Skateboard company (DC Shoes)

DC Shoes is an American company that specializes in footwear for action sports, including skateboarding and snowboarding. The company also manufactures apparel, bags, accessories, hats, shirts, and posters.

History
       The company was founded in June 1994 by Damon Way and Ken Block, and was originally based in Carlsbad, CA, is now based in Huntington Beach, California, United States (US). DC originally stood for "Droors Clothing", but since the sale of Droors Clothing (which is now defunct), DC no longer has ties to Droors and is simply DC Shoes, Inc.

On March 8, 2004, DC Shoes was acquired by Quiksilver in an US$87 million transaction. In 2010, DC Shoes moved from Vista, California, to Quiksilver's headquarters in Huntington Beach.

A video entitled Skateboarding Is Forever was released online in 2010 and featured parts from the amateur DC skateboard team at the time: Marquise Henry, Matt Miller, Wes Kremer, Evan Smith, and Greg Myers. Apart from Myers and Henry, all of the skateboarders from the video remain sponsored by the company in 2013, and have since attained professional status (Myers was arrested following a carjacking incident in October 2012).

In 2011 the brand underwent a rejuvenation process that included the design of a new flag logo. As part of this process, new skateboard team announcements were progressively made and a series of advertisements, under the direction of new team member Steve Berra, were released online. The other new team announcements were Mikey Taylor, Mike Mo Capaldi, Nyjah Huston, Chris Cole, and Davis Torgerson. Felipe Gustavo was introduced at a later stage.

A further progression of the brand relaunch was the "Rediscover" campaign that commenced in December 2011, following the addition of Capaldi and Huston to the skateboard team. The campaign is entitled "Rediscover DC" and the launch signified the first time that the entire DC team had been brought together in nearly a decade.

In the first half of 2013, the promotion of new team members continued as Capaldi ("Mike Mo S"), Kremer ("Wes Kremer Pro"), and Huston released signature shoe models. On the final night of May 2013, a launch event was held at the Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles, California, U.S. for the first signature model skate shoe of Huston's career, with Pete Rock in the role of DJ. The model is named the "Nyjah Huston Signature Shoe" and the promotional advertisement features Huston executing a trick at set of stairs at Hollywood High School in Los Angeles, U.S.

Skateboard company (Cliché Skateboard)

Cliché Skateboard is a skateboard company based in Lyon, France and distributed by the American company Dwindle Distribution.

History
       The company was established in 1997 by French professional skateboarder Jeremie Daclin and initially found a niche sponsoring European professional skateboarders. Already a well known local skater in Lyon, Daclin decided to produce equipment to suit the styles of his friends and fellow Lyonnais. Daclin explained in 2012 that he had been travelling a lot as a professional skateboarder and, after filming a video with the American company New Deal, he moved to the Deathbox team (now Flip Skateboards) to be involved with a brand that was more local. However, Deathbox then relocated to the US and Daclin declined the invitation to join the move, stating that he would try to develop his own brand in France. Daclin's vision for Cliché was based on three elements: photography, Europe and all types of skateboarding.

Former Australian professional skateboarder Al Boglio was recruited by Daclin as a "right-hand man" after the brand achieved initial success. Eric Frenay was recruited by Daclin as the brand's Creative Director and Frenay explained his history with Daclin in a 2012 interview: "Being in Lyon, I knew Jeremie [Daclin] for a long time and he was kind of, we called him "The Master" at the time because he was so good, you know, the European Championship and everything. Then he opened up All Access [skateboard shop] ... when he launched Cliché it was like a big, big bet."

The first Cliché video Europa was released in 2000 and featured Spanish skateboarder Javier Mendizabel and French skateboarder JJ Rousseau. French professional skateboarder Lucas Puig, who was unable to speak English during his early years with the company, then joined the team through Rousseau. Puig was 14 years of age when he first joined the team on a tour Daclin started sending him skateboard decks after the tour and later officially recruited Puig. Cliché was purchased by the France-based Salomon Group in 2001.

Cale Nuske was the company's first Australian skateboarder and he joined the team after the release of the Europa video. Nuske's initial video footage formed the opening part in the 2003 Bon Appetit video and he was named by SLAM magazine as the 2004 Australian "Skater of the Year". Another Australian, Andrew Brophy, was later sponsored by the company in 2005, when he was 19 years of age, and he also won the SLAM award in 2009. Brophy explained in October 2013 that his early period with the brand was affected by his partying lifestyle in London, UK, but he attained greater focus after a conversation with Boglio. Also in 2005, the company's first-ever American team member, Joey Brezinski, began his relationship with Cliché.

Salomon Group became part of Amer Sports International in 2005. In 2009, US-based Dwindle Distribution purchased the company from the Salomon Group, with Cliché representatives acknowledging that the brand had been a difficult fit with the snow boarding-focused Amer Sports.

In the lead-up period prior to the April 2013 release of the Bon Voyage video, skateboard videographer Manolo published a compilation, entitled "JB Gillet Manolo's Mixtape for Cliché", for Cliché team member JB Gillet. The worldwide premiere of the Bon Voyage video was held in Los Angeles, U.S. and Daniel Espinoza was surprised by the company, as he was informed of his professional status at the event. The French premiere of the video, in Lyon, also consisted of a surprise announcement, as Flo Mirtain received his debut professional skateboard at the event that symbolized his promotion into the company's professional ranks. The video was directed by Boris Proust, and was produced by Daclin, Al Boglio, and Eric Frenay.

Cliche rider Sammy Winter was assigned professional status at the end of October 2013. A video was published on the Internet to announce the promotion and the artwork on Winter's inaugural signature skateboard deck was created by prominent skateboard artist Marc McKee. Thai-German team rider Lem Villamen was assigned professional status in early April 2014 and a Thrasher magazine video part was published on April 4 to coincide with his transition. At the time that Villamen filmed the part, he was unaware that it would be used to launch his professional status.

As of October 2013, Cliché is managed by Daclin and Boglio. In December 2012, the company remained based in Lyon and Mendizabel was the longest serving team member.


Guest boards
       In February 2011, the French company released a guest board for skateboarding pioneer Mark Gonzales, who had previously lived for a year with Daclin in Lyon, and an accompanying video was also published. The model appeared in the spring 2011 Cliché product catalogue.

Cliché released a Tas Pappas "guest board" in January 2013, with graphics by McKee. The design is set to be representative of Pappas' life and new outlook, with a deity figure reaching down and exalting Pappas from a burning environment in which items such as handcuffs and a syringe are present. Footage of Pappas, skateboarding primarily at the Prahran ramp in Melbourne, Australia, accompanied the release of the product. Morgan Campbell, online content manager for Skateboarding Australia, the country's government-funded peak body, 

stated:

Tas has truly put the board into orbit with this stupendous video part which contains some of the best vert skating we have seen from anyone in eons. The graphic was done by Mr Marc Mckee, so you can be sure that collectors snap it up all over the globe. So good to see you back in the skies above Prahran Tas. The clip is by Greg Stewart, who happens to be known in the UK as “The Talking Filmer”. Gregsie: we are all delighted to once again hear your mid-air commentary. Just incase you missed it, in 2011 Tas was given the Video Vault treatment for his epic Mad Circle part from almost 20 years ago.

Skateboard company (Circa)

Circa (stylized C1RCA or C1rca) is a skateboard footwear and apparel company that started in 1999 and is based in San Clemente, California.

It was started by Four Star Distribution along with Chad Muska as its first professional rider.

Skateboard company (California Free Former)

California Free Former was the world's largest skateboard manufacturer during the 1970s. From 1970 to 1981, it was owned by Steve Silberman with a business partner. They also held several licenses from Walt Disney, manufacturing roller skates and other Disney brand consumer products.

World Skateboard Championships
       California Free Former also used to sponsor skateboarding competitions, including the California Free Former World Skateboard Championships held at the Long Beach Sports Arena. (Original and reenacted footage from the Free Former World Skateboard Championships was prominently featured in the feature film "Lords of Dogtown.")

The California Free Former World Professional Skateboard Championships were held at the Long Beach Arena in California. In The first competition in the summer of 1976 was the largest skateboard competition ever held up until that time. It's significant cash prizes changed skateboarding history and created a professional tier in the sport.


1976 Results
       Men’s Freestyle: 1-Chris Chaput, 2-Ed Nadalin, 3-Mike Weed, 4-Gary Kocot, 5-Russ Howell Men’s Slalom: 1-Henry Hester, 2-Bob Piercy, 3-Mike Williams Women’s Freestyle: 1-Ellen Berryman, 2-Laura Thornhill, 3-Ellen O’Neal Women’s Slalom: 1-Desiree Von Essen, 2-T. Brown, 3-Robin Logan Consecutive 360s: 1-Bob Jarvis, 2-Chris Chaput, 3-Gary Kocot, 4- Steve Shipp, 5-Ed Nadalin

Sept 24-25, 1977 Results
       Men’s Freestyle: 1-Bob Mohr, 2-Mike Weed, 3-Ty Page, 4-Ed Nadalin Men’s Slalom: 1-John Hutson, 6.515 seconds 2-Bobby Piercy, 6.526 sec. 3-Randy Smith, 6.605 sec. 4-Greg Taie, 6.612 sec. Women’s Freestyle: 1-Ellen Berryman, 2-Ellen O’Neal, 3-Laura Thornhill Women’s Slalom: 1-Terry Brown, 2-Kim Cespedes, 3-Desiree Von Essen Consecutive 360s: 1-Russ Howell, 2-Paul Hoffman, 3-Ed Nadalin, 4-Steve Shipp High Jump: 1- Bryan Beardsley, 2-Jerry Pattison, 3-Brent McCullogh Barrel Jump: 1-Tony Alva (17 barrels), 2-Paul Hoffman, 3-Ed Nadalin, 4-Steve Shipp. The poster for the 1977 event was done by artist / designer Jim Evans


California Skateparks
       California Skateparks (or CA skateparks) is the largest and most notable skate park and action sports facility builder and designer in the world. Founded in 1989, and based in Upland, California, CA Skateparks has constructed more municipal city and county parks, action sports competition arenas, and professional athlete's private facilities than any other company of its kind. CA Skateparks is part of a larger group of companies, including California Landscape & Design Inc. and CA Ramp Works all owned by founder Joe Ciaglia Jr. California Skateparks designed and built Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory, which has appeared in the MTV show, Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory. The company also designed the Vans skatepark in Huntington Beach, California.

Skateboard company (Blueprint Skateboards)

Blueprint Skateboards is a skateboard company set up in 1995.

Originally only available in the UK, worldwide demand has grown alongside the company and Blueprint was once available in Europe, Asia, the Americas, and Australia. After the creative director, Dan Magee left the company, he was shortly followed by professional skater Paul shier. After which, Blueprint Skateboards faced a mass exodus of its original hand picked team roster. Although not officially discussed, this was believed to be due to the way the company was being run by its new backers, Pure Distribution. Since the founding members and original team departed, the new backers attempted to revamp the brand using new team riders who consisted of relatively unknown American ams who were aligned to Pure's other hardware brands. They also added Mike York as a professional rider and Cliche flowrider Ignacio Morata, who was immediately promoted to the pro ranks. The new changes at Blueprint outraged many of the original fans of the company as the brand's new look and image a complete u-turn in the manner the original brand was run. New graphics also consisted of bastardized versions of the original Blueprint's distinctive artwork.

However, 8 months after the relaunch Mike York left the company and the brand has since been wound down without official announcement. New pro Ignacio Morata and all of the new Blueprint's ams are left without board sponsors.


Video Releases

Only days after the premiere of Lost And Found, the team were out filming already for their next production due in April 2010, provisionally entitled "Make Friends With The Colour Blue".

PNC/Blueprint:A Mixed Media (1996)
       Available on VHS cassette in the UK only. A joint venture with the now defunct Panic Skateboards. A Mixed Media sold several thousand copies.

PNC/Blueprint:Anthems (1997)
       Anthems sold worldwide in both PAL (European format) and NTSC (USA Format). This release also saw the combining of Blueprint Skateboards with the now defunct Panic Skateboards.

Build and Destroy Promo (1999)
       Promo video included at the end of 'Through the Eyes of Ruby'. This was originally meant to be Blueprint's 411 Industry section.

Waiting For The World (2000)
       Available on VHS cassette only. Waiting For The World really defined Blueprint as a team and opened everyone's eyes to the talent of the riders and what the UK has to offer.

First Broadcast (2001)
       Available on VHS cassette only, this release further displayed the skills and diversity of the team. This release also featured sections from Unabomber Skateboards and Organic Skateboards (Now Landscape Skateboards) as well as many of the companies friends.

The Belong Tour (2002)
       Available on VHS cassette only. This release covers the UK tour of the entire Blueprint team and is perhaps the least fondly remembered of their productions. The soundtrack includes tracks by Elliott Smith. The highlight of this video are the offcut clips of the team and friends street skating at the end of the tape.

Lost and Found (2005)
       Available in DVD format. The team travelled virtually non-stop over the length and breath of Europe over two years in order to film their video parts. Lost And Found was then premiered to nearly 1000 skaters in London on March 12, 2005. The following 2-disc DVD set was released shortly after to worldwide acclaim. It was also premiered in virtually every country in Europe, the USA and many other parts of the world. The release has further pushed Blueprint on to new level and coming directly from our strong amateur program and their breakthrough video parts in Lost And Found, both Danny Brady and Nick Jensen were turned pro after the DVD release.

This DVD features the following riders: Danny Brady, Neil Smith, Scott Palmer, Ben Grove, Paul Shier, Vaughan Baker, Michael Wright, Colin Kennedy, Chewy Cannon, Mark Baines and Nick Jensen. Stephan Morgan, Tuukka Korhonen and Conhuir Lynn are featured in the credits. Paul Carter, John Fisher and John Rattray have easter egg sections.

Make Friends With Marty (2010)
       Online promotional clip, welcoming US pro rider Marty Murawski to the team and showcasing clips from the rest of the team. This clip acted as a teaser to the next full-length Blueprint DVD release, 'Make Friends With The Colour Blue'. Already-filmed footage of Marty couldn't be used in the forthcoming DVD due to camera compatibility issues, so this was a useful outlet for the footage.

Make Friends With The Colour Blue (2010)
       Available in DVD format. With the addition of two US riders (Marty Murawski and Kevin Coakley) introduced the brand officially to a new US audience. The resulting DVD, 'Make Friends With The Colour Blue' (commonly abbreviated to 'MFWTCB'), features a truly international line-up of team riders and is perhaps the most polished Blueprint production yet.

Skateboard company (Blind Skateboards)

Blind (stylized as bLind) is a skateboard company founded by Mark Gonzales in 1989 under Steve Rocco's World Industries distribution company. Gonzales has since left the company and today the company continues under the ownership of Dwindle Distribution. The company produces decks, wheels, soft goods and accessories. The company's logo for many years was a stylized grim reaper.

History
       
Formation
       The name "Blind" was devised as an intentional slight to Gonzales' former sponsor, Vision Skateboards.

Upon the brand's launch, Jason Lee moved from World Industries to Blind as its second professional rider (as founder, Gonzales was the team's first). Blind then signed Rudy Johnson and Guy Mariano, both from Powell Peralta, and Jordan Richter as its vert rider. Danny Way rode for the company for a very brief period of time, and a signature skateboard deck, featuring a pink-colored car, was designed and released for Way.

Video Days
       Blind released its first video in 1991, entitled Video Days, which featured full-length parts from Gonzales, Mariano, Richter, Lee, and Johnson. The video was filmed and directed by Spike Jonze and is considered one of the most influential skateboarding videos of its era. While filming a second full-length video, Plan B director, Mike Ternasky reviewed progress footage and came to the conclusion that Tim Gavin and Henry Sanchez, also members of the Blind team, were the only two riders who had produced footage of a high enough quality the release of Tim and Henry's Pack of Lies followed in 1992.

By 1993, the team had grown, with the formal inclusion of new professional riders, Gavin, Sanchez, Brian Lotti, and amateur skater, Jeron Wilson. Lotti, who formerly skated for Planet Earth (founded and owned by professional skateboarder Chris Miller), was recruited by Lee and filmed several tricks for the opening section of Tim and Henry's Pack of Lies. However, in a 2010 interview with the "chrome ball incident" blog, Lotti expressed regret in regard to his departure from Planet Earth, a company that he described as a "small and tight family": "I loved skating with everyone, but I wasn’t always psyched on the whole World Industries thing. I definitely felt at times like I blew it with Miller and wished I would have just stayed on Earth… I was really involved there. I had a good thing going."


Departures
       The company later signed Ronnie Creager from Foundation Skateboards. In late 1993, Johnson, Mariano, Gavin, and Wilson left Blind to join the newly formed Girl Skateboards, and Gonzales had also left by this time, along with Lee the latter proceeded to form Stereo Skateboards with Chris "Dune" Pastras, another sponsored skateboarder. Wilson later revealed in a January 2013 interview for the "Weekend Buzz" segment of the internet-based RIDE channel that a transfer tape of skateboard footage, originally filmed for a Blind video that was never produced, is in existence but has not been released by Socrates Leal (skateboard videographer) footage of Wilson and Mariano, among other skateboarders from the early 1990s, forms the tape's contents.


Mid-1990s–2010
       During the early 1990s, Blind was one of the largest skateboard brands in the world, due to board sales and sales of Blind's jean products. During the 1990s and early/mid-2000s, additional team members, such as Kris Markovich, Jake Duncombe, Jake Brown, Corey Shepard, Grant Patterson, Danny Cerezini, and Jani Laitala were recruited by brand manager Bill Weiss. Vert (skateboarding on a vertical "u"-shaped ramp) skateboarder Rob Loirifice was recruited to the team in 2008 and Cerezini was assigned professional status in the same year.

In 2010, the company celebrated its 21-year anniversary and returned to using the original logo. The company also began to reissue a series of boards from the early 1990s that were based on original shapes reissued boards included Mariano, Way, Johnson, Gavin, and Sanchez designs.


2010 onwards
       Former Plan B rider, Sean Sheffey, Filipe Ortiz, Sewa Kroetkev, TJ Rogers, and Yuri Fachini were recruited to the Blind team in the latter half of the first decade of the 21st century. In an official statement released in April 2012, Brown's departure from the Blind team was announced and a comment from Weiss was included: "Jake Brown is one of the most dynamic, positive and genuine skateboarders I have ever met and been lucky enough to call my friend and I wish him nothing but the best on his next adventure. I cant wait to see what Jake’s got up his sleeve next.” (Brown had been a team member for eight years). Cerezini then parted ways with Blind in October 2012.

In 2012, team members, Kevin Romar (who moved to the company in 2009) and Morgan Smith were both assigned professional status. On March 22, 2013, at the Tampa Pro contest in Tampa, Florida, US, Ortiz was presented with his inaugural Blind signature model skateboard deck to signify his introduction into the professional ranks of the company the graphic on the skateboard deck features a handcuffed mummy figure with the facial section of the bandages peeled away.

Cody McEntire, a Texan skateboarder who was formerly a team member of the Think Skateboards brand, was recruited to the Blind team in March 2013. McEntire explained the process of joining the Blind team in a TransWorld Skateboarding "Roll Call" interview:

I’ve known [Bill] Weiss [Blind brand manager] for a while because we worked together on the Digital Smoke And Mirrors video. I was always stoked on how down he was for skating. One day I called him and told him I was really stoked on Blind and just wanted to see if anything would be possible with it. A few weeks later we sat down and talked and it worked out. It was crazy how fast it happened. I’m glad it all worked out because now I feel like I’m exactly where I want to be.

In April 2013, Duncombe left the company to ride for Life Extension (LE) Skateboards and announced the news on his Instagram profile: "Just want to thank everyone at blind for helping me out for all those years and putting up with my shit and to let everyone know LE is my new family!!!" A photograph of Duncombe with a bottle of beer that is above a forum post that reads "LE, where formerly great pros go to die" served as the official press release for LE. Duncombe later explained in December 2013: "There were a couple of times when I’d thought about quitting but didn’t due to loyalty. But at the end of the day new kids come in and older guys get let go."

The Blind brand released a new product line in early July 2013 and published a video advertisement on its YouTube channel on July 9, 2013. Under the heading "A damn good deal!", Blind promoted a new line of skateboard decks constructed from North American maple and resin glue with a retail price of US$29.95.

Skateboard company (Black Label Skateboards)

Black Label is a skateboarding company that was founded by its owner, John Lucero, in 1990. The company is based in Huntington Beach, California, United States (US).

History

Lucero Ltd.
       Lucero was a competing professional skateboarder in the 1980s and rode for companies such as Variflex, Madrid, and Schmitt Stix. Lucero eventually launched his own brand, Lucero Ltd., in 1988 using skateboards manufactured by the Santa Cruz company.

Black Label
       Lucero separated from Santa Cruz in 1991 and changed the company name to "Black Label", using the Canadian beer, Carling's Black Label, as inspiration for the title.

The motto for the brand is "Never Be Bought, Never Be Sold, and Never Forget".

Expansion
       Lucero has created different divisions under the Black Label brand, including Label Legends and Emergency.


Distribution
       As of 2012, Black Label is distributed by Blitz Distribution.

Skateboard company (Black Box Distribution)

Black Box Distribution is a skateboard distributor owned by professional skateboarder Jamie Thomas. It serves four companies, three of which are owned by Thomas: Fallen Footwear, Mystery Skateboards and Zero Skateboards.

History
       Slave Skateboards (styled as $lave Skateboards), owned by Black Box artist Ben Horton, was launched under the distribution company in 2007. The brand's debut full-length video Radio-Television premiered in September 2009.

Black Box announced a partnership with surf and skate clothing label, Insight, in mid-2009, but in 2014, the brand is no longer featured on the Black Box website. At the time of the announcement, Thomas explained: "My personal opinion is that Insight is a rad brand, and I think that’s what matters most ... it’s the raw elements and passion behind what it is more so than what category it supports most, whether it be surf, skate, or fashion. It’s so original and raw that I find it inspiring."

Black Box also owns Cinco Maderas, a Mexico based woodshop that manufactures the skateboard decks for Mystery, Slave and Zero.

Fallen Footwear
       Fallen Footwear is a skate shoe company. Originally it was a partnership between Thomas and DC Shoes. When DC was purchased by Quiksilver, Thomas choose not to sell Fallen and moved the brand to Black Box.

Zero Skateboards
       Zero Skateboards started as an apparel line when Thomas was riding for Toy Machine and developed into a skateboard deck company.

Mystery Skateboards
       Mystery Skateboards is a skateboard deck company.

Skateboard company (Birdhouse Skateboards)

Birdhouse Skateboards (originally Birdhouse Projects) is a skateboard company formed by ex-Powell Peralta pros Tony Hawk and Per Welinder in 1992.

Birdhouse makes decks and wheels, as well as clothing and accessories.

History
       After the skateboard boom of the late 1980s had died, former Powell Peralta Pro Freestyle skateboarder Per Welinder wanted to stay involved with skateboarding by starting a company. Welinder had originally asked Powell Peralta pro skateboarder Lance Mountain to be his equal partner in the venture. Mountain declined as he only wanted to start a skateboard company if he had 100% ownership. Mountain later founded The Firm Skateboards (now defunct). Welinder later asked another Powell Peralta pro skateboarder Tony Hawk to be 50-50 partners in this new skateboard company. Hawk gladly accepted as he felt his time in skateboarding was nearly over due to the lack of interest in vert skating caused by the popularity of street skating. Welinder and Hawk decided to name their new skateboard company Birdhouse Projects, Birdhouse being a reference to Hawk's last name.

Birdhouse is prominently featured in the Tony Hawk's video game series, and is one of five skate teams which the player can join in Tony Hawk's Underground.

Skateboard company (Billabong (clothing))

Billabong International Limited is primarily a clothing company that also produces accessories and skateboard products under other brand-names. Founded in 1973 by Gordon and Rena Merchant, the company first traded on the Australian Securities Exchange on 11 August 2000. The name "billabong" is derived from the Wiradjuri word "bilabaŋ" that refers to a "creek that runs only during the rainy season". As of September 2013, Von Zipper, and Element are two of the prominent brands that Billabong owns. Honolua Surf Company, Kustom, Palmers Surf, Xcel, Tigerlily, Sector 9 and RVCA are the company's other brands.

From late 2012 onwards, following the company's collapse in the period since 2008, Billabong International has been the subject of a protracted bidding process in which the company's former United States chief Paul Naude has been a participant.

History
    
Early History
       Billabong was founded in the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia in 1973 by Gordon Merchant. At first, he designed and created board shorts at his home and then sold them to local surf shops. Surfers soon realized the durability of Merchant's shorts that was the result of his triple-stitching technique. Merchant understood that his company needed to expand to achieve success, so Billabong started to sponsor contests, which increased the public's awareness of Merchant's products and the company expanded. By the 1980s, Billabong board shorts were present throughout Australia.

Based upon his success in Australia, Merchant decided to export Billabong's products and, by the late 1980s, Merchant's board shorts were available in other countries, including New Zealand, Japan, and South Africa. In the 1990s, the surf industry as a whole grew significantly and Billabong was a part of this growth process. The company was first traded on the Australian Securities Exchange in mid-2000, which provided the company with the funds to further expand and acquire other companies.

Acquisitions
       As the company developed further, it acquired new brands and retail outlets to move beyond the wholesale business, and the first decade of the 21st century was a particularly active period of expansion for Billabong. Von Zipper, an eyewear brand, was acquired in early 2001 and the acquisition of skateboarding apparel and hard good brand Element was announced in July 2001.

The acquisition of the Kustom surf shoe brand, as part of Billabong's purchase of the Australian Gold Coast-based Palmers Surf company, was disclosed in September 2004. The following year in December, an official press release was published to announce the acquisition of Nixon Inc., a watch and accessories brand in the board sports market.

The acquisition of wetsuit and technical watersport accessories brand Xcel became effective on 1 September 2007, and Jodhi Meares's Tigerlily brand was acquired shortly thereafter in December of the same year. The Tigerlily decision represented the first time that Billabong had acquired a brand focused exclusively on the 'girls' market, and the intention of management was to position the new addition so that it complemented the company's own 'Billabongs Girls' line.

In 2008 Billabong continued with the consistent acquisition activity that occurred in 2007 and announced four acquisitions over four successive months. Following the acquisition of the Gold Coast store Kirra Surf in May, the company announced its acquisition of the retail operations of Quiet Flight, a retail company on the east coast of the US that had already been operating licensed Billabong and Element retail outlets in Times Square, New York, US. The Quiet Flight deal resulted in the addition of 14 Quiet Flight and Surf Warehouse retail stores, most of which were located in Florida, US. Then in June 2008, the founders of the Sector 9 skateboard company accepted an offer from Billabong that also included the purchase of the Gullwing skateboard truck brand. Finally in August, Billabong confirmed the acquisition of boardsport accessories brand DaKine, which specialises in backpacks, bags, gloves and accessories, in a press release that projected that "DaKine is expected to contribute approximately 4% of Billabong International Limited’s Group sales in the 2008-09 financial year".

Billabong's retail expansion continued into late 2008 with the November purchase of the United Kingdom (UK)-based 13-store retail chain Two Seasons for an undisclosed sum. Billabong only announced a single acquisition in 2009 with the purchase of Swell, a US-based online retailer of boardsports brands, for an undisclosed sum.

Billabong commenced 2010 with the signing of a ten-year licensing deal with popular skateboard company Plan B, and Plan B subsequently entered into a partnership arrangement with Element. In May 2010, Billabong's retail expansion continued with the acquisition of American surf retailer Becker Surf & Sport in May (the Becker deal included the business' online operations, but not its surfboard operations), followed by the purchase of prominent Canadian action sports retailer West 49 in late June.

 Further acquisitions were then announced in the remainder of 2010: the acquisition of apparel brand RVCA was confirmed in July and the label's founder Pat Tenore explained his decision in the Billabong press release: "One of the key things about Billabong is its respect for the creative independence of each of its brands and that level of flexibility will allow RVCA to maintain its identity while benefiting from the support of the wider Billabong group"; after RVCA, Billabong then returned to the retail market and ended the year with the October acquisition of the Australian retail stores Surf Dive 'n' Ski and Jetty Surf from vendor General Pants Group for an undisclosed amount.

Skateboard company (Baker Skateboards)

Baker Skateboards is an American skateboarding company founded in 2000 by professional skateboarder Andrew Reynolds and artist Jay Strickland. The company's main products are skateboard decks, soft goods, accessories, and wheels.

History
       In 1999 Reynolds left Birdhouse Skateboards and started Baker Skateboards along with other professional skateboarders from Stereo, Zero, and other companies. The company was named after a lifestyle in which a person "gets baked" (smokes and experiences the effects of the drug, cannabis) and skateboards every day. In 2007, Reynolds provided a detailed account of the company's beginnings:

Well, I was living in Huntington, riding for Birdhouse. We just thought to ourselves, all these companies are really lame. Like, Birdhouse doesn't promote piles, you know what I mean? Like, Zero's [skateboard deck brand] not promoting, like, what we're all about. You know, we met up with Jay Strickland, we started telling him about our ideas, like, "We wanna do something. We wanna do a company." And we're, like, "All of us, together.", you know? It was just, like, a big mess, you know? I went and talked to Tony [Hawk] and Per [Welinder] "It's either, I quit, and take a bunch of guys and do something, or, you guys help me start a company, you know?"

The skateboard deck brand signed a distribution deal with Blitz Distribution, the company that, at the time, was distributing Birdhouse and other brands, such as Fury and Hook-Ups (Blitz had originally been formed by Per Welinder and Hawk to distribute their own products). As of 2008, the brand was the top-selling brand under the Blitz Distribution umbrella. In regard to the original Baker logo, Reynolds has credited the design to Strickland and stated that it represented a motley company that consisted of talented skateboarders.

Leo Romero left the Baker team in April 2009, and his departure led to a great amount of discussion among skateboarders and fans. In an interview that was held during the same week that he joined the Toy Machine team, Romero explained that he was generally unhappy with his life at the time and his decision was not due to problems experienced while at Baker. Romero described his experience with announcing the decision: "Calling Andrew Reynolds and quitting his company is kinda scary, you know what I mean? When I told him he was like, 'Oh, that’s cool man, who are you gonna ride for?
" In April 2011, Romero was again asked the question and, after stating that he was "sick" of the question, he explained that he didn't fit in at Baker and the company had changed from when he was a young skateboarder. Romero was awarded Thrasher magazine's "Skateboarder of the Year" trophy in 2010.

Riley Hawk, son of professional skateboarder and company owner Tony Hawk, joined the Baker team in 2012 after riding for his father's company, Birdhouse. Tony Hawk explained in a May 2012 interview that Reynolds had spoken with him first and he appreciated that his son was not being chosen as a "novelty" rider, in addition to Riley Hawk's admiration of the Baker team. According to Tony Hawk, Reynolds explained that he had great respect for Riley Hawk's skateboarding and believed that his skateboarding was unlike that of his peers. Tony Hawk further explained that he just wants his son to be motivated, as the expectation associated with being Tony Hawk's son impacted upon Riley Hawk's motivation during the early stages of his skateboarding.

An interview with former Baker professional Shane Heyl on September 27, 2013 confirmed that Heyl, Kevin "Spanky" Long, Jeff Lenoce, and Braydon Szafranski are no longer members of the Baker team as of the date of the interview. Heyl declined to speak on behalf of the other former Baker riders, but explained that he initiated the decision regarding himself with Reynolds, whereby he stated to the company owner that his knee is an ongoing issue.

In December 2013, Hawk was assigned professional status by Baker at a surprise event that occurred on Hawk's birthday. Tony Hawk announced the news to his son and professional skateboarders Mike Carroll, Rick Howard and Stevie Williams were among those present. Longtime team member Dustin Dollin revealed in an April 2014 radio iunterview with Thrasher that Hawk's signature skateboard deck achieved sales figures that the company had not seen in a long period and Baker "really needed it".


Baker Zone
       The RIDE Channel, a YouTube skateboarding channel cofounded by Hawk, announced on March 15, 2013 that a new series, entitled "Baker Zone", would commence on March 18, 2013. The series features video productions from the Baker company, such as "Weekend Warriors", "Piled Out", "Trash Compactor" and "Dumb Ass Park Footy".


Bakerboys Distribution
       In 2007, Reynolds and fellow professional skateboarders, Jim Greco and Erik Ellington, established Bakerboys Distribution, a company that distributes seven brands, some of which are owned by past and current Baker riders:

• Baker Skateboards
• Shake Junt
• Brigada Sunglasses
• Deathwish Skateboards
• Volume 4
• Heroin skateboards
• Palace skateboards

Formerly with the Blitz distribution company, Baker's distribution was newly managed by Bakerboys in 2011.

The Palace skateboard brand, which won the "Brand of the Year" award at Europe's Brighton Trade Show in January 2012, announced a distribution deal with Bakerboys in July 2014. The video appeared on the "PWBC News" series that Palace produces.

Skateboard company (Almost Skateboards)

Almost Skateboards is a United States (US) skateboard company founded by professional skateboarders and business partners, Daewon Song and Rodney Mullen. The company manufactures skateboard decks using 7-ply, 8-ply, and carbon fiber constructions, while the decks are bound with resin epoxy glue. As of March 2014, the brand is distributed by Dwindle Distribution.

History
       Almost Skateboards was started in 2003 by Mullen and Song after both had ceased participating in their previous companies, enjoi and Artafact, respectively. Mullen explained in July 2014 that he knew in his "heart" that the founder of enjoi, Marc Johnson, wanted to leave the company. After he received the news from a friend of Johnson's, Mullen who had been thinking about collaborating with Song prior to Johnson's departure, as the pair had been skateboarding together over a long period of time called Song:

I wanted so badly to do something with Daewon [Song] Daewon was my first call: "Oh man, I have bad news ... but I got some other news. I got this idea you wanna do something together? Start something new?" And, I could hear the excitement in Daewon's voice. So, that's why it started: I'd been wanting to do it for so long! But, opportunity never really came up until then.

The initial team also consisted of Cooper Wilt, Chris Haslam, Ryan Sheckler, Greg Lutzka. The Almost: Round Three video featured all of the brand's original team riders and was released in 2004 to launch the brand.

Lewis Marnell was introduced as the company's first amateur in 2006 through a bonus part included with the company's Cheese and Crackers video the second Almost video release that features Song and Haslam on a mini-ramp structure Curtis Mayfield's "Move On Up" is the soundtrack to Marnell's part. Sheckler later joined the newly reformed Plan B Skateboards team in January 2007, followed by Lutzka, who left Almost to join the Darkstar team in May 2010.

Torey Pudwill was announced as the company's new amateur in 2007, and both he and Marnell were promoted to the professional ranks in 2008. For Marnell's professional inauguration, Song and videographer Socrates Leal filmed a spoof video part to welcome Marnell. The video, entitled "Almost Filmer Asshole", is shot through the lens of a "poacher" (someone who is attempting to film footage of another skateboarder usually a professional skateboarder when that person has not been given permission to do so) who throws Marnell's first professional Almost skateboard deck into the view of the camera, upon being caught by Song and Leal; the video was published on the Almost website and YouTube. Marnell's first board graphic featured a lion waving a Rastafarian flag.

Like Sheckler, Pudwill left Almost to join Plan B in March 2010 and Pudwill's personal friend, Justin Schulte, was eventually announced as the company's new amateur rider after a trial period to determine if he was a suitable fit. Schulte had previously been sponsored by Element Skateboards, but had also been in contact with Song, who asked Schulte to let him know about his progress. An introductory video was released to welcome Schulte in February 2010. German amateur skateboarder Willow was announced as the new Almost team member in November 2010 and a welcome video was also published on the internet. Willow had previously been sponsored by Flip Skateboards.

The company released a video in October 2012, in which Haslam surprises Willow with his first professional skateboard deck model at a signing in Germany. On November 26, 2012, "Willow's World", a full-length video part edited by Mike Manzoori (Sole Technology), was released on the Transworld Skateboarding website to commemorate the team rider's professional status. Youness Amrani was announced as the company's next amateur rider in April 2011.

The company premiered its third video production, 5-Incher, in June 2012 and used the release to introduce new amateur rider Mitchie Brusco, as well as a "flow" team consisting of Matty "Schmatty" Chaffin, CJ Tambornino, Michael Sommer, and Issey Yumiba. ("Flow" denotes the status of a team member prior to their announcement as an amateur and typically do not receive any financial remuneration.) The video featured parts from all of the Almost team with the exception of Mullen, who was recovering from an injury and the world premiere occurred in Long Beach, California, US. The company made no mention of Schulte's status and at the time of the premiere, he was no longer listed as a team member. The video was Marnell's final appearance in an Almost production, as he died in January 2013 from a diabetes-related complication.

In August 2013, Almost collaborated with Nike SB and TransWorld Skateboarding magazine on a feature for amateur rider Amrani. Entitled "Marrakesh Express", the project combined a print article with a video part that was launched on the TransWorld website on August 9, 2013. Videographer Chris Thiesson accompanied Amrani as he skated and traveled between "Casablanca and Marrakesh by way of Rabat, Kenitra, and Agadir" in Morocco. Amrani was born in Morocco, but grew up in Belgium.

The company commenced a series on Tony Hawk's RIDE channel, hosted on YouTube, in December 2013. Titled "Almost Famous," the series has featured skateboarder and artist Brian Lotti and a "craziest trick" contest.

The company celebrated its 10th anniversary with an event at the Berrics indoor skate complex in early March 2014, at which Amrani was presented with his inaugural professional skateboard deck. Leal, a longtime videographer for Dwindle Distribution, created a video retrospective of the brand's growth since inception, entitled "10 Years of Almost." At the same time as the 10-year anniversary, the company released a collaborative series of skateboard decks with the DC Comics comic book brand.


Carbon construction decks

• The Über Light is a 7-ply Resin deck with a carbon fiber inner layer that constitutes a foam core. The design creates a stronger, lighter and more rigid board in comparison to regular wood decks. Only 500 Über Light boards (named "Über Experimental") were made when the model was first produced, but, as of May 2012, the boards are regularly manufactured. The construction was created by Mullen and the latest version, the Super Uber Light V3, is featured in the Almost Skateboards "Spring 12" catalogue.

• The Impact Support is an 8-ply Resin deck that uses die-cut carbon fiber discs that are inserted in the 8th ply around the truck mounting areas; the discs prevent "pressure cracks" in the areas of a skateboard deck that typically break. The model is lighter and stronger than Almost Resin-7 and 8 decks, and are covered by a 30-day warranty.

• The Double Impact series was released in 2010. The model utilizes carbon fiber discs (such as Impact Support), with Resin-6 construction and a carbon fiber top sheet. The Double Impact design features all the benefits of the Impact Support model, but is lighter and stronger. Almost provides a 45-day warranty with the Double Impact model.

Contests

       The first installment of the Almost "Double Impact Contest Series was launched in 2011 as a collaborative event with the Liberty Boardshop. The inaugural contest was held at a public location called the "Brea 12 set" and was held in November 2011 the winning trick was a switch-stance 360-flip.

The second contest was held in August 2012 at the Springfield Skatepark "10-stair" in Oregon, United States, in collaboration with the Tactics skate shop. The prize was a new skateboard every month for the duration of a year. The winner of the Oregon contest was Scott Grady, who landed both a nollie backside heelflip and a switch varial heelflip.

In January 2013, the Europe Impact Tour commenced, featuring demonstration performances from Haslam, Amrani, and Wildgrube. Double Impact contests were incorporated into the tour and on January 16, 2013, the first tour stop occurred in Berlin, Germany at the Skatehalle-Berlin skate park venue. The winner of each round, as per the previous contests, wins a year worth of Almost skateboard decks at the first stop in Berlin, the winner was photographed with a signature model "Willow" (Wildgrube) skateboard deck.

Skateboard company (Alien Workshop)

Alien Workshop (AWS) was an American skateboarding company that was founded in 1990 by Chris Carter, Mike Hill, and Neil Blender. Following periods under the ownership of the Burton snowboard company and original team rider Rob Dyrdek, the company was acquired by Pacific Vector Holdings in October 2013. Alien Workshop produced skateboard decks, wheels, apparel, and other skateboard accessories, prior to its closure in May 2014.

History
       The brand is a part of DNA Distribution (also known as the "Sovereign Sect"), a Dayton, Ohio, United States (U.S.) distribution company that also consists of the Habitat and Reflex (bearings) brands. Carter, Hill and Blender decided to form a company based in Ohio at a time when the skateboard industry's core was located in California. Early team rider Duane Pitre recalls attending a meeting in California and feeling excited about the concept of an innovative Midwestern company, which initially adapted the logo of the eatery that the Californian meeting occurred in. The nascent company's first video was titled Memory Screen and featured a team that consisted of Rob Dyrdek, Bo Turner, Duane Pitre, John Pryor, Scott Conklin, Steve Clear and Thomas Morgan.

Following the release of Memory Screen, the company's focus on video production was equivalent to the products it was producing and Timecode was released in 1997, featuring new team riders Josh Kalis who would remain with the brand for over 10 years Lenny Kirk and Fred Gall, who would later ride for Habitat. While Memory Screen was 41 minutes-long, Timecode's duration was only 21 minutes and consisted of full parts from three out of the nine skateboarders in the video.

Around the year 2000, the company hired Joe Castrucci to oversee the production of the Photosynthesis video Castrucci would later oversee the development of the Habitat skateboard deck brand, which joined Alien Workshop under the DNA Distribution parent company that was created internally, and enlisted Alien Workshop riders, such as Kerry Getz and Danny Garcia, for the new brand. Photosynthesis was the first video in which Jason Dill and Anthony van Engelen, two team riders who would become foremost figures of the company, appeared. Dill's part in the video was the closing section and is accompanied by the Radiohead song "Polyethylene".

Dill explained in June 2014, during a narration to the video part, that he consumed "a lot" of crack cocaine during the filming of Photosynthesis and his part included his own footage, as well as footage shot by founder Hill. Dill revealed that the telephone conversation that occurs at the beginning of his part, between himself and Carter, was part of a collection of recordings that the company had of telephone conversations with Dill over a two-year period. At the commencement of his narration, Dill stated that he did not wish to partake in the exercise and felt on the verge of crying.

The video was also the first DNA Distribution video to feature Danny Way, who would later revive Plan B Skateboards; Anthony Pappalardo, who was recruited by the Chocolate and Lakai Limited Footwear companies afterwards, and Brian Wenning, who would join the revival of the Plan B team. Pappalardo later stated that hearing a message from Dyrdek on his answering machine and officially becoming an amateur rider for Alien Workshop an occasion accompanied by a Castrucci-made commercial were two experiences that has made him "proud, honored" and maybe led to "a sense of achievement from skateboarding".

DNA Distribution was acquired by Burton Snowboards on February 5, 2008 and several months later, on May 2, 2008, the Flip Skateboards company announced that its long-term team member Arto Saari had relocated to Alien Workshop the announcement was a shock to members of the skateboarding media. In 2012, Saari provided further insight into his decision to leave Flip, citing the death of former teammate Shane Cross as an underpinning factor: "It wasn't, like, a easy thing to do, but, at the time, I knew I had to do it ... for the reasons that happened, you know? And that's why I decided that it's better off for me to leave Flip than, just, go my own way and, just, do that." Professional skateboarder, Ed Templeton, stated in a 2012 interview: "I mean I was completely shocked when he left Flip ... it didn't make sense."

Around the time that Saari joined the Alien Workshop team, Jake Johnson was recruited by Dill and videographer Bill Strobeck. Johnson explained that he was originally asked to join the Stereo skateboard deck company, co-owned by Chris Pastras and Jason Lee, but was convinced by Dill not to become a "Stereo Sound Agent". The company's next video was Mind Field, a 60-minute-long production released in 2009 and directed by Greg Hunt. Full-length parts from both Saari and Johnson were featured in the video, and Kalis temporarily relocated to Barcelona, Spain to film his part Transworld Skateboarding magazine's Oliver Barton explained in May 2014 that Kalis accumulated so much footage that a promotional video, titled In Mono, was released in 2006 and only featured Kalis. Mind Field was the first AWS video to feature Heath Kirchart, Mikey Taylor, Grant Taylor, Dylan Rieder, Omar Salazar, Tyler Bledsoe and Steve Berra.

At the start of January 2011, Flip announced that Saari had rejoined the team and released an image that featured Saari alongside the caption: "Home is Where the Hearto Is". Saari spoke about his time as an Alien Workshop rider and also relayed his brief conversation with Carter that followed his decision to return to Flip:

 Riding for Alien was great; like, there wasn't any bad vibes or anything. I really liked the company, I really liked everyone involved in it and I became friends with everyone. And when you got to quit a company like that, you wanna blow your brains out, you know? I only spoke to Carter and that's probably, like, one of the hardest calls I had to make and just talked to him and he was, like, "Well, fuck man, it's a bummer, but it's, like, you gotta do what you gotta do."


Dyrdek era
       On January 10, 2012, Skateboarder magazine announced Dyrdek's purchase of Alien Workshop and DNA Distribution from Burton Snowboards. Following Dyrdek's acquisition of DNA Distribution, the official press release stated that "Carter will continue to oversee DNA Distribution in Dayton, Ohio, while Dyrdek will consult directly on all marketing and creative from his Los Angeles based office." In August of the same year, the brand released a series of skateboard decks, wheels, apparel, and stickers that featured the art of Keith Haring.

On May 1, 2013, two senior skateboard team members Jason Dill and Anthony Van Engelen (AVE) publicly announced their departure from Alien Workshop. The press release stated: "Our decision to leave the Workshop is painfully difficult ... It will always be the greatest times of our lives ... The time we spent growing up with the Alien Workshop. Thank you Dyrdek. Thank you Carter. Thank you Mike Hill. Sincerely, Dill and AVE."

On September 3, 2013, Mike "Mikey" Taylor announced his departure from the company after eleven years as a team member. 

Taylor revealed the news on his Instagram account and explained:  It saddens me to announce that recently Alienworkshop and I have decided to part ways. It's crazy to think how fast 11 years has gone by. I had met @robdyrdek when I was a kid way before I was sponsored, so it was pretty surreal when he called me and asked me to be pro on his company Seek. The last 8 years with AWS have been great and I just wanted to say thank you to Rob, Chris Carter, and Mike Hill for everything you've done for me. I wish you guys the best!!


Pacific Vector Holdings
       A press release announced on October 2, 2013 that Dyrdek would continue as a minority shareholder of parent company DNA, following an acquisition by Pacific Vector Holdings (PVH), a company that also owned the Gatorz sunglasses and No Fear clothing brands. The closing of the transaction occurred on October 7, 2013 and the controlling interest was purchased for the issuance of 250,000 stock options and US$1.5 million in the form of an earnout. In the press release, Dyrdek stated: "The DNA Brands are in great hands ... the possibilities are limitless."

Following the release of the Nike Skateboarding (Nike SB) video Two Up, produced by Chris Middlebrook and the Australian Nike SB team, the recruitment of Alex Campbell to Alien Workshop was confirmed. Campbell, a native of Perth, Western Australia, formerly rode for the 4 Skateboard company and is seen riding AWS skateboard decks in the video and thanks the brand in the credits.

Skateboard company (Adio)

Adio Footwear was a skateboarding footwear and clothing company, founded by skater Chris Miller in 1999. It was later acquired by K2, based in Carlsbad, California, United States (US); K2 was then acquired by the Jarden Corporation in 2007. Its name is pronounced "audio" or "ad-e-o".

History
       In its early years the company sponsored the Adio Footwear professional skateboarding and snowboarding team.

Industry veteran, Jim Stroesser, was named president of Adio in December 2009. Stroesser moved the brand's global headquarters from Vista, California, US. to Solana Beach, California, US, in January, 2010.

As of 2012, Adio is owned by K2, a division of the Jarden Corporation, while AL&S and Samsung own the global license for Adio. The brand continues to manufacture and distribute skateboarding footwear and apparel.


Past team members
       Team members as of 2004 included Shaun White, Jeremy Wray, Tony Hawk, Ed Selego, Nick Dompierre, Danny Montoya, Bam Margera, Brian Sumner, Kenny Anderson, Alex Chalmers and Steve Nesser.kris Markovich.

Skateboard company (Adidas)

Adidas AG (German pronunciation: [ˈadiˌdas]) is a German multinational corporation that designs and manufactures sports shoes, clothing and accessories based in Herzogenaurach, Bavaria, Germany. It is the holding company for the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company (including Ashworth), Rockport, and 9.1% of FC Bayern Munich. Besides sports footwear, Adidas also produces other products such as bags, shirts, watches, eyewear, and other sports- and clothing-related goods. Adidas is the largest sportswear manufacturer in Europe and the second biggest in the world, after Nike.

Adidas was founded in 1949 by Adolf Dassler, following the split of Gebrüder Dassler Schuhfabrik between him and his older brother Rudolf. Rudolf had earlier established Puma, which was the early rival of Adidas. Adidas and Puma are both currently based in Herzogenaurach, Germany.

The company's clothing and shoe designs typically feature three parallel bars, and the same motif is incorporated into Adidas's current official logo. The company revenue for 2012 was listed at €14.88 billion.

History
       
Conflicts
       Christoph Von Wilhelm Dassler was a worker in a shoe factory, while his wife Pauline ran a small laundry in the Bavarian town of Herzogenaurach, 20 km (12.4 mi) from the city of Nuremberg. After leaving school, their son, Rudolf "Rudi" Dassler, joined his father at the shoe factory. When he returned from fighting in World War I, Rudolf received a management position at a porcelain factory, and later in a leather wholesale business in Nuremberg.

Adolf "Adi" Dassler started to produce his own sports shoes in his mother's wash kitchen in Herzogenaurach, Bavaria after his return from World War I. In July 1924, his brother Rudolf returned to Herzogenaurach to join his younger brother's business, which became Gebrüder Dassler Schuhfabrik (Dassler Brothers Shoe Factory) and prospered. The pair started the venture in their mother's laundry, but, at the time, electricity supplies in the town were unreliable, and the brothers sometimes had to use pedal power from a stationary bicycle to run their equipment.

By the 1936 Summer Olympics, Adi Dassler drove from Bavaria on one of the world's first motorways to the Olympic village with a suitcase full of spikes and persuaded U.S. sprinter Jesse Owens to use them, the first sponsorship for an African American. Following Owens's haul of four gold medals, his success cemented the good reputation of Dassler shoes among the world's most famous sportsmen. Letters from around the world landed on the brothers' desks, and the trainers of other national teams were all interested in their shoes. Business boomed and the Dasslers were selling 200,000 pairs of shoes each year before World War II.


Products(skateboard)

Skateboarding 
       Adidas Skateboarding produces shoes made specifically for skateboarding, including the redesign of previous models for skateboarding. The brand also releases signature models designed by team riders.