Quiksilver’s main man and former CEO, Bob McKnight has given an interview to The OC Register about how the company came to be what it is, his own history and some details about the painful downs and the pains of the ups too. Definitely doesn’t sound like an easy time being the big kid on the scene.

One of the most interesting parts of the article is where McKnight talks about increased competition being a major factor applying pressure to the business. While at the low end of the market, this might be true. In the main it was a shift in consumer tastes spearheaded by the likes of American Apparel and the hipster movement (infection?) that actually drove a shift in consumer mind set. The surf shop was no longer the default for new clothes and they style they provided just wasn’t cool anymore. By the time they shifted into that style, they looked like copies rather than authentic versions. The best they can hope for now is that their own old styles will get the kind of retro resurgence that Ray Ban and Levis have benefited from. Gotta happen some time.

It’s definitely worth reading the full article, OC Register staff writer Laylan Connelly got some great information out in it. Link below.

Read the OC Register Article – The wild ride of Quiksilver’s Bob McKnight