30 Years on the Line: Alex Krastev Built the TGR 30th Anniversary Apparel Line
Popular Stories
Alex Krastev is an artist whose work effortlessly blends the raw energy of surf and snow with a nostalgic, almost psychedelic aesthetic. We were thrilled to work with him previously on our limited-edition Grateful Dead summer line, a collection that immediately resonated with the TGR audience. Now, we’ve brought Alex back for our biggest celebration yet: the TGR 30th Anniversary Line. Three decades of pushing boundaries—from pioneering big mountain filmmaking to defining the "Live the Dream" culture—is a massive history to translate into art. We sat down with Alex to discuss how he captured 30 years of full throttle action, archival glory, and pure stoke into this historic collection.
For those who are just getting familiar with your work, how would you describe your overall artistic style, and what specific elements of action sports culture—surf, snow, skate—do you find most compelling to translate onto a canvas?
Alex: Hi everyone, I am Alex... cool dude, that loves to do art, illustrate, paint, take photos, surf and ski...I play guitar, listen to Wylon, Willy Kris and Cash, the Grateful Dead, and...a big Oasis fan...!
I am kinda like a “Velcro valley surf art guru”... ( i just came up with that ) for those who are not familiar where or what that is: it’s a dude...that loves drawing and do graphics for the action sport apparel industry...and lives anywhere between Costa Mesa, Newport and Huntington Beach, where most of the surf brands HQ are located, kinda like a surf bum with a dream job that can usually sneak a surf session before work during lunch break...and after work.
After 15+ years of doing that in Orange County, I got offered the role of Sr. Global Graphic Designer by Quiksilver to relocate in Biarritz ( Saint Jean de Luz)- France, their European HQ to elevate their collections and art offering in all categories.
As an artist, I describe myself as a Soul Surf Artist…I love painting surf scenes mostly from Hawaii, Morocco and California using acrylic on canvas or wooden panels. As a graphic designer, I specialize in surf/ski and outdoor apparel graphics and illustrations, t-shirt graphics, board-short prints, aloha all over prints, snow-jacket patterns, and destination-inspired artwork - the kind you bring home from a dream surf trip from Hawaii or California.
I’ve also created many art installations for restaurants, hotel lobbies, and Whole Foods Markets from Huntington Beach to Santa Monica to Honolulu. I love doing surf and mountain destination poster art as well, and I love participating in art shows. My art work evolves with where I am and the seasons - winter vs. summer, ocean vs. mountains.
But it all started while living in Morocco for 10 years, where I first discovered surfing after years as a skier and skater. My art shifted into a 60s-inspired psychedelic surf style — India ink, crow-quill pen, watercolor. Then when I moved to Huntington Beach to work for Quiksilver as one of their graphic artists, surrounded by true surf culture from Hawaii to Australia, my style grew again into more pure line-art, chill wave lines, photo collages, mixed media blending photography-illustrations- and architectural motifs from Morocco and Hawaii.
These days away from the corporate desk, I spend time freelancing between Biarritz France during summer and Borovets Bulgaria during the winter, where I ski till April and in between sessions I founded a small destination T-shirt brand called Future Seas. Voila…!
When you think about TGR’s 30-year film history—from The Continuum to Pressure Drop—what are the recurring visual themes or feelings that define the brand for you?
Alex: The imagery is so insane, the style of filming is so unique… it’s great to see the dedication for filming for more than 30 years and the evolution, and all that being appreciated by so many athletes, artists, musicians and fans from all over the world.
It is a pure source of inspiration for many artists like myself and motivation to go and explore and push the boundaries of my art.
How did you approach condensing 30 years of TGR into a single, unified apparel line? Was there a guiding concept or visual thread that tied this collection together?
Alex: Well, after the conversation with Todd and Steve , I had a really cool vibe and feeling and…I got an idea to make a little after winter season party tee… “ they’ve been traveling all over and I’m sure Hawaii has been one of the places they’ve been at one point, kinda like two Grateful Dead teddy bears having a chill mai tai drink after 30 years of winters full of action.. I love Hawaii and always try to mix in my art with a few scenes… this is like a TGR luau party… while listening to some GD psychedelic ukulele melodies! I wanted to keep it more of a clean spot colors art kinda like a few basic colors vs the one I did last year.
What is the mood or overall vibe you aimed to capture with this collection? Is it a retrospective, a look forward, or a celebration of the present?
Alex: The mood is “a chill, party celebration art from all the years of action” we all need a moment to relax, a day a week and start all over again… this tee is the chill mellow vacation tee…somewhere in the islands, under a tiki bar…Relaxing after 30 years of action…and planning maybe a trip to who knows where, maybe a ski trip to Mauna Kea, the only place where you can ski in Hawaii.
Can you walk us through the color palette or specific graphical elements you used? Were there intentional nods to specific films or eras within TGR's history?
Alex: For the Aloha Luau Teddy Bear. I used the steal head logo as the main shape… kinda like an island hut, where there was a tiki bar, some space cake… mai tai and all the good stuff…!
On the front there is a teddy bear in a canoe delivering the 30 year birthday cake… and that’s the story, a little celebration.
Sign Up for the TGR Gravity Check Newsletter Now
What was the biggest challenge in designing something that honored the brand’s roots while still feeling fresh and forward-thinking?
Alex: As an artist I try to become part of the brand in every single art piece, I morph into a fictional character and create a story around it… a skeleton jumping in the Corbet couloir… a teddy bear having fun jumping in the Snake River around the Grand Teton , who knows what I’ll come up in the future. This was the two of the Grateful Dead teddy bears having an authentic Mai Tai… kinda like the ones they serve at Dukes in Waikiki.. At the same time I try to bring quality and creativity to my work, to match the High degree of Radness of TGR, I hope I am doing it!
What do you hope fans and the TGR community feel when they see or wear these designs?
Alex: A cool, easy to wear tee, that you can go to places and people see little story within the art and be part of the story, part of the trip… on The front art on the tee there is one teddy bear riding on a Hawaiian canoe… bringing the 30 years anniversary space cake… on the back hit art there are the 2 teddy bears just having a chill drink … and enjoying a Birthday cake…!
Are there any other collaborations or personal projects you’re excited about next?
Alex: As my many years full time professional job in the corporate surf industry ended at Quiksilver, I’m always trying to find Freelance for brands that breed and live the actual spirit of adventure, action and creativity!
TGR is a perfect example and one of the last few brands who live to the fullest of what they began doing since day one and stay true to their values! I love working with brands like that, I don’t need guidelines, inspiration tears or so and so…If you know what you’re doing, you can create graphics and art, just by looking at the company personality and creating a whole line of tees, art, apparel.
On a personal level, between freelance projects, I created a destination t-shirt brand called Future Seas. Inspired by my travels and the places I’ve been surfing or skiing, it is kinda like a reflection of my journey. I create destination t-shirts and framable art prints collections for the mountain resorts within the French Alps, the Pyrenees and a few ski resorts in Bulgaria, as well as a surf art inspired t-shirt collection for the local surf shops.
Thank you for the interview, I can’t wait to see the tees and hope everyone likes them.
Aloha, Alex Krastev
As Teton Gravity Research celebrates 30 years of filmmaking, exploration, and creative evolution, Alexander Krastev’s anniversary collaboration serves as a visual bridge between eras — clean yet nostalgic, bold yet timeless. It’s a tribute to where TGR has been and a reminder that the best lines are always the ones still ahead.
Stay tuned for the release of the TGR x Alex Krastev 30th Anniversary Collection, dropping this fall — and for more from Krastev as he continues to design at the intersection of motion, culture, and creative identity.
