What is “the surf industry”, and why does that phrase sound slightly dirty? Welp, the surf industry today is vastly different than it was back in the day, as in the heyday. Depending on who you ask, the heyday of the surf industry varies from person to person and company to company.
If you want to talk vibe and hype, the surf industry from 1999 to 2009 was a decade of immense global growth, early corporatisation, rampant money spending, small players going big, big players going bust, and some of the wildest parties you can imagine. The surf industry was thriving before and after this time frame, but this decade featured a few key scenarios, making it a boom time for surf brands.
One major factor during this time that now feels strange to say out loud is that we knew where the big surf companies were. They had giant buildings with warehouses, brick and mortar, and tangible offices surfers worked in. If you worked in the surf industry, surfed as a team rider, or a friend of the company, it was normal to say, “I’m going to Billabong today to talk business” or “Let’s meet at Volcom HQ and skate in their warehouse before our magazine meeting.”
As any insider lucky enough to be welcomed into the inner circle of the larger surf brands, the Peter Pan Neverland vibe was high. Plenty
