Rip Curl: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Australian surfing apparel and equipment company}}

'''Rip Curl''' is a major Australian manufacturer and retailer of boardwear. The company was founded in 1969 by Doug "Claw" Warbrick and Brian "Sing Ding" Singer in Torquay, Australia and initially produced surfboards. In 1970 they decided to begin production of wetsuits, with emphasis on transforming diving technology into a wetsuit suitable for surfing. Today Rip Curl produces not only surf gear but also apparel, mountainwear, eyewear, watches, footwear, bags and DVDs. Rip Curl has become one of the largest boardwear brands in Australia, Europe and South America and is growing rapidly in North America. Rip Curl remains a [[private company]].

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2024}}

{{EngvarB|date=October 2013}}

{{Infobox company

| name = Rip Curl

| logo = Rip Curl logo.svg

| logo_size =

| logo_alt =

| logo_caption =

| logo_padding =

| image =

| image_size =

| image_alt =

| image_caption =

| native_name =

| native_name_lang = <!-- Use ISO 639-1 code, e.g. "fr" for French. For multiple names in different languages, use {{lang|[code]|[name]}}. -->

| former_name =

| type = Subsidiary

| industry = [[Retail]]

| founded = {{Start date and age|1969}} in [[Torquay, Victoria]], Australia

| founder = Brian Singer<br>[[Doug Warbrick]]

| hq_location =

| hq_location_city = Torquay, Victoria

| hq_location_country = Australia

| area_served = <!-- or: | areas_served = -->

| key_people = Brooke Farris (CEO)

| products = [[Sporting goods]]

| brands =

| services =

| parent = [[KMD Brands]]

| website = {{URL|www.ripcurl.com}}

}}

'''Rip Curl''' is an Australian designer, manufacturer, and retailer of [[Surfing#Equipment|surfing sportswear]] (also known as ''boardwear'') and accompanying products, and a major athletic sponsor. Rip Curl has become one of the largest surfing companies in Australia, Europe, South America, North America and South Africa. Globally, Rip Curl is considered a successful member of the "Big Three", of the surf industry alongside [[Quiksilver]] and [[Billabong (clothing)|Billabong]].<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.theage.com.au/business/rip-curl-executives-happy-to-be-wet-behind-the-ears-20080323-213x.html | title=Rip Curl executives happy to be wet behind the ears | author-link=Alison Aprhys |first=Alison|last=Aprhys|archive-date=24 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160624043328/http://www.theage.com.au/business/rip-curl-executives-happy-to-be-wet-behind-the-ears-20080323-213x.html| date=24 March 2008 | access-date=14 January 2017|url-status=live | ___location=Melbourne | newspaper=The Age}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/article671305.ece | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110612114353/http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/article671305.ece | url-status=dead | archive-date=12 June 2011 | title=Aussie who has board meetings on the beach | author=Paul Ham | publisher=Sunday Times | date=4 June 2006 | access-date=1 March 2009 | ___location=London}}</ref>

In 2006, Rip Curl held a [[World championship tour (WCT) surfing]] contest at a "undisclosed" ___location in Mexico. The name Rip Curl called the community was "La Jolla". RipCurl paid the town $5000 US to hold the contest. In contrast, when the [[World championship tour (WCT) surfing]] holds contests at Trestles, in Orange County, the sponsors are forced to pay the community $70,000 with a $25,000 deposit. The Surfer's Journal, a widely respected surfing publication, quoted Sean Collins, the leading surf forecaster for Surfline, as saying "Holding a [[World championship tour (WCT) surfing]] event there and webcasting it for hundred of thousands of viewers has just smoked the place, Sure, maybe The Spot isn't as secret as it once was, but it's still a very sensitive area. The sad thing is, it's finished not only for The Spot but for the entire area.". Sean Collins attempted to negotiate a deal with Rip Curl and the mayor of the community. He asked the mayor what he wanted for his community. "They wanted $30,000 U.S. to build a medical center. If the town could come up with the funds to build the center, the federal government would send a physician. The pomp and circumstance would leave town, and The Spot would have something other than more surfers to show for it. Thinking that a goodwill gesture on the order of $30,000 U.S. was just what the doctor ordered, Collins approached Rip Curl with a with a couple of options, including a swap for free advertising on Surfline. In the end, Rip Curl balked. 'Rip Curl spent over a million dollars on the contest and they wouldn't come up with 30 grand for goodwill.' Collins said. 'We would have blow [the donation] up on Surfline and they could have been heroes, but instead they opted to search and burn.'"

Rip Curl has divorced itself from it's surfing roots by repeatedly holding large, commercial, [[World championship tour (WCT) surfing]] contests at locations that had been intentionally kept low profile by the surfing community. These contests have resulted in the destruction of the pristine and fragile nature of both the surf break and the communities themselves by turning a soulful lifestyle into a competitive, money hungry, business. Most of the dedicated, hardcore, underground surfing community considers consumers of Rip Curl's products not part of the surfing tribe. A term often used to describe consumers of Rip Curl products is "Kooks".

Rip Curl is now present in several areas of board sports, including [[skateboarding]] / [[surfskating]], [[freestyle skiing]], [[snowboarding]] and [[wakeboarding]]. Some events in these other disciplines include the ''Rip Curl SurfSkate Festival'', ''Rip Curl Wake, Skate and Music Festival'', ''Rip Curl City Slam'' (skateboarding) and the ''Rip Curl World Heli Challenge'' (freestyle skiing and snowboarding).

==Sponsored WCT Events==

Rip Curl Pro, Bells Beach - Jan Juc, Victoria, Australia<br />

Rip Curl Search WCT - mystery locations<br />

Rip Curl Pipeline Masters*, Banzai Pipeline - North Shore, Oahu, Hawaii, USA<br />

==History==

{{blockquote

| The name "Rip Curl" was taken from a vee-bottom surfboard that co-founder Warbrick bought in 1968, upon which he'd written "Rip Curl Hot Dog." The words didn't mean anything, he later admitted. "Except ripping was groovy; surfing the curl was groovy; we wanted to be groovy – so that was it."

| Matt Warshaw, ''Encyclopedia of Surfing''<ref>{{Cite book | title=The Encyclopedia of Surfing | author=Matt Warshaw | publisher=Houghton Mifflin Harcourt | year=2005 | isbn=0-15-603251-1 | page=508 }}</ref>

}}

The company was founded in 1969 by [[Doug Warbrick]] and Brian Singer in [[Torquay, Victoria]], Australia, and initially produced [[surfboard]]s. In 1970, they decided to begin production of [[wetsuit]]s, with an emphasis on transforming diving technology into a wetsuit suitable for surfing.{{citation needed|date=September 2013}} Alan Green (co-founder of Quiksilver) was a Rip Curl employee in 1969 and developed the first Quiksilver boardshorts at the Rip Curl Factory in April 1970.<ref>{{cite web|title=Timeline – 1970|url=http://www.quiksilverinc.com/History/Timeline|website=quiksilverinc.com|publisher=Quiksilver, Inc.|access-date=2 September 2015}}</ref>

In 2019 [[Tim Baker (journalist)|Tim Baker]] authored, The Rip Curl Story, a book documenting the company's history. The Rip Curl Story celebrates 50 years of surfing and the wanderlust of the Rip Curl founders Doug 'Claw' Warbrick and Brian Singer.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Baker |first1=Tim |title=The Rip Curl Story |date=2019 |publisher=Penguin Books |isbn=9780143788874}}</ref> It is pegged as both a business primer and an adventure story.<ref>{{cite web |title=Introducing "the Rip Curl Story' |url=https://www.shop-eat-surf.com/2019/04/introducing-the-rip-curl-story/ |website=Shop Eat Surf |access-date=6 September 2019 |date=5 April 2019}}</ref>

In mid-2012, Singer and Warbrick engaged the services of Bank of America Merrill Lynch to sell the brand, but the plan was abandoned in March 2013.<ref>{{cite news|title=Regaining their "cool": can the big three surf brands recover?|url=http://theconversation.com/regaining-their-cool-can-the-big-three-surf-brands-recover-18406|access-date=25 September 2013|newspaper=The Conversation Australia|date=25 September 2013|author=Andrew Warren}}</ref> In October 2019, Rip Curl was sold to outdoor specialist company [[KMD Brands|Kathmandu]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Powell |first1=Dominic |title=A shining exception |url=https://www.theage.com.au/business/companies/a-shining-exception-how-rip-curl-caught-a-350-million-wave-20191001-p52wle.html |website=The Age |access-date=3 October 2019 |date=2 October 2019}}</ref>

==Sponsored Athletes==

[[Mick Fanning]]<br />

[[Tom Curren]]<br />

[[Bethany Hamilton]]<br />

[[Stephanie Gilmore]]<br />

[[Andy Finch]]<br />

[[Chris Booth]]<br />

[[Per Loken]]

On 16 August 2021, Rip Curl appointed Brooke Farris as the [[chief executive officer]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Rip Curl appoints new Chief Executive Officer {{!}} Rip Curl USA|url=https://www.ripcurl.com/us/blog/rip-curl-appoints-new-chief-executive-officer.html|access-date=2021-08-16|website=ripcurl.com}}</ref>

==Rip Curl stores==

In addition to selling to thousands of independant retailers worldwide, Rip Curl operates corporate stores in Australia, France, USA, Canada, England and Israel.

==ExternalThe linksSearch==

[[File:Surfest 07 Is Here (413364003).jpg|thumb|Rip Curl surfboard with thruster fins featuring branding for "The Search", Merewether Beach, NSW, March 2007]]

{{Primarysources|date=December 2006}}

Rip Curl is responsible for a campaign called The Search.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tracksmag.com/rip-curl-relaunches-the-search/ |title = rip-curl-relaunches-the-search-426416| date=20 October 2015 }}</ref> Surf films by legendary filmmaker [[Sonny Miller]] were created as part of the Search campaign: ''The Search'' (1992), ''The Search II'' (1993), ''Beyond the Boundaries: The Search III'' (1994), ''Feral Kingdom'' (1995), ''Tripping the Planet'' (1996) and ''Searching for Tom Curren'' (1996), which was awarded Video of the Year by ''Surfer'' magazine in 1997.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.surfline.com/surf-news/sonny-miller-1960-2014_111877/ |title = Surfing Articles: Latest Surf News, Videos, & Photos at Surfline – Surfline}}</ref> In 2015 Rip Curl relaunched The Search.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.surfingmagazine.com/video/are-there-any-waves-left-to-find/#E6PRj6Q01MLE9PRJ.97 |title = Surfing Magazine Archive Archives – SURFER Magazine| date=20 October 2015 }}</ref>

*[http://www.ripcurl.com/ Rip Curl]

*[http://www.ripcurl.com/events/ Rip Curl Events]

*[http://www.mysurfbrands.com/surf-brands/rip-curl-logos.php Rip Curl Logos]

==Awards==

[[Category:Companies of Australia]]

Rip Curl is known for manufacturing technical products and innovation in the surf industry. Rip Curl's "FlashBomb Wetsuit" won three consecutive SIMA (Surf Industry Manufacturers Association) awards for "Wetsuit of the Year" in 2011, 2012 and 2013.<ref>{{cite web|author1=Kailee Bradstreet|title=SURF INDUSTRY NAMES BEST OF 2013 AT SIMA IMAGE AWARDS|url=http://business.transworld.net/147036/news/surf-industry-names-best-2013-sima-image-awards/|website=TransWorld Business|publisher=TEN|access-date=9 October 2014|date=14 February 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author1=Kailee Bradstreet|title=THE 2012 SIMA IMAGE AWARDS WINNERS & PHOTO GALLERY|url=http://business.transworld.net/121194/features/the-2012-sima-image-awards-photo-gallery/|website=TransWorld Business|publisher=TEN|access-date=9 October 2014|date=8 February 2013}}</ref>

[[Category:Retail companies of Australia]]

The Rip Curl Group took home six wins at the 2017 SBIA Awards in Australia.<ref>{{cite web|title=Rip Curl International|url=https://www.sportingscribe.com/club/1586/international/surfing/world-surf-league/rip-curl-international|publisher=Sporting Scribe|access-date=17 August 2017}}</ref>

[[fr:Rip Curl]]

Rip Curl's marketing campaign "My Bikini" took home the SIMA Award for "Women's Campaign of the Year" in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2019.<ref>{{Cite web|title=MyBikini Wins 2019 SIMA Awards Women's Marketing Campaign of the Year {{!}} Rip Curl USA|url=https://www.ripcurl.com/us/blog/sima-2020-marketing-campaign-of-the-year/|website=ripcurl.com|access-date=2020-05-26}}</ref>

Rip Curl received the 2015 SIMA awards for<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://sima.com/2016/02/13th-annual-sima-image-awards-given-to-surf-industrys-top-innovators/|title=13th Annual SIMA Image Awards Given to Surf Industry's Top Innovators &#124; SIMA}}</ref> Women's Marketing Campaign of the Year ("My Bikini"), Wetsuit Brand of the Year (Flash Bomb Zip Free), Accessory Product of the Year (SearchGPS Watch), Women's Swim Brand of the Year and Men's Boardshort of the Year (Mirage MF Driven).

{{fashion-stub}}

{{retail-stub}}

Rip Curl received the 2017 SBIA awards for Men's Brand of the Year, Customer Service Team of the Year (Torquay Head Office), WA Account Manager of the Year (Kerry Whitford), Ladies Swimwear Brand of the Year, Men's Boardshort of the Year (Mirage Connor Surge), Wetsuit of the Year (Flashbomb Chest Zip), Surfing Accessory of the Year (FLight Posse Backpack), Ladies Brand of the Year, QLD Account Manager of the Year (Sean Finlay).<ref>{{Cite web|title=Rip Curl triumphed at the 2018 SBIA awards, presented with 6 awards and 3 nominations.|url=https://www.ripcurl.com.au/news/company-news/rip-curl-triumphed-at-the-2018-sbia-awards-presented-with-6-awards-and-3-nominations.html|website=ripcurl.com.au|access-date=2020-05-26}}</ref>

{{Australia-company-stub}}

Rip Curl received the 2019 SBIA awards for Product Innovation of the Year (Heatseeker), Wetsuit of the Year (Flashbomb Heatseeker), Mens Boardshort of the Year (Mirage 3 2 1), Ladies Swimwear Brand of the Year, Sales & Customer Service Office of the Year, Rip Curl National Customer Service WA, Account Manager of the Year (Kerry Whitford), Vic/Tas Account Manager of the Year (Daniel Jenkin), Qld Account Manager of the Year (Sean Finlay), Ladies Brand of the Year, Mens Brand of the Year.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Rip Curl Cleans Up at the SBIA Awards with 10 Awards and 5 Runner-Ups|url=https://www.ripcurl.com.au/news/company-news/rip-curl-cleans-up-at-the-sbia-awards-with-10-awards-and-5-runner-ups.html|website=ripcurl.com.au|access-date=2020-05-26}}</ref>

==Retail stores==

[[File:Rip Curl, Westfield Carousel, January 2019.jpg|thumb|Rip Curl store in [[Westfield Carousel]], [[Perth]]]]

*Australia/New Zealand: 61<ref>{{cite web|title=Rip Curl Stores|url=http://www.ripcurl.com.au/index.php?id=627,0,0,1,0,0|website=Rip Curl Australasia|publisher=Rip Curl International Pty. Ltd|access-date=9 October 2014|date=9 October 2014}}</ref>

*South America (most are licensees): 94<ref>{{cite web|title=Lojas Rip Curl|url=http://www.ripcurl.com.br/info.aspx?template=store|website=Rip Curl Brasil|publisher=Rip Curl International Pty. Ltd.|access-date=9 October 2014|date=9 October 2014}}</ref>

*North America: 29<ref>{{cite web|title=Rip Curl Surf Center|url=http://www.ripcurl.com/_surfcenter.html|website=Rip Curl|publisher=Rip Curl International Pty. Ltd|access-date=9 October 2014|date=9 October 2014}}</ref>

*Africa and Middle East: 21

*Asia (Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia): 72

*Europe: 55<ref>{{cite web|title=Rip Curl CEO on Annual Financial Results 2014|url=http://shop-eat-surf.com/2014/10/rip-curl-ceo-on-annual-financial-results/?pid=a}}</ref>

==Sponsored WCT World Tour events==

[[File:Peniche WSL Rip Curl Pro 2017 (26353049927).jpg|thumb|Surfer competing at the World Surf League event, sponsored by Rip Curl, in Peniche, Portugal]]

*[[Rip Curl Pro|Rip Curl Pro Bells]] Beach – [[Bells Beach, Victoria|Bells Beach]], [[Jan Juc, Victoria]], Australia

*[[Rip Curl Pro Portugal]] – Supertubos Beach, [[Peniche, Portugal]]

*Rip Curl Cup Padang Padang – Padang Padang, [[Uluwatu, Bali]], Indonesia

==Sponsored athletes==

{{Columns-list|colwidth=20em|

*[[Mick Fanning]]

*[[Gabriel Medina]]

*[[Tom Curren]]

*Mason Ho

*Matt Wilkinson

*[[Tyler Wright (surfer)|Tyler Wright]]

*[[Nikki van Dijk]]

*[[Owen Wright (surfer)|Owen Wright]]

*Jacob Willcox

*Rosy Hodge

*Samuel Pupo

*Conner Coffin

*[[Pauline Ado]]

*Dillon Perillo

*Luke Hynd

*Bruno Santos

*Pat Curren

*Xavier Huxtable

*Matt McGillivray

*Amuro Tuzuki

*Morgan Cibillic

*[[Brisa Hennessy]]

*[[Teresa Bonvalot]]}}

===Winners===

[[File:Bethany Hamilton 20070311.jpg|thumb|Bethany Hamilton]]

*Tom Curren, won the World Title in 1985, 1986, 1990.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=SurferToday.com|title=The life and career of Tom Curren|url=https://www.surfertoday.com/surfing/the-life-and-career-of-tom-curren|access-date=2020-07-07|website=Surfertoday}}</ref>

*Tyler Wright won the WSL World Title in 2016.<ref>{{Cite web|title=WSL Post Show: Tyler Wright Wins Third Event of 2016|url=https://www.worldsurfleague.com/posts/204795/wsl-post-show-tyler-wright-wins-third-event|access-date=2020-07-07|website=World Surf League}}</ref>

*Mick Fanning won the ASP World Title three times, in 2007, 2009 and 2013.<ref name=":0" />

*Gabriel Medina won the ASP World Title in 2014.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Congratulations Gabriel Medina, 2014 ASP World Champion!|url=https://www.worldsurfleague.com/posts/89177/congratulations-gabriel-medina-2014-asp-world-champion#:~:text=In%20a%20historic%20triumph%2C%20Gabriel,was%20riding%20on%20Fanning's%20performance.|access-date=13 November 2020|website=World Surf League}}</ref> Gabriel Medina won the WSL World Title in 2018.<ref>{{Cite web|date=18 December 2018|title=Gabriel Medina Wins 2018 Pipe Masters And Becomes 2018 WSL World Champion|url=https://www.surftotal.com/en/news-all/america-mn-news/item/2051-gabriel-medina-wins-2018-pipe-masters-and-becomes-2018-wsl-world-champion#:~:text=2018%2017%3A08-,Gabriel%20Medina%20Wins%202018%20Pipe%20Masters%20And%20Becomes%202018%20WSL,the%202018%20World%20Surfing%20Champion!|access-date=13 November 2020|website=Surftotal}}</ref>

*Bethany Hamilton and Mick Fanning were inducted into the iconic Surfer's Hall of Fame in Huntington Beach in 2017.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Mick Fanning and Bethany Hamilton Inducted into Surfers' Hall of Fame|url=https://www.ripcurl.com.au/news/team-news/mick-fanning-and-bethany-hamilton-inducted-into-surfers-hall-of-fame.html|access-date=2020-07-07|website=ripcurl.com.au}}</ref>

==See also==

{{Portal|Companies|Fashion|Australia}}

*[[List of fitness wear brands]]

==References==

{{reflist}}

==External links ==

{{Commons category}}

* {{Official website}}

{{Sports equipment brands}}

[[Category:Sportswear brands]]

[[Category:Retail companies of Australia]]

[[Category:Sporting goods manufacturers of Australia]]

[[Category:Privately held companies of Australia]]

[[Category:Clothing brands of Australia]]

[[Category:Swimwear manufacturers]]

[[Category:Surfwear brands]]

[[Category:Surfing in Australia]]

[[Category:Snowboarding companies]]

[[Category:Skateboarding companies]]

[[Category:Watch brands]]

[[Category:1969 establishments in Australia]]

[[Category:Clothing companies established in 1969]]

[[Category:Retail companies established in 1969]]

[[Category:Underwear brands]]

[[Category:Clothing brands]]

[[Category:Australian fashion]]

[[Category:Multinational companies headquartered in Australia]]

[[Category:Shoe companies of Australia]]

[[Category:Companies based in Victoria (state)]]

[[Category:Australian subsidiaries of foreign companies]]