Why it belongs in ORBIS
Australian surf brand founded March 1969 in Torquay by Doug 'Claw' Warbrick and Brian Singer, who shaped boards from a Great Ocean Road garage before adding wetsuit production in 1970.
Rip Curl was founded in March 1969 in Torquay, Victoria, by Doug 'Claw' Warbrick, fresh off a summer shaping surfboards, and Brian Singer, a science teacher who resigned days after the two agreed to start making boards together. They began work from Singer's garage at 35 Great Ocean Road; by November 1969 they had outgrown the garage and moved into the old Torquay Bakery. In 1970 the company expanded into wetsuits, adapting diving-suit technology for surfing use. Rip Curl built its identity around 'The Search,' an ongoing quest for the perfect wave, and around Bells Beach. The company remains headquartered in Torquay.