As Corporate Surf Shops Shutter, Independent Shops Offer a Path Forward
Malibu's had a rough go lately, and the Chapter 11 bankruptcy of Liberated Brands isn't helping. Caught in the downward spiral of the licensing debacle that's put the fate of legacy brands such as Billabong, Quiksilver, Roxy and Volcom in question are more than a hundred corporate-owned surf shops. Among them is Becker Surfboards in Malibu.
Becker Surfboards has been an institution in the area for decades. From board rentals, to the latest and greatest gear, to wax and ding repair kits, it's long been your classic, California surf shop. First opened in 1980, a then 40 year-old Phil Becker, as well as Steve Mangiagli and Dave Hollander, took ownership of the Rick Surfboards factory and turned it into Becker Surfboards. In 2013, Billabong acquired Becker as part of their efforts to expand their brick-and-mortar holdings. Phil Becker sadly passed away in 2023 at the age of 81.
Once in the Billabong portfolio, Becker Surfboards was eventually folded into the Boardriders conglomeration, which also included Von Zipper, Honolua, Quiksilver, Roxy and RVCA. Boardriders was then acquired by Authentic Brands Group in 2023, who subsequently licensed the companies to Liberated Brands. It's more complicated than that, but for the sake of this conversation that's what you need to know.
And now, as Liberated filed bankruptcy earlier this month, Becker, along with a laundry list of other shops, is being forced to close its doors. But, to use an all too apropos metaphor, from the ashes springs new growth. Becker store manager Mitch Taylor already has plans to open a new, independent shop of his own.
'As I grew up in the '70s and '80s, surfers wanted nothing to do with the corporate world. The trend is to return back to independent surf shops, and so I am reopening my own shop which will be in a smaller space," Taylor told the Malibu Times this week.
'This is the only job I have really liked. I woke up every day for 31 years, and I was excited to talk to people in our community," he added.
And therein lies the potential for other shop managers and employees left stranded by the shifting tides of corporate surfing. There's strength and security in being a small, independent business. The sport and lifestyle of surfing certainly isn't suffering from a participation issue. More folks than ever have taken to the water. The customers are there, the doors just have to be opened.
Of course, building a new business is never that easy, but for well over half a century surf shops have been a cornerstone in surf culture and business. They are our temples of stoke, and thanks to guys like Taylor, hopefully the tradition continues well into the 21st Century.
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