Surfpolitik What is a surf company?

In: Surfpolitik by Stu Nettle 40 Comments Fri 25th May '12

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In recent years there's been much hand wringing within the surfing community regarding the direction and intent of the surfing industry. Large companies have the power to affect the surfing experience for everyone so the scrutiny is justified.

Earlier this month Billabong hired a non-surfing CEO, the first time any major surfing company has done so. The appointment of Launa Inman, former CEO of Target, was the catalyst for a simple question: What is a surf company?

We speak of 'surf companies' freely yet what are the requisite conditions? The original companies have clearly changed over the years, so, at a fundamental level, do they still fit the criteria? Or do the changes simpy not matter? I asked six people from across the surf industry to give their opinion. Feel free to share yours at the end.

Phil Jarratt - Journalist and author of Salts and Suits, an authoritative look at the evolution of surf companies.
Surf companies stopped being authentic surf companies around 1985, when apparel became their dominant product. Since then the majors have produced surfboards, wetsuits and other hardware purely as a means of retaining a core image that will authenticate their particular brand of the same tees and boardies that everyone else is selling. In this they have been incredibly successful.

Since being removed from the corporate tit a couple of years ago, I grab free stuff at every (rare) opportunity but my surfwear purchasing is exclusively from outlet stores. So, in a mix of freebies and cheapies, I sit here at the computer now in a Rip Curl cap, Deus tee, Quik boardies and Havaianas thongs. When it gets a bit cooler I'll grab my Billabong baggy jeans and Rip Curl Bells 50th hoodie.

I am 60 years old, but as a surf consumer, I am probably also the future. I have no brand allegiance because all the major brands are the same. I will continue to wear surf shit because that's all I know, but when I buy I have only one goal in mind – cheap.

This is the brave new world that Target Lady moves into as the last Salt standing shuffles off home, appropriately, to Salt. She's probably the perfect choice to run a company that's about as surf as Hollister.

Nick Carroll - Long-time surf journalist.
What is a surf company?
Hmmm...what is a surf company? I reckon one definition might be: a company whose products and image rely on surfing and surf culture for their genesis and continued existence. You could say that of everyone from Quiksilver down to Matt Penn Surfboards.

Does a surf company need surfers in positions of influence?
I think many of them have no choice in the matter; many surf companies could only have been started by surfers and thus have had surfer ownership from the get go. Once you get into the publicly owned surf companies it's a different matter, they're playing a much trickier game and need the best people in every seat, and they should not limit their selection to surfers.

What is the risk of having a surf company not run by surfers?
In the non-public realm, this one answers itself: most of 'em wouldn't exist without the surfers who started 'em and for the most part still own 'em. In the public realm, the risks are different. CEOs, for example, are in some large part powerful salespeople; their ability to publicly represent the company to investors and media alike is a vital part of the job. If they are seen to have little credibility in the company's operating zone, then their ability to sell the company is significantly diminished. But there is also a risk in surf companies maintaining a fixed belief in surfing credentials as a vital part of its top management structure. If someone's a damn good CFO, for instance, he or she is a damn good CFO, surfer or not.

To me it'd be more a question of how the surf culture is represented within the company, if the company's culture is imbued with a fair bit of surf stoke and a good understanding of both the products and the day to day nature of the surf culture and its place within it, then that's the main thing. A company can manage this without everyone involved having to be hard core surfers.

Neil Ridgway - Global Advertising and Marketing Chairman, Rip Curl.
What is a surfing company?
A surfing company is one where the crew inside it understand what surfers need and gives it to them. You can't be a surfing company if you don't focus on surfing, the part it plays in surfers lives and the core gear they need to surf and want to wear. Being the customer definitely helps.

Does a surf company need surfers in positions of influence?
A surfing company operated by surfers is not easily distracted from its purpose. You need professionals with an understanding of what surfers need and how to make robust, profitable business from that. The surfing is half the fun, the professional life is half the fun and that's great work if you can get it. And for non-surfing professionals, the opportunity to become surfers and live and work in the lifestyle is attractive too. Longevity and commitment from surfing business people leads to strong decision making for a surfing company and ensures the execution of ideas is seen through over many business cycles. It's generally the surfing professionals who stick around to see that through because they truly believe in surfing.

Can a surfing company be successful without having surfers in it?
That's more a question of vision and values than day-to day business as anyone can claim to make some sort of "surfing product" and sell it successfully in the short term. However, a group of surfers all paddling in the same direction with true understanding of why the company exists is better in my view than a group of scattered individuals who may work well together, but don't understand why or where the company's heart is.

Bruce Raymond - Former President of Quiksilver International.
A good surf company makes products for surfers as well as having a positive impact on surfing. A surf company needs to have a direction that comes from leadership with a real history in surfing. While that vision shapes the personality of the company and its brand, it should also generate an overall benefit for surfing.

While it's healthy for the surfing culture to have surfers in the company as managers, it's not necessary that all the "enablers" such as accountants, lawyers and support staff are surfers, as long as they support and respect the vision. Execution is key. With a good plan from a surfing perspective, coupled with capacity and good execution, a surf company can make good profits, benefit the global surfing community and have longevity.

Matt Warshaw - Author of The Encylopaedia of Surfing among other surfing titles.
Is a surf company one that simply makes surf products?
Feels like if I think about this too much, I'd answer that there aren't really any surf companies left, at least not among the big ones. But shooting from the hip, I guess my answer would be that the company has to at least start from a surf place. Even when Quiksilver was making bedsheets and jewellery and shit, I'd still think of them as a surf company, cause I had a pair of the original high-and-tight scallop-leg trunks back in '77.

Does a surf company need surfers in positions of influence?
No, but if it's a non-surfer they'd need to keep very close consul with real surfers.

What is the risk of having a surf company not run by surfers?
You run up the sales at [US department store chain] Nordstrom, lose the base from being out of touch, then soon enough lose Nordstrom. See Gotcha.

Maurice Cole – Shaper, activist, storyteller.
One of the criteria for the success of [early] surf companies were their products came from the heart and soul of surfing. The designers and innovators were all surfers and surfing had its own unique culture, style and business model which was based on a surfing lifestyle. There was a certain looseness in being employed by one of the surf companies - if there was great surf ya could be late for work. That was the culture.

Of course, then came the idea of publicly floating to raise capital for more growth, and at the same time make a handful of surfers filthy rich. But what was the effect on the original surf model business? The priority of any public company is to make its shareholders profit, which has been seen with Quiksilver, Billabong and Volcom. There are of course surf themes through the public companies, but they are nothing like the original surf companies which were providing lifestyle orientated jobs.

It is generally accepted that in the marketplace now working for surf companies you get paid less, work more, and are told to be happy with your job, as you work in such a cool place.

I personally find the current situation a bit sad especially when you work with a company like Patagonia and know Yvon [Chouinard – founder of Patagonia]. Why didn't surfing get an Yvon, where surfing could be proud of a company that embraced life principles such as Patagonia have?

So yeah...from what surfing companies started out as they have been been bastardised into sporting companies that just happen to make surf gear. Do any surf companies still exist or are we talking about a potential underbelly in the market for another real surf company to be created?

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