COLLECTED THOUGHTS WITH MIKEY FEBRUARY
Quarantine, strange boards, flowy music and a new collection with Vans.
Mikey, how’s it been in South Africa lately?
There have been fun waves, but it's still a strange time.
Did you spend the whole quarantine there?
Pretty much, yeah. We were in America and then we heard we might not be able to go home, so we flew back as soon as we could. It was just before everything went down.
Were you allowed to surf there?
Not for like 60 days...It was pretty long. But then we got back to surfing, and it’s been fun. It's still pretty locked down here, though. There are so many restrictions and you can’t really go anywhere, but it is what it is. At least we can surf.
How did you spend your time during quarantine?
I tried to do some yoga, started to play the piano, and my dad and I started shaping in the garage a little bit. I just tried to do a lot of little things that I like. It's been fun.
Was that your first time shaping?
I've shaped a board before, but that was the first time doing it without any help.
Did you shape any boards you like?
I made a 5’6" egg that I like. It’s a little round biscuit type of shape with a single fin. I surfed it the other day and it works really well — which is cool to feel when you go into it with such low expectations.
Tell us more about the new capsule you did with Vans.
We started working on the collection about a year ago and it was a really fun process. Being able to share what I like, then seeing options from the design team — that back and forth creative process was really interesting. I pulled a lot of inspiration around where I’m from in Africa. I shared all sorts of things like African patterns, music, all that kind of stuff. I'm super stoked about how it all turned out, and then we got to go shoot the collection in Senegal, which was fun.
The boardshorts are definitely the comfiest boardshorts I've ever worn. I made them a little bit shorter than normal. They're super functional but still have that old school look and some elements of African design.
Was it hard trying to put your spirit into a capsule?
For me, doing this capsule meant thinking about where I’m from and what my influences are, then combining that with what Vans is. That's the whole reason for doing it — it’s a collaboration. I’m not a designer, so it was a learning process in terms of sending the right references to help designers bring your vision to life. It was challenging, but it was also fun and I learned a lot.
You said you used music as a reference. What do you like to listen to?
I love to listen to a variety of music. I love jazz, and I love nice flowy music. Obviously, African music is cool and there is so much history in it, so I'm pretty into that. I'm definitely into old school music. I feel like music was a little better back in the day. The musicians in the past did things really well, so I enjoy that influence now.
And you're particularly into old school boards, too?
I like all kinds of boards. I’m enjoying some old school shapes, but I like having different surfs. New school boards, old school boards — I just like mixing it up.
What have you been surfing a lot lately?
Mostly a twin pin that I’ve been working on with Channel Islands. It's a twin fin with a round tail, and it's super fun and flowy — perfect for nice, smooth surfing.
Does shaping give you another perspective on surfing?
Yeah, it definitely gives you a new perspective. Obviously, I'm not gonna shape performance shortboards cause then I’ll have crazy expectations and it probably won't go well. But with the old school shapes, you don't have to make it perfect and you can still have fun trying to ride it. I get a lot of boards made for me, so it’s cool to go through the creative process and get a better understanding of what I'm riding. It’s a lot of hard work to get really good boards, but it’s an amazing art form. I just want to get in a flow with it.
Where are you going to go after all this is over?
I guess it depends on when we're allowed to go, but possibly Hawaii. I don't think I'll compete, but if we can travel again I think everyone will go there and surf so, yeah, hopefully that. I'd love it.
Photography: Jimmy Wilson & Daniel Russo
Interview: Tiphaine Cazalis de Fondouce for Salt Water Magazine Volume 4
Supported by Vans
Shot over consecutive mornings during the long, recent run of North Coast autumn swell, In the Family of Things is Dave Rastovich in his element, doing his thing.