Inspired by the past. Made for the now. This year Quiksilver turns 50 and to celebrate one of the biggest boardsports brands in the world we’re going to dig through the archives and take a look back through the years.
From Humble Beginnings to Global Expansion
Back in 1969, Quiksilver was born on the beach. Founder and avid surfer Alan Green made wetsuits from a $2500 AUD loan from his father. Not long after in 1973 Green and John Law moved to Torquay, Victoria to go surfing and study at business school. The first product they created? The flagship boardshorts.
By 1976 the brand was licensed in the states – Jeff Hakman scooped the Bells trophy and agreed to distribute the Quik brand across America.
The Quiksilver name came from Alan’s wife Barbara – she came across the word ‘Quicksilver’ in a novel describing something as elusive, liquid, mercurial and changing readily – the perfect name to describe the brand Green was trying to create.
In 1996 the brand branched out to Winter Sports – they swapped our boardshorts for the snowboard and they’ve never looked back.
Where is the brand at now? It’s the world’s leading outdoor sports lifestyle company and is now based in Huntington Beach, California.
Here’s to Quiksilver for 50 years of pushing professional surfing forward. Here’s to 50 more.
