Ambassador- Dante Peter Valentino
Dante Peter Valentino
Born and raised in TC I spent all my summers on and in the waters of the Old Mission Peninsula. From an early age my family traveled to Florida a few times a year where my older brothers started surfing, and me being to young I stayed on the beaches and took to skim boarding. After deciding to bring some boards back I started going down to Frankfort with my mom who enjoyed the beautiful beaches of Lake Michigan. This is where we realized it was possible to surf the Great Lakes. From then on I was addicted and once I was able to drive headed to Lake Michigan with some close friends when ever there was waves, and many times there ended up not being. The best part about Lake Michigan surfing is the closeness of the crew in the line ups and the amazing feeling of being apart of the water. Most people don’t believe you can surf the lakes and just think your crazy, and that is just fine. The less fools the better. Nothing gives you the feeling of catching a wave past the elbow at Frankfort and riding it all the way in, or trying to duck into a barrel on the steep wave of Leland.
What makes M-22 so sick is what the company is trying to do for Northern Michigan, both the lifestyle and the opportunities thats being made for kids.
I now live in Boulder, Colorado where I attended the University of Colorado and spend my winters skiing. I moved for my passion of skiing and the outdoors- the mountains are nasty-but not having water makes me miss the beauty of Northern Michigan and realize how blessed I was to grow up in such a place and call home.
Ambassadors- Carianne Klueck
Enough Said
The Influence of a Road Sign
By Carianne Klueck
The first time I saw an M-22 t-shirt was in Frankfort High School, hanging off the shoulders of some sporty freshman guy. I figured he’d had it screened at the new shop downtown. Custom-made t-shirts had been the latest Frankfort fad, and I thought his was just a cool idea to carry on the trend. Then I started seeing the logo everywhere. What is going on? I wondered. What does it mean? Years later, I finally found my answer. I walked past a shop in downtown Traverse City, with a sign showing the same emblem that marks the road cutting through my hometown. Confused, and still curious, I did the only sensible thing I could do. I entered, I looked… and I understood. M-22 is not just a logo or a road sign; it is a symbol for Northern Michigan culture and community.
Matt and Keegan Myers, two Northern Michigan kiteboarders, are the founders of this cultural trademark. I was fascinated by the idea; I wanted to know more. Did it simply come to them, driving down the road one day? Or was it something a long time in the making? I spoke with Keegan to find out the true meaning behind the black-and-white sign. I expected him to give me a detailed account of the cultural influences that lead them to create the M-22 brand, but he simply said, “We didn’t really plan on doing it, it just kind of
fell into our laps.”
The two brothers have been around the world searching for the best kiteboarding spots. The scenic route of M-22 still reigns superior, and Matt and Keegan made t-shirts with the road logo to show their love for its natural beauty. The community became interested, and when Keegan wore the logo in a magazine photo shoot, people started contacting the brothers to order their own branded clothing. “For me, M-22 is pretty much the coolest route I’ve ever been on anywhere in the world,” says Keegan. “Obviously other people have the same feeling about it and that’s the brand.”
An M-22 t-shirt is more than just another shirt; it is a reflection of local culture. When the idea caught on, Matt and Keegan started looking for other items to put the logo on. They wanted to keep it local, to represent the area and give the community something to be proud of. “We listen to what [local] people have to say and take that into account when we make decisions.” The branded items are those that deserve it: quality products that represent Northern Michigan and the M-22 area, like coffee, clothing, and locally bottled wine.
On Black Friday, in November of 2007, the M-22 Store opened in downtown Traverse City. “We just started rockin’ it there,” says Keegan. “We liked the location because it was small and simple and not too much to deal with.” Not to mention it was easy to find and brought many more people’s attention to the brand and what it represents. But with all the hype about this relatively new idea, it seems to have the potential of turning into a fad. Keegan isn’t worried about that. “It could easily become a fad,” he says, “but that’s not what we’re about. It’s one of those things, you either get it or you don’t. It’s not something that’s going to die out.”
Since M-22 is a local brand, it is especially important to those who live in the area, who understand the meaning behind it. They buy the products to represent their hometowns, the private beaches, the close community, and the coastal route that takes them to their favorite destinations. That’s why Matt and Keegan donate a portion of all M-22 purchases to the Leelanau Land Conservancy—to represent their desire to keep the land the way it is. Whenever someone buys an M-22 product, part of the cost goes toward conserving the area’s picturesque beaches and landscape.
The magnitude of such a simple idea is quite amazing. I wouldn’t be surprised to see an M-22 sticker on the fender of someone’s car parked in my hometown. But this cultural symbol does not go unnoticed by people outside the vicinity of M-22. It has the ability to spread beyond our community and incite interest in people who’ve never even seen Northern Michigan. “It really connects people,” says Keegan. “If you wear an M-22 shirt, it doesn’t matter where you go in the world, somebody will say something about it.”
Ambassadors- M-22 Retailers
The M-22 brand was born from a love for nature, natural beauty, and good friendships. The people, places, and serenity that highway M-22 encompasses is what we strive to preserve by contributing a portion of every sale to the Leelanau Nature Conservancy. M-22 also utilizes local business resources, earth-friendly practices, and supports ambassadors with similar life philosophies.
We donate a percent of every sale to The Leelanau Conservancy. Visit their website at www.theconservancy.com
M-22 also works closely with the following fine retail locations:
Black Star Farms
10844 E. Revold Rd.
Suttons Bay, MI 49682
231-944-1271
Bay Wear Suttons Bay
224 St Joseph Ave.
Suttons Bay, MI 49682
(231) 271-4930
Pedaling Beans
116 E Philip St
Lake Leelanau, MI 49653
(231) 256-2933
The Pennington Collection
102 Mill Street
Northport, MI 49670
www.penningtoncollection.com
(231) 386-9890
(888) 386-9890
Harbor House Trading Co
101 N Main St.
Leland, MI 49654
(231) 256-7530
Totem Shop
6521 Western Ave
Glen Arbor, MI 49636
www.thetotemshop.com
(231) 334-3533
Sleeping Bear Surf & Kayak
10228 W Front St.
Empire, MI 49630
(231) 326-9283
Bay Wear Frankfort
332 Main St.
Frankfort, MI 49635
(231) 352-4489
Five Corners Outfitters
284 S. Benzie Blvd.
Beulah, MI 49617
(231) 882-5202
www.fivecornersstore.com
MacBeth & Co.
8011 1st St
Onekama, MI 49675
(231) 889-0352
we donate a portion of every sale to