Rip Curl

Rip Curl
	File:Rip Curl logo.svg
Company type	Subsidiary
Industry	Surfwear, sportswear, sporting goods
Founded	January 1, 1969; 57 years ago in Torquay, Victoria, Australia
Founder	Doug Warbrick, Brian Singer
Headquarters	Torquay, Australia
Area served	Australia, Europe, South America, North America, South Africa, Asia, Middle East
Key people	Brooke Farris (CEO)
Products	Surf sportswear, boardwear, wetsuits, skateboarding gear, freestyle skiing gear, snowboarding gear, wakeboarding gear
Parent	Kathmandu
Website	www.ripcurl.com

Rip Curl is an Australian brand specializing in the design, manufacture, and retail of surf sportswear (commonly known as boardwear) and associated gear, while also serving as a prominent sponsor in the athletic arena. It stands as one of the leading surf companies with a significant presence across Australia, Europe, South America, North America, and South Africa. On a global scale, Rip Curl is regarded as a major contender within the surf industry’s "Big Three," alongside Quiksilver and Billabong.

The company has expanded its reach into various board sports sectors such as skateboarding/surfskating, freestyle skiing, snowboarding, and wakeboarding. Notable events hosted by Rip Curl include the Rip Curl SurfSkate Festival, Rip Curl Wake, Skate and Music Festival, the skateboarding-focused Rip Curl City Slam, and the Rip Curl World Heli Challenge, which centers on freestyle skiing and snowboarding.

History

Established in 1969 by Doug Warbrick and Brian Singer in Torquay, Victoria, Australia, Rip Curl began its journey manufacturing surfboards. By 1970, the company pivoted towards producing wetsuits by incorporating diving suit technology tailored for surfing applications. Alan Green—who would later co-found Quiksilver—worked at Rip Curl in 1969 and created the inaugural Quiksilver boardshorts at their factory in 1970.

In 2019, Tim Baker authored The Rip Curl Story, documenting five decades of the company’s evolution alongside the founders’ entrepreneurial saga. This publication doubles as both a business case study and an adventurous chronicle.

During mid-2012, founders Singer and Warbrick engaged Bank of America Merrill Lynch to investigate potential sale options for Rip Curl; however, this pursuit was discontinued by March 2013. Later, in October 2019, outdoor apparel specialist Kathmandu acquired Rip Curl for an estimated $350 million.

On 16 August 2021, Brooke Farris was named Rip Curl’s chief executive officer.

The Search

Rip Curl initiated the campaign titled The Search, which showcased surf films directed by acclaimed filmmaker Sonny Miller. Key productions include The Search (1992), The Search II (1993), Beyond the Boundaries: The Search III (1994), Feral Kingdom (1995), Tripping the Planet (1996), and Searching for Tom Curren (1996)—the latter earning Surfer magazine’s Video of the Year award in 1997. The campaign was revived in 2015 to strengthen Rip Curl’s association with adventure-oriented surf culture.

Awards

Renowned for its technical advancements in surf gear, Rip Curl’s "FlashBomb Wetsuit" achieved three consecutive SIMA awards for "Wetsuit of the Year" from 2011 through 2013. In addition, the company secured six accolades at the 2017 SBIA Awards in Australia, underscoring its leadership within the market.

Marketing campaigns such as "My Bikini" have been honored multiple times with SIMA's "Women's Campaign of the Year" between 2013 and 2019, highlighting successful strategies in brand engagement.

At the 2015 SIMA awards, Rip Curl earned several distinctions including Women's Marketing Campaign of the Year ("My Bikini"), Wetsuit Brand of the Year for Flash Bomb Zip Free, Accessory Product of the Year for the SearchGPS Watch, Women's Swim Brand of the Year, and Men's Boardshort of the Year awarded to Mirage MF Driven.

In 2017, Rip Curl was recognized at SBIA with honors including Men's Brand of the Year, Customer Service Team of the Year (Torquay Head Office), Ladies Swimwear Brand of the Year, Men's Boardshort of the Year (Mirage Connor Surge), Wetsuit of the Year (Flashbomb Chest Zip), and Surfing Accessory of the Year (Flight Posse Backpack).

Further accolades came at the 2019 SBIA awards where Rip Curl received Product Innovation of the Year for Heatseeker, Wetsuit of the Year for Flashbomb Heatseeker, Men's Boardshort of the Year (Mirage 3 2 1), Ladies Swimwear Brand of the Year, Sales & Customer Service Office of the Year, along with multiple Account Manager awards—reinforcing its dominant market position and commitment to customer service excellence.

Retail Outlets

Australia and New Zealand: 61 locations
South America (primarily through license agreements): 94 locations
North America: 29 locations
Africa and the Middle East: 21 locations
Asia (including Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia): 72 locations
Europe: 55 locations

Events Sponsored on the WCT World Tour

Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach – held at Bells Beach, Jan Juc, Victoria, Australia
Rip Curl Pro Portugal – hosted at Supertubos Beach, Peniche, Portugal
Rip Curl Cup Padang Padang – taking place at Padang Padang, Uluwatu, Bali, Indonesia

World Champions

Tom Curren: claimed the World Title in 1985, 1986, and 1990.
Tyler Wright: secured the WSL World Title in 2016.
Mick Fanning: earned ASP World Titles in 2007, 2009, and 2013.
Gabriel Medina: won the ASP World Title in 2014 and the WSL World Title in 2018.
Bethany Hamilton and Mick Fanning were honored with induction into the Surfer's Hall of Fame located in Huntington Beach in 2017.

External links