Golden Retriever Inspires New Surf & Supply Brand In Wilmington
Finn's Surf & Supply
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Finn's Surf & Supply 〰️
By nearly every measurement, golden retrievers truly set the golden standard for how to live a fulfilled life: cheerful, living in the moment, loyal, loving, and even a bit goofy. They squeeze all they can out of every moment they have, from the mundane routines to life’s greatest adventures.
Cole Irving received his golden retriever, Finn, as a present when he graduated from Laney High School in 2019. Inspired by his pup’s zest for life, Cole and his sister Hailey decided a clothing brand embodying Finn’s personality would be a perfect fit for the active lifestyles many people in Wilmington enjoy.
“Our brand is all about enjoying life to the fullest, just like Finn.”
Hailey and Cole Irving, founders of Finn’s Surf & Supply.
Lifelong Wilmington residents, Cole and Hailey credit the beach as the reason they have never left. Surfing, swimming, and beach days spent walking Finn are at the top of their list for favorite activities in the area.
Following her graduation from UNCW, Hailey rekindled a dream she had in middle school to start a surf clothing brand. Her brother Cole jumped on board, and concepting for Finn’s Surf & Supply began.
“When I was in college, I kind of forgot about the dream of starting a clothing brand. But Cole brought it back up to me and I was like... oh, that’s right! We should do it!”
Finn, the legend behind the brand.
While working at the Social Coffee location on Oriole Drive, Cole enlisted the help of his boss who is a talented artist to help design the logo of the future brand. What started as a doodle on a sticky note, quickly turned into the final design.
The first launch commenced at a market held at Social Coffee in September of 2025, beginning with a t-shirt, tank top, crop tee, and two hats, dubbed the Origins Collection. Cole and Hailey continued to take their products to local markets, where they have experienced success selling to the broader Wilmington community.
Following the first market, they launched their website for online sales as well (you can find it here).
Finn, Cole, and Hailey at their first pop-up market at Social Coffee in September of 2025.
“Seeing people repost our stuff on social media after the markets, or seeing someone out and about with our stuff on is so cool. ”
The clothing is a blend of a nostalgic 1960s energy and modern beach chic. It gives the vibe of something you’d be able to wear on a day at the beach, or to go on a lunch date, inevitably having people ask you “Where’d you get that?” at both outings.
And while the clothing is undeniably cool, Hailey insists it’s the message behind the brand that really sets Finn’s Surf & Supply apart.
“The brand is all about reconnecting with nature, getting off your phone, and going to the beach to enjoy the outdoors - it’s more than just the merchandise. ”
The newest release, the Heritage Hoodie.
Refreshingly, Cole and Hailey don’t want to sell people on their products either. They simply want people to be drawn to their offerings, with their brand message being the driving force behind that pull.
“The clothing represents everything we are trying to sell. When you wear our clothes, we want you to feel inspired to do some cool stuff outside.”
The future of Finn’s in 2026 revolves around building out its digital presence through storytelling, and tapping into Cole’s videography skills to evolve the brand further. A possible trip to the Outer Banks to film material for upcoming launches is on the horizon as well.
In the immediate future, everyday entails learning something new and tackling challenges; whether it is trying different designs or brainstorming growth strategies.
With the summer approaching in the next few months, the duo are also preparing for a big summer drop at the change of the season.
“We are building out the runway to allow us to do a lot of the other things we want to do.”
Halloween shoot this past fall on Wrightstville Beach.
Many golden retrievers begin to mellow out at around 5-6 years old, but at 7 years old, Finn is an outlier. Whether he’s digging his head in the sand at the beach or hissing at his toys during playtime, he’s showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon.
And like the dog that inspired it all, Finn’s Surf & Supply heads into 2026 with no signs of slowing down, but never moving too fast to lose sight of the beauty of the world around us - remembering that it is the journey that makes life so special.
Be sure to visit the Finn’s Surf & Supply website here, and follow on Instagram and TikTok to stay up to date with the new releases!