The Barrel Connection
The prepossessing pair caught our attention as they hustled through the quad of USC. “You just got barreled!” was the introduction to Greg (top) and JP (bottom) of Urban Barrels, bring the immediate thought of what the h*** does that mean? And like that, it billowed and crashed over us, surfing culture, without having to fight LA traffic to visit the beach.
So what does it mean to “get barreled”? JP explains that it is when the upsurge of a wave has increased into an arch, surrounding the surfer like a barrel and the surfer continues to ride the wave without being touched by the water. It is the “spiritual end all/be all place that every surfer wants to be.” A natural, yet glorious moment, the ultimate achievement every surfer aspires for.
Urban Barrels was created to provide the incorporeal experience of getting barreled outside the water, connecting the feeling of surfing wherever one might be. It is a fairly new company on the Los Angeles scene, established in 2014. It started like us, as a blog, with the goal of promoting the “stoke” of surfing. People around the world began to Instagram pictures of themselves “barreled” under all kinds of things. Once the two saw the passion for surfing around them, the two took a leap of faith in themselves to create Urban Barrels. They created a Kickstarter campaign raising over $20,000 to start the company and create the “Adventure Bag.”
GLG became acquainted with the Adventure Bag. Made from recycled sails, each bag has a built in soft fleece blanket making it clear as to why it is named the Adventure bag. It’s for those who might not know where they might end up. (Visit www.urbanbarrels.com)
Now, Greg is 27 years old and as for his relationship status, he is “single and ready to tingle.” JP on the other hand has “a hot girlfriend who designs jewelry” and is 28 years old. (Well, single ladies, you can’t win ‘em all). A spot they recommend for those who want to soak up the Angeleno surfing culture is Point Doom in Malibu.
The history of Urban Barrels and the entrepreneurial spirit of JP and Greg are an inspiration. And that’s the thing about Los Angeles, there is a misconception that this is a city full of casual, laid back folk. That is but a facet of Los Angeles. Any given day you might run into a couple of surfers who run their own innovative company. We’re laid back, but about our business.
Thank you for being good looking JP and Greg!