Towels. You probably have like, 13 of of ’em at your house. They’ve mysteriously amassed in your hallway closets, bathrooms and even your garage floor. You grab one and use it. You grab another. One goes missing… then suddenly 6 seem to vanish. Sound familiar? Well, if you’re anything like us, you’ve started to accept this as everyday life… Today, that changes!

What if we told you there was a better way? A easier way. A more stylish, more eco-friendly way to stay dry in true smile style. One towel to rule them all from now. Enter: The Only Towel You Need  by Sanuk & SURFRIDER FOUNDATION, a collaborative creation made possible with the help of our friends at NOMADIX. Behold…

Pretty slick, right? Just as Sanuks aren’t your average kicks and Surfrider isn’t your average non-profit, these multi-purpose-body-water-offers (yes, that’s a word now) from Nomadix are not your average towels. In fact, these groovy garments are so dope, rumor has it, sea-levels stopped rising for a hot second (pun intended) just for the photo op…

But seriously, sea levels are definitely still rising. Good news is, you can learn about the effort to change that RIGHT HERE. For the sake of this finger scroll, let’s keep our focus on the ocean top of mind, but let’s also talk about the trail, the lake, the yoga studio… our happy places! The very places this towel is designed for. In celebration of this little collab, we wanted to connect you with Mr. Zack Helminiak, a Nomadix Co-Founder, to go behind-the-seams and learn more about why we think you’ll love this towel as much as we do…  Oh! And did we mention all sales from this beauty will directly protect the ocean, waves, and beaches we all care about.

SANUK: Zack! Thanks for joining us. We’re beyond excited to share our Surfrider towel with the masses. Your brand is incredible – and a big reason why we made a towel in the first place. Tell us a little bit about how Nomadix came to be…

ZACK : The co-founders met working in the Rockies for the winter, and spent the next few years traveling, camping, doing yoga, boating, and surfing. Through that experience we discovered that one of the most important pieces of gear is a towel, and that no existing towel could hold up to that lifestyle. Yoga towels weren’t good for the beach, beach towels were too bulky for travel and held too much sand, and travel towels would fall apart after one trip. And none of them were made with recycled material.

We launched The Only Towel You Need as the answer to this problem. Now you can buy one Nomadix towel instead of three or four activity specific towels. It’s the ultimate, go-anywhere, quick dry, absorbent, anti-sand, durable, packable, soft-to-the-touch towel that works for any activity. If you are going to own one towel, this is the one.

Um, #brilliant. We love ours! If you had to describe your creations in only 3 words…

Z: Sustainability through versatility.

So the folks at home know… What goes into making one of your towels? Or more importantly, what doesn’t? 

Z: The apparel industry (including towels) is the second most polluting industry behind oil. It takes an average 2,700 liters of water to make one cotton t-shirt. When apparel (and towels) are dyed, the waste water runoff dyes local water sources the color of that apparel, making it unsafe for the local community (Google it!). On top of that, our consumption of throw-away, “fast” fashion – and therefore resource consumption – is only increasing.

Nomadix towels are made of a proprietary polyester-nylon blend. The polyester is made from certified post-consumer recycled plastic bottles, according to Global Recycle Standard and we add nylon to give it particular performance attributes. One thing that sets us apart from other towels and apparel is that we print our patterns, we don’t dye them. This prevents tremendous amounts of waste water from entering the local watershed.

This is not a throw-away product. Nomadix towels are designed to be eco-friendly, versatile, durable and long lasting. 

What’s your favorite part about working there?

Z: We are building a company that is triple bottom line – good for the environment, good for our employees, and good for investors. It’s exciting to build a company and a team that will leave the world a better place. We recently joined 1% for the Planet to double down on that commitment and join a community of like-minded people and companies. It is amazing to watch the change in consumer behavior and the community mindset as time goes on – everyone at Nomadix is excited.

Now that’s a trifecta! What does the phrase, “doing well while doing good” mean to you?

Z: It means having fun and living a fulfilled life without harming the environment. In your personal life, it can mean reducing the amount of waste you create, making lower-impact, sustainable choices with how you eat, or commute, or interact with the community. In business, it can mean creating something new out of consumer waste or partnering with a local non-profit to give back. Doing well and doing good are not mutually exclusive, they are stronger together.

Turns out you’re actual neighbors with Surfrider Foundation HQ? Coincidence or what?

Z: We are both located in San Clemente, CA, which has beautiful weather, famous surf, great cycling and running, and a community that cares about the environment. It’s a coincidence, but not unexpected.

What are you most looking forward to about getting this towel out to the masses?

Z: The most exciting thing about getting these towels in someone’s hands is to see where they take it. We get photos from all over the world of people backpacking Asia and South America, doing yoga in Scandinavia, off-roading in Africa, lounging in Palm Springs… the list goes on. It will be exciting to see where this one ends up.

If you could give a Nomadix towel to anyone in history (living or dead), who would it be any why?

Z: There are some great adventurers that would have been ideal candidates – Sir Edmund Hillary, John Muir, Teddy Roosevelt, or Emerigo Vescpucci. Marco Polo making his way along the Silk Road must have had countless ‘grammable moments at river crossings, using it for sun protection, meeting the Emperor, etc. Today, I would probably give one to Elon Musk to take to Mars. We heard he has a trip coming up.

Most creative use of one of your towels you’ve seen to date?

Z: There are many examples, but we can say that more than a few mothers have sent us photos of the towel being used to swaddle a baby.

Moms know best. So ummm, see you guys at Outdoor Retailer, yeah?

Z: You can find us at OUTDOOR RETAILER in the Venture Out section (right by the Ranger Station) in Booth #VO-468-SL. On day one, June 18^th, from 4-6 pm we are hosting the 1% for the Planet Happy Hour with our friends at New Belgium and Brew Dr. Kombucha if you want to stop by and have an adult beverage!

Happyheads! You can grab one of these limited edition towels HERE! Nap easy knowing all sales will directly protect the ocean, waves, and beaches through SURFRIDER FOUNDATION. 

Follow Nomadix on Instagram at @NOMADIXCO and visit their world at WWW.NOMADIX.CO. And while you’re at it, follow SANUK and SURFRIDER if you’re not already. That’s just good karma, baby!

Smile…pass it on!