless quality and innovation, in company with Sato’s preservation of excellence and commitment to exceptional durability.
In 1950 Hobie Alter started shaping surfboards out of his parent’s garage at their summer home in Laguna Beach, Calif. Shortly after in 1954 Hobie bought a vacant lot in Dana Point and opened the first surf shop in California. From that point forward, Hobie Alter’s gift for originality not only forged the path for future surf shops but also changed the cultures of surfing, skateboarding, sailing, kayaking, and much more. Hobie and his retailing partner, Dick Metz, had truly created a model for everything the surf industry and its surrounding lifestyle stands for today.
Bringing together both their passion for the ocean and a tireless work ethic, Hobie and Dick were able to do what they loved, while working to change the surf industry forever.
While Hobie was shaping the future of surf one board at a time, across town in Sunset Beach, Nancy and Walter Katin were about to make similar history, with the invention of the very first surf trunk.
In the early 1950s, Nancy and Walter Katin were in the business of making canvas boat covers. It was upon request from local surfers that they made the first pair of custom canvas surf trunks. Word quickly spread of these new trunks ability to withstand the demands of the sea. Hopeful “wave riders” came from far and wide pleading for their very own pair of trunks, so Walter sought additional help from a local skillful seamstress, Sato Hughes.
The story of this legendary Katin seamstress begins in 1928, in Kawasaki, Japan, where Sato Hughes was born. Sato, although a master of the art now, initially learned how to sew as a young student in Japan. After moving to the U.S. in the early 1960s, Sato truly began harnessing her sewing craft while hemming and tapering clothing at a local dry cleaning shop in Seal Beach, California. Walter and Nancy, who were regular dry-cleaning patrons, chatted with Sato from time to time on their visits to the Seal Beach cleaners. Although she had only been in America for six months, Walter was eager to add a talented seamstress to their team to keep up with the high demand for trunks, and excitedly hired Sato to work at the shop in 1961. With the addition of Sato, an industry and a loyal following were born.
Soon some of the biggest names in surfing, from Shaun Tomson and Peter Townsend to Reno Abillero, Gerry Lopez and Eddie Aikau would go on to sport these handmade custom trunks from Sato. To this very day, Sato is still sewing strong at the same Kanvas by Katin surf shop in Sunset Beach.
With Hobie Surfboards still hand-shaping boards out of the Dana Point store and Katin and Sato still hand-making surf trunks in Sunset Beach, we couldn’t be more excited to share this partnership with you.
Read more on Shop-Eat-Surf.com.
Posted: April 26, 2017 5:44 PM
Urban Outfitters and Katin are excited to announce the official release of the Urban Outfitters x Katin collaborative surf trunk collection.
Paying tribute to Katin's classic surf heritage with iconic Dolphin trunk scallop leg openings and a contemporary elastic waistband, this Urban Outfitters-exclusive collection offers a versatile array of trunk colors and designs. From classic polka dot to a tropical floral pattern, the UO x Katin trunk collection offers a retro-style look, fit for all.
These collaborative trunks have also been carefully cut in a mesh-lined silhouette, hitting right above the knee with a rounded hem and topped with an elastic waist and adjustable exterior drawstring for a comfortable fit. Complete with front slant pockets and a single back welt pocket with a hook and loop closure, the UO x Katin trunk collection offers stylish comfortability and high-quality durability, perfect on and off the beach.
The UO x Katin surf trunk collection is available now online and in-store at an Urban Outfitters near you.
Read more on Shop-Eat-Surf.com.
October 10, 2016
West Coast, Calif. (October 2016) — Katin, the original California surf company and lifestyle brand, is excited to release its official Fall/Holiday ’16 look book video. Born by the beach and raised along the California coast since 1954, Katin remains a staple for Southern California culture. While honoring its iconic beachside heritage, Katin also embraces all of the Golden State’s unique terrain, from the southern sunny beaches to the dense northern forests.
Answering California’s unrelenting call to adventure, the Katin crew hopped in their 1984 VW Vanagon and traversed up the coast to Big Sur to explore where the forest meets the sea for the Fall/Holiday ’16 collection.
Capturing Big Sur’s rich landscapes, from the red wood trees to the rocky shores, Katin’s Fall/Holiday ’16 line combines sophisticated patterns with intricate designs, from oceanic brain coral and sea kelp motifs to classic rose flower graphics and texturized trims. Katin’s Fall/Holiday ’16 collection also offers a darker seasonal palette, brilliantly blending bold shades of midnight navy, black wash and gravel with rare hues of temple red, blue green and iron oxide.
Join Katin and step into adventure, with the strategic direction of Katin creative director Jason Rodriguez and artful videography by Clyde Bessey, in the Katin Fall/Holiday ’16 look book video, above.
See more from the Fall/Holiday 2016 collection, available online and at retailers and better boutiques nationwide.
ABOUT KATIN:
In the early 1950s Nancy and Walter Katin were in the business of making canvas boat covers. It was upon request from local surfers that they made the first pair of custom canvas surf trunks. Word quickly spread of the trunk’s ability to withstand the demands of the sea and an industry was born. In 1976, Nancy initiated the annual Katin Pro/Am Team Challenge, at the north side of the Huntington Beach pier, a team event where amateur surfers competed alongside the pros. Surf legends such as Kelly Slater and Tom Curren competed and won the Katin Pro/Am. After Nancy passed away in 1987, she left the business to her loyal friend and Katin seamstress Sato Hughes, who began sewing surf trunks for the Katins by hand in 1961, and still crafts custom surf trunks with her own two hands today. Katin continues to take pride in its title as California’s first brand to make surf trunks and continues its commitment to selling high-quality, durable goods, both with the iconic surf board shorts and lifestyle apparel. www.katinusa.com
Read more on Transworld Business/Grind TV.
Posted: June 1, 2016 2:20 PM
Katin, the original California surf company and lifestyle brand since 1954, is excited to announce the official release of its Summer ’16 collection, drawing inspiration from the legendary Katin family, as well as Katin’s birthplace at the Kanvas By Katin surf shop in Surfside, Calif.
Named after Walter Katin’s boat, “The Southern Seas,” the Summer '16 collection blends together a diverse array of shades, from indigo and turquoise complemented by beige, gray and lighthouse-red and yellow hues. This nautical-inspired summer collection also features new short silhouettes and unique surf trunk prints, incorporating deep-sea creature graphics, fishing lure designs and colorful oceanic elements, from green kelp and island brush to surf white wash and tropical fish.
Katin’s “The Southern Seas” Summer ’16 collection is now available online as well as national retailers and better boutiques nationwide.
Read more on Shop-Eat-Surf.com.