Quiksilver are massive, they need no introduction…

Quiksilver Europe has been designing unique, limited edition boardshorts in conjunction with nine of the best surf retailers in Europe. This truly collaborative and industry leading project, entitled Quiksilver Union, combines the very best surf retailers, branding and innovation. Every summer will see newly released collaborations with the best surf retailers across Europe.

This summer we will see the launch of the:

QUIKSILVER UNION BOARDSHORT CONCEPT

Blue Tomato
Austria has a new shop for discerning surfers and snowboarders. Based in Schladming, Blue Tomato has come up with a radical and humorous look for their boardshort design. Using innovative photo printing, their boardshort is printed with an image of traditional attire called the Lederhosen. The Lederhosen is a Bavarian short made from leather, which has matching shoulder straps and was worn in the Alps back in the XVIII century. Now that is retro! OK so we didn’t include the shoulder straps but to compliment this unique boardshort, Quiksilver added the innovative Velcro waistband first used in the Miky Picon pro model boardshort.

North Shore
Newquay, Cornwall is surf central for UK surfers and every British surfer knows that this is one of the best surf shops in the country. The team at North Shore are true to their rugged Cornish roots and have created a boardshort that represents Kernow pride. All colours are specific to the region. We have geometric lines inspired by the Quiksilver logo in white on black representing St Piran, the patron saint of Tin Miners. Lace caps and embroidery detail in gold are the colours of ancient Cornish kings. Red is used signifying the beak and legs of the Cornish Cough bird. Finally Blue is used for the Ocean, which surrounds the county and has allowed fisherman, ship wreckers and surfers to thrive throughout the generations.

Point Break
Going for the highest level of innovation, Quiksilver collaborated with Point Break to produce a contemporary boardshort both in terms of design and style. Using a modern Matrix graphic, Point Break also matched its look with innovative materials. By choosing a dobby diamond stretch, the boardshort remains very light and doesn’t stick to the skin ensuring a quick dry and ultimate performance in the surf. The red and white colour scheme represents the Vendee region, which has 160km of Atlantic coastline and is home to St Gilles Croix De Vie and the Point Break surf shop.

Secret Spot
It’s no secret that we are dealing with the best surf retailer in Germany. This is the spot for street wear and core customers alike. Secret Spot has chosen a bold, clear design inspired by the wave form itself. Quiksilver has always used the mountain and the wave on its logo as the symbol of its roots in the ocean and on the mountains and Secret Spot have used this formula as inspiration for their own variation on the theme. The graphic uses chocolate brown in contrast with a tropical blue to represent the dreamy locations of Hawaii and the Polynesian Islands where surfing, the sport of Kings, was born.

Troggs
Troggs has been the stronghold of Irish surf retail for over 30 years. A family business that prides itself on staying true to its surfing roots, Troggs stocks an impressive range of surfing equipment and customers can benefit from the advice of the owner, multiple Irish surfing champion, Andy Hill and his staff of surfers. The boardshort takes inspiration from the classic Quiksilver chequer print, with fine red and black lines on a white background. The Irish heritage is represented in the Troggs boardshort by the depiction of a mythical Celtic Troll character in the barrel, which has long been the logo of this once underground surf shop. Trolls may be small but they are powerful creatures; the perfect stature for tube riding!

Tubes
Tubes is a renowned Irish surf shop that not only retails the essential surfing equipment but also gives back to the sport by sponsoring events, team riders, competitions and local beach cleanups. From its roots in Irish surfing, Tubes has become established over twelve years and it is well known that from roots in Irish soil grow shamrocks, the national symbol. Inspired by the leaf of the lucky shamrock, the Tubes boardshort has the emblem printed in monogram using bright green on a black background for ultimate effect. Made in polyester, the Tubes boardshort has a back pocket. Any surfer wearing the Tubes boardshort must surely be taking with them the luck of the Irish.

Rainbow
The Rainbow shop in Anglet is a core store on the Basque coast for surfers. One of the first shops in the region, established in 1983, Rainbow is stocked with everything from retro fish surfboards to a classic longboard or a big wave gun. In honour of this retro vibe, the Rainbow boardshort is a flashback to the original boardshort styles of the Seventies, being shorter in length at 16 inches and made of nylon. Available in bold green and jet black, the short depicts the name of the shop using rainbow piping arched across the backside. A retro longboard fin design in the Basque country colours of green, red and white is positioned proudly on the waistband. Add a little soul and a lot of colour to your surfing with the iconic Rainbow boardshort.

Tactic
Every surfer needs tactics and none more so than those in Barcelona who need tactics to catch waves in the Mediterranean and the Tactic surf shop for all their surfing requirements from surfboards to apparel. The Tactic boardshort design is available in black with white, both of which are classically finished with black and white rainbow piping on the legs. The emblems on the boardshorts are various depictions of the Tactic logo from crests to medallions and the surfing camper van. Eye-catching and stylish, these monogram boardshorts are tactically perfect.

Pukas
Pukas originated as a surfboard company in the Seventies and has grown to establish four surf shops in Northern Spain and to produce a Pukas apparel collection. Founded in the Basque surfing heartland, Pukas remains true to its heritage, a fact that is depicted in the Pukas boardshort. The image printed on the fabric is of a quiver of Pukas surfboards standing to attention on a beach as if waiting for their owner to paddle them out to the waves beyond. The bright pink and blue used in the design represent the colourful puka shells, from which the Pukas name derives, which were once strung together to make necklaces sold by surfers in Hawaii to fund their surfing lifestyle. Pukas surfboards are ridden by the upper echelon of surfers and the Pukas boardshort promises to be just as exclusive.