The last few years have been quite a rollercoaster, haven’t they?
But you know what they say about rollercoasters – the best damn ride in the park!
The 2020-21 pandemic era was an interesting one. With beaches closed and surfers stuck indoors, you might expect surfboard sales to have suffered – but the opposite turned out to be true. Across the industry, surfboard sales went through the roof, and for us that meant getting our factory running like a Swiss watch – which I’m proud to say is exactly what happened.
But once the lockdowns ended and the world opened up again, surf industry sales dropped again. I guess it was just a case of the market rebalancing itself, but 2022 was a tough year for the surf industry, and sadly, more than a few good surf brands and shops went under. Fortunately for us, the Basque Country Surf Company had its best year ever, and for that we have our amazing team of global reps to thank, who’ve been doing the best job bringing Cabianca Surfboards to Israel, Korea, Taiwan, Japan, Morocco, Canary Islands – we love you guys, you know who you are! Today, as summer 2023 approaches, the rollercoaster is once again picking up speed. The goal, as always, is to grow Cabianca Surfboards into a truly global brand. I’m headed to Bali next week to shape some boards and spread the gospel, and that’s just the first stop of many.
But wherever I go, the one place where I’m 100% comfortable and confident in my ability to make the very best surfboards I can, is in Zarautz, at the Basque Country Surf Company. It’s my lab, it’s where the real magic happens, and nothing makes me happier than seeing a new batch of boards on their way to Gabriel Medina, our growing roster of team riders… and you.
Johnny Cabianca
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