If home is where the heart is, then these guys have tonnes of passion for their home-grown project, which epitomises the oceanic viewpoint from Cronulla's coastline.
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It's called Land of the Unknown, but to the three mates who have collaborated on its latest expansion, it's a world that is not only familiar, but adored from afar.
What started as a backyard hobby has come full circle into a surfwear clothing brand, and now it's branched off into another direction, with the accompaniment of a young photographer with an eye for rolling nature.
Early days of the label started in Tom Groat's backyard shed a couple of years ago. "I was shaping surfboards with my uncle and we needed logos for the boards," he said. "I got one drafted up by my mum's cousin who is a graphic designer, we whacked it on, and it's the same logo we've still got."
Tom envisioned greater scope for these early buds of creativity. "I thought this could be a really cool brand, so I ordered some hats, put the logo on them and started selling them to mates," he said.
There was keen interest, but university called, and it wasn't until late 2023 that the brand accelerated. It was the ideal time. The brand's business partner Jake Burns, who knew Tom from their days at Woolooware High School, had recently returned from the US where he was on contract with the St Louis Cardinals, playing professional baseball.
"Jake was always a big supporter of the brand," Tom said. "He sorts the production and supplies, and I do the marketing."
Interest has been going strong, with lots of orders from fellow beach-lovers in Perth in WA. Jake also gets handy tips from his mum, who had an embroidery business. "I had an eye for it," Jake said. "She would make local sport uniforms. I learnt from her and had her contacts. We press the vinyl logos in-house - we're not bringing mass boxes from China."
The 21-year-old friends wanted something fresh for their latest collection, appropriately named 'Home'. In comes Luca Salisbury, 19, who joined on board as a collaborator with his visual input.
"Luca and I are mates through surfing, and when we first started the label, he let me use his photos on the website," Tom said.
These photos, many taken during COVID-19 lockdown, form part of the collection that was launched this month. It was during lockdown when Luca began curating his debut publication under the same title, which he describes as a photo journal of stellar winter waves that aim to bring fulfilment and a sense of belonging to a community. His photos made the cover of Surfing World and he placed in the finals of the RedBull Illume contest.
"I started shooting at about 10 when my dad gave me a GoPro," Luca said. "I was just filming mates surfing and eventually got a proper camera. I just started a carpentry apprenticeship but I'm doing this on the side."
Entirely self-taught, Luca hones in on his craft by watching YouTube videos. "I had so many surf photos on my hard drive and I didn't know what I wanted to do with it all," he said. "I was stoked when they guys reached out to me."
The collection they said, is dedicated to the waves, landscapes, and shared experiences that make you feel truly at home.
