Translated subtitle: @LiangDi King
VOLCOME's skateboarding videos, many skateboarders must have seen, but skateboarding is only part of them, today let's take a look at the story of this extreme sports big name!
VOLCOME was founded by two "skateboard veterans, Richard Woolcott and Tucker Hall, on the way to skiing, both of whom have worked in the skateboarding and surfing fields for many years." Proper Extreme Sports Players! The brand's initial empty name was "Young People Rebel Against Authority".
And at the beginning, they also laid the brand style, not only for extreme sports, but also for creativity and artistry (you will understand after reading their advertising design). But the two men were at a disadvantage, and the first year they invested ten thousand dollars and made less than three thousand. The business was closed three times in the first three years.
Its iconic logo was designed by Thom McElroy , the first surfer to receive surf sponsorship and a designer who worked for surfing brand Hurley, Quicksilver, and skateboarding brand VISION STREET WEAR. The logo's design was also inspired by the flipped gem section.
The first VOLCOM skater in history was Chet Thomas; today the team includes Chima Ferguson, Ryan Sheckler, Louie Lopez, Dustin Dollie and many more.
A few of them are very special: Grant Taylor of the Year at Thrasher in 2011, Kyle Walker of the Year at Thrasher in 2016, Milton Martinez in 2019 Thrasher of the Year; Jackson Pilz, Skater of the Year at Slam Magazine Australia in 2017; daan Van, European Skater of the Year at the 2017 BESA Awards Der Linden。
VOLCOM's original way of promoting it was stickers, which are said to be everywhere in Southern California. Interestingly, however, at that time, its stickers were only available to its skaters.
Nowadays, we can see that many brands are involved in different fields, and even JENKEM Skateboard media has launched co-branded records. But VOLCOM was the first clothing company ever to release a record. They have signed a lot of bands, and they have also held band competitions, which is really "the summer of the band".
VOLCOM has launched a number of blockbuster skateboard brand collaborations over the years, SUCH MACHINE, ANTI-HERO, GIRL, BAKER and many more. Its skateboarding videos are also another blockbuster, such as "TURE TO THIS" and "HOLY STOKES" are classic productions.
After skateboarding, VOLCOM also plays a pivotal role in surf circles, hosting surfing competitions every year. Of course, it also has a surf team that includes Dustin Payne, Aussie Wright, Coco Ho, Parker Coffin, and others.
The brand was born on ski trips, so there's no doubt that it also has top teams in ski circles: Bryan Iquchi, Jamie Lynn, Pat Moore, and many more.
In 2005 VOLCOM went public, they found shares for $19 per share. In 2008 they acquired the sunglasses brand Electric Visual. In 2011, it was acquired by PPR Group (later renamed Kering Group), a luxury group with GUCCI, Saint Laurent, Balenciaga and others.
In 2019, they were acquired by Authentic Brands Group, which owns brands such as VISION STREET WEAR, AIRWALK, SHAQ and other brands.
Although business practices seem to run counter to the original slogan, VOLCOM still has an unshakable position in the three major extreme sports fields. These business practices have enabled them to invest heavily in these areas to support the development of the industry and skaters.