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Many people know the Vissla brand - it has grown from a small boutique brand to an industry staple over the last five years - but few know the story of how it came to be. Surfer's Journal recently published an article about Paul Naude detailing the history of the brand. I recommend anyone interested in Vissla or surfing history in general to take a look at the article - but if you don't have time, here are the cliff notes!
Paul Naude grew up in Durban, South Africa and was part of Shaun Thomson's generation. Instead of going to college, as his parents had planned, he began working in a molding shop, taking orders and repairing dents, eventually moving on to laminating, sanding, and shaping boards. In the meantime, he became a decent surfer himself and soon followed Shaun Thomson and the other South Africans to the North Shore, where he clashed with Randy Rarick and enjoyed a successful professional career (including a win at Sunset and a third place at the Pipe Masters) .
Meanwhile, Naude became more and more involved in the surfing industry. He learned the basics of media and publishing and eventually founded ZigZag Magazine, South Africa's leading surfing magazine. He was also appointed Regional License Holder for Gotcha in South Africa and eventually President of Billabong.
After Billabong went public and suffered from the decline of the surf industry in the early 2000s, Naude decided to return to his roots and founded a company called Stoke House, which had a number of branches including Vissla - a brand from the Naude says that it should always be about surfing, not about street culture, not about skate or snow culture, but just about surfing. He wanted to bring together a group of creative surfers and board builders, and that's exactly what he did. Vissla's team today includes a variety of "creators and innovators" such as shaper Danny Hess, filmmaker/shaper/artist Thomas Campbell, PhD scientist/environmentalist and Hawaii native Cliff Kapono, and up-and-coming surfers such as Cam Richards and Noa Mizuno.
Almost 50 years after he picked up a surfboard for the first time, Naude has now come full circle: With his brand, he offers young surfers an opportunity just like the one he once received. So next time you put on a pair of Vissla boardshorts, take a moment to appreciate the story behind them - and then paddle out to make some waves. This is what Naude would expect from you!
