NATURE TROOPERS

In a lot of ways what Sungwan Park started with Nature Troopers reminds me of my earlier days of inviting some of my closest friends to venture out and fish the shorelines of local ponds. When on the water, aside from talking and bragging about our fishing tactics, gear, etc., conversations would stem from the latest web design trends, the newest kicks that were about to drop, or vibin’ off Lupe Fiasco’s “I Gotcha” video. I even designed t-shirts and hats to convey we were a crew of bass fishermen. That was over a decade ago, yet these types of conversations remain the same today. Nature Troopers is comprised of individuals that share the same passions outside of bass fishing, and the time on the water is their platform to congregate as a creative collective unit.

-Lloyd Gomez 

SUB: WHAT UP Nature Troopers?! Please tell us about yourselves and your backgrounds. Who is involved with Nature Troopers and how did it begin?

NT: Hi! We are Korean Nature Troopers. The establishment of Nature Troopers was in 2012, when the Founder Sungwan Park (@skate_angler), Jangsoo Um (@um_jangsoo), who was famous for bass fishing, and hip-hop Emcee, Chanjuelz (@chanjuelz) started to go fishing together. more and more members have joined including:

Megabass Korea Field Staff - Sung Hoon Yang (@lunker_megabass_yang)

Helinox Advisor and Art Director - Taehun Kim (@7jensen)

Videographer - Yohan Joo (@ntps_yoda)

Entertainment Agency Manager - Bonjin Koo (@finesse_angler)

B-Boy - Trance Kim (@trance.frzm)

Fixed biker and Shop Byclipse Owner - YS Jung (@byclipse_ys)

Sneaker Collector - Mason Choi (@masetheslugger)

We are composed of passionate and creative friends. That’s Nature Troopers.

SUB: What inspired you to start a fishing group? When did you guys start fishing and how would you describe your style and the region of water you fish?

NT: The team was created with those people who were born and grew up in the city but who loved to go fishing in the nature. In the early to mid-2000s, we enjoyed fishing, and in 2012, we made a team called Nature Troopers. We usually enjoy fishing on foot by using big baits or swimbaits, but sometimes go fishing with various lures depending on situations. 

SUB: Like many fishing crews we see on Instagram, did you guys just start off printing t-shirts? What inspired the idea to create products under Nature Troopers name?

NT: In 2012, as we worked as a team, we put all our ideas into action and started a brand. Nature Troopers expresses people who enjoy outdoor life in the nature by fishing and camping, and named them Troopers. The name was partially inspired by Storm Troopers from ‘Star Wars’. 

“Nature Troopers expresses people who enjoy outdoor life in the nature by fishing and camping.”

SUB: Where does the inspiration for your designs and products come from?

NT: The basis of OUR designS is A combination of street culture, such as skateboard and graffiti, and outdoor life. We try to create our own style by supplementing pros and cons with people who went fishing together for a long period.

“The basis of our designs is a combination of street culture, such as skateboard and graffiti, and outdoor life.”

SUB: Tell us about your influence from skate, hip-hop, and graffiti? When and how involved are you guys in these subcultures?

NT: Sungwan Park, the creator of Nature Troopers, was a sponsored skater, and he was naturally involved in these subcultures. Other members were also similar. The designer of Nature Troopers is graffiti artist @jinsbh. You asked us how involved we are in these subcultures, and our answer is that it was our life. 

SUB: Aside from your passion for fishing, do you guys have other passions or hobbies that you enjoy?

NT: We all have different hobbies like skateboarding, fixed biking, and b-boying, but most of us love drinking. Haha!

“We all have different hobbies like skateboarding, fixed biking, and b-boying, but most of us love drinking. Haha!”

SUB: What should we look out for in the coming months or year from Nature Troopers?

NT: We plan to develop our products with different attempts of combining the subcultures with fishing, and we will show you various features by collaborating with other brands to express ourselves better. Please give us a lot of support as we grow. 

You can follow NATURE TROOPERS on Instagram @NATURETROOPERS AND WEBSITE NATURE-TROOPERS.COM

“WE ARE composed of passionate and creative friends. That’s Nature TrooperS.”