#arvospeople
Arvos people is a community made up of likeminded individuals bonded through a common love for the arts, craft, and creative activities, with an emphasis on environmental and social responsibilities. Arvos people commonly share the idea of low footprint living, by recycling, up-cycling, or repurposing with the aim ofreducing the environmental impact associated with our daily lives.
We encourage our community to connect, communicate and grow collectively in a vibrant culture by sharing ideas and raising awareness.
Simply by proudly wearing our threads we warmly consider you a member as you’re in turn assisting arvos to continue its commitment to cleaning up our oceans and supporting charities and organisations who are focused on addressing our current environmental issues.
The purpose is to grow an informed and openminded community with a passion for nature and a love for the outdoors. We invite you to discover a few the pillars of our steadily growing community below.
Tedi Kurniadi
Tedi is an Indonesian professional surfer hailing from the once sleepy fishing village of Batu Karas (BatuKaras). Located on Java’s south coast, the village is peppered with traditional thatched huts and surrounded by verdant rice fields and lush green forests, while mangrove lined creeks channel their way between palms and through dense jungle to provide access to the warm Indian Ocean currents.
Over recent years BatuKaras has become an irresistible destination on any travelling surfer’s road map. The righthand point break, with its long, clean, and slow peeling wave, particularly lends itself to long-boarders. Even a few shade opportunities are on offer when conditions align, and swell angle connects with the point just so.
These days Tedi mostly shifts with the seasons between Batukaras, Canngu and Mentawais, as well as further aboard in a relentless pursuit for the best waves. We caught up with the down-to-earth, and forever humble Tedi Kurniadi, to learn more about his transition from young grom to ‘Sultan of Steez’.
Arvos wanted to understand more about Tedi’s early life and how he came to discover his passion, together with the early influences which helped foster his effortlessly smooth surfing style.
How did you come to start surfing?
When I was a child I liked to swim at the beach, and I often saw people surfing, and it looked very fun. There were not many boards around in those days and sometimes we just used a piece of wood from the fisherman’s boat as a bodyboard.
I started short boarding when I was seven years old and only switched to long boarding five years ago. I fell in love with the classic style and I feel like I can truly express myself on the longboard.
How did your folks feel about you surfing?
My family used to worry about me surfing, they were afraid I might drown.
When did you get your hands on your first board?
I was around 10. Previously I had always borrowed someone else’s, or surfed pieces of wood as mentioned earlier. My first board was a no-name old shortboard, already snapped with a lot of dings, I got it cheap for 200K ($15).
Then it was a while before I got my first longboard in 2016, I was 18 years old.
Who were your surfing idols and influences when you were younger?
I think it was Kelly Slater, it was his story that inspired me. I do not have any long-boarder idols though — I just saw Harrison, Thomas and Husni surf a longboard in my hometown, and it looked so good, so I decided to try.
So, what is surfing to you, and how does it make you feel?
The feeling of surfing is not just happiness, but also joy. The joy of surfing can be a combination of so many things, such as tranquillity, solitude, accomplishment. One of the things I find most enjoyable about surfing is the constant challenge of catching the best waves.
Marika Mihalache
Marika is a visual artist based in sunny Barcelona. She believes in the power of art as a living element of a healthy space. Through art one can travel, meditate and contemplate.
Marika hasn’t stopped drawing since first picking up a crayon as a child. The passion developed and continued to propel her through Interior Architectural studies, and onwards to a master’s degree in Branding / Retail Design and Illustration.
Her multidisciplinary profile, genuine curiosity and passion for design engages her vision and streamlines the creative process.
As an illustrator, Marika collaborated with Arvos creating stunning sketches and gorgeous website design drawings. We reached out to Marika to learn more about her passion and inspirations:
Marika, we have followed your work and love your approach to art. Can you tell us a little more about your career growth?
Let’s say I have always been passionate about everything visual: illustration, photography, video, etc. Having a background in Arts, Design, Branding and Interior Architecture is a mix that was very helpful in developing and designing complex projects from idea to go-to-market. My main goal was always to make people’s life easier by designing services that are intuitive and friendly.
Right now I am very focused on consultancy work for small-medium companies and my drawing “everywhere” practice, together with promoting my creative workshops.
What’s your connection with Yoga & Meditation?
I am a meditation guide at Frizzant, a local yoga studio – it’s an unconventional approach that I designed, together with a creative workshop series called “The Curious Workshop”, as part of my intention to bring people closer to this amazing wellness tool at helped me through some very dark times and keeps teaching me about myself, others and patience.
I strongly believe in a holistic approach to health and yoga is also part of my daily routine – keeps me strong and sane! 😉
We’ve seen you love snowboarding. Have you also been interested in surfing?
I am very much interested in surfing, I tried it last year for the first time in Portugal and I am planning to go on a surf camp to learn more very soon. I loved every minute of being in the ocean, a full sense experience, completely connected with nature and myself.
I also love the community that sports like surfing, snowboarding and skateboarding create. I met so many incredible people and made life-long friendships with people from very different backgrounds and geographical regions – it’s like a common language – that aamaaazing feeling of “riding on a pow day”, “catching a wave” or “landing the next trick” 😉
Tell us a little more about the process developing the drawings for Arvos.
Working for a surf company like Arvos was a little dream of mine – things just flow because you share the same values and love for the great Mother Nature and sports. Developing the sketches was as if I was the one surfing, completely immersing myself in the visualisation of the practice.
Arrian Heron
Arrian is an arvos old mate. A talented engineer and chippie who’s not afraid to get creative with his projects. Arrian’s container-home, perched high in the green hills of New Zealand’s Northeast coast overlooking he’s local beachy, is a prime example of Arrian’s passion for clever and functional minimalism.
We’ve been friends for years and fortunate enough to have scored waves in many parts of the world, from warm Caribbean reef breaks to booties and 4.3s through stormy European winters.
Arrian has a unique surfing style: clean and powerful whilst operating on rail – tidy off the bottom and explosive on top. He also holds an impressive air game in his kitbag, which is likely… or at least partially attributed to time spent in skate bowls when the waves aren’t cooperating.
This surf/skate adaptation tends to produce brief but mesmerizing results. Beginning with a slight stall, before trimming a highline, generating massive speed whenever there’s a sniff of a ramp down the line. You can be sure what follows will be progressive, tail high and lofty. Equally as likely to form a fresh crease in the deck of whatever he’s riding, and for this reason the boys have come to the realization it’s unwise to offer Arrian your new ‘pride of the fleet’.
We caught up with Quino to get a brief insight into his grom years and what keeps him battling frosty NZwinters a quarter of a century on:
Where did you grow up and how did you discover surfing?
I grew up in a small east coast town in the upper North Island of New Zealand called Mangawhai. I got into surfing mostly by the influence of my friend group when I was younger, and quickly began spending all my time at the beach.
What sort of waves were on offer locally?
We have a good stretch of coastline with beachies that can handle anything from one to 15ft on the bigger days. Mangawhai bar can really turn on with the right conditions, it has a super long left and a short hollow right.
How old were you when you got your first board and what was it?
I was 11 years old, and my first board was a 6’3” Gunther Rohn gun, think we got it from a garage sale.
Why do you surf? What is surfing to you?
I surf because I love the stoke it still brings me. It keeps me in good routine and always active. Surfing for me has become a lifestyle that’s introduced me to amazing people and pushed me to travel to beautiful coastlines across the world.
Fav childhood surfer and why?
Favourite childhood surfer has got to be Taj Burrow and Joel Parkinson. Taj for his progressive surfing, and Joel for his super smooth rail game.
Favourite surf trip
Has to be the 12-day boat trip in the Mentawai islands I did.
Sarah Benson
Sarah is a ballerina, yogi and earth lover who lives between Hawaiis’ North Shore and San Clemente California chasing sunshine and warmer currents.
Originally from a small suburb in Bellbrook, Ohio and being from a small town in the midwest, Sarah was eager to see the world and discover passions outside her ordinary. Sarah started her journey with gymnastics, but quickly grew too tall. This prompted Sarah’s’ transition from gymnastics to dance. Coaches guided her through the transitional process, she adapted and soon excelled in movement to music.
In more recent years Sarah has also been shaping the lives of children through dance in sunny San Clemente, California well known to us surfers for iconic waves such as San Onofre and Trestles. Let’s dive a little further into the story which led you here.
Sarah, tell us a little more about your childhood, schooling, studies, auditions, and performances…
I Starting at age 16 I became very serious about dance and trained anywhere from 20-30 hours a week in classical ballet at Northern Cincinnati Youth Ballet as well as danced contemporary, hip-hop, ballroom, jazz, and competed in competitions across America with Z Company arts in Monroe, Ohio.
I was also a very studious kid, devoting countless hours to my studies at school alongside my training. As my love for ballet overflowed and led me to dance professionally with the Cincinnati Ballet I transitioned online to finish high school and was fortunate to always maintain the balance between school and dance, graduating with a 4.0 GPA. The flexibility of online school my senior year only furthered my desire to dance professionally, and after auditions in Chicago I went on to train with Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle for two summers and was lucky to get accepted to Indiana University’s ballet program, training with prima ballerinas of New York City Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, and Boston Ballet until Covid19. I was so grateful to be able to have such luck in auditions and performances and was awarded many scholarships and performance opportunities that allowed me to continue to excel and pursue my passion! I am the oldest of four kids, and my family is such a huge part of my life, my mom has always been my biggest cheerleader and has supported me in attending multiple auditions and has always encouraged me to follow my heart!
How would you describe, what is ballet to you? Is it art, a vehicle of expression...?
Ballet for me has always been how I connect to myself. If I had to compare ballet and surfing, it is the feeling of time stopping and something else, almost magical taking over. It becomes brainless when you are living in the moment feeling the music surge through your being and sparking something so raw and compelling in your heart. Ballet is poetry in motion, it is the balance of extreme discipline, technique, and structure with freedom, artistic expression, and raw emotion. The best way to understand the work of a ballerina is to think of a swan, maintaining such calm composure above the water, making it look magical, easy, and enticing, while under the water their legs are kicking with such power. My favorite thing about ballet is the complexity of qualities you embody when you dance, strong yet soft, intense yet delicate, emotional yet composed, free spirited yet disciplined.
What early influences inspired you to become a dancer?
I remember the first time I saw ballet, It was on instagram I caught a glimpse of Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Nutcracker and the role of Arabian Coffee was being performed. The costume was a beautiful peacock inspired piece and the music was so seductive and magical. After seeing this video I knew this was my dream. I was lucky enough to train alongside a beautiful ballerina named Claire at Northern Cincinnati Youth Ballet and she went on to dance with the company at PNB. I looked up to her immensely and loved the Balanchine technique that was taught at PNB. The brisk movements, full expressions, and musicality sucked me in and from 16 I knew I wanted to dance in those studios. When I finally got there it was exactly how I envisioned it would be. Other than Claire, it was my teachers that were always my biggest inspiration. Taking classes from such seasoned professionals would always give me new goals to strive for, and each correction I would receive only made me want to perfect my art even more. In addition to my teachers I am so inspired by the music and choreography, especially that of Balanchine.
What are the most important characteristics a dancer should have?
The single most important characteristic a dancer should have is dedication. I believe you can tell how far a dancer will go by how dedicated they are to their art. Discipline is definitely a huge component of ballet as dancers train for hours a day and often balance very busy schedules outside of the studio, not to mention how hectic performance weeks can get! Dancers tend to have a certain poise and way of holding themselves that exudes elegance, and commands attention. In the studio it is important for dancers to be attentive, focused, determined, and respectful, and on stage it is important for dancers to command attention, merge with the music, and have an undeniable stage presence. Patience is also another quality many ballerinas lack, but should have as progress takes time!
Tell us about your on stage performances and the emotions you feel when you’re in those moments?
I have performed on many stages throughout my life, but by far my favorite stage was Music Hall in Cincinnati. Performing is what makes ballet so special for me as I love the feeling of a spotlight and artistic expression. Embodying something outside of your usual is what makes ballet exciting and compelling for me. Nothing compares to dancing a new role for the first time and getting in tune with how that character would emote, how they would walk, how they would express the ballet steps differently than you did in your previous role. I love the rush of excitement and nerves you get as you prepare to perform for a huge audience and the inspiration you feel surging throughout your body. Each time I step on stage I know I am inspiring at least one person to some extent and that sets my soul on fire!
What would be your dream role to dance?
My dream role has always been Arabian in the Nutcracker which I have been fortunate to dance multiple times! This music has always inspired me immensely and the dance requires intense focus and insane flexibility, both qualities are my favorite! I used to stretch for 3 hours a day “for fun,” haha! Other than Arabian I have always wanted to dance the roles of Odette/Odile (white and black swan) in Swan Lake because the two are opposite roles, one an evil, cunning, and manipulative persona and the other an angelic, naive, and venerable persona both danced by the same ballerina. I love the challenge of harnessing both personalities successfully and think it is fun to bring out aspects of both on stage, not to mention the music is amazingly inspiring!
What do you like to do when you’re not dancing?
When I am not dancing I am at the beach, or on my yoga mat! This is how I stay grounded and connect to the other sides of my personality! I love the soothing warmth of the sand on my skin and the hugs of the ocean. I find a dip in the ocean to be as cleansing as an exhilarating performance! Yoga has been a way for me to connect to my pure spirit and a way of self soothing when life gets hectic! My yoga practice is so special to me because I have loved to stretch since I was young and yoga feels like the art of stretching and balancing to me, this instills strength and flexibility, two qualities that allow me to adapt to any challenges life throws me 🙂
While simplicity and the beauty of nature are our main inspirations, so too is the ‘art of craft’.
How do you ensure you stay strong and fit enough to perform, is yoga a daily practice for you?
I have recently transitioned out of performance and into teaching since COVID19 as the pandemic completely transformed the dance world for a couple years when dancers couldn’t perform.
During this time I grew closer to yoga and found my passion of teaching young children to experience the gifts of ballet.
Yoga is a daily practice for me now in the way that ballet was and it is how I release, align, and grow! In addition to ballet and yoga I like to challenge myself on runs, hikes, walks, and of course intense stretching!
I have recently been loving the practice of hot yoga as it allow me to stretch my body even further, and makes me feel like a wet noodle, taking any tension from my body!
My perfect day would start with a morning beach walk, super early! I love this time to connect to nature before the rest of the world wakes up! I love a nice long skincare routine as well, as taking care of my skin has always been insanely important to me between the amount of sun I get and the years of stage makeup.
I will typically do a little pilates to feel aligned in my body before its off to teach.
Teaching in the mornings is my favorite, after coffee of course! After class I will try to get outside and move as much as I can weather its a dip in the ocean, a run along the beach trail, or just soaking up the sun.
My favorite time of the day to practice yoga is the evenings, especially hot yoga, because I can release any tension from the day onto my mat and ensure a fresh perspective to start the next day. Connecting with friends and family whenever I can is also part of a perfect day for me, whether that is a phone call, a brunch date, or moving our bodies together!