Wave Arcade is a project designed to keep putting quarters in the wave machine.
Wave Arcade is based in San Diego, California with the goal of sharing our surf projects and philosophies with the world.
True to our nature of expanding our experiences, experimentation in and out of the water, and enjoyment of life and our natural environments, the project will always continue to evolve, but will always stay true to the basic principle of increasing stoke and reducing bullshit.
Thanks for being a part of it!
EXPERIENCE.
Expanding your experiences in and out of the water will help you grow as a surfer and as a human being.
EXPERIMENT.
Experimentation with surf equipment, materials, and different approaches is a key component to expanding your experiences.
ENJOY!
And whatever you do, you’ve got to remember to enjoy yourself, those around you, and the places where you spend your time.
WAVE ARCADE PRODUCTS: ART // APPAREL // ETC.
We aim for sustainable, low-impact, and environmentally-friendly materials and processes to be the norm rather than the exception.
We’re always looking for ways to upcycle old surf junk and use recycled and sustainable materials in our products. For products where other materials make more sense, we aim to make sure that they will last for a long time (i.e. carbon fiber and fiberglass in fins).
We employ the help of printing partners to produce our groovy surf apparel and wall art.
Many of these products are printed on demand and made to order with more sustainable processes. Our partners are dedicated to reducing waste, reducing carbon emissions, and using eco-friendly materials and methods in their production process, supply chains, and facilities.
Most of the shirts and apparel we offer are 100% organic cotton. Not only are these items eco-friendly, but they’re also high quality, super comfortable, and long-lasting.
The inks used are water-based, which adds to their “eco-friendliness” and helps make our designs look great for longer.
Shirts and apparel are printed with a DTG (direct-to-garment) method, which is a more environmentally-friendly choice than a lot of common screen printing methods. The process and the printers used consume less electricity, less water, and less chemicals than other methods and equipment.
HISTORY OF WAVE ARCADE
A WAVE ARCADE IS BORN
The project began in Salt Lake City, Utah of all places when Ethan was searching for a creative outlet during his temporary residency in the beehive state. Wave Arcade began with a few t-shirt designs and upcycled wetsuit beer koozies.
MAD SCIENTIST EXPERIMENTS IN 3D PRINTING
With an extensive 3D printing/maker’s space at the University, Ethan began experimenting with 3D printed surfboard fins. While it’s not the fastest nor most practical way to produce fins, it sparked some thinking. What’s stopping us from experimenting with new and weird and different surf equipment?
RETURN TO CALIFORNIA & SURFBOARD FINS
Upon returning to California, Wave Arcade had fins on its mind. It began with bamboo fins hand cut from locally grown bamboo stalks. Spoiler Alert: That’s not a good way to make a living. The initial bamboo prototypes sparked all sorts of experimentation in handcrafted fin designs and materials. You can check those out in the product archives on the blog.
WEBSITE EXPANSION
After much experimentation with fin materials, production methods, and designs, it was time to share the Wave Arcade project with the world. 2019 marked the year of the expansion of the website to share the project with a broader audience. You can find all sorts of surf related content, DIY guides, and product reviews all in support of inspiring new experiences, encouraging experimentation, and enjoying the ocean.
WAVE ARCADE ART & DESIGN
2020 sure was a year.
Wave Arcade returned to some of its earlier roots with the launch and expansion of its line of surf clothing and ocean-inspired artwork.
We we’re especially happy to share the beginning of our National Parks/WPA-inspired surf spot poster series.
OUR TEAM
Meet the friendly folks behind the Wave Arcade project.
Interested in joining the team or collaborating? Get in touch with our contact page.
Ethan Orenstein // Founder & CEO
Nome // Employee of the Month
