Santa Cruz Roots, Maui Progression
It has been a while since we regularly shared updates through the TAC blog, but with so much changing—and so much new work happening—it feels like the right time to bring it back as the TAC Journal.
TAC began in Santa Cruz more than 25 years ago as Third Ave Crew: a group of friends connected through the beach, art, surfing, skimboarding, skating and the culture surrounding our hometown. What began around Third Avenue and Seabright grew into an apparel company built from the same artwork, people and places that shaped us.
Those Santa Cruz roots haven’t changed.
We still maintain our office in Santa Cruz, our team is active, and TAC products continue to be represented by local retailers. We’re still creating apparel and artwork inspired by places such as Seabright, Pleasure Point, Midtown and Steamer Lane—and we plan to keep representing the community that TAC came from.
What has changed is that TAC now has another place to call home.
Since moving to Maui, I’ve been increasingly inspired by the island’s art, landscapes, aloha and laid-back way of life. That inspiration has expanded the product line and led to The Aloha Crew, a Maui-grown extension of TAC.
The Aloha Crew gives us space to create something that feels distinctly local to Maui while carrying forward the same independent spirit behind Third Ave Crew. New artwork, hats, apparel and an expanding sticker collection have helped establish the brand here, and our products are beginning to appear in more Maui retail locations.
This isn’t TAC leaving Santa Cruz behind. It’s the next progression of the brand.
Our goal is to continue building The Aloha Crew on Maui while keeping TAC strong and active in Santa Cruz. They represent two places that mean a great deal to us, connected by the same foundation: original art, coastal culture, local community and products we’re genuinely excited to make.
Looking ahead, we plan to keep developing new apparel and artwork for both sides of the brand, expand our sticker and accessory collections, work with more independent retailers, and explore collaborations with people who share our connection to these places.
We’re also bringing back the Journal as a more personal look inside TAC. We’ll use it to share new artwork, old photos from the archive, product ideas, samples, behind-the-scenes progress, local stories and whatever else feels worth putting out into the world. Some posts may be longer stories; others might simply be a photo, sketch or quick update.
If you own a shop—or know someone who might be interested in carrying TAC or The Aloha Crew products—we’d love to hear from you. Visit our contact page to introduce yourself and tell us a little about your store.
To everyone who has worn TAC, carried our products, worked with us or supported the brand at any point over the years: thank you. We’re proud of where TAC came from, excited about what’s happening on Maui, and looking forward to sharing more of the journey here.
Santa Cruz roots. Maui progression. Same crew.
