"The Changing Tide in Surf" article by Rosenthal's Maria Contino

By Maria Contino | Published Oct 24, 2023

There is a generational shift afoot in the surf industry right now that is playing out across the marketplace in a variety of ways. We’re seeing acquisitions of popular surf brands, and family-run businesses focused on succession planning as they prepare to pass the reins to the next generation.

We’re also witnessing a renewed interest in blending more tangible consumer experiences via brick-and-mortar with well-oiled e-commerce and direct-to-consumer channels that have exploded in recent years, especially coming out of the pandemic. And, of course, transformational challenges that even some of the most established players are now experiencing that are shaking up the industry.

But while leadership changes, corporate restructurings, and supply chain disruptions have historically been difficult, today they are creating new opportunities. These transformational challenges are giving way to new ownership, fresh, new visions for brands, and aggressive growth strategies that have the potential to redefine not just these companies, but the future of the entire industry.

There’s perhaps no better example than Authentic Brands Group’s recent acquisition of Boardriders, the parent company of heavyweights like Quiksilver, Billabong, Roxy, RVCA, DC Shoes, Element, VonZipper and Honolua—some of the most iconic surf brands. With annual retail sales of more than $29 billion worldwide after the deal closing, Authentic has made it their mission to sweep up and rehabilitate struggling retail brands. Their growth strategy is relatively straightforward: leverage production and distribution licenses with their myriad of partners around the world to develop the brands on an even grander scale.

For Boardriders, as one example, Authentic has said their plan is to utilize its partner network to convert the Boardriders business into a licensed business model. By tapping into relationships with operators to better manage manufacturing, retail, e-commerce, and wholesale operations, Authentic is hoping to breathe new life into businesses. With more than 40 brands across a variety of categories under the Authentic umbrella, the possibilities seem endless, but we know that there will bumps in the road ahead of them.