In 1979, Dakine launched on Maui's North Shore. Rob Kaplan was a surfer but also a tinkerer who loved to build. Once word got around, his surf buddies started coming to him with their gear problems - most commonly broken surf leashes. After repairing enough leashes, he constructed a new leash using bombproof materials and stitching that only someone who's ever lost his board to the rocks could design.
In 1980, Dakine introduced the first adjustable foot strap in windsurfing history, followed in 1982 by a waist strap and a full line of holdalls, and in 1983 by a hitherto unique seat strap and the now ubiquitous thermoformed waist strap. These advances in gear design have helped windsurfers sail faster, jump higher and ride in stronger conditions. Dakine was then introduced as one of the most successful, most trusted brands in the new sport.
In 1986 the main focus of windsurfing shifted to Hood River, Oregon. While Dakine would retain its presence on Maui, headquarters moved to the mainland. Hood River is very close to Mount Hood, where snowboarders and skiers from around the world used to train in the summer. Not only did we talk to some of the world's best surfers and windsurfers, we also met world-class snowboarders and skiers who frequented our office. It was exactly one of those snowboarders that led us to the first heli pack. He had come to the Dakine office directly from the mountain with a request: for his upcoming heli trip to Alaska he was looking for a backpack that only had space for the essentials. Dakine then created a bespoke backpack that offered just that and nothing more. This favor for a friend eventually turned into one of our most iconic products in our history.
By 2005, Hood River had become a popular destination for mountain bikers, and those same friends were beginning to bring other issues to the shop: What's the best way to load three bikes onto a pickup truck without closing the down tube to damage? How do I ride downhill with full gear, full-face helmet and protectors, without sweating to death going uphill? Is there a way to carry a chainsaw, hammer and pruning shears on a mountain bike? The answer was: Yes!
We always try to answer these kinds of questions with the same ingenuity, decency and craftsmanship that Rob put into his very first surf leash. Collectively, Dakine is responsible for hundreds of unique product innovations that have helped snowboarders, surfers, kiteboarders, skiers, windsurfers and mountain bikers spend more days on the mountain and in the water. Through each one, our approach has never changed: design products we're proud of and pass them on to friends who love spending time on the mountain and in the water as much as we do.
