Sundek Does Volun-tourism With Surf for Life

Sundek’s swim trunks with a rainbow arch across the rearwere a favorite among pros and recreational surfers alike in the 1970s. Today,the shorts look nearly the same as they did decades ago, except now they can befound folded on the tables at Saks Fifth Avenue and pictured at Park& Bond online, as opposed to the local surf shop.

Even though the brand doesn’t sell through thetraditional action-sports retail channels of distribution, Sundek thought itwas time to reconnect with its surf heritage. Earlier this year, the brandorganized a trip to El Salvador with the humanitarian organization Surf forLife. The nonprofit “sponsors educational and community-drivendevelopment projects in coastal communities.” Think of it like a Habitat forHumanity in which volunteers fly somewhere underdeveloped to work onphilanthropic construction projects—and then add in the fact that they happento be right next to really good surf breaks.

“We decided to go back to the roots and go to the surfworld with a charity,” said Agostino Magni, chief executive officer of thebrand, based in Santa Monica, Calif. Sundek was founded in San Francisco in1958 and is now owned by an Italian investment firm. About two years ago, thecompany moved U.S. headquarters back to Southern California.

Sundek organized a group of 27 volunteers from both thefashion and surf worlds to fly to El Cuco, El Salvador, and construct thetown’s first high school. The crew consisted of actors, including Leven Ramblin from “The Hunger Games” and PerreyReeves from Entourage,” as well as professionalsurfers Holly Beck and Chadd Konig and surfboard shaper Danny Hess. Between thepainting and brick laying, surf filled up the rest of the itinerary. Two ofSundek’s sponsored riders, Italian longboarder Alessandro Ponzanelli and SantaBarbara, Calif.–bred Oliver Parker, were on hand to show off their fluidnoseriding style.

To celebrate the project, Sundek produced an “ElSalvador” collection, which includes a T-shirt, hoodie and navy trunks with thesignature colored stripe. Trunks are priced at $120. Twenty percent of thesales from this capsule will be donated to Surf for Life. Magni said the storyhas already been resonating with customers since the collection hit the salesfloor in the beginning of June.

“The first week of sales was 30 percent sell through at SaksFifth Avenue,” Magni said.—Rhea Cortado