ABOUT
Butcher Jones Surf Co., where the spirit of Arizona's pioneering legacy meets the thrill of surf culture innovation. Our brand pays tribute to the resilience and ingenuity woven into the state’s history, from the mining booms of the 1800s to the groundbreaking debut of Big Surf in 1969, the first synthetic wave park in the United States. Now, with the launch of Revel Surf at Cannon Beach in Mesa, cutting-edge technology is bringing pro-style waves to the desert, transforming Phoenix into an unexpected hub for surfing right in our own backyard.
At Butcher Jones Surf Co., we celebrate exploration and adventure, inspired by Arizona's legacy of pushing boundaries and embracing new frontiers. Here, we tell untold tales and ghost stories of a bygone era, weaving the mystique of the desert into every design.
From the legacy of Big Surf to the hidden coves and rugged beauty of our canyon lakes, Arizona's improbable surf heritage takes center stage in all we create. Each piece tells a story—a symphony of the eerie and the extraordinary—bringing to life lost gold mines, ghostly lore, and the enduring allure of water, our liquid gold.
Ever wondering,
(noun)*surf butch·er | \ ˈsərf ˈbu̇-chər
Definition: A masterful surfer who dominates waves with precision, creativity, power, and respect.
The History of Butcher Jones Surf Co.
Butcher Jones Surf Co. is the natural evolution of a lifestyle media company that began as Snowshine in 2010. Born in Tempe, Snowshine is a creative powerhouse, crafting visual designs, media, stage production, copywriting, and marketing for alt-culture clients worldwide. From Billboard-charting rock bands to the X Games, Snowshine’s work spans the globe, yet its heart has always belonged to Arizona.
We thrived as part of the grassroots art scene in Downtown Phoenix, setting up card tables in dusty lots for First Fridays long before it was the polished and policed event it is today. We transformed rented U-Haul trucks into fashion shows, the ramp it's runway, pushing boundaries when no rules existed but endless creativity prevailed. It was a movement fueled by the pioneering spirit of art school kids, dropped off at Big Surf to spend carefree summer days riding its iconic waves.
That same passion for ingenuity and adventure stayed with us, even as Big Surf aged and ultimately closed its doors. Arizona’s water culture always felt improbable, yet unmistakably ours. Canyon lakes like Saguaro and Apache, with their dramatic cliffs and hidden beaches, offered another layer of waterborne escape. It was during one of those early morning lake trips—our boat taking shelter from high winds in Butcher Jones Beach’s cove—that the idea for this brand was born.
As an odd, cold, summer rain pelted down and whitecaps danced on the water, I found myself wondering, Why is this place called Butcher Jones? The answer was as mysterious as the man himself. Legend has it that Butcher Jones was an early Arizona pioneer, a doctor with a penchant for kitchen-table surgeries, earning him his eerie nickname. Butcher Jones Beach immediately took on a "summer-camp-turned-horror-movie" vibe in my head, and this lifestyle brand was born.
Now, as Snowshine unleashes Butcher Jones Surf Co., it feels like divine timing. Arizona’s surf culture is rising anew with the launch of Revel Surf at Cannon Beach in Mesa, the most advanced wave technology in the world, shortly after Big Surf closed its 50 year chapter. The uncanny alignment mirrors our journey—a legacy that has always straddled the worlds of art, music, fashion, and sports while celebrating Arizona’s pioneering roots and ghostly lore.
Butcher Jones Surf Co. exists to honor that legacy while bringing it forward to new generations. We tell the untold stories, embrace the eerie beauty of the desert, and celebrate Arizona’s innovations in surf culture. Rooted in the creativity and resilience that define this state, we’re here to ride the waves of curiosity, blending tradition with modernity, and the extraordinary with the ordinary.
#surfbutcher #everwondering