A lot of times these insanely well-curated social accounts are run anonymously. And well, in this case, that will remain the case, but we grilled the founder of Corelords hard enough to at least give you a sense of his core capabilities, and some of his inspiration behind these sentimental and extremely high core scores Make sure you grab a t-shirt, hat or hoodie here.—Travis

Inherent Bummer: So, where did you come from?

Core Lords: I'm from Mar Vista, CA which is the Westside of Los Angeles. I grew up in Venice surfing and eventually ventured out to Maui to live for a couple years which is where I actually came up with the idea to do this page. I currently design clothes for a prominent surf brand, and I'd love to say more but also don't want people to exactly know who I am and who runs the page, as it is not about me.

So what is it exactly?

Corelords is a page dedicated to posting mainly Hawaiian and Californian Corelord surfers from the 90s and 00s but NOT excluding surfers of that era from around the world. It is not just an Instagram page, it's also a place where I can express that golden era of surfing and surf fashion that the surf industry is missing. I currently, design, produce, ship and run the whole thing out of my apartment just out of pure passion and love for the sport and clothing. So the limited tees and product I have is a direct inspiration of 90s - y2k surfwear with a product that'll last a lifetime. It's also a place that I like to show people underground Corelords that the mainstream people don't get to see, such as good friends, or surfers I've met that don't have huge exposure.

Why do you think this generation has such a distinct infatuation with nostalgia?

What a great question, I don't even know how to answer this "right." This response required a lot of brain power for me haha. If you're talking about surfing specifically? I think that it definitely has a lot to do with the internet and how obtainable information, pictures, and stories are nowadays. Before like 2000s you got everything from books, newspapers, or stories from older generations. In addition surfing has taken a drastic change since the golden era, specifically in boards, fashion, cancel culture, and professionalism. So when people look at the nostalgic stuff it's like, “Whoa, it was really like that?”

How would you describe Corelords to someone you just met and who doesn’t know much about surfing?

In a way corelords can really pertain to anyone. You can relate it to any sport really or a certain type of lifestyle. But when someone randomly asks me about it I tell them it's a passion project of mine that is about 90s - y2k surf culture and fashion.

What do you hope to bring to surf culture?

Hopefully to bring something back to surf culture that has been missing. Whether it is just posting sick ass ads, with excellent graphic design, or clothes, or surf vids, or all of it really. All these big surf brands for the most part all have the same shit. If you look at skate there's so many cool little random brands that are killing it that you've never heard of. That mom and pop surf shop feel for all the corelords and ladylords.

What compelled you to start the IG handle?

Yeah, so I got the inspo from a page that I'm sure everyone knows "surfcore2001" which is a sick ass page, really loved when they would post cool shit. I just would always see it being mostly aussies which is sick, but I wanted to see more of North American, Hawaii, and other worldly parts that had corelords.

How would you describe your personal surfing?

haha love this question. Well, I'm definitely a die hard surfer. All I think about is surfing everyday and everynight. Maybe even every waking moment. I would say on a scale of Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, I'm like at the very beginning of advanced if that makes sense haha. Like people say they "surf" but they don't really "surf" ya know? I really surf and go surfing. Not just summer surfing here.

Describe your crew.

I try to surround myself with people who are positive, inspiring and daring. I actually get a lot of inspiration from my boss, he's such a Corelord — he rips and can design a great garment along with being a great person. My crew is a mix of all kinds of people and personalities. I mostly chill with people I grew up with over here and some college buddies and of course you gotta kick it with the older heads (Uncles & Aunties). Especially the ones who have looked out for me and stuck their neck out to help get me where I am. Those are the people who inspire me.

Who is doing something you admire or psyches you up?

I love when my homies really get psyched to surf and push me to surf better. I really admire my homies that charge and surf good just cuz they truly love it and have the passion for it just as much as I do. Hopefully all these answers are making sense lol.

What is your current relationship like with “surf competition?”

Love this one. I truly actually love watching all the contests. I pretty much watch every single one aside from like the younger kid ones even though they all rip. Sometimes I'll be watching that shit live at 1 am and gotta work the next day type of shit. Only thing I want to comment on is the judging they could definitely be doing a better job ;).

What do you listen to in your car if you have to run an errand that takes 45 minutes? (Full album length).

Ooof usually depends on the mood of course. If I can only listen to a full length album it would probably be 'Superheaven' album: Jar, such a nostalgic sound for me.

It’s an average Tuesday, couple waves around, what’s your day look like beginning to end? Probably waking up at 6:30 am, go check the waves in Venice, either at the Pier or Breakwater. Or if it's gonna be better down south by my work i'll prolly just surf HB in the am then get to the office by 9 and finish around 5. Go home, work on some corelords stuff, scan some mags, design some graphics, pack orders, watch surf vids and eat some food. Maybe end the night with a horror film.

Who has your favorite style? Ahh I'll keep this list super short because there are too many to name. Andy Irons, Mason Ho, Derek Ho, Brendon Margieson, Kalani Robb, Jay Adams, Nalu Wallace, and my boy Austin Finley.

Shawn Briley in Voluptuous.