Big sports brands will buy up surfing labels?

Post by **Lairdy** » Fri Jun 16, 2006 1:14 pm

Surfing is massive:

Men and Women's global tours that's gain millions of $'s in sponsorship deals, producing superstars and is growing bigger and bigger each year. Surf brands turnover millions in revenue a year and the surf fashion industry is now a billion dollar picture.

Didn't Golf used to be an industry made up of industry specific golfing brands?

Now Nike is a massive player in the Golf industry. Nike started with clothing and now they are making balls and top of the range clubs. Nike are a prominent, visible and accepted brand in the golfing scene.

Nike own Hurley International. They have purchased the surf and sk8 label - I imagine, to get a slice of the growing surf sports market? - to get a share of the MONEY!

The thing with surfing is the fact that it is quite tribal and it is a culture in itself. Lots of people enjoy their surfing identity and do not want to be labelled as mainstream and wearing say Nike, Adidas, Puma labels.

What is going to happen? Surfing is getting bigger and bigger and more a nd more professional. More and more money is being made out of surfing. Mainly through the fashion side. (Creating superstar surfers who influence the purchase of their sponsors labels).

Will we start to see Nike wetsuits, accesories or surfboards?

What do people think of Hurley now. Is it a brand sold out and thus is not going to be purchased by anyone who consisers themself part of surf culture?

What dya reckon surf peeps?

Post by **dilution** » Fri Jun 16, 2006 1:48 pm

Hurley owned by Nike. What next?

Yeah, it's a bit sick. Truth is that all the little guys are going to take the strain of the big brands, and we're going to have to resort to wearing that sh__t quiky logo all over our chests, or shop more at vinnies.

Quiky bought Surfection recently (last year), and they no-longer sell Palmers (which is owned by Bong). They've only got Quiky wax which is lower quality - I felt the difference.
Greg Clough also recently sold Aloha Surfboards to Delmege (Sea Eagles major sponsor) so it can become a big brand. It's got the name so why not? Now they've got a glossy brochure with all the surfboard 'models' they sell. No more real custom shapes.

I went and saw Sean Wilde (longboards, fish) yesterday and he was saying that he's trying his best to go in the other direction. Hand shaping, slow process etc etc. Going against the big machine. It's good to see. Rex Marechal is the same - true craftsmen. Surfboard shaping needs passion if you're going to surf with passion.

Anyway, it's my belief that the tradition of surfing is stronger around the people who have been in the culture for longer. I started wearing big brands when I was a kid, but 20years down the line, it's the little guys and true craftsmen who get my business. We should be teaching the younger guys about this, instead of letting them just buy Quiky surfboards 'shaped' by Darren Handley. Buy a DHD rather!!!, Darren might actually have seen and approved it!!!!

We gotta look after them our craftsmen. Nike wants our money, but our true shapers want our business and our stoke.

t...

Post by **ric_vidal** » Fri Jun 16, 2006 2:32 pm

dilution wrote:we're going to have to resort to wearing that sh__t quiky logo all over our chests, or shop more at vinnies.

I agree with your sentiment, but what is to stop you, or anyone else, buying a plain unbranded t-shirt? I’ll tell you why, because MOST surfers are sheep, they aspire to belong to the ‘tribe’ and as shallow as that may sound it has to be the truth. And it is not confined to surfing either, think of any socio-economic group and they invariably have a way they want to look to fit in.

Surfboards are also part of this strata, it’s not just the fashion side of the business. And clothing is more profitable than surfboards. Why do you think there are so many surfshops with so few surfboards. Floorspace versus return.

I got a headache...

Post by **CaT_SPeW** » Fri Jun 16, 2006 2:35 pm

Lairdy wrote: Will we start to see Nike wetsuits, accesories or surfboards?

im waiting for the Adidas wetsuits with the 3 white stripes

Post by **WANDERER** » Fri Jun 16, 2006 3:24 pm

CaT_SPeW wrote:
Lairdy wrote: Will we start to see Nike wetsuits, accesories or surfboards?
im waiting for the Adidas wetsuits with the 3 white stripes

you might be jokin, but I'd have one, I love Adolf Dassler's got 7 different pairs of adidas shoes.

PS: I love how Sean Wilde is now "going in that direction" hahaha the guy took forever to make a board before he was "going in that direction", I guess he can justify it more these days hahahaha, not that I care, I still ride his boards because the alternative is pretty crappy really hahahaha Go Sean!!!

Post by **dy_fo_life** » Fri Jun 16, 2006 3:32 pm

im waiting for the Adidas wetsuits with the 3 white stripes

Thorpies warming yours up!

the year 2020
Coke owns Billabong,
Dunhill bought out Quiksilver
Volcom is owned by the Vatican,
Rip Curl went to Texaco,
The peoples republic of Ghana took over the running of Hot Buttered (actually that happened in 2008).

In reality they are all as big as the conpanies who you fear the takeover from, sure they came from humble/backyard beginnings but I don't think you will ever see one taking a pay cut, all i hope is that they are getting more waves than sitting in an office.

Post by **PeteW** » Fri Jun 16, 2006 5:03 pm

Bonfire of the Brands.....use that big brand search engine to find it (biggest media company in the USA and only 5 years old, they make the real money out of surfing!). There is an alternative to big brands and here is something to do with them.

Post by **Shaunm** » Fri Jun 16, 2006 5:05 pm

Coles or woolies mini mals

Post by **Karlos** » Fri Jun 16, 2006 5:26 pm

dilution wrote:Greg Clough also recently sold Aloha Surfboards to Delmege (Sea Eagles major sponsor) so it can become a big brand. It's got the name so why not? Now they've got a glossy brochure with all the surfboard 'models' they sell. No more real custom shapes.

t...

Now that's something I haven't heard before. Goes some way to explaining the GRC office on Pittwater Road in Manly. Does this mean GRC is Clough's 'new' shaping outlet? Mind you, a number of years ago I dropped in to his Brookvale factory to talk about getting a board shaped (figuring the best option is always to get a custom job after talking it over with the guy who's going to shape it for you) but he pretty much referred me down to the Aloha store at Manly instead to pick up something off the rack.

Post by **kruff** » Fri Jun 16, 2006 6:02 pm

Hate to break the news to you, but if you're buying/wearing , Vlcm, Bong, Quik or RC gear etc, you're not exactly supporting grass roots culture surfing either. Their roots may be in surfing culture, but let me assure you, their interests are with shareholders. I mean it has to be when you get charged $50 for a fucken t-shirt or $90 for a stupid hoodie.

They sell the dream, we buy it. Very clever, I'm just surprised that mainstream surfculture have not rejected them yet.

Maybe it's because we all just want to to be like Kelly or Occ...

Post by **Jamoe** » Fri Jun 16, 2006 7:40 pm

well think FCS, most used Fins in the world, and everytime you buy or use them you are lining the pockets of the macquarie bank fat cats. that Surf hardware international is owned by them

Post by **kruff** » Sat Jun 17, 2006 8:21 am

Here's the some insight into how big some surf companies are:

BTW: Billabong owns at least the following brands:
Kustom footwear
Von Zipper
Element hardgoods and apparel
Honolua Surf Company

http://www.theage.com.au/news/Business/ ... 12539.html

I'm not knocking them, just saying be consumer aware if you're trying to make a statement about what a 'grass roots soul surfer' you are while wearing theirs or anyone elses brands. Personally I don't like the thought of overpaying companies to advertise their brands... depsite my owning many branded t-shirts.

We're all a bunch of hypocrites in some way anyway.

Post by **Chamberess** » Sat Jun 17, 2006 9:21 am

surfwear has gone very sh*t very quickly in recent years....for women at least.The guy stuff still looks alright.

By purchasing Hurley,you need to remember the value Nike can bring to Hurley in terms of capital investment,resource management,skill set,etc.It's not like they're going to change the design team which decide what the clothes/wetties will look like anyway!

I think good luck to them if they managed to get bought out by such an established company within the sports industry.

On another note,how sick is that Hurley camo wettie Pat wears in Drive thru Europe!

Post by **ric_vidal** » Sat Jun 17, 2006 11:36 am

I dare say the industry has changed a fair bit in recent years. I remember reading an article in a surfing magazine many years ago about the big 3 and, if my memory serves me correctly, Rip Curl was initially offered distribution of Oakley sunglasses in Australia. They knocked it back because it wasn’t what they considered core to their business. It however ended up with an Rip Curl employee who went on to make a fortune, but that is another story...

Today it seems like Rip Curl has been left behind a bit, probably because they haven’t gone public or don’t have the same goals as the Quik and BBong who have grown merrily by acquistion, not by necessarily selling any more product.

An yes Surf Hardware International seems to be on a similar charter, cherry-picking related businesses to grow, hence the recent acquistion of Eskimo foam.

According to the Encyclopedia of Surf, Hurley was started by the ex president of Billabong USA from ’83-’98, so it was kind of a matter of just going out and doing it for himself and apparently he took quite a few of BBong’s best designers, marketers and team riders when he departed. It ain’t rocket science, but it does take money and kahunas.

Post by **ric_vidal** » Sat Jun 17, 2006 11:41 am

iggy wrote:dinosaur wrote
Q: Why are there so many westies?
A: Because Adidas dont make condoms

...so many non-surfers wear surf clothes anyways
...clothes dont make you a surfer anymore than a mo-hawk makes you a punk, or parrot makes you a pirate
...spend your $$ on building a quiver instead
i quite like not looking like a surfer actually

So if you see a guy with a mohawk, a parrot on his shoulder carry 4 boards it’s probably iggy

Post by **marcus** » Sat Jun 17, 2006 5:56 pm

do volcom actually make anything surf related?
seems every teenage girl from parramatta with too much make up has a volcom t-shirt.

Post by **Chamberess** » Sat Jun 17, 2006 6:15 pm

marcus wrote:do volcom actually make anything surf related?
seems every teenage girl from parramatta with too much make up has a volcom t-shirt.

i own two volcom t-shirts

but i havnt bought either of them myself,been gifts but still alright looking.Hate how surf labels constantly have their logo/name scrawled over a tshirt about 20 times and im paying them $50 to wear it

Up until about a year ago i used to religiously go into surf stores and see what they had new.But now...so over it.You'd be lucky if even one person in one of those stores actually surfed (im talking SDS/citybeach,etc)

as iggy said ,i too like having my own unique style, that involves practically no surf-label clothes, without looking tragic.

Post by **CaT_SPeW** » Sat Jun 17, 2006 8:38 pm

ok then we know who all the big money hungry companys are. what companys do you guys consider to be "grass-roots" or at least still "surfing orientated" ?

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