We’ve always believed good things are made even better when shared. Every so often, we get the chance to collaborate with brands and people we admire — those who bring care, creativity, and intention to everything they do. This is a closer look at the custom pieces we've created together — starting with a towel we made for our longtime friends, Almond Surfboards, in collaboration with Porsche.
Can you tell us a bit about who you are?
My name is Dave Allee. I started a surfboard brand called Almond Surfboards in my hometown of Costa Mesa / Newport Beach back in 2007 or 2008. We opened a small surf shop here in 2009 to sell our boards and other products. In the early days, we were mostly shaping longboards and fishes. More recently, a lot of our focus has shifted to mid-length boards. Our brand motto is “two feet and firing” because we’ve always believed that with the right attitude and equipment, even two-foot waves can be fun. We’ve put a big emphasis on building boards that serve our customers in the kinds of waves they’ll encounter most often — and creating products that look good and work well for a long time.
What’s the story behind Almond—how did it all begin?
I got really curious about board building and surfboard design as a teenager. I started shaping some pretty rough boards in my parents’ garage. Then in October of 2008, I met our now-shaper, Griffin Neumann-Kyle, who was apprenticing for Bruce Jones at the time. Griff just wanted more reps under his belt, and I was more of the vision guy than a bona fide craftsman, so we teamed up — and we’ve been stubbornly paddling in the same direction ever since.
What made you want to collaborate with Slowtide on this project?
I’ve been friends with the Slowtide team for years, and we’ve carried their products in our shop since they first launched. So when it came time to round out our Porsche collaboration, it was a no-brainer to create a unique, rad beach towel together.
Was there a specific moment or idea that sparked the design direction for the towel?
When we collaborate with Porsche, we’re always trying to find that sweet spot where both brands intersect. The clearest overlap is in timeless design, clean lines, and high quality. This season’s collection is specifically inspired by the 1972 Carrera RS 2.7—if you’re a Porsche fan, you know that car well. It’s lightweight, powerful, and rare — basically a street-legal race car with a cult following. So for the surf side of the collection, we wanted to nod to the iconic ducktail spoiler while capturing the fun of the 1970s surf scene.
What was the creative process like—anything unexpected or memorable?
The process was super fun. We got to collaborate with some of our favorite people. I took the initial brief from Porsche, pulled together a design deck with inspiration, and once we got their green light, we got to work on the collection. My friend Josh Ariza illustrated the graphics that ultimately became the tees, hats, and this beach towel.
How do you see this towel fitting into your community or lifestyle?
A Porsche x surf collaboration isn’t something you see every day — so for us, the challenge was making something new that still felt authentic to both cultures: Porsche fans and surfers.
What makes this piece unique to your brand’s identity?
A beach towel is the perfect canvas for prints, patterns, and graphics — and it’s something that’s going to get a lot of real use. Even before we saw the sample, I could picture it laid out in the sand.
What was important to you when bringing this piece to life?
Quality, first and foremost. We didn’t just want to slap artwork on a towel — we specifically wanted it to be a Slowtide towel.
How does it feel dreaming up this towel vs. having the physical product in hand?
Holding the real thing is always better than seeing the mockup on a screen. Being hands-on with the finished product is how you know you’re designing for the real world — and for the customer who’s actually going to use it.
What’s next for Almond? Anything you’re excited about on the horizon?
Honestly, we’re having a lot of fun with partnerships and collaborations — like this one with Porsche. It’s a creative challenge to make something new that lives in the overlap between two brands. We’re focused on staying consistent with where we believe we add the most value: building products that last. And finding different ways to express that idea.
Follow Almond Surfboards here
For future custom projects, please reach out to hello@slowtide.co
