Our Story: The Brand That Defined 1980s Surfwear

It all started with a tiki cartoon sticker inspired by the surfer’s battle cry of the day: Pray for Surf. Tak Kawahara, legendary surfboard shaper and “father of surf” in Japan, was working in surf apparel when he created the sticker that was so different from the simplicity of surfwear at that time.

To build beyond Pray for Surf, Tak found a partner with a similar sense of humor in artist Steve Nazar. Together, they created the iconic Thrilla Gorilla and Da Boys, pioneering a new wave of surfwear that helped define 1980s surf and skate style.

Now, after being gone for almost 30 years, Da Boys are back. Thrilla Krew is the latest efforts from the original creators bringing you the same humor since 1984.