For as long as modern surfers have been riding waves, boardshorts have been the surfer’s prevailing uniform. And while surfing often bills itself as a so-called lifestyle sport, any piece of equipment used for an athletic pursuit has to stand up to the demands of the wearer. Period.
During a time in surfing when myriad upstart brands were trying to make a quick buck and hawk their wares with fancy marketing strategies, Birdwell Beach Britches approached Steve Pezman at Surfer with premium-quality boardshorts and no marketing materials.
On the spot, Pezman developed a tagline: “Quality is our gimmick.” Well, not so much a tagline as the intentional absence of one. It says, “Instead of saying something clever, let’s let the product speak for itself.” It’s been Birdwell’s mantra ever since.
