Where it all started - Okanui Classics now made back in Oz

Dick Ash sowed up the first pairs of Okanui boardshorts on his mum’s Singer from canvas Australia Post bags he’d “borrowed” from the Avalon PO way back when plywood okanui surfboards were pretty much all there were on Sydney’s Northern Beaches.

His mates loved them and he kept on making boardies for the local crew at the beach right through the ’60s while holding down a real job. By the ’70s though after introducing his famed hand-drawn hibiscus print, demand through word-of-mouth saw Dick go full-time, introduce shirts and the works, and move the manufacturing to Fiji.

Okanui has remained a family-owned Australian business for over 40 years now and these days is run by Dick’s niece Wendy and husband Simon - who’ve recently bought the manufacture of Okanui Classics back to the Northern Beaches where it all started. 

They also introduced a full women’s apparel range, which includes swimwear made from fully sustainable Repreve fabrics.

All about the beach, Okanui has four flagship stores - Noosa Heads, Burleigh Heads, Byron Bay, North Manly – and you can check out all they do these days at okanui.com