Behind The Tees: Interview with Designer Ave Pal
With tasting rooms in Hood River, Bend and Seaside, we're pretty darn lucky to call three of the greatest destinations in Oregon home. We sat down with Evoke designer Ave Palguta to talk about how our tasting room locations inspired the designs in summer's Evoke Collector Tees.
We're loving the new tees! Tell us about the inspiration behind each one?
First of all, thanks! I was super stoked to get to work on this project and can’t thank the team enough for all the feedback and support. Personally, I loved the way they turned out.
The inspiration for the Seaside Tee came from our Making Waves bottle design, which was inspired by our owner Peter. Being a rad dude, we thought there should be a bottle nodding our hats to him. Also, since I was a kid, I always wanted to live on the West Coast and surf. Even though for me, personally, this means mostly getting my sh*t rocked wave after wave, I'll keep going 'til I have at least half the steeze of this guy in the drawing.
The inspiration for the Hood River Tee came from my lovely friend and team leader, Julie. While I kept making drawing after drawing of just the mountain (my one true love), it wasn't until she mentioned kite surfing that the image finally got there. But come on, DUH! Hood River, while a mecca of many, is especially rad for this sport. I'll never forget when I first rolled up from Pennsylvania discovering people can surf waves with the wind. What a moment.
Ah, Bend! Another gem of a place Oregon has to offer. While this was the easiest concept to come up with, whitewater is always a hard thing for me to tackle, especially in line drawings. So while this one took the longest, it hits the closest to home for me. Before I even moved here, I knew of "the surf wave" in Bend and always wanted to rip it in my play boat (kayak). I haven't yet, but hope to this summer!
You moved to the Gorge from Pennsylvania to kayak. What is your first memory of kayaking in Oregon?
HOLY TAMOLE! So good. I did a river called the Lower Wind with a group of friends and it was a perfect introduction to Oregon paddling. It started with some fun creek-y lines up top and ended with a few heart-racing waterfalls. To top it all off, there were hot springs waiting at the end with a perfect view of the drops we just sent. We soaked 'til the stars poked out of the canyon walls and I thought "damn, this is the tits." I called my best friends the moment I got to my phone and started the mission of getting them to move here. Hah – they're my roommates now!
Do you have a favorite surf break on the coast?
Considering the only break I'm super familiar with is when I break my ass...not really. I'm still trying to figure out this surfing thing and pretty much love to go wherever the homies are. Pacific City and Short Sands will always have a special place in my heart - aka where the surf journey began.
What's it been like learning to kite board? Any tips for beginners?
Honestly, pretty nerve racking. Being a whitewater kayaker, I didn't think I'd ever learn a sport more intimidating. WAMP. I was wrong. Don't let my nerves defer you, though. What a cool sport. When I doubt, there's only 3 things to remember:
- Let go of the bar
- Let go of the bar
- Let go of the freakin' bar!!!
Out of the three t-shirts, do you have a favorite?
Wow, no. I love em all. Personally, I've been trying to channel my inner surfer, so I've been rocking my oversized Seaside Tee every night/day I work from home.