Jon XL Boardshorts

The story of the JONSEN ISLAND brand began in 2008 in Oceanside, Southern California. While visiting yet another factory, Thomas Cantoni discovers a worn sticker representing an octopus on an old surfboard, on which we read:

JONSEN FACTORY, TAILOR SURFTRUNK - 1973, CALIFORNIA

This detail strikes him, “Jonsen” also being the maiden name of his mother of Scandinavian origin. Created in the 70s by a Norwegian who loved the Californian lifestyle, this artisanal brand has since fallen into obscurity.

The brand today...

After registering the brand name in 2009, Thomas Cantoni, illustrator, redesigned his new logo. Some t-shirt prototypes will be screen-printed confidentially and sold spontaneously through the surf & paddle club of William Wustenberg, a local surfing figure in the Mediterranean, a long-time friend of Thomas, who quickly became an indispensable associate.

In 2015, JONSEN ISLAND became professional. Nicolas Grasset, network and communications man and Serge Bordonaro in style, boarded the ship to allow the brand to resurface thanks to a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter.

This adventure is above all the story of a friendship between four men, passionate and complementary, who, thanks to their know-how, are committed to creating a benchmark brand for all lovers of the sea.

Keen to favor a short circuit and local production, JONSEN ISLAND makes its swimsuits in one of the last workshops in Marseille, France.

For the production of its t-shirts and sweatshirts, JONSEN ISLAND has established a partnership with a manufacturer in Portugal, and its production is based on organic cotton.

On the sports side...

The brand also gave birth to the JONSEN ISLAND CHALLENGE in 2016. A longboard and single competition in the Mediterranean coupled with a master championship. She is involved in the PACA regional committee of the FFS, and will support the youngest and openers of the region each year in the French championship, aiming for results in France but also internationally.

Finally, the brand is committed to helping disabled people who surf, by donating part of its profit each year to the HANDISURF association.