Ian Urtnowski Interview: The Waterman Behind the URT Brand

Ian and his crew recently hosted the URT Womp on Coronado Island in San Diego.An action packed full of Bodysurfing, Handplane, and King of The Island competitions.competitions. Slyde couldn't wait to to find out more about the dude behind all the URT stoke.

When & How Did the URT Brand come about?

How do you see the future of URT evolving?

The future of URT seems to evolve every day. Every day it seems new doors, new directions to open up. It can be a struggle to keep it all organized and ship up right. As of right now, I see URT evolving into a lifestyle brand.

I just got into t-shirts because it was a cheap entry cost, the idea of the brand is much bigger. I want to cater to the true ocean users. We have begun to get into accessories by adding Polarized sunglasses and watches to the lineup. We will be doing a full cut and sew line this coming Summer and are in talks of introducing a drink line of Coffee Beans and hopefully our own craft beer. The ocean is bottomless, there are so many possibilities and that's what makes this exciting. 

Where do you see the bodysurfing/handboarding industry heading?

The bodysurfing and handplane industry has exploded since I started the company nearly 5 years ago. I had to explain to everyone what the word WOMP meant, but now it is synonymous with Bodysurfing. I think with the overcrowding of the lineup with surfers and kooks people have turned to a more simple way to capture their stoke.

There is no more pure way to do that other than bodysurfing. You're not riding the wave, you are the wave. I see the industry promoting a lifestyle that is similar to the simplified mentality that bodysurfing preaches. 

URT has always thrown some unique and Cutting Edge events...Wavehouse Bodysurfing Competition, Beach Hole Digging Competition  etc.

What 5 elements do you find are key in organizing an event?

1. Volunteers: Good luck doing an event without them. Make a list of everyone that can help you and keep them happy. Feed them, hydrate them, make them smile. 
2. Passion: Organizing an event of something that you are passionate about makes the whole thing easier. 
3. Plan: This is our 5th year with event experience. You should have seen us the first year. No clue. Now we know to start planing months in advance. Also, when the event is over remember to meet up with your people and debrief. What went well? What could be improved? 
4. Give the people what they want: Free food and refreshments, a good event shirt, a great charity to work alongside with.  Never let your sign ups feel like they're getting ripped off. It's not about the money, its about the community. 
5. Adapt: You need to leave yourself room to adapt. This year Poseidon didn't help us out at all. We had to add the idea of  "Kind of the Island" where the heats would start on a 10 x 10 floating platform, instead of a traditional beach start. When the heat started with an airhorn blast, the last contestant left standing on the platform received +3 points added to their wave score. When the surf isn't good you need to bump up the entertainment factor.

You recently host the URT Bodysurfing Competition on Coronado Aug 16th.
What were 4 Standout Moments from the event?

As the organizer my standout moments will be a lot more different than a spectator or competitor role. 

4. Seeing the All Ladies final heat "Queen of the Island" battle was pretty priceless. It had the whole beaches attention. 

If you could have any 3 "celebrities" at the next URT event, Who would you invite and Why?