Article: Can anyone save the surf industry?

stunet's picture
stunet started the topic in Monday, 25 May 2015 at 1:51pm

Interesting bit of research - done by a tech geek and management consultant no less - on the failings of the surf industry. His analysis is flawed - he uses the Google search term 'Quicksilver' instead of 'Quiksilver' - but the trends are eyebrow raising, at least for people who care about this sorta stuff.

https://medium.com/@ignacio.chavarria/can-anyone-save-the-surf-industry-64e63d3ece3f

uplift's picture
uplift's picture
uplift Monday, 25 May 2015 at 3:31pm

Normally, I would help you get some action happening stewart, but I waited around for ages... I used my whole epiphinicational moment waiting for that drone... that didn't come.

ignaciochr's picture
ignaciochr's picture
ignaciochr Monday, 25 May 2015 at 4:35pm
stunet wrote:

Interesting bit of research - done by a tech geek and management consultant no less - on the failings of the surf industry. His analysis is flawed - he uses the Google search term 'Quicksilver' instead of 'Quiksilver' - but the trends are eyebrow raising, at least for people who care about this sorta stuff.

https://medium.com/@ignacio.chavarria/can-anyone-save-the-surf-industry-64e63d3ece3f

dudeee i had totally missed that, good catch! i wrote the article a couple of months ago and somehow managed to miss that every time lol. i'm glad you thought it was interesting overall though! i'm currently living in ecuador (sick place to surf btw, exposed to southern and northern pacific hemi swells with pointbreaks for daysss) and think it's super trippy to see the article floating around the web so thanks for the share!

stunet's picture
stunet's picture
stunet Monday, 25 May 2015 at 4:44pm

uplift wrote:

Normally, I would help you get some action happening stewart, but I waited around for ages... I used my whole epiphinicational moment waiting for that drone... that didn't come.

What do you mean it didn't come?

Look up.

stunet's picture
stunet's picture
stunet Monday, 25 May 2015 at 4:47pm

ignaciochr wrote:
stunet wrote:

Interesting bit of research - done by a tech geek and management consultant no less - on the failings of the surf industry. His analysis is flawed - he uses the Google search term 'Quicksilver' instead of 'Quiksilver' - but the trends are eyebrow raising, at least for people who care about this sorta stuff.

https://medium.com/@ignacio.chavarria/can-anyone-save-the-surf-industry-64e63d3ece3f

dudeee i had totally missed that, good catch! i wrote the article a couple of months ago and somehow managed to miss that every time lol. i'm glad you thought it was interesting overall though! i'm currently living in ecuador (sick place to surf btw, exposed to southern and northern pacific hemi swells with pointbreaks for daysss) and think it's super trippy to see the article floating around the web so thanks for the share!

Ha ha...always a trip when articles you'd forgotten about come boomeranging back at you.

FWIW the hypothesis probably survives that oversight but nitpickers will zero in on it. Nice work either way.

carpetman's picture
carpetman's picture
carpetman Monday, 25 May 2015 at 4:55pm

Maybe quiksilver's problem is within their name...

ignaciochr's picture
ignaciochr's picture
ignaciochr Monday, 25 May 2015 at 11:20pm
carpetman wrote:

Maybe quiksilver's problem is within their name...

well at least less people are spelling it incorrectly now lol

carpetman's picture
carpetman's picture
carpetman Wednesday, 27 May 2015 at 10:17am

carpetman's picture
carpetman's picture
carpetman Wednesday, 27 May 2015 at 1:30pm

Just watched the new point break trailer and there's a distinct lack of surfing for what was originally a surf movie. Is hollywood predicting the future decline of surfing whilst waving in the new era of wingsuits?

braudulio's picture
braudulio's picture
braudulio Wednesday, 27 May 2015 at 1:54pm
carpetman wrote:

Is hollywood predicting the future decline of surfing whilst waving in the new era of wingsuits?

Sure be nice to think so!

velocityjohnno's picture
velocityjohnno's picture
velocityjohnno Thursday, 28 May 2015 at 11:53am

Good article Ignatio.

I can't speak for Ecuador, but evidence in Aussie lineups is there are more people doing it now than ever, combined with resurgence of all sorts of craft. This doesn't seem to be translating to google searches, maybe a search for 'SUP' might be in order?

There also seems to be a fragmentation of surfing into many minor niches, complete with their own social media and their own wave riding priorities.

I'm with you on pining for uncrowded lineups, do you guys get the 'Surfing is not cool / Don't do it' bumper stickers over there?

ignaciochr's picture
ignaciochr's picture
ignaciochr Wednesday, 10 Jun 2015 at 7:17am
velocityjohnno wrote:

Good article Ignatio.

I can't speak for Ecuador, but evidence in Aussie lineups is there are more people doing it now than ever, combined with resurgence of all sorts of craft. This doesn't seem to be translating to google searches, maybe a search for 'SUP' might be in order?

There also seems to be a fragmentation of surfing into many minor niches, complete with their own social media and their own wave riding priorities.

I'm with you on pining for uncrowded lineups, do you guys get the 'Surfing is not cool / Don't do it' bumper stickers over there?

haven't seen those around here yet! but then again, they'd probably have to be in spanish lol!

Roy Stuart's picture
Roy Stuart's picture
Roy Stuart Wednesday, 24 Jun 2015 at 10:25am

Let them eat cake.

Why surfers are concerned about corporate welfare is beyond me.

Shatner'sBassoon's picture
Shatner'sBassoon's picture
Shatner'sBassoon Thursday, 27 Aug 2015 at 5:17pm

I know it's a rival of sorts, but this Steve Shearer bloke gives it the thumbs up

http://beachgrit.com/2015/08/opinion-skating-is-better-than-surfing-in-e...

southey's picture
southey's picture
southey Thursday, 27 Aug 2015 at 7:09pm

Mibs is there too ....... SN is " So last week " . hehe
skating also fucks you over way harder . wrists , elbows , knees still sore .

rule303's picture
rule303's picture
rule303 Saturday, 5 Sep 2015 at 11:18pm

who cares if the surf brand dinosaurs DIE billabong is a sad brand and now quiksilver http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-09-02/quiksilver-said-to-see...

wont affect me as i do not buy their products, i buy my surf gear at lowes

kashmir's picture
kashmir's picture
kashmir Sunday, 6 Sep 2015 at 8:38am

Now for something totaly different,Perth guy is starting up a not for profit surf company/charity.When you buy boards etc you click on the charity on the website where you want your money to go.Good luck to him I'm going to buy stuff from him not the greedy fuckers.

mikehunt207's picture
mikehunt207's picture
mikehunt207 Sunday, 6 Sep 2015 at 10:44am

For many years Quicksilver and he like never gave a fuck about charging outrageous prices to poor surf stoked grommets for the latest pair of Kelly Slater underpants made by poorer kids in the 3rd world and now we have grown up and have access to better quality, cheaper lesser know brands without quickshit painted all over them boo hoo, are we ment to feel sorry for those guys? they made so much money selling out surfing to the masses , creating the crowds,exposing spots taking over our breaks to run elite contests for spoilt pro surfers and "cool reps" to swan around in the vip tent. Thank fuck for their demise I say. Headed off to kmart to buy a flanno with no logo for $7 with no guilt at all.

mikehunt207's picture
mikehunt207's picture
mikehunt207 Sunday, 6 Sep 2015 at 10:48am

I do buy top dollar 100% handmade surfboards from time to time and don,t complain about the cost at all. Hardwork and good quality is worth the extra $ and the guy who does all the work gets all the $ . Old fashioned business concept I know

tonybarber's picture
tonybarber's picture
tonybarber Sunday, 6 Sep 2015 at 5:43pm

Mikehunt...the roots of Quiksilver, billabong, rip curl were all Aussie. The board market is totally segment and you can see these guys are into into that hardware much, if at all. Same goes for FCS and others.
Where do reckon your Kmart shirt is made ?

mikehunt207's picture
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mikehunt207 Sunday, 6 Sep 2015 at 6:47pm

Same place as the $100 quickbong but $93 bucks cheaper. and I dont have to walk around with a big label plastered across my chest or back (leave that to the guys who get paid to do it and get their clothes for free) It has been a longtime since the roots guys had anything to do with those companies anyhow( since they went public and international pretty much). Dont use fcs or futures just glass ons, mostly laid up and foiled by same guy making the boards