Legacy Brands, Modern Consumers, and the Future of Surf Culture

The surf industry has always ridden the tension between authenticity and commercial appeal. At its best, it celebrates freedom, creativity, and connection to the ocean. At its worst, it gets lost in mass production and marketing gimmicks. Today, that line is being tested again, as a new wave of surfers and surf consumers are looking for meaning in a sea of options.

Legacy brands like Quiksilver, Billabong, and Gotcha once defined what it meant to live the surf lifestyle. Their logos were stitched into boardshorts, scrawled across backpacks, and printed on posters in teenage bedrooms around the world. These weren’t just apparel companies, they were cultural touchstones.

But over time, the industry shifted. Private equity, fast fashion, and global expansion diluted the connection between surf brands and actual surf culture. In recent years, many once-iconic labels lost their way or disappeared from shelves altogether.

Now, that cycle may be turning again.

Surf Consumers Want More Than Style

Today’s surf audience isn’t just made up of coastal kids and core boardriders. It includes Olympic athletes, urban weekend warriors, and landlocked wave pool regulars. Many are looking for something more meaningful than trendy prints or quick-dry fabrics. They want gear with values. Stories with weight. Brands that still stand for something.

This has created space for legacy labels to return, not as throwback novelties, but as voices of credibility in a noisy market.

Instinct Returns with a Purpose

One of those returning voices is Instinct, the influential brand founded by world champion surfer Shaun Tomson. First launched in the early 1980s, Instinct was bold, creative, and ahead of its time. It captured the rebellious spirit of a new generation of surfers who weren’t content to follow the rules. Now, as Instinct relaunches for a new era, it’s not just chasing nostalgia. It’s offering a reminder of what made surf culture so compelling in the first place: passion, individuality, and a deeper connection to the ride.

Tomson, who recently received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Waterman’s Ball, remains a guiding force behind the brand. His influence reaches far beyond the waves. As a top keynote speaker and author of the best-selling book The Surfer’s Code, he’s spent the last decade helping people apply surf-inspired wisdom to challenges in business, leadership, and life.

A Culture Reclaimed

The surf industry has always evolved, but moments of renewal tend to follow periods of overreach. As the market shifts again, brands that stay rooted in real culture rather than simply chasing trends have a chance to reestablish their relevance. That means honoring the past without getting stuck in it. It means telling stories that resonate. And it means designing apparel that’s more than just product — it’s identity.

For Instinct, and for other surf labels seeking to reconnect with their core, this isn’t just a business move. It’s a cultural correction. A chance to ride a more meaningful wave.