Our Story
His Soul, Our Hearts
The saltiest of souls
SalTy Souls began with the memory of our dear brother and friend, Tyler Kennedy, a Caloundra surfer and all round legend. Tyler lived in the moment bringing joy, laughter and love to all who crossed his path. In 2017, at aged 31, Tyler tragically died whilst on a trip to Bali.
After losing their brother Tyler, our co-founders, Tamara Smith and Michael Kennedy began their mission to honour his legacy.
“The dream to offer vulnerable children a surfboard of their own was sparked by the memory of our SalTy Soul brother, Tyler. He had a zest for life and a heart that was bigger and deeper than any ocean, he was the saltiest of souls. He lived to be in the water and his legacy will see struggling young people be given the same opportunity.”
“He learnt to surf on a second-hand board so that’s what we do with kids. We teach them to surf and then offer them a second-hand board and they might just end up like him – in the middle of a Tracks magazine. It really is a legacy.” – Tamara Smith
With Tyler’s legacy as the driving force, we will continue to strive in providing vulnerable kids and teens in our community the chance to surf, heal and re-connect through our 'Stand Tall' Program.
Relax, Commit, Lock in, Stand Tall
THE LEGACY
Since launching in 2018, SalTy Souls has welcomed over 200 kids and teens through ten fully funded surf programs including refresher programs.
Thanks to collection days, donated boards and equipment, fundraisers and the support of our community and sponsors, we have been able to provide more than just a one-off surf class. Our Stand Tall program provides young people with a therapeutic medium to heal and gives them the opportunity to be a part of a strong surfing culture.
The Merch
“The name, even our shirts, the whole concept of all that, came from Tyler.” – Tamara Smith
With Tyler’s own illustration at the forefront of the brand, our SalTy Souls merch raises the much needed funds that go towards our Stand Tall program. When you wear our shirts or rock our stickers on your cars, you are supporting and sharing our legacy.
TYLER KENNEDY
1986-2017
Videography Credit: Beccy Smith