Guilhem Rainfray of Guethary Surfboards, France


  Surfwear

A decade ago (1999) an article written by Greg Hardesty of the Orange County Register recounting the beginning of Surfwear as we know it today.

It’s the little black dress of a booming industry, its heart and soul-the important garment and really the only one a surfer will ever need. It’s been one of the few constants in the $1.8 billion surfwear business that sprung up out of tiny Hawaiian storefront and is centered in Orange County.

You’re got your surfboard. Now all you need are surfing trunks-minimal requirements, dude, for a Zen-like experience in the water. The surfing trunks, a modest but irreplaceable piece of clothing, have evolved from the loincloth of a century ago to today’s high-tech creations fashioned from polyester microfibers.

There’s even a Velcro-less fly version for women. But through its history, the surfing trunks essentially have remained a pair of shorts. “Like they say about surfboards, (trunks) all work,” says industry patriarch Walter Hoffman, whose Hoffman Fabrics in Mission Viejo has been designing and producing Hawaiian prints for 75 years.

Quiksilver, Billabong, Ocean Pacific. All the industry leaders started with trunks. I’ve always thought that if you can’t make a good pair of trunks, then you can’t be in the business, “ says Peter Townend, marketing director at Rusty Apparel in Irvine.

Trunks account for only a portion of surfwear sales these days-the “après surf” offering of shirts and jean are the big money. But any manufacturer worth its salt must produce quality trunks with function in mind-long in length, for example, to protect thighs from “ wax rash,” and with holes in the pockets to drain water-today’s surfing trunks are more of a fashion item driven by function.

There is Rusty’s line of trunks featuring “slider technology,” fancy words for shoe-like lacing instead of bulky grommets. And Gotcha has just come out with mesh-net trunks-a trendy statement if ever there was one. Should we mention Katin’s Waterman System Trunk, the first to retail for $100?

The super-heavyweight nylon trunks come with a compass to check the optimum angle of swells on unfamiliar beaches; a waterproof nylon safari hat; a small watertight storage container; sunscreen; and a strap on the back to stash booties. “ More than anything, I’m amazed by how trunks have become fashionable,” says Duke Boyd, who founded the seminal Hang Ten brand in 1961. “They evolved into walking shorts.”

There’s a reason trunks are fashionable: The average consumer (nonsurfer) prefers fashion over function. And surfing trunks have gone mainstream, available to kids nationwide through such stores as Mervyn’s and Target. Youngsters in Kansas and Minnesota may never surf, but they sure want to look like they do.

The chronological sequence is a approximation and the individuals maybe part of an earlier or later time period.

Circa 1900

Hawaiian men wore “malo”  (loincloth) when they went surfing at Waikiki. In the pre-malo era, surfers went buck naked. At the turn of the 20^th Century pioneering wave riders like Hawaiian George Freeth began wearing wool surfing outfits-some nearly full body.

1920’s

It is mention that mainland surfer Tom Blake becomes the first “haole” (white person) to travel to Hawaii to surf. But there were a few unknowns that went to Hawaii and surfed before Tom. But during the time of Tom Blake’s first visit, custom made trunks for the Outrigger Canoe Club had become popular.

1935

Hawaiian surfing legend Duke Kahanamoku wears high-waisted, lace-up trunks on the beach in front of the Moana Hotel at Waikiki Beach, Oahu. His shorts are an example of the Outrigger Canoe Club-styles trunks.

1940’s

M Nii Taylor, a Filipino-run tailoring shop, begins making Makaha trunks that later become favorites of celebrity surfers such as Richard Boone and Peter Lawford, and Lawford’s buddy, President John F. Kennedy

Early 1950’s

H. Miura store, located on the North Shore  of Oahu, becomes a surfer favorite for custom made trunks. Surfers walk into the store, get measured and pick up the trunks a few days later,  just like they do to this day.

Late 1950’s

In Newport Beach, the wife of a lifeguard, Mrs. Reed, begins making a eponymous line of trunks. She is one of several seamstresses making custom trunks out their homes along the California coast.

Early 1960’s

Brands like Jantzen, a Portland, Oregon powerhouse and Catalina catch fire. Jantzen becomes the first manufacturer to ink an endorsement deal with a surfer, Ricky Grigg.

Joyce Hoffman is the first female surfer to get an endorsement deal.

1961

Carrie Mann (born Carrie Birdwell) founds Birdwell Beach Britches in Santa Ana. Today, the family-run company with the cult-like following distributes worldwide, specializing in canvas and nylon trunks for lifeguards, the Coast Guard and the National Park Service. The company never veered from its original pattern, which features lacing with grommets.

1961

Seminal brand Hang Ten debuts in Long Beach. The brainchild of Duke Boyd, Hang Ten will zoom to the heights of popularity over the next several years, becoming one of the first companies to mass market trunks through surfing shops and men’s stores, and becoming the first manufacturer to use nylon fabrics. Hang Ten’s collection for fall 1964 was marketed under the slogan, ”The Year of the Angry Young Surfer”

1964

Surfing documentary “The Endless Summer” opens, permanently searing the image of surfers and their trunks into the minds of millions. The brand Sundrek, made on the East Coast, explodes onto the scene, and Jams becomes one of the first lines to feature bright colors in longer styles.

1972

Ocean Pacific Sunwear debuts, marking the start of a run that will take Op, to the top of the industry.

1974

Duke Boyd is back with a new label, Lightning Bolt, surfer du jour Gerry Lopez, known for mastering Hawaii’s much-feared Pipeline, ignites the brand as a top devotee.

Early 1980’s

Maui & Sons make a splash with day glo trunks, as New Wave designs hit the beach.

1982

Gotcha, founded in 1979 by South African imports Michael Tomson and Joel Cooper, is by now a major trendsetter. Gotcha satin and nylon Utility trunks are the first to feature a shaped waistband modeled after jeans, in which the front hangs lower than the front.

Late 1980’s

Australian import Billabong makes it big with a shimmering rainbow style trunk. Billabong claws its way near the top of the surfwear hierarchy.

1993

Quiksilver creates the Roxy line, featuring the first board short for women.

1998

Katin comes out with the first surfing trunks that retail for $100.

1999

Companies like Rusty boast of the latest innovations. Rusty’s “slider” fastening technology takes a cue from lace on sneakers. New players Hurley International creates a Velcro-less fly for women’s board shorts.  And Gotcha gets wacky with mesh-net trunks and a loud offering. “The Grand Master,” tha’s based on a painting by Botticelli.

Since the 21 Century