Layered Wood Surf Style Sunglasses
Harkening back to the sixties, the heyday of surfing in Southern California, and borrowing from surfing's deep roots in woodworking, Tower brings you the Ventura. Handcrafted and layered Bubinga, Maple, and Birch wood surf style sunglasses with spring-loaded brass hinges. It's an unmistakable beach lifestyle fashion statement, where natural beauty dovetails with the finest polarized lenses on the market.
On Point Fashion: Handmade layered Bubinga, Maple, and Birch hardwood frames with smooth varnish finish
Finest Polarized Lenses: Polaroid Ultrasight, scratch-resistant lenses with UV 400 protection
About Bubinga, Maple, and Birch Wood
The frame's interior is layered with Bubinga and Maple wood. A very popular imported African hardwood, Bubinga may be loved as much for its quirky name as it is for its strength and beauty. Maple Wood, which is known for its durability and aesthetic, has a consistent grain and warm natural shading that makes for a beautiful stain finish.
The exterior layer of the Ventura surf style sunglass is made from Birch wood. Commonly used in nice furniture, Birch has a clean appearance that also ages very well, enhancing the look of your shades over time.
Polaroid Ultrasight Polarized Lenses
Made by the company that invented the polarized lens, Polaroid Ultrasight lenses are the best lenses on the market. They employ nine functional layers to make an amazing lens. An internal polarizing core that eliminates glare is sandwiched by 4 UV filters that block all harmful UVA, UVB, and UVC light rays. A shock absorbing layer for impact resistance encases this core, followed by an outer top and bottom scratch resistant layer for optimal durability.
The History of Wood in Surfing
Early surfboards in Hawaii, the birthplace of surfing, were carved out of local trees like Koa wood. Wood is not only beautiful, it floats. In the 1950s and 60s, Surf style sunglasses were all the rage in Southern California and surfing was taking off. Surfboards were made of balsa wood at that time, but would soon transition to foam and fiberglass construction. All of these new fiberglass boards would use wood stringers for rigidity (most still do today), and many had carved blocks of layered wood on the nose and tail. As fins came the scene, they too were made of wood at first. Wood craftsmanship and surfing went hand in hand.
To this day in our San Diego based surf factory, our shapers still play around making fiberglass encased wood fins, wood nose and tail blocks, and even entire balsa wood surfboards. It's in their blood. It's in the roots of the sport they love. Unmistakably, there is a nostalgic connection between handcrafted wood work and surfers, and really all watermen. Tower's handcrafted wood sunglasses are a nod to this rich tradition.
About Ventura
Nestled between Malibu and Santa Barbara, Ventura is known for it's beautiful landscapes, agriculture, and of course...surfing. Ventura's population boomed after it's mid 1900's oil rush, and after US Highway 101 was built, it became accessible for surfers around California to make their way down for pealing rights during winter swells. Ventura's iconic pier, originally built in 1872, was once the longest in California before a few storms, and crashed ships, gave it some unexpected reconstruction. It still remains today as a famous surf spot as well as a popular local attraction.