Surf culture includes the people, language, fashion, and lifestyle surrounding the sport of surfing. The history of surfing began with the ancient Polynesians. That initial culture directly influenced modern surfing, which began to flourish and evolve in the early 20th century, with its popularity peaking during the 1950s and 1960s (principally in Hawaii, Australia, and California). It has affected music, fashion, literature, film, art, and youth jargon in popular culture. The number of surfers throughout the world continues to increase as the culture spreads.

Surfers’ desire for the best possible waves to ride make them dependent on conditions that may change rapidly, given the unpredictable nature of weather events and their effect on the surface of the ocean. Because surfing was limited by the geographical necessity of an ocean coastline with beaches, the culture of beach life often influenced surfers and vice versa. The staff of Surfer Magazine, founded in the 1960s when surfing had gained popularity with teenagers, used to say that if they were hard at work and someone yelled “Surf’s up!” the office would suddenly empty. Localism or territorialism is a part of the development of surf culture in which individuals or groups of surfers claim certain key surfing spots as their own.^[1]

Aspects of 1960s surf culture in Southern California, where it was first popularized, include the woodie,^[2] bikinis and other beach wear, such as boardshorts or baggies, and surf music.^[3]Surfers developed the skateboard to be able to “surf” on land,^[4] as well as developing a number of other boardsports

Billabong International Limited is an Australian surf company, primarily a clothing retailer that also produces accessories, like watches and backpacks, and skateboard and snowboard products under other brand-names. Founded in 1973 by Gordon and Rena Merchant, the company first traded on the Australian Securities Exchange in 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”.^[2] As of September 2013, Von Zipper,^[3] and Element^[4] were two of the prominent brands that Billabong owns. Honolua Surf Company, Kustom, Palmers Surf, Xcel, Tigerlily, Sector 9 and RVCA were the company’s other brands. In 2018 Billabong International Limited was acquired by Boardriders, Inc, owner of rival brand Quiksilver.

From late 2012 onwards, following the company’s decline in the period since 2008, Billabong International has been the subject of several protracted bidding and takeover processes in which the company’s former United States chief Paul Naude has been a participant. During one period, Billabong used a corporate turnaround strategy to return the company to profitability, which it achieved in 2014.^[5]

In December 2016, former chief executive Matthew Perrin was found guilty of fraud and forgery by a jury in the District Court in Brisbane,^[6][7] and was sentenced to jail in January 2017.^[8]