Erin Brooks sporting a Rip Curl Sticker at Bells. Photo: Ed Sloane // WSL
It’s been a tumultuous year for Rip Curl, and things don’t appear to be slowing down any time soon. As Shop-Eat-Surf reports, the company will be cutting North American jobs and centralizing operations in the brand’s Australian home.
“Rip Curl is making some changes to simplify our operations and ensure we’re positioned for growth in a dynamic market,” said a Rip Curl spokesperson to Shop-Eat-Surf. “This has involved the difficult decision to remove some roles from our team in North America. As part of a new strategy, we’re centralizing product innovation to our global headquarters – the birthplace of our brand. North America continues to be a key market for Rip Curl, and these changes are designed to accelerate and streamline the creation of high-quality products that exceed the needs of the U.S. core surf market. We remain committed to delivering exceptional products, staying true to our heritage, and supporting our global surf and beach community.”
So far, it is unclear exactly how many jobs will be cut.
Rip Curl has undergone a number of leadership upheavals recently. Last year, CEO Brooke Farris resigned, a week after Rip Curl parent company KMD CEO Michael Daly did the same (Farris went on to be hired by the WSL to serve as CMO and President of North America). Farris and Daly were replaced by former Nike execs Ashley Reade and Brent Scrimshaw, respectively.
In April, Scrimshaw commented on how tariffs announced by the Trump administration may lead to belt-tightening at Rip Curl. “The new U.S. tariffs are another headwind in an already challenging consumer environment in the U.S.,” he said in a statement to Shop-Eat-Surf. “We are evaluating all strategic options, including pricing, cost mitigation and inventory investment, to safeguard the long-term value of our brands and protect our stakeholders.”
