Slightly Choppy
Slightly Choppy is a Newport Beach-based artisan studio that hand-crafts surf-themed canvas flags, custom felt appliqu\u00e9 sweatshirts, and apparel celebrating specific surf breaks and coastal locations, selling primarily direct-to-consumer via Shopify to individual surfers, gift buyers, and interior designers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersNewport Beach, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Slightly Choppy does
Slightly Choppy is a Newport Beach, California-based artisan studio founded by Scott Richards that hand-crafts surf-themed flags and apparel for surfers, ocean enthusiasts, interior designers, and gift buyers. The company was founded approximately in 2016 and operates from a former boat shed studio at 425 30th Street #25 in Newport Beach, with a 1-10 employee footprint and no external institutional funding. Its primary product line is hand-stitched, hand-painted, tea-stained canvas flags celebrating specific surf breaks (Malibu, Newport, Trestles, Hawaiian breaks) and broader lifestyle locations (snow resorts, U.S. National Parks, novelty designs), with custom flags priced $150-$180 and standard flags $60-$120. Beyond flags, the catalog has expanded into custom felt appliqu\u00e9 sweatshirts ($220), t-shirts, vintage sweatshirts, felt patches, surf trophies, prints, and digital gift cards in $200-$500 denominations.
The underlying production model is fundamentally hand-labor-driven: each flag uses washed canvas, natural twine, twill tape, and deliberate artisanal techniques (hand-stitching, hand-painting, tea-staining, felt appliqu\u00e9) producing one-of-a-kind 'perfectly imperfect' pieces with 2-3 week lead times for custom flags and 3-4 weeks for custom sweatshirts. The technology stack is intentionally minimal: a Shopify-powered direct-to-consumer storefront, Judge.me for product reviews, and UPS/USPS shipping logistics, with no proprietary software, no app, and no AI components. Go-to-market is primarily organic and content-led through Instagram, an editorial Projects blog, monthly product-drop email newsletters, and in-person events such as Redo Market at the OC Fairgrounds.
The business model is unit-priced direct-to-consumer e-commerce as the primary revenue engine, supplemented by a wholesale inquiry channel ([email protected]) and one physical retail partnership with Almond Surfboards in Costa Mesa. The customer mix is a long tail of individual consumers, with secondary SMB demand from interior designers. Pricing follows a one-time transaction model across all SKUs, with free shipping above $100 domestically, limited edition drops to drive scarcity, and a 'Last Chance' clearance category for one-of-a-kind discontinued pieces. The company shows evidence of a 10-year operating history, modest SKU expansion, brand collaborations (Birdwell Beach Britches patches, Windward-Westward fish capture flags), and product extensions into adjacent lifestyle verticals.
Slightly Choppy firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Slightly Choppy
- Legal name
- Slightly Choppy
- Website
- https://slightlychoppy.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Slightly Choppy is a Newport Beach-based artisan studio that hand-crafts surf-themed canvas flags, custom felt appliqu\u00e9 sweatshirts, and apparel celebrating specific surf breaks and coastal locations, selling primarily direct-to-consumer via Shopify to individual surfers, gift buyers, and interior designers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Slightly Choppy industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Artisan Surf Lifestyle Home Décor and Apparel
- akta.pro primary industry
- Surf & Beach Sports Retail (Surfboards, Bodyboards, Skimboards) (CRAMAIAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Marine Apparel & Footwear Retail (Wetsuits, Rash Guards, Deck Shoes) (CRAMAIAJ)
Keywords
Where Slightly Choppy is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Newport Beach
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Slightly Choppy business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- E-commerce Product Sales: Direct-to-consumer sales of hand-made surf flags, apparel (sweatshirts, t-shirts), and artifacts through their Shopify e-commerce platform. Products include standard flags ($60-$120), custom flags ($150-$180), and apparel items. This is the primary revenue stream.
- Wholesale Orders: Wholesale orders are accepted for bulk purchases. Interested parties contact via [email protected]. Secondary revenue stream.
- Custom Product Commissions: Custom flag and sweatshirt orders with personalization options. Note: not accepting commissions for 2025, directing customers to custom flag builder instead.
- Digital Gift Cards: Digital gift cards available in denominations from $200-$500, providing flexible gifting options for customers unsure of specific product preferences.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard Flags - $60-$80 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Custom Flags - $150-$180 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Custom Sweatshirts - $220 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Apparel - $40-$120 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Digital Gift Cards - $200-$500 |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Slightly Choppy product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Slightly Choppy hand-crafts canvas flags celebrating specific surf breaks and meaningful locations, along with related apparel (sweatshirts, t-shirts) and small artisan artifacts such as felt patches. Each flag is hand-stitched, hand-painted, and tea-stained in the company's Newport Beach studio, with offerings spanning ready-made named-location flags and custom commissions for personal places. The brand targets surfers, surf-culture enthusiasts, and gift buyers who want an artisan-made, place-driven product.
Product overview
Slightly Choppy Artifacts is a hand-crafted artisan business specializing in keepsake flags that connect people to places they treasure. The product portfolio centers on Surf Flags as the core offering, including location-specific flags (Malibu, Newport, Huntington Beach, etc.), Custom Flags (personalizable pennants with customer-chosen text and colors), and themed collections (Mixed Signals nautical flags, Snow flags, National Parks flags, Hawai'i flags, California Classics). The company also produces Apparel (Custom Sweatshirts with felt appliqué, T-Shirts, Vintage Sweatshirts) and limited specialty items (10 Year Collection, Last Chance clearance). Products are handmade in a former boat shed studio in Newport Beach, CA using techniques including hand-stitching, tea-staining, felt appliqué, and vintage washing to create 'perfectly imperfect' artifacts with a worn, patina aesthetic. Custom products require 2-4 weeks production time. The company operates an e-commerce platform for direct sales.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- 10 Year Collection: Limited edition products celebrating the company's 10-year milestone
Products and services
- Surf Break Canvas Flags (ready-made)
- Custom Location Flags (bespoke commissions)
Quantifiable outcome
- 4.82-4.98 average product ratings across flagship items with 17-128 reviews per product
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Slightly Choppy
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Slightly Choppy technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature3 records
Slightly Choppy partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Birdwell Beach BritchesminorSlightly Choppy designed a series of patches for Birdwell Beach Britches, a classic surf apparel brand. Customers can add these patches to patchable Birdwell products by purchasing through Birdwell.com.
- Almond SurfboardscoreAlmond Surfboards in Costa Mesa carries Slightly Choppy Flags In-Stock and is open to walk-ins. This is a key retail partnership providing physical retail presence for the brand.
- Windward-WestwardminorSlightly Choppy created fish capture flags with Windward-Westward as collaborative artifacts celebrating memorable places and significant moments.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Slightly Choppy competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Slightly Choppy social profiles
Digital presenceSlightly Choppy financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Slightly Choppy leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Slightly Choppy funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Slightly Choppy M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Slightly Choppy
What does Slightly Choppy do?
Slightly Choppy hand-crafts canvas flags celebrating specific surf breaks and meaningful locations, along with related apparel (sweatshirts, t-shirts) and small artisan artifacts such as felt patches. Each flag is hand-stitched, hand-painted, and tea-stained in the company's Newport Beach studio, with offerings spanning ready-made named-location flags and custom commissions for personal places. The brand targets surfers, surf-culture enthusiasts, and gift buyers who want an artisan-made, place-driven product.
Is Slightly Choppy a public or private company?
Slightly Choppy is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Slightly Choppy founded?
Slightly Choppy was founded in 2020. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Slightly Choppy based?
Slightly Choppy is headquartered in Newport Beach, United States, in the North America region.
How does Slightly Choppy make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. E-commerce Product Sales are the primary driver. The others are wholesale Orders, custom Product Commissions and digital Gift Cards.
Does Slightly Choppy have an API?
No public API is recorded for Slightly Choppy.
What industry is Slightly Choppy in?
Slightly Choppy's product category is Artisan Surf Lifestyle Home Décor and Apparel. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAMAIAE, Surf & Beach Sports Retail (Surfboards, Bodyboards, Skimboards), with a secondary code of CRAMAIAJ, Marine Apparel & Footwear Retail (Wetsuits, Rash Guards, Deck Shoes).