Rip Curl is an Australian designer, manufacturer, and retailer of surfing sportswear (also known as boardwear) and accompanying products, and a major athletic sponsor. Rip Curl has become one of the largest surfing companies in Australia, Europe, South America, North America and South Africa. Globally, Rip Curl is considered a successful member of the "Big Three", of the surf industry alongside Quiksilver and Billabong.[1][2]
Rip Curl is now present in several areas of board sports, including skateboarding/surfskating, freestyle skiing, snowboarding and wakeboarding. Some events in these other disciplines include the Rip Curl SurfSkate Festival, Rip Curl Wake, Skate and Music Festival, Rip Curl City Slam (skateboarding) and the Rip Curl World Heli Challenge (freestyle skiing and snowboarding).
History
"The name 'Rip Curl' was taken from a vee-bottom surfboard that co-founder Warbrick bought in 1968, upon which he'd written 'Rip Curl Hot Dog.' The words didn't mean anything, he later admitted. 'Except ripping was groovy; surfing the curl was groovy; we wanted to be groovy – so that was it.'"