Yes, Military-Grade Boardshorts Can Look Very Good

Actual military materials. That’s what Jack O’Neill used after he finished up as a pilot in the navy, and started making wetsuits to keep surfers in the water for longer. And that’s the thinking that his company brought to this year’s “A Place In The Sun” competition. Stab applauses, with the highest enthusiasm, the ideation behind acquiring military sleeping bags, fatigues and vintage Alice rucksacks from an army surplus store, then re-crafting them into the 1st Brigade boardshort. “The colour blocking was achieved by using different covers and fatigues together in one short,” says the trunk’s designer. “The blue and green was intentional to represent both the army and navy. All of the grommets and drawcord came from deconstructing an Alice rucksack bag. To top it all off we added our technobutter neoprene slivered on the sides for function and comfort and making the coolest Superfreak boardshort ever known to man.” Naturally, the accompanying film is a big Wednesday/Apocalypse Now-inspired VHS flashback, featuring surf-hungry trooper, Ian Crane.