Rip Curl is a designer, manufacturer, and retailer of surfing sportswear 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., Michael Daly is the chief executive officer of Rip Curl Group.
History
The company was founded in 1969 by Doug Warbrick and Brian Singer in Torquay, Victoria, Australia, and initially produced surfboards. In 1970, they decided to begin production of wetsuits, with an emphasis on transforming diving technology into a wetsuit suitable for surfing. Alan Green was a Rip Curl employee in 1969 and developed the first Quiksilver boardshorts at the Rip Curl Factory in April 1970. In 2019 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. It is pegged as both a business primer and an adventure story. 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. On Tuesday the 1st of October 2019, it was announced that Rip Curl plans to merge with outdoor specialist company Kathmandu.
Rip Curl is responsible for a campaign called The Search. Surf films by legendary filmmaker Sonny Miller were created as part of the Search campaign: The Search, The Search II, Beyond the Boundaries: The Search III, Feral Kingdom, Tripping the Planet and Searching for Tom Curren, which was awarded Video of the Year by Surfer magazine in 1997. In 2015 Rip Curl relaunched The Search.
Awards
Rip Curl is known for manufacturing technical products and innovation in the surf industry. Rip Curl's "FlashBomb Wetsuit" won three consecutive SIMA awards for "Wetsuit of the Year" in 2011, 2012 and 2013. The Rip Curl Group took home six wins at the 2017 SBIA Awards in Australia. 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. Rip Curl received the 2015 SIMA awards for Women’s Marketing Campaign of the Year, Wetsuit Brand of the Year, Accessory Product of the Year, Women’s Swim Brand of the Year and Men’s Boardshort of the Year. Rip Curl received the 2017 SBIA awards for Men’s Brand of the Year, Customer Service Team of the Year, WA Account Manager of the Year, Ladies Swimwear Brand of the Year, Men’s Boardshort of the Year, Wetsuit of the Year, Surfing Accessory of the Year, Ladies Brand of the Year, QLD Account Manager of the Year. Rip Curl received the 2019 SBIA awards for Product Innovation of the Year, Wetsuit of the Year, Mens Boardshort of the Year, Ladies Swimwear Brand of the Year, Sales & Customer Service Office of the Year, Rip Curl National Customer ServiceWA, Account Manager of the Year, Vic/Tas Account Manager of the Year, Qld Account Manager of the Year, Ladies Brand of the Year, Mens Brand of the Year.
Tom Curren, won the World Title in 1985, 1986, 1990. Tyler Wright won the WSL World Title in 2016. Mick Fanning has Won the ASP World Title three times, in 2007, 2009 and 2013. Gabriel Medina won the ASP World Title in 2014. Gabriel Medina won the WSL World Title in 2018. Bethany Hamilton and Mick Fanning were inducted into the iconic Surfer's Hall of Fame in Huntington Beach in 2017.
