Wade Goodall in ‘Turtle Business’
Vans
Vans
It's no secret that Wade Goodall has suffered his fair share of setbacks (see also, breaking your leg three times), but we're not here to dwell on the past.
He's back with mended bones, and he's more psyched to surf and get clips than ever before. Aside from the surf, Vans recently gave Wade the freedom to put his creativity to use in a collection all of his own, which he did by featuring his art across a select range of products for his California-based sponsor (available here). We chatted to Wade about the Vans collab in our most recent issue of Monster Children, and he told us how stoked he was on the whole process. “This range is the first time I’ve ever had real autonomy," he explains. “I’ve been drawing and painting a lot, and I’ve made clothing for myself quite a lot over the years. It was pretty cool drawing for a purpose, I’ve had art shows but I’ve never commissioned anything. "
The timing for Wade to show everyone just how well the creative juices were flowing both in and out of the water couldn't have been more perfect. So, we sent Wade and good pal Shane Fletcher up and down the east coast of Australia, and the boys passed the time getting skunked and listening to The Melvins in Wade's old Outback. 20 tanks of fuel later, things weren't going to plan. Trying to stay positive, the boys got wind of a swell in West Australia from good friend Taj Burrow. Unfortunately, the WSL circus had beat them to it so they decided against a cross-country bolt. Sitting on a handful of clips but wanting more, the choice to hit Indo was a no-brainer. The variety of waves over there meant getting tubed and doing airs all in the one session was more than feasible, although they experienced a small speed bump with the arrival of Nyepi Day (An Indonesian holiday known as 'The Silent Day').
But Wade and Shane kept their cool and were rewarded with waves. Wade, as humble as ever, hoped we'd be happy with the end result, to which we confirm with a solid yes. As for the naming of the film Turtle Business, Wade had recently found himself drawing little turtles on clothes for his daughter and friends. When he doodled one on the front pocket of a cheap business shirt, Turtle Business was born.