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NEWS- Nathan Flecther joins Quiksilver: Nathan Fletcher has joined the Quiksilver Pro Team. Nathan is one of the most progressive surfers on the planet, experimenting with moves that others only dream about. Raised in San Clemente, CA, Nathan brings an insane well-rounded boarding approach to the team. Whereas most guys are good at one discipline, Nathan kills it at surfing, snowboarding, skateboarding, photography, and art. You name it; he will excel at it. You may have seen him recently boosting at the airshow event down at Trestles or going off in Biarritz, France at the Quik Cup surf and snowboard crossover event. As the son of surfing legend Herbie Fletcher and Dibi (Hoffman) Fletcher (the Hoffmans are also a legacy surf family) as well the brother of crossover aerialist Christian Fletcher, Nathan hails from a great bloodline that lives and breathes the surfing lifestyle. Look for Nathan to be ripping some kind of board at a spot near you and keep an eye out for his devilishly handsome mug in the July issue of FHM, Spin and ESPN magazines. Tony Hawk joins Quiksilver: Tony Hawk, the most famous skateboarder on the planet, has joined the Quiksilver team. Again, in case you missed it: The one and only Tony Hawk has joined the Quiksilver team. More popular than a Russian mail order bride at a male over 40 singles convention, Tony Hawk, the premiere vert skateboarder in the world and inventor of over 200 skateboard tricks is now riding the ramps of the world with Quiksilver clothing on his back. The Quiksilver family welcomes Tony and is stoked to have him representing the mountain and wave in the burgeoning skate world. For more info on Tony check out clubtonyhawk.com EVENTS- Quiksilver Pro Figi: The Quiksilver Pro Fiji was on from May 23rd to June 2nd and the ASP top 44 converged on the island of Tavarua to charge the world famous left- hand barrel known as Cloudbreak. Following in the wake of yet another Slater WCT victory at Teahupoo, this event will increase the drama as Sunny Garcia tries to retain his lead in an effort to win his first ASP World Title, Occy attempts to prove last year’s championship was not a fluke and Matia Wonga tries to win one for the Fijian locals. In what is proving to be a truly benchmark year for professional surfing, bluetorch.com will be conducting its fifth live surfing event webcast. Quiksilver is sponsoring the webcast that will provide you with near real-time transmission of the heats, the latest contest results and busloads of additional information about the event, the personalities and the culture you never even dreamed about. So click on over to bluetorch.com and experience today’s surf news TODAY! After the competition Luke Egan interviewed at the Tavarua poolside bar within an hour of having just won the Quiksilver Pro Fiji 2000. By Jamie Brisick JB: Beautiful waves, barreled off your nut, winning the bloomin’ Quiksilver Pro Fiji 2000!—how do you feel? LE: So stoked. Stoked! I had an amazing heat, it was almost eerie the heat I had with Occ, and he’s one of my best mates… Just to have a heat like that’s special but to have it with a good friend is really special. JB: Matt Hoy, who caddied for both you guys, was calling it the best heat he’s ever seen in his life. LE: It was probably one of the best heats I’ve ever surfed, too. It’s not very often in our events that people need 8s four or five times a heat and they’re getting ‘em… Like, a lot of people nearly give up when they need an 8-plus, y’know. And I think it was like five exchanges where we needed from 7 to 10 points, and every wave was above that score and… that’s what makes those heats really special. JB: How was the final? LE: In the final the wind came up, it was a little bit disappointing…I had a feeling it was going to be hard to ride the tube before I went out—I spoke to Occ about it—I had to go and do turns and just treat it as a heat. I just tried to get good back-ups in between when the sets were going to come and choose the right times to go and get 5s and stuff. And that was my plan and it worked. JB: How would you describe the entire event? LE: It was good. The event was great. I was a little worried when we didn’t finish the event on the first swell ‘cause this place can get really fickle; there’s only a small window to get excellent waves like we had in the beginning of the week. The worse the waves get, the more the luck comes into it. So the better the waves, the less luck, I think, and I was surprised. I paddled out this morning, I took a short board and it was too small and I was going, like "Yeah, this is good. My short board’s too small. We’re going to have a bit of a day on our hands…" And so we did. JB: We certainly did. Congratulations, Luke. LE: Thanks. Official Results of Quiksilver Pro Fiji 2000 1st L Egan (Aus) US$15,000 2nd G Herdy (Brz) US$8,000 =3 CJ Hobgood (USA); C Lopez (USA) US$4,000 =5th T Prestage (Aus); S Dorian (Haw); T Brooks (Aus); M Occhilupo (Aus) US$3,000 Current ASP Ratings after Quiksilver Pro Fiji 2000 (Top 10) 1st S Garcia (Haw) 3000-points 2nd L Egan (Aus) 2620 3rd C Lopez (USA) 2340 =4th F Padaratz (Brz); Taj Burrow (Aus) 2260 6th G Herdy (Brz) 2160 7th M Occhilupo (Aus) 2140 8th S Dorian (Haw) 2110 9th L Hitchings (Aus) 2080 10th M Campbell (Aus); S Beschen (USA) 1910 Costa Rica 2k: Hotel Terraza del Pacifico and Quiksilver proudly present the 2nd annual International Surfing Tournament from June 23rd to the 25th Quiksilver and Hotel Terraza del Pacifico proudly present the 2nd annual International Surfing Tournament from June 23rd to the 25th in Costa Rica. The event will take place at Playa Hermosa along the Pacific west coast of the country- a punchy beach break known for breaking boards and bodies. Day and night surfing will be included in the contest format thanks to the Hotel’s night-lights made specifically for nighttime surfing. The north end of the beach saw some sick stand up tubes last year- so if you’re planning on heading down that way- this is the time and season to do it. Quiksilver will be sending an insane team consisting of Strider, Todd Morcom, Magnum Martinez, Otto Flores, Dave Giddings and Jeff Booth. Todd Kline, Matt Kechele, MJ Marsh and Ken Kozak will also be hitting up Playa Hermosa as their last stop on a 2 week long photo shoot- expect to see the three of them going toe-to-toe with the rest of the gang. The contest features the largest total prize money ever for an event in Costa Rica ($20,000 total, $7,000- first place). Last year Quiksilver’s own Ben Bourgeois walked away with $4000 in twenty dollar bills while Strider took second and headed down to Pavones with his loot. This year’s first place purse of $7000 promises to keep the competitors fired up. For more details or to sign up for the event check out: www.terraza-del- pacifico.com/contests Cosmic Creek Challenge 2k: On April 15th & 16th Salt Creek Beach experienced a cosmic 1970's weekend with a little touch of new millennium Hollywood in this year’s Quiksilver Cosmic Creek Challenge 2 (CCC2). The Creek was blessed with two beautiful sunny beach days, 2 to 3 foot surf off the point, and a well-run groovy contest with all that attended going home happy. The twist to the Cosmic Creek event is that those who enter ride surfboards built between 1970 and 1982, both single fins and twin fins. It is encouraged to add some 70's flair to the competitors' surfing and attire, as well. Think Donovan Frankenreiter and beaver tail wetsuits. The day was made extra special not only by the surprise appearance by Slates and his decision to get all cosmic, but also by the fact that he brought Pam and the kids down for a little family beach day. There were six divisions all competing for cosmic trophies or cold hard cash: In the Legends Division, Buttons ripped to a fourth place finish, Quiksilver's very own Danny "DK" Kwock showed the beach how it was done back in the original Echo Beach years and finished third, Herbie Fletcher side-slipped to second place, and Billabong USA headman Paul Naude went mental to capture first place in the CCC2. In the Pro Division, it was a hotly contested Sunday with some of the top pros in the world showing up to get all cosmic. Finishing fourth was Quiksilver's Jeff "Boothy" Booth. Boothy surfed insane all weekend, but was dogged by the champ in the final. Noah Budroe ripped to third place in an attempt to defend his CCC 1 title, and in a close final of cosmic style versus modern style, Donovan Frankenreiter was barely defeated by six-time World Champ Kelly Slater. Both ripped in their unique way, but Slater got the wave of the day at the end of the final and sealed it. Groove Masters – 35 and Over 1st Place – Perry Abedor 2nd Place – Lawrence Quigley 3rd Place – Christian Banks 4th Place – Mike Finney Rocket Men – 25-35 1st Place – Tristrum Miller 2nd Place – Steve Chew (Slydawg) 3rd Place – Jonny Monson 4th Place – Perry Abedor Junior Space Cadets – 16-24 1st Place – Todd Moorhead 2nd Place – Tyler Moorhead 3rd Place – Schooner Vermylian 4th Place – Tim Young Gremlins – 15 & Under 1st Place – Pat Ryan 2nd Place – Charlie McMahon 3rd Place – Matt Smith 4th Place – Kyle Jaimerena The Crossing: The Quiksilver Crossing is a voyage of surfing discovery on board the surf exploration vessel, the Indies Trader. The Indies Trader is a 75-foot diving and survey vessel constructed of steel with an aluminum wheelhouse. It weighs 95 tons and has a cruising speed of eight knots. It was originally built in Brisbane, Australia, in 1972 and was rebuilt in Singapore in 1992. In 1999 it was specifically customized for Quiksilver and the Crossing and has been painted with a Polynesian motif. The boat left Papua New Guinea in March 1999 and has journeyed east across the South Pacific. During this trip scientific data is being collected on isolated reefs and being collated for the United Nations-sanctioned Reef Check program. Along with these reef checks, another important aspect of the Crossing is to increase and create respect for, and interaction with, local cultures. The usual makeup of a trip is four surfers, one marine biologist, a stills photographer and a cinematographer. Often, a writer is on board, or else another stills photographer or surfer fill the spot. More than 50 people have been on the voyage and they have discovered 26 new surfing spots, many first- class. The boat has traveled more than 8,000 nautical miles since March 1999. The primary aim of the Crossing is to explore new regions and to avoid populated surfing areas as much as possible. Everyone connected with the project respects keeping known and unknown surf spots a mystery. Upon boarding the Indies Trader, all passengers must sign a confidentiality agreement not to disclose locations. This project was not designed to reveal new surf spots. By nature, surfers travel to explore and find new surfing areas. At Quiksilver we are passionate about surfing and we would like to see more areas around the world preserved primarily for surfing. Surfing can be a low-impact activity as opposed to other activities like extractive fishing, using dynamite and cyanide poisoning (which is short-term gain and obviously destructive), or overwhelming tourism which has little or no regard for the local people and environment. With the Crossing we hope to contribute to environmentally friendly and sustainable practices in regards to surfing in locations which are basically pristine. To do this, we have to start with a baseline of knowledge. At Quiksilver we don't pretend to have all the answers but by making berths available on the Crossing for marine biologists and other scientists, we are endeavoring to increase the knowledge of the intrinsic value of the various locations so they can be preserved for future generations. Surf Camp: For the third consecutive spring and summer, Quiksilver will run East Coast Surf Camps during 2000. These camps include surf lessons for beginners, intermediate and advanced levels. Each camp is hosted and run by East Coast surf legend, former 1992 ASPE Champion and veteran world tour member, Matt Kechele. Kechele, who is the Quiksilver East Coast Promotions manager, works with Jason Borte, also a former ASPE Champion, and Kenny Kozack, an East Coast pro and Quiksilver team rider, to make these camps a success. They bring the expertise and knowledge that only true surfers and watermen can bring. What Kechele likes to call "Surfing 101" teaches lessons on paddling, standing, wave knowledge, tides and rip currents, complete ocean safety and choosing the proper equipment. Kechele comments, "These surf camps have been an overwhelming success. It's very gratifying to give something back to the sport. It's even more gratifying to see all the kids with huge smiles at the end of the day. The camps give the kids a head start, and a true Quiksilver experience! We try to target areas on the East Coast where we feel we'll draw a lot of interest." It's obviously working. Last year Matt and his team taught almost 1000 kids how to surf. Sign-ups for the camps are posted at key Quiksilver dealers/accounts in the respective areas. The camps are free to anyone signing up over the age of 8 but limited to 80 kids per camp- so it is first-come-first-serve. Keep an eye out for a Quiksilver camp coming to your area. The first two camps will take place on May 25th at IndiaAtlantic Boardwalk, Florida (all girls Roxy camp) and on June 3rd at Wrightsville Beach North Carolina (co-ed). Further camp dates will be posted at your local surf shop. Get out there and find out what all the hype is about- and meet some true surfing legends while you're at it. HISTORY- Back in the Stone Age when some unknown carved a board, specifically to ride a wave, the foundation for contemporary boardsports was established. The activity came to Hawaii 1500 years ago with the arrival of the first Polynesians. In the post European contact period, authors Jack London and Mark Twain were early enthusiasts. Acceptance of surfing was greatly expanded through the exploits of Hawaiian waterman Duke Kahanamoku. Duke, the swimming sensation of the 1912 Olympic games, toured the world enthusiastically promoting his native culture. In the process Duke introduced surfing to Australia, the eastern US coast, as well as many of Hollywood's top personalities. By the 1920’s there were approximately three hundred dedicated wave riders in the world. World War II curtailed the growth of the emerging surf scene. Soon after the war, newly developed materials such as Styrofoam, polyester resin and fiberglass cloth found their way into surfboard construction. Enterprising veterans such as Dale Velzy and Malibu’s Joe Quigg began to craft boards that were radical departures from the old pre-war planks. These easy to ride boards opened up the once exclusive sport to legions of enthusiasts. Hollywood discovered the one-time sport of Hawaiian Kings and a full-blown fad exploded. Gidget, the 1959 motion picture, prompted commercialism. Surf mania ran rampant. Kids in Kansas began bolting surfboards to their car tops in an effort to appear cool. Fads and function operate on different paradigms. Looking like a surfer is not the same thing as being a surfer. In the beginning those who rode the waves wore nothing at all. By the start of the twentieth century, surfers attempted to adapt extant surf bathing attire to their own use. From Santa Cruz to Sydney surfers fought a losing battle with the heavy woolen tank suits that were originally intended for a passive dunk at the plunge. In Hawaii "da bruddahs" cut off the tops of their woolens, forever voiding the best intentions of the Victorian moralists. Back in the 1930’, early surf proponents like Palos Verdes Surf Club founder, Doc Ball, fashioned their own trunks in the effort to discover a workable garment. For the most part though, conventional clothing manufacturers turned out thinly disguised versions of the ubiquitous swim trunk. By the sixties, surf chic was a cultural phenomenon. Carloads of guys wearing suits and wing-tipped dress shoes showed up on the sands of Malibu on research and destroy missions. The clever marketers from the garment district even tried the protective camouflage- celebrity model approach. Blatant examples of this were evident in the surf crazed 1960’s. Jantzen went with frontmen Paul Hornung of the Green Bay Packers, John Severson, the publisher of Surfer Magazine and United States Surfing Champion Corky Carroll. MacGregor used board manu Hobie Alter as a pitchman. Catalina Martin sponsored the Malibu Surfing Association, the Wind an Sea Club. Catalina went so far as to partially underwrite the Blum brothers’ movie The Fantastic Plastic Machine chronicling the emergent V- bottom short board revolution in Australia. A few years later, indigenous root brands came to market: Hang Ten, Birdwell Beach Britches, Golden Breed, Kanvas by Katin, Reed of Newport and Roy's Beach Cabana. By and large these products imitated the garments favored by traveling surfers that were made by small Hawaiian boutique tailors like M. Nii of Waianae, Taki of Waikiki , H. Muira and Reyn Spooner. These trunks were constructed of stiff heavy canvas and were totally restrictive to movement. The fact was surf trunks were not designed for the act of surfing. Ostensibly these Baggies may have been passable gear back in the stand and pose phase of the sport. Board lengths and weights dropped dramatically towards the end of the sixties. This dawn of newer directions in surfing under scored how archaic these stiff bathing suit relics actually were. Instead of riding on the waves in the old hopelessly heroic straight-line style, people were now actively traveling all over the wave’s surface in agile anarchy. Progressive moves like acceleration turning, riding inside of the barrel and flying off of the lip obviously demanded equally modern boardshorts. Alan Green and John Law, two surfers from down under, ripped apart some old trunks and discarded the portions that they deemed unnecessary or undesirable. Gone was the leaden canvas, the lace up front, the long stovepipe legs, the double thick seams and buttons that hurt when you paddled. Nothing of the old was left so they started from scratch. A pattern that was anatomically based was devised to move with the surfer. Green and Law’s innovative trunk was made from a durable, lightweight fabric that dried rapidly. Their boardshorts had short scalloped legs that didn’t bind or hang up. The styling was essentially clean. A wide waistband yielded support. They designed a snap that held and placed it so a bloke could paddle. There were no decorative add-ons. There was a wax pocket, a lay flat Velcro front closure and that was about it. So Green and Law put them on and went surfing. Hard at it, all day every day. People notice what works. They also pay attention to individuals who devote years to chasing a dream. Soon other riders would do anything to get one of these elusive newfangled boardshorts. This was the birth of Quiksilver, the genuine, original, functional choice of the hard core participant. Leading the beg, borrow and steal a pair brigade, was the foremost competitor of the decade Jeff Hakman. Personally trained by the Duke, he understood both the history of the activity and the scope of greatness. Tutored by the legendary surfboard shaper Richard Brewer he had an immediate grasp of functional design. Above all, as one of the key players in the radicalization of surfing itself, Hakman knew the future when he saw it. In Torquay, Oz for a contest, Jeff got one of those glimpses. Quiksilver boardshorts. With a little chicanery Jeff managed to abscond with some that he forgot to return to his mate, Australian pro Mark Warren. They were a perfect fit and everywhere Hakman toured people were mad to possess them. Back home in Hawaii, Jeff enlisted the aid of his houseguest Bob “Buzz” McKnight a surf film maker who just happened to be close to graduating from the University of Southern California with a business degree. The demand for these new boardshorts was there. The design was there. Everyone who wore them said these Quiksilver’s were the most comfortable trunks that they had ever worn. Bob, in addition to surfing everyday, was a business major. How can you fail with a combination like that, Hakman reasoned. With his usual persistence, Jeff managed to persuade Green and Law to grant Bob and himself the American license to the magic boardshort. No recounting of the annals of the sport fails to include the torrid tale of the eager to impress Hakman actually eating the serving doily off of the dinner table at the Quiet Woman restaurant much to the delight of Greenie. A great partnership had begun. By the mid-1970’s, a small office/warehouse/distribution center was opened in Newport Beach, California. McKnight and Hakman built a business based on word of mouth, quality, unbelievable service and their extensive personal contacts at surf shops on all three coasts of the USA. Growing a company that produces a never seen before product category is a difficult way to go. The partners were hard at it product testing in the water, designing at the sewing machines and selling to the surf shops. Leading converts from surfing’s new school like Danny Kwock came on board. The firm’s constant innovation in materials, high tech fabrics and cutting edge graphics helped propel Quiksilver further. Involvement in assorted extremist boarding activities lead to the creation of newer designs for these varied avocations. Novel apparel for committed Snowboarders, Skiers, Skateboarders, Wakeboarders and Windsurfers led to additional expansion. The Quiksilver program is universally recognized as the embodiment of purist improvisation and innovation. Quiksilver’s position of leadership in the international teen and young adult markets is undeniable. Quiksilver was instrumental in stimulating the current growth in women’s boardsports participation. The introduction of the Roxy junior swim and sportswear company in 1993 inspired major trends in the activity. Roxy was the first company to create functional, yet fashion driven clothing and equipment for both the would- be and accomplished female surfer. The unique style of Roxy’s performance-inspired design has been widely imitated throughout the fashion industry. Long before the bastions of mainstream news reporting began charting the company’s progress, there was an elemental approach at work within Quiksilver unique to the company. Following Quiksilver’s initial stock offering in 1986, there has been a continual interest in the company’s activities. Many of these narratives center on the organization’s notable accomplishments: the over three million dollar per year gross sales and a unique prominence in the growing US teen market, which has over one hundred billion dollars of discretionary spending power each year in the US alone. So why does CEO and chairman of the board Robert B. McKnight Jr. insist that key management repeatedly meet on field trips and indulge the pursuits of gravity before they sit down to meet? First and foremost Quiksilver’s products are created out of need. Whatever success they will enjoy is always secondary to that point. From Alan and John’s first pair of boardshorts through the aggressive new imagery of the Echo Beach period of the Eighties, down to anything in the line today, this is authentic performance gear. The point is that Quik stuff works so well because the people who design, make and sell it demand that it excel. This is why board meetings may be scheduled on European slopes, a ship off the coast of Java or a lake in Arizona. Quiksilver employees are a vital part of all research and development. They are the end user; everything they do is designed for them. There are no corporate marketing mission statements, trend- marketing surveys or fashion forecasts anywhere near it. Simple logic is, just create the best, most functional items imaginable and then work it. A survey of current Quiksilver employees will reveal an impressive number of former world, national, state and pro competitive title winners in surfing, sailboarding, snowboarding, wakeboarding and skateboarding. You don't find this coefficient of reality elsewhere. The Quiksilver style is rooted in the activity. Proof of the viability of Quiksilver's passionate approach can be found in its continued support of athletes such as six-time world professional surfing champion Kelly Slater and women’s four- time world professional surfing champion Lisa Andersen. Affiliates often take their association with the company further. Rusty Keaulana, in addition to being a three-time world longboard champion, works with disadvantaged children in the Hawaiian community. Two-time world champion Tom Carroll develops prototype equipment in Australia. Ten- time international windsurfing champion Robby Naish is involved with European operations. Legendary waterman Barry Kanaiaupuni and six-time world professional surfing champion Kelly Slater own Quiksilver Boardriders Clubs. Bruce Raymond, an Australian surfing champion, is the International Director of Marketing. Founding figure and multiple International Pro Champion Jeff Hakman still works daily in concert with Harry Hodge in France. Former United States surfing champion Willy Morris is a sales rep in California. Quiksilver also sponsors a healthy number of surf teams, snowboard teams and a diverse selection of skateboarders, sailboarders, wakeboarders and motocross riders. The company also organizes and sponsors numerous contests and events ranging in scope from premiere international events to small community based efforts that its riders and dealers may be involved with. The events created by Quiksilver may prove to be one of the company's most compellingl legacies. The choice of location, selection of invitees, method of judging, the style, look and promotion are all variables that are fine tuned in the making of a Quik event. A number of these projects have influenced the development of the extreme sports milieu. A selection of these influential events includes: The Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational Series at Waimea Bay; The ground-breaking 1995 Quiksilver Pro at G-Land, Indonesia, that put hardcore credibility back into professional surfing events (the best surfers in the best waves); The World Amateur Surfing Championships at Newquay England, 1986; The Quiksilver Snowboarding and Surfing Cup in Europe; The Quiksilver Roxy Pro at Sunset Beach, North Shore, Oahu; The Quiksilver Winter Classic Surf/Snow Event; The Quiksilver Mavericks Big Wave Event; The Roxy Surf Jam at Hanalei and Ventura, The Silver Edition Molokai to Oahu Paddleboard Race. These pioneering events have firmly established Quiksilver as the authentic leader in the extreme sports market. Another unique Quiksilver involvement is a series of innovative concept stores and shops, which have greatly improved both brand recognition and distribution standards. Quiksilver Boardriders Clubs and in- store shops, Quiksvilles and Roxyvilles, have become key retail models around the world. Presently, there are one hundred and twenty four Quiksilver Boardriders Clubs globally including twenty in the United States. Trend setting in both their concept and execution, they are definitive presentations of the Quiksilver ethic. Flagship stores in Paris, London and New York are often mentioned by the fashion and business press as examples of truly entertaining retail concepts. Today, Quiksilver offers a diverse line of products under its umbrella including a complete clothing collection, accessories, eyewear, watches, and wetsuits. A similar offering for boys ages 8-14 years old, 4-7 years old and toddlers. The Winter Sports division is emerging with snowboarding apparel and hard goods designed for high performance enthusiasts. To further expand the division, in 1997, Quiksilver acquired Mervin, a snowboard manufacturing company that makes Gnu and Lib Tech snowboards and Bent Metal step in bindings. Quiksilver Silver Edition is a line of clothing targeting the now 30-50 year old waterman. Girl’s lines including Roxy, Raisins, Radio Fiji, and Leilani swimwear are stronger than ever. Quiksilver has become far more than just a fashion apparel company. It is a company with deep roots in the history of the demanding outdoor sports lifestyle. Quiksilver, now a truly global brand, remains a pioneering force in the most original of all sports: surfing. Brad Smith __________________________________________________ Thank you for visiting Quiksilver. Any questions or comments? If so, please e-mail me at basmith@CGOcable.net, and I will try to get back to you as soon as possible. Best Regards,

Brad Smith (Webpage Author)

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