Uroko

At the end of 2009 I was trying to think of a name that I could use to identify my love for fishing and wave riding with to a small line of T-shirts and other creative odds and ends. If you have been riding waves or fishing for any length of time, you often feel like you are a sea creature. If you are not able to be with the water, either because you are at work, at school, or taking care of other responsibilities, you are longing to be at the waters edge. As a kid I grew up hearing my elders and family friends refer to me as a “fish”. ( I know I am not the only one.) It was hard to keep me away from the water, let alone get me out of the water once I finally was in it. Most of my friends were the same way and shared the same feelings as I did. Not much has changed, except now I spend more time at work than by the massive Pacific Ocean that I love. In searching for a word I could use to identify a small aparell line with I began to think of other cultures who share a similar connection to the ocean. After spending a short time of my life in Japan, I grew to respect most of the cultural practices that the Japanese people have to the ocean. Even though I don’t agree with commercial Japanese fishing practices, I do respect the common love that most Japanese people share with the sea. I saw this love first hand as a kid in Okinawa, Japan while my family was stationed there. The Japanese word “uroko” kept coming to mind for a name. It means “fish scales”. I thought it was fitting for a small line of clothes that would represent the passion ocean faring people have in their hearts. If you love the sea or the creatures in it, and perhaps at times feel like a sea creature yourself, then I hope you enjoy this portion of my site and the T shirts that I make in celebration of it.

I dedicate my uroko apparel line to my grandad, John Gregerson. He introduced me to the art of fishing and helped nurture my love for the sea. As a kid we spent entire summers together fishing for salmon and halibut, digging for clams, and crabbing the Canadian and Washington Straits. He is a true fisherman and the man who helped make me the man I am today.