Surf Wear 65

Sunday Argus 3 May 2009

Ever-changing surf wear fashions are hungrily devoured by thousands who use their disposable income to stay on the trend treadmill.

This bloodlust grows shriller at so-called 'core' surf companies who make stuff for actual surfers, a grouping that, ironically, can be considered a niche market when held against the hordes of wannabes caught in the culture of cool.

The tribal identity exuded by the core surf community makes it attractive, which is why Billabong has been voted coolest youth brand several times in recent years.

It is little wonder that surf wear brands have targeted the broader Y generation. Actual surfers number few in South Africa. The pie is small.

Of course, this makes us an incestuous bunch. Everyone knows everyone. Surfers are not a tribe. Call them Clan of the Surf Wear, barely bigger than an extended family. And when you go behind the scenes of the industry, you will see that this cliquey clustering narrows further.

A handful of senior people are at the helm, assisted by a smattering of young executives. Before the seriousness of big business and the severity of modern shareholder expectations in tough economic times, you would often see under-qualified and less-than-wise youngsters take the reins of key positions. Why? They surfed well. They had done their stint on the pro circuit, whether local or overseas, and in some instances, had strung good results together.

The natural progression was a job in the industry. The cynics amongst us would point to the jingoism so rife in many other areas of society - that old boys golf clique, where jobs for pals are dished out while teeing up for a drive on the par ninth. Keen golfers can forgive me if I got the jargon wrong. This is a surfing column after all. Make that sitting in the line-up at a surf spot.

However, you cannot blame athletes who wish to move from a fleeting career to a vocation with more prospects, and job security. Besides, there are perks only surfers understand, such as closing down the office when the surf's up. Businesses from Cape Town to J-Bay to Durban shut shop when the waves are cranking.

Moving from surfing to a job in surfing where you can surf is a natural evolution, and it is not uncommon in other sports. Stars such as Bobby Skinstad, Pommie Mbangwa or Gary Bailey ended up on TV commentating in their respective sports, in this case rugby, cricket and soccer.

Besides, a surfing veteran to the hurly burly of competitive tours such as the ASP World Championship Tour or World Qualifying Series knows the ins and outs of sponsorship, and has learned many skills, from media liaison to statistical analysis, and a host of sales, marketing and other business skills. For middle-rung players in the game - those who can't prove their worth by pulling in consistent big results - keeping their sponsors happy is a full-time job.

The skills they learn stand them in good stead for a job in the industry when their star begins to wane. What's more, being young, they have an understanding of trends amongst the youth.

However, one of the top surf wear experts in what constitutes cool is no spring chicken. Outgoing head of Quiksilver South Africa Barry Wolins, who is emigrating to Australia, has been at it for 25 years. Wolins, with partner Arthur Limbouris, has built the business into a multi-million rand operation.

“We started with trestle tables in the office, and my ex wife’s husband bought me a second-hand bakkie to get going,” reflected Barry, “Despite so many people telling us what we can and can’t do, we simply strived to make the brand cool, which we did.”

They sure did. By 2003, Quiksilver was turning over R110 million a year, although R6 million in royalties went to Quiksilver HQ in the States. The artistically talented Wolins has always been hands-on in the designs produced by the brand, and his maverick, robust approach to business has provided the impetus to sell the stuff.

Back in the beginning, Wolins was told board shorts with flowers on them don't sell. Quiksilver floral baggies are the biggest selling boardies ever. When they opened their first Quiksilver Boardriders concept store, everyone laughed. Single brand stores won't work, they were told.

There are 17 Quiksilver Boardriders Stores in South Africa, as well as three Roxy Concept Stores, two DC Shoes Stores and five multi-brand TSS stores.

Pretty cool huh?