Matunas Surf Wax Founder Matt Mattoon Interview

FirstStoke.com sits down with Matt Mattoon, founder of Matunas surf wax, where he discusses making environmentally friendly surf products, starting a company in the surf industry, and his recipe for success.

FS: Where did the Matunas name come from?

MM: Matunas came from our original mold which were recycled tuna cans from the Santa Cruz Harbor, and my last name Mattoon. I started pouring the wax in the tuna cans in 1997, making wax from my garage.

FS: How did your background as an environmental chemist help you get started?

MM: Since I studied Environmental Chemistry at UCSC, it has helped me understand the basis for what surf wax is made of and more importantly I learned how to modify the process organically. Overall, spending years of research in this type of field helped me understand the components of how to create a sticky, and tacky surf wax that would remain sticky throughout surf sessions. Studying environmental chemistry gave me the motivation to create a new alternative surf wax that would be made all natural.

FS: Where do you get all the inputs for your products?

MM: All of our products come from California, and a majority of our products come from the farm in Santa Cruz. Beeswax, jasmine, clay, and tree sap are the main ingredients from the farm. Organic produce that does not make it into the grocery stores, like raspberries, and strawberries are used for the scents of the surf wax.

FS: What do you say to people who think eco-friendly surf wax sacrifices performance and is more expensive than traditional wax?

MM: Overall, I believe that our Matunas eco-wax does not sacrifice performance since numerous years of research and development were done to create a surf wax that remains sticky and tacky. It beads up very well and provides a nice sticky texture. Most people need to give our wax a try and start making the choice as a consumer to request our wax at their local surf shop, so they can try it out for themselves. Our wax is very competitive price wise to traditional waxes, and is a great alternative in having a wax that utilizes natural ingredients and sustainable practices all the way to the wrapper itself which is 100% recycled paper printed with soy ink. Surf shops can order our Matunas eco-wax through Block Surf who is our distributor for California and Hawaii.

FS: How did your early products compare to what you are pumping out these days?

MM: In 1999, the main ingredient was primarily beeswax which over time and years of research I was able to modify into using more alternative natural ingredients that would remain sticky throughout each surf session and create instant bumps and texture when rubbing it on. After realizing that we could utilize less beeswax and more jasmine, tree sap, and clay, the wax started to create better bumps and remained sticky throughout longer surf sessions without reapplication. Overall, now when we do blind tests throughout California, the East Coast, Hawaii, Europe, Israel, New Zealand, etc,.85% of the people we poll will choose our wax for its texture and stickiness, compared to the traditional waxes out there.

FS: What has been some of the feedback from pro riders regarding Matunas wax?

MM: The feedback has been amazing from our riders; Ratboy, Chris Ward, Gavin Sutherland, Gavin Beschen, and Cory Lopez. Overall, they always say how sticky it is and how our wax instantly creates those little bumps and remains sticky and tacky when they are surfing. They are stoked to use a natural wax and have it work so well.

FS: How do you feel about the big surf wax companies entering the organic market?

MM: It is inevitable for other surf wax companies to enter into this market. Matunas has been the original and the first in this market since 1997, and our company was founded on being green and sustainable since the beginning. I am glad to see the natural progression of surf companies and other companies in general going organic and interested in creating a better future founded on sustainable practices.

FS: I hear you grew up in Norcal but now are living in Orange County. What do you think is the main difference between Northern California and Southern California?

MM: Northern California and Southern California should almost be two separate states. The main difference is the terrain and the weather which have a huge impact on shaping the characteristics and personalities of the individuals that live there. It is all a matter of opinion, but overall being in California by the coast is very nice and Southern California has better weather.

FS: Shortboard or longboard?

MM: I enjoy shortboarding, but it all depends on the conditions, it is good to be well rounded.

FS: What are some of the environmental causes that Matunas supports and/or has gotten involved with?

MM: We are involved with the Save Trestles Campaign where we made a specific labeled wax and have been a strong supporter of this campaign. We are supported by Surfrider Foundation and we were recently at the Kokua Festival on Oahu. We have been involved with Surfers against Sewage, and we are consistently doing beach cleanups. We were sponsors of Tom Jones and we were strong supporters of the oil spill cleanup in San Francisco. We are also sponsors for the bicycling and surfing California campaign right now as well. Organic produce, sustainable practices, and overall promoting green awareness is the forefront of our company.

FS: Do you see Matunas expanding into other product categories to become an eco-friendly lifestyle brand?

MM: Yes. Right now though it is a tough as I am juggling getting my MBA at USC with our involvement with a great project called waves for peace, which is going to be a great film in Israel bringing forth surfing as a medium for peace between the different cultures there. In general, we have a lot of new developments in the making and I think Matunas is going to become an eco-lifestyle brand in the near future. It was great news to receive the 2007-2008 green product accessory company of the year at the Green Wave Awards. Right now we are still focused on making just our Matunas eco-wax.

FS: What one piece of advice do you have for entrepreneurs in the surf industry?

MM: Surf and travel a lot and also learn a couple of languages.

*For more information on Matunas, check out the Matunas Web Site