Kanvas by Katin
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Surfwear, swimwear |
| Founded | 1954 |
| Founder | Nancy and Walter Katin |
| Headquarters | Surfside, California , United States |
| Products | Surf trunks, shorts, shirts, pants, jackets, wetsuits, skateboards, surfboards, bodyboards, accessories |
| Website | katinsurf |
Kanvas By Katin, established in 1954 and located in Surfside, California, ranks among the longest-standing surf shops in California.
Katin history
During the late 1950s, Nancy and Walter Katin, who initially specialized in crafting canvas boat covers, began producing rugged surf trunks made from boat canvas after surfer Corky Carroll requested swim shorts with greater durability. These trunks were retailed through their Surfside storefront as well as an extensive network of surf retailers. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, numerous prominent surfers remained loyal patrons and appeared in surf magazine advertisements sporting Katin trunks. Following Walter’s passing in 1967, Nancy took over the operation.
In 1977, Nancy initiated the annual Pro/Am Team Challenge at Huntington Beach Pier, which evolved into a distinguished competition alongside the rise of professional surfing. Although the surf market rapidly expanded during the late 1970s and early 1980s, Katin preserved its traditional manufacturing methods, emphasizing craftsmanship over large-scale marketing efforts. Nancy’s health deteriorated during the early 1980s, and she died in 1986, entrusting the company to her longtime friend and seamstress, Sato Hughes.
Sato, together with her son Glenn, managed the retail outlet while maintaining the brand’s reputation for premium surf trunks. By the early 1990s, as mainstream surfwear brands consolidated, Glenn and Sato concentrated on retail operations while two Newport Beach surfers with expertise in marketing and production, Bill and Rick, assumed control of wholesale activities. They refreshed the product range by incorporating nylon fabrics and broadened their catalog to feature shorts, shirts, pants, and jackets. These modernized items achieved strong sales through coastal surf retailers.
Glenn and Sato also enhanced their Surfside store by diversifying stock to include apparel, wetsuits, skateboards, surfboards, bodyboards, and accessories, complemented by a collection of surfing memorabilia spanning decades.
In 1998, Bill and Rick sold the wholesale division to K2 Sports, which integrated it with the "K2 Big Wave Challenge" (later renamed "Swell XXL" and "Billabong XXL"). This transition resulted in a decline of Katin’s wholesale business as original leaders departed. Glenn Hughes devoted years to reclaiming the brand’s heritage. In 2000, Nancy Katin was honored as Woman of the Year during her induction into the Surfing Walk of Fame in Huntington Beach. In 2005, Glenn Hughes along with partner Robert Schmidt reacquired wholesale rights from K2. That July, Glenn launched KatinSurf.com in partnership with Rod Kelsey to unify previous online presences under a single branded website.