California’s Almond Surfboards pays homage to the heritage and legacy of Woolrich with the collaborative Wax and Wool collection of surfboards and USA-made apparel. The surfboards, all custom handmade in California, boast iconic Woolrich patterns like the red buffalo check and a topographic map print that celebrates Woolrich’s status as the Original Outdoor Company. All in all: timeless, hand-shaped, essential for those surfers out there, eager to be different.
For those interested, do note this: The surfboards will be available exclusively at Woolrich’s SoHo, New York store starting May 15.
About Woolrich: Woolrich has been synonymous with quality outdoor clothing for over 180 years. The company got its start in 1830 when John Rich, an immigrant from England, built his first woolen mill in Plum Run, Pennsylvania. Rich would visit the lumber camps that dotted the area and sell his woolen fabric, socks , coverlets, and yarn from a mule cart. By 1845, he built a new mill a couple of miles up the road next to Chatham Run, which provided a steadier source of water. That building exists today as part of the group of buildings, homes, and community establishments that have become Woolrich, Pennsylvania.
Rich could certainly not have imagined that his little woolen mill (created not long after the Revolutionary War) would go on to experience the Civil War , the Great Depression, two world wars, and the end of the Cold War. It would witness the beginning of the Industrial Revolution in America, the amazing growth of American cities, and the telecommunications revolution.
Legend has it that Woolrich was the first company to use a zipper in men’s trousers. The timeless Railroad Vest , introduced when the railroad was being built through Pennsylvania, is still a popular item. Another garment with roots back to the mid-1800’s is the Buffalo Check Shirt that has kept many generations of outdoorsmen warm.
Technological developments, new production methods, and changing American lifestyles led to new products for all types of outdoor activities–all-wool bathing suits and wool golf knickers joined rugged coats for hunters and trappers. As America took to the roads in the early 1930’s, Woolrich added automobile robes and steamer rugs for the more mobile society. Woolrich was contracted by the government to outfit Admiral Byrd’s expedition to Antarctica in 1939, 1940, and 1941.
Eventually, the introduction of new high-tech materials allowed Woolrich to enhance the performance of its outdoor wear, meeting the needs of a new generation of enthusiasts. Traditional fabrics like wool and cotton teamed up with man-made fibers to create clothing that our customers could rely on for everything from a backpacking trip to a leisurely stroll.
Today the little village of Woolrich is still headquarters for the company, but the business has grown to a worldwide lifestyle company with a full range of outdoor-inspired products, from jackets and shirts to outdoor furniture. The company that provided blankets to the Union soldiers in the Civil War today keeps folks warm under its wonderful throws as they cuddle up by the fireplace. You can buy a wool jacket your great-great grandfather may have worn in the woods or a parka that’s all about the latest in advanced technology.
