Why put your special hand-shaped surfboard in an ordinary bag for everyday protection? Green Fuz’s handmade surfboard bags put a smile on our faces every time we carry one under our arm.
From the dyed fabrics to selection of patterns, you can see the extra time that goes into each bag. Each one is cut, sewn and shipped just a stone's throw away from Seea headquarters in San Clemente by friends Sonny Nigro, Cassandra Jerrold-Jones and Scott Reynolds. We cruised on over to watch one of their special creations come to life from start to finish.
 |
Color coordinate your quiver with Green Fuz surfboard bags. |
Green Fuz had a slow start, but didn’t give up. Its first ever bag was made out of terrycloth and after a 6 laborious hours, “it still didn’t come out good.” The idea was put on the backburner for a while until Sonny came across an industrial sewing machine. During Christmas break, they gave it another shot and made some cool bags for themselves, with Cassandra handling the sewing needle. The second time was a charm.
“We had some time off work and were still into the idea of making bags, so we drove around to all these different places and got some cool fabric and just went for it,” says Sonny. “We were just like, screw it…don’t over think it and let’s make some cool bags for ourselves. And they actually turned out really cool thanks to Cassie being able to sew really good.”
 |
DIY projects love patches. |
The rest fell into place. “We made like 5 bags and put them on Instagram. The post wasn’t really meant to sell anything—just show what we made and if anybody wanted to hit us up to make them a bag. But then literally, that night, a local shop hit us up to see how they could order some from us, and that was it. Green Fuz was on!” says Sonny.
Each friend plays a role in getting the final product completed. Sonny designs bag colorways and patterns, Cassandra sews the bags and Scott is in charge of the website, customer service and sales.
Green Fuz walked us through step-by-step all the care and hands-on work that goes into making their handmade surfboard bags. It re-inspired us that if you have a great idea to make something with your own style, to go for it!
 |
Sonny and Scott dig through the stacks |
 |
Make ordinary fabric extraordinary by dying. |
Materials. "Everything is made to order, but we have stock fabrics and like 15 different designs to choose from," Sonny says. Green Fuz dyes some of its fabric for an extra touch of personalization.
 |
Made to measure. |
Design. “Anything can be modified by request, but the basic pricing and shapes are all up on our website, Green-Fuz.com” Sonny says.
“We try and form some sort of relationship with the shops and people that order from us. They get stoked that we respond back so quickly, and it’s been fun to talk to people about their different boards, get the measurements, and make up something custom for them. Seems to be working since people keep re-ordering.”
 |
Sewing with friends. |
 |
Pins keep the two pieces of fabric in place. |
Production. “Cassie sews everything, she’s pretty much production. I take care of the designing the bag color-ways and layouts," Sonny says.
"And Scott handles the website, customer service and sales. Production, design, and technical. It’s a perfect combination. If it was just Scott and I, we wouldn’t have any bags because Cassie’s got the sewing machines dialed. If it was just Scott and Cassie, then the colors and designs might not be as appealing, and if Green Fuz was just me and Cass, we’d have a bunch of bags, with no website, and no one to sell them to. It’s a definitely a group effort and we all do our part to make it happen.”
 |
Vintage industrial sewing machine doesn't mess around. |
 |
To finish the seams so that they don't fray (that zig-zag stitch you see inside just about all of your clothes) requires another type of sewing machine. |
More Production. Cassie adds that they have it down to about one hour per bag from start to finish. “We still hand cut, sew, and dye different fabrics, which can be pretty time consuming. Every once in a while we’ll screw something up, sew a panel backwards or something, but we’re getting better with each bag and refining the production process with each batch. That’s just the nature of handmade goods – A lot of love goes into each bag, which people really appreciate.”
 |
Custom patches. |
Where the name Green Fuz came from. “Well, if we would’ve known this was going to go anywhere, we probably would have thought about it a little more!” Sonny laughs. “Green Fuz is an old band and song from the 60’s. We’re all really into music and Scott and I grew up listening to The Cramps (who covered the song) so we just kinda went with it. Plus, I like the look of it with just the one “Z”. Great song too! Look it up.”
We did the Googling for you. Listen to it on YouTube.
|
|
Final touches on the bottom drawstring. |
|
|
Details make a difference. Close-up of the drawstring and toggle closure. |
What's Next for Green Fuz. “We want to do travel bags and other accessories as well. We have some really cool ideas for leashes and traction pads that would be really fun to make. In the end, we’re not really doing anything new. We’re not trying to reinvent the wheel… We just wanna spin it! What is new is how we’re doing business with people and shops, our attitude, and the satisfaction that comes from doing cool stuff with and for cool people. It’s a whole different perspective on business that the shops are really open to right now, and it’s a great feeling to see our stuff in stores next to other companies that we really like. Basically it’s like this… 'Don’t over think things. Do business with your friends… and become friends with the people you do business with.'"
We couldn't agree more.
|
|
All done. |
 |
| The Green Fuz team! |