"Hanging ten" together!
Did you ever believe that you’d live to see the day when the two biggest surf companies in the world, Billabong and Quiksilver, united into one? Well congratulations! You did!
Now this is super crazy deep insider information but also on the Wall Street Journal under the headline Seeking Surfing Synergies: Quiksilver and Billabong Hang Ten Together and I don’t subscribe but let’s read the free snippet together.
The parent of the Quiksilver surfwear brand has agreed to acquire rival Billabong International Ltd., combining two of the largest active sports brands as the industry is undergoing a major shakeout.
The combination would create a global player with ubiquitous brands, about $2 billion in annual sales and 630 stores in 28 countries. But both Quiksilver and Billabong have struggled in recent years with declining sales and corporate restructurings.
Restructurings?
Hang ten?
This is maybe the least interesting news of the week (John Florence Sr. losing more integrity wins) seeing as the same finance corporation owns both’s debt but you made it to the day when Kelly Slater and Andy Irons rode for the same company.
How does it feel?
Are you thrilled?
Does this restore your faith in humanity?
The first two steps toward the best name in action sports have been made, next the merge of Quiksilver/Billabong and Rip Curl to form “QuikBongRip”.
does anyone wear either of these brands unless they are sponsored by a Wall St venture capital corporation, whilst their respective team managers just keep rearranging the deck chairs on the titanic, hoping their few thousand staff shares they have been holding onto finally pay off and they can leave their affluent posting looking after spoilt rich kids to finally go out and start their own hip organic hemp clothing company sourced from halal friendly suppliers in afghanistan , then if the dream pays off they can invest in the new time share Damian Hardman wave pool apartments at nerang on the gold coast
And somewhere near Sunset Eddie Rothman snaps a huge line of pure yip and says “you like this jerkey, eh?”
Speaking of, let’s remember when BeachGrit i.e. me got lost in the labyrinth of share reissues and screamed from the rooftops to buy Billabong shares! http://beachgrit.com/2015/0…
And then, after an advisory issued in the comments by clever Nick Carroll, admitted we’d got it wrong! Down three hundred percent! http://beachgrit.com/2016/1…
A fluorescent tube illuminated retail space where you can purchase groceries, household cleaning supplies, Oaktree (the new “Kirkland”) brand surf clothing and Chinese rip offs of Hayden Shapes. There’s old ladies serving cheese and crackers at the end of each aisle too.
So …. Ron Jon’s?
how could you even calculate ROI on Knost? dude must have amazing representation, or is he technically really good looking or something?
Andy and Kelly make a beautiful couple don’t you think?
Life’s Better Staying High
surfing sold out
I’m so bored of all this.
Not me. It’s the most exciting thing in surf! Name something more interesting.
Er… actually going surfing?
hmm i did try that today it was alright i guess
I see major trim downs and licensing deals to K-Mart, Target, Walmart etc. on the horizon for both. Is there any resuscitation left for either to be a core ‘premium’ (for lack of a better word) brand in the surf market? And will that space now be occupied by new entrants that have emerged over the past decade or so?
already is.
The only pair of boardies I have bought in the past 2 years were from Lowes, (not sure what the os equivalents are, but here they are a smaller version of target specialising in cheapish men’s wear). They had a Californian bear logo, same as the wavepool comp thing. Material was the same stretchy stuff as a ‘major’ brand and about 25% of the cost. Would still be wearing them now despite a silverfish attack if the wife hadn’t snuck them into the bin.
Did you find something of hers to put in the bin too? If not, you should.
Women are way better tit-for-tat’rs! I’d approach such moves with extreme caution.
Hell hath no fury like a woman’s Scorn. Be brave but be smart .
pick ya battles? (do you have this saying in Aus?)
Yep . My sister a psychiatrist uses it all the time .Great advice for dealing with young kids too .
I don’t reckon (resuscitation-wise). Both those brands will be flat out for a coupla years merely justifying their existence; a core premium brand play would mean sacrificing too much volume. But there is space for that. Rip Curl will probably find a bit of it for a while.
One mourns the loss of MCD really. “Superior Mothers”? That was the last “core premium” thing in surfing. MT?
when Quik tried Pirate Surf and SMP and Counter Culture were as solid as Volcom
Looking forward to the retro GreenMerchant HELLO ASIA boardshort 1/2 Echo Beach and 1/2 Bad Billys with neither part made anywhere near Burleigh Heads or Torquay since ?
Eddie would keep going.
Hanging Chapter 7 Together!
This is* going to make a profound difference to our lives.
* is’nt
* asterisk inspiration courtesy KVF
Time for more harbingers of Doom. BeachGrinErtia?
STABeach Grinerita
Mercury falling
ha , love the irony that Quik and Bill will , “hang ten ” together !
There was a surf brand once upon a time , called , “Hang Ten” , which ruled the surf World with Golden Breed , and now those Co’s are supermarket brands , which is where the QuikBill must surely end up!
Beachline!
Life’s better in bankruptcy
Talk about hedging your bet, doubling down, and praying for a miracle. I would say all we be lost if the two, now one, continue to pump out such winners as iggy flop and farthol.
Quickbong has a nice ring to it
Or you could have a quikbilly in a silverbong for the smokers
I heard the embargo on reporting about Slater’s wavepool ends in January! When can we hear about the Chas/Dell/Carroll experience?
Feb 1!
https://uploads.disquscdn.c…
I hope you get in first.
The fate of the free world depends on it.
First person accounts of Kellys tub from surf writers will be hot for about 5 minutes.
Absolutely no disrespect intended.
Shouldn’t you be part of the big reveal? Your article contributions and martial law like finger on the Delete Comment button should warrant an invite.
Delete comment?
Have you confused me with a mod?
I agree. But boy oh boy! What a 5 minutes its going to be.
What order to read in?
I say : Chas, Dell, Carroll, the rest.
Yes. Its essential as you pointed out that Chas and Dez get in first. The free world part comes into play because Nick’s account will probably be posted as Coastal Watch Plus Subscription requiring $78 bones.
Can’t tell if you come from a large family, where you have to get at the best bits first. Or are single child, who saves the best bits til last.
I inherited a short attention span off my kids.
Oh but first person accounts of viewing each other’s performances in the tub will have a bit more of a shelf life.
ha, don’t pull punches Carroll, for the love of God.