All posts filed under: Take-off

Julie POLLET & Damien MARLY, Founders of CHIPIRON

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CHIPIRON. The word embodies the French “Sud-Ouest” though for the past few years it has come to refer to the surfers of an up and coming brand rather than the famous squid dish served in local restaurants.

In just under fifteen years, Damien Marly and Julie Pollet – his partner in the water and on the beach – have succeeded in developing a 360 degree business that spans well beyond just shaping surfboards.  It encompasses surfwear, accessories, shops and even a surf school. Chipiron has indeed become a landmark in the Hossegor and Soorts area and the little brand’s ambition is far from ready to stop there.

Xabi ANTON, Waimea surf shop Owner and Manager

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“I think you have to learn when to stay small and keep a low profile. The more you keep a low profile, the better you can weather the storms that come your way.”

In these few words, taken from the episode, Xabi sums up the Waimea surf shop philosophy. Located just a few meters from the waves in Anglet, the oldest surf shop in Europe to be still in business is more than just a shop. It’s an institution.

FRANCISCO SPINOLA – WSL

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Francisco Spinola is the “Mister Surf” of Portugal. With his business partner Frederico Teixeira, he was the initiator of the Portuguese competitive surfing tour. What was once a small niche has, thanks to them, become a driving force for tourism and economic development with the birth of Surf Schools, Surf camps, hotels and restaurants that all contribute to attracting the international surfing scene to Portuguese shores.

CLÉMENT MAULAVÉ AND MATHIEU COUACAULT – HOPAAL

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Clément Maulavé and Mathieu Couacault are two surfers who created Hopaal, an apparel company that is trying to have the tiniest footprint possible. Relying on their first success of their “sweater of the future” manufactured from 100% recycled materials, they have recently left Olatu in Anglet to open their first shop in Biarritz, a few hundred meters from the Grande Plage. Truly committed surfers Creating out of what already exists, not digging into resources, which we are constantly reminded how finite they are, not living off credit and avoiding consequences for future generations, not endangering our environment, being clean, working locally, differently. All these positive mottos imply a change in models and require working habits. That and more is what drive the two founders of Hopaal. They are fully committed to the ocean because they love spending time in it and are fully aware that it is high time we started taking action. Their solution is to recycle existing fabric and materials to manufacture their collections. Whether it is plastic collected at sea, production scraps, …

DEREK O’NEILL – VISSLA

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A pioneer of the European surfing industry, Derek O’Neill launched and developed Billabong in Europe for 12 years before taking on the position of International CEO. At 54, he could have closed the door on the industry and spent the rest of his life surfing, but retirement just wasn’t his thing. He returned to Hossegor 3 years ago to develop Vissla, an all new surf brand to “make surfing great again” and so far, things aren’t looking too shabby.