MARITXU DARRIGRAND, Co-Founder of Roxy

You can’t talk about female icons of the surfing industry without mentioning Maritxu Darrigand

Back in the 70’s, a visionary and a pioneer, she helped lay the foundations of the industry before it even was an industry. As a world traveler living between the mountain and the ocean, she was behind the first screenings of surf movies in theaters.

« Je n’ai jamais pensé argent ou business, je suivais vraiment mes passions »

A few years later, in the Basque family farm, her travels and key encounters gave birth to NaPali, the European division of Quiksilver. Without any particular ambition or career objectives, Maritxu still wound up at the head of marketing for the brand. We owe her key events like the Quik Cup and legendary films like GreenLand.

But one of Maritxu’s greatest achievements was to give women their rightful place in the line-up – and in general – through the very first all women’s surfing brand: Roxy.

From how it was created to how it has impacted generations of female surfers and including the Roxy Jam or the adventure of the Vendée Globe, Maritxu tells us the incredible story of the iconic brand.

« Roxy Girls were natural and beautiful but they also charged. They really represented what it meant to be a Roxy Girl, as audacious as the guys. That’s why many people related to the Roxy spirit, which was the strength of the brand. »

While she now devotes her energy to other endeavors such as Surfrider or Keep A Breast, Maritxu still keeps a keen eye on the boardsports industry and its challenges.

Very accessible, she sat down for a chat to talk about her impressive career, which was built on her travels and projects of all shapes and forms but always drive from her passion from day one. In a nutshell, this episode is both enlightening and inspiring and not to be missed.