ripcurl — flojones

RipCurl Wetsuit Development

CASE STUDY: RIPCURL: WETSUIT DEVELOPMENT

PROFILE

Rip Curl: The Search
Rip Curl is a brand that encompasses the adventurous outdoor lifestyle that was prevalent post-WW2 culminating with the flower power and hippie era of the 1960’s and 70’s that reflects their overarching statement of “The Search”. The company was “built by surfers for surfers” (Rip Curl Australia). Alongside producing boards, wetsuits, watches and apparel, Rip Curl sponsors a group of world class athletes that encompass the unique brand philosophy. Rip Curl’s target market consists mostly of Australian surfers’, but also includes a wider group of young Australians who may purchase clothes and accessories, such as watches. Their niche market consists of avid surfers who seek varied and specialised boards and wetsuits.

Rip Curl: Founders
Brian Singer and Doug Warbrick founded the company Rip Curl in 1969. During this winter, they produced approximately 4 boards per week, alongside some fins for Torquay’s best surfers, whilst spending a copious amount of time in the water at Bells Beach trialing and testing their new products. In November of the same year, Singer and Warbrick expanded into the Old Torquay Bakery, renting the space in order to set up a proper shaping bay, glassing and sanding rooms in order to increase production to 12 boards per week. In December of 1969, Alan Green joined the company and with his experience from Australian Divers, a company which produced dive wetsuits, they were able to expand into creating wetsuits to accompany their boards. Green left a year later to form the brand Quiksilver, but Rip Curl continued to produce wetsuits, and after outsourcing most of the production, were forced to begin producing everything themselves to sustain order numbers and quality.

Rip Curl: Company, design and manufacturing structures
Rip Curl utilises in-house designers in Torquay during the research and development processes. Peter Coles is the Global Research and Development/Production Manager of Rip Curl’s wetsuit division. Wetsuit design and development happens locally in Torquay, where they can be tested in the surf at Bells Beach. Coles also oversees logistics, research and development as well as sourcing and production. Most of their products (especially wetsuits) are produced offshore in Chaingmai, Thailand in their own factory which employs approximately 650 workers. Under the Anker Methodology, workers are paid a suitable living wage, opposed to many other large apparel companies which exploit overseas workers. Rash vests, on the other hand, are very simple to produce and therefore are manufactured locally in Torquay, as the Australian living wage is much higher. All wetsuit repairs are done locally in Torquay, allowing the company to keep a close eye on the longevity and wear and tear of their garments. Rip Curl is now owned by Kathmandu, after 50 years of being privately owned and many sales attempts over the years, allowing the company to grow even further.

Rip Curl: product design and development
Since the founding of the company, where products were designed, tested, developed, manufactured and sold completely in Torquay, much has changed. Many of the brands other facets have increased and expanded, inspiration now includes both domestic and international travel, design involves many experts, surfers and sewists, and production is now offshore in the ‘Onsmooth’ factory owned by the company. Although wetsuit design and pattern drafting is still done in Torquay, and trialed and tested in the water at Bells Beach the same day of its production, the system has become much larger, thus allowing the company to reach new heights in its designs, mass of production, innovation of techniques and option for event and athlete sponsoring. The team of the wetsuit division includes a chairman, a product manager and product managers in the northern hemisphere. Jay and Maddison now look after wetsuit design and graphics, while John Pyburne is the pattern maker. Some processes, such as working straight on the mannequin are still used, but contemporary processes for design drafting, like CAD are used to create a higher level product than ever before.

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

Research and development overview
The Australian Bureau of Statistics defines R&D as “systematic investigation or experimentation involving innovation or technical risk, the outcome of which is new knowledge, with or without a specific practical application, or new or improved products, processes, materials, devices or services.” It helps companies to design new and improved products and facilitate future product development. It may not bring in any immediate revenue, but it is an investment in design for the company.

Research and development at Rip Curl
In-house research and development processes allow the Rip Curl team to test new materials which are developed in Asia and sent to their Torquay workplace. They test all new materials through UV filament lamps, endurance in salt water, elasticity and strength of glues and fixtures. This research and development comes before and during the drafting of possible designs, and includes communications with overseas suppliers. Field trips, both domestic and international provide information on the sales of different designs of wetsuits, and insight into new innovations of other competing companies.

NEW AND EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES

Technological development at Rip Curl
Over the 50 plus years of Rip Curls existence, they have been constantly developing new technologies at the forefront of the wetsuit industry. Their brand set the bar for many other surf companies, and through a group of dedicated customers and athletes, Rip Curl has been making purposeful additions to their wetsuits consistently.

Neoprene innovation
Rip Curl was one of the first companies to utilize neoprene for the use of surfing wetsuits, beginning with E1 neoprene. Before this, neoprene was an ultra thick rubber material that was only used for dive wetsuits, to withstand the turbulence, pressure and freezing temperatures. Neoprene is a synthetic rubber that is also known as polychloroprene and is both flexible and able to keep a stable temperature. Neoprene is also used in the footwear and automobile industries. Multi-layered wetsuits are the newest innovation, which allow more air flow and added warmth, as well as much less weight to the wetsuit. This E4 neoprene was created from the initial E1, E2 and E3 iterations. The newest E7 neoprene is much lighter, more stretchy and warmer than previously, and Rip Curl tests each new design for UV quality, tension, strength, elasticity and warmth.

Lectra CAD, manufacturing system innovation
Ones of Rip Curl’s most time saving innovations is their implementation of the Lectra CAD system to take their sketched designs to online patterns. This scans the physical patterns to create a more refined, digital version of the pattern that can be more easily manipulated into different sizings and measured more accurately. This system is able to find the most space efficient way to lay patterns on the material, and exactly how much 2 or 3 millimeter neoprene is needed for each design. It makes suggestions to improve the efficiency of the use of material, and any alterations to the pattern to improve the yield. Rip Curl uses this to email their patterns to suppliers, reducing mailing time and possible loss or damage of new designs.

Environmentally friendly neoprene at Soöruz
Although not currently used by Rip Curl, there has been developments made in wetsuit materials, by using natural materials to combine with the rubber and enhance its ability. Soöruz, founded in 1999, focuses on the sustainability of their materials used, and initially created bamboo and recycled polyester wetsuits. Yulex was their next innovation, replacing petroleum-based materials with natural plant-based materials. This iteration was clean, free of waste and sustainable. They have also created the first bio-sourced combination of oyster shell power, natural rubber, sugar cane and vegetable oil, a material called bioprene. Their latest creation is oysterprene, where limestone is substituted with oyster shell power, allowing the material to be the most flexible and high performance, perfect for pro surfers. Rip Curl could consider implementing any of these materials in order to create higher performance wetsuits that are also environmentally friendly.

BIOMIMICRY

Biomimicry: Definition
Biomimicry is the design and production of materials that are modelled on biological entities. By learning from the systems and processes of the natural world, we are able to better solve unique challenges and find solutions for problems that have been prevalent for many years with no success.

Biomimicry, currently, at Rip Curl
There is currently no evidence of biomimicry research at Rip Curl, as their use of neoprene to create wetsuits suitable for the surf was an innovation in itself when the company first began. Testing is done by employees who are avid surfers in order to give feedback on the warmth and comfort of the new designs, and neoprene now offers increased warmth and ergonomics, and will surely continue to evolve in the coming years. On the other hand, there are many aquatic animals that have adapted to stay in cold water climates, and their evolutionary process may be helpful in creating more comfortable, warmer and safer wetsuits.

Biomimicry in the wetsuit industry – a consideration for Rip Curl
A new branch of research from MIT engineers has revealed that we are able to mimic the way small aquatic animals, such as otters or beavers, stay warm in their cold environment. Unlike larger aquatic animals, which utilize their blubber for warmth, smaller animals cannot afford to be carrying that extra weight and rely on their fur for warmth. The small spaces between each piece of fur traps air under and above the water. This air holds heat close to the mammal’s body thus keeping it warm in even the coldest climates. This biomimicry innovation came out of a visit to a wetsuit company that wanted to transform the wetsuit into an agile garment. MIT’s first point of research was to take inspiration from animals that are small, cannot carry much weight, spend time in and out of the water, and are able to stay warm in cold climates. A fur like material, would allow surfers to stay much warmer under and on top of the water, allowing for more time in the surf and less bulk that restricts movement and hinders surfing performance. Small rubber hairs (3mm polydimethylsiloxane) are attached to a thin rubber base approximately 1mm apart. The pressure from the water forces air into these small pockets, and as the thermal conductivity of air is 2-5 times smaller than that of rubber, the surfer’s body warmth will be retained for 2-5 times more effectively, depending on the environment. This material has not yet been formed into a surfable wetsuit, has not been tested in the turbulence of the water, nor is something that could be profitably sold to wetsuit production companies such as Rip Curl, but Peko Hosoi, the head of sports technology and education at MIT, and the lead engineer on this project, is hopeful that this material will soon be available for surfers internationally.

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

The product development process
The product development process is unique for each garment or product that Rip Curl manufactures, and it includes finding inspiration, research, design development, testing, manufacturing and sale to the consumer. All these stages must be completed in order to create a successful product.

Inspiration
The founders of Rip Curl are passionate about surfing, and most of their inspiration therefore comes from their own hobby of spending time in the water. Their initial inspiration came from a need to surf year round, when the surf at Bells Beach peaked during winter and they requuired garments to keep them warm and safe. Inspiration may also come from new design trends, patterns, logos or colours that may be incorporated into designs, or also from customer complaints or issues that have arisen over the products lifetime of use.

Market research
Rip Curl’s in house designers conduct market research by travelling around Australia, including places such as Sydney, to find what other companies are doing that Rip Curl could improve on. They also travel internationally (such as to Indonesia or Manhattan), to inspect the manufacturing processes and materials that are used by competing companies, in order to improve their own processes and costs. Lastly, Rip Curl takes into account customer feedback to further improve their products. Any wetsuits that are sent to their Torquay store for repairs are used to consider points of wear and tear, checking that stitching is high quality and intact, and considering how these could be improved.

Product research
Rip Curl conducts research on their main wetsuit material, neoprene, to create the most comfortable and safe fabric. Over the years, they have gone from using dive wetsuits, to a thick E1 neoprene and the most recent iteration being a thinner E7 neoprene with increased warmth. They source the cheapest and most suitable materials with sustainability in mind in order to provide their customers with a high quality product. Domestic and international travel also allows Rip Curl to see the competing companies’ strategies and new designs. The research they conduct on materials and designs inform the design development and ultimately all new lines of wetsuits.

Design development
New designs at Rip Curl begin with sketches, either on paper or straight onto the mannequin, to get an idea of body shape. Jay and Maddison are the current wetsuit designers and graphic designers. Once a basic sketch is made and refined, the design is transferred onto Adobe Illustrator. After a digital model is made, John Pyburne, the pattern maker, creates stencils on brown paper of each separate piece which are then transferred to the neoprene material for a prototype to be made.

Prototyping and testing
A prototype of the new design is made next door to the design room, in a small scale ‘factory’ in Torquay. Any alternation to the designs are made before this. Once the prototype is made, it is given to a member of the staff to test in the surf, either later in the afternoon or the next day. This gives the team valuable feedback on the fit and feel or the garment, if it is sufficiently warm, close hugging in the right areas or comfortable at the seams. This feedback is relayed to the design team, which make any alterations necessary to test and prototype once again. Rip Curl use a digital grading system to refine the pattern design, using the physical paper pattern and their Lectra CAD System to ‘scan’ the patterns and fix any minor issues. The pattern is enlarged or minimized for different size iterations, considering the measurements of each differing size. The patterns are emailed to their factory in their Japan or Taiwan for manufacturing.

Supply, manufacturing and transportation
The factory in either Japan or Taiwan receives the new design by email, which is chosen based on material, transport and manual labour costs. Some garments, such as rash vests are manufactured locally in Torquay as they are not difficult to produce. The wetsuits are manufactured on large, commercial machinery by trained workers, and then are sent to either stores or warehouses for in-person or online sale.

Consumer purchase and feedback
Once wetsuits are on shelves or published to online platforms, customers are able to immediately purchase and use their new wetsuit. Based on sales numbers and amount of left over product, the Rip Curl team can assess the success of the product. Repairs also allow the team to see points of wear that may need to be reinforced and check any deficiencies in the stitching. Customers can also provide feedback online on any aspect of their wetsuit or the brand as a whole.

DESIGN AND INNOVATION

Design and innovation in a company
Without design and innovation, a company would not be able to continue to create new products that will appeal to the ever-changing audience. The design of each product must be special to spark interest in a buyer, otherwise the product sales will be stagnant. There may be innovation in manufacturing, product distribution, sustainability or service.

Design and innovation at Rip Curl
At Rip Curl, there have been innovations since day one. Some of the most notable include under-arm gussets to avoid chafing, multi-thickness neoprene to increase insulation properties, the blind stitch waterproof seam, Aquaban Seam Liquid Tape that increases the waterproofing of the seams, the ‘batwing’ that sits behind the zip for added warmth as well as more stretchy, warmer and comfortable neoprene iterations. Specific issues are found during the testing process, and the Rip Curl team works to eliminate them, such as adding a section of neoprene between the zip and the skin in order to protect from the cold water temperatures. These are added during the design process. As well as this, the internet aids the company in dispatching designs quickly and fixing issues in less time than ever. Lastly, neoprene innovations and testing makes the products more comfortable and long lasting than ever.

SUSTAINABILITY

Sustainability at Rip Curl
Sustainability is often at the forefront of all modern manufacturing and production processes, especially that of the company Rip Curl, who aim “To be regarded in all that we do as the Ultimate Surfing Company.” (Rip Curl, 2021) This includes protecting the environment in which their products will be used by consumers, including oceans, beaches and the wider natural environment. Rip Curl has 3 pillars which oversee their sustainability measures, as they constantly look to improve how they ‘Preserve and Protect Our Oceans’, improve their ‘Environmental Products’ and continue to ‘Act Sustainably’. To do this, Rip Curl participates in annual Planet Days, especially in their hometown of Torquay, as well as beach clean ups and the planting of indigenous vegetation. For some time, Rip Curl has been recycling their materials especially in their mountain wear, and have recently began an initiative to recycle plastic bottles to create swimwear and apparel. Rip Curl also recently began a wetsuit takeback program, where surfers can recycle any brand of wetsuit at Rip Curl stores, and the material will be repurposed into indoor play mats. Rip Curl’s environmental policy emphasises how highly regarded sustainability is in all stages of production, even eliminating the use of plastic bags in stores and responsibly discarding rubbish at their surf events.

Sustainability Models at Rip Curl
LCA
Life cycle analysis/assessment, or LCA, is an internationally accredited system of assessing the potential impacts of a products full lifetime, from inspiration to production to the consumer discarding it. This would include a detailed level of research into each stage of a products lifespan, and is usually a time-consuming and costly process. An LCA intends to accurately measure the inputs and outputs of a product, and includes the goal and scope, life cycle inventory, lice cycle assessment and then an interpretation of the data. Although there is no current evidence of an official LCA report of any current or future designs, the environmental impact on a large scale has been considered. Rip Curl performed an ESG (Environmental, Social, & Governances) and formally reported this, showing the environmental impact of the company through a range of sources of pollution or harm. They have considered their carbon footprint, pollution from factories and workspaces worldwide, sustainability of materials, current practices of sustainability as well as how they may improve in the future.

C2C
The ‘cradle to cradle’ concept takes inspiration from natures processes so as to create a plan for upcycling materials, such that materials in nature are seen as nourishing and important, and used to create a new product with the same or more value than the previous, opposed to down-cycling, where products become less valuable or useful until they eventually end up as waste. These systems are either biological or technical, and may choose to use biodegradable or natural materials and favor less toxic chemicals than other processes. At Rip Curl there is a focus on longevity of the product so that it will not need to be replaced for many years, and the functionality and aesthetic will remain intact. When a surfboard, wetsuit or other item does eventually break or sustain damage, Rip Curl provides local repairs, especially to wetsuits, as well as a warranty on watches and equipment. Additionally, their wetsuit take back program allows the neoprene of old wetsuits to be upcycled into children’s play mats that provide comfort and safety to the younger generation, ultimately prolonging the life of this material.

DfD
Design for disassembly, or DfD, encompasses a myriad of processes that may reduce waste, including designing and producing a product that could easily be disassembled for a certain part to be replaced, with a focus on simplicity of production, ease of recycling and promotes reusability. DfD eliminates glues, paints, laminates and labels that may interfere with the recycling process and uses joins and fixtures that are simple for ease of disassembly. Rip Curl’s products cannot be disassembled, this system of sustainability is not conducive to the functionality of the pieces, especially a wetsuit which must stay as one piece for it to fulfill its purpose. In saying this, Rip Curl promotes reusability through creating long lasting pieces that can be used for many seasons, rather than profiting off trend cycles and marketing techniques such as greenwashing. Rip Curl also provides local repairs, especially to wetsuits, as well as a warranty on watches and equipment. Their wetsuit take back program means that the neoprene of old wetsuits to be upcycled into children’s play mats that provide comfort and safety to the younger generation, ultimately prolonging the life of this material.

EPR
Extended producer responsibility/product stewardship ,or EPR, recognizes the shared responsibility of the manufacturers, importers, governments and consumers in the responsible recycling of a product during the production, and after its use. It aims to manage the impacts of a product and its materials, and it involves producers or importers funding activities that reduce the environmental, health and safety impacts of a product, and can be voluntary or mandatory. EPR follows the design principles of DfD, where products can be disassembled for recycling and aims for quality production methods, recyclable parts of products and reuse of waste from production or transportation. At Rip Curl, the wetsuit take back program allows the neoprene of old wetsuits to be upcycled into children’s play mats that provide comfort and safety to the younger generation, ultimately prolonging the life of this material. Rip curl has partnered with global recycling brand TerraCycle, which specialise in hard to recycle materials such as wetsuit neoprene, and work with large brands to facilitate the rejection of throwaway culture and overconsumption. The wet suit take back program allows for customers to take their old or irreparably damaged wetsuits of any brand to any Rip Curl store, where they will be taken to be recycled, a world first initiative for this material.

PLANNED OBSOLESCENCE

Planned obsolescence explanation
Planned obsolescence is a way of producing a product that will eventually become obsolete, unusable or undesirable, and therefore require replacement. This can be achieved through three ways, functional obsolescence, technical obsolescence and style obsolescence. Planned obsolescence is inbuilt into the product design, sometimes by choosing lower quality materials, making the repairs difficult or expensive, playing into fast fashion trends or using technologies that will become non-conducive with the ever-changing advances of society. Although planned obsolescence allows for products to be cheaper, more efficient to produce, enjoyable or safer to use, it also means that products have a much shorter life span, replacement costs are high, more waste is produced, and it requires for energy to produce a larger quantity of items.

Planned obsolescence in product design and development
Planned obsolescence is built into the design of a product, as the functionality and longevity of a product is considered at every stage of development. At Rip Curl, items are made to last, especially wetsuits. It would be unsafe to create wetsuits that would not withstand the turbulence of the surf and would cause customer complaints and dissatisfaction. Therefore, Rip Curl aims to produce wetsuits that will last many surf sessions and keep the user warm and safe. To do this, they use the newest technologies and innovations of wet suit material neoprene, and also have a repair program and 3-year warranty for each wetsuit. Similar services are available for other Rip Curl products. Beyond this, the TerraCycle takeback program aims is able to reuse the materials once repairs are no longer possible. Rip Curl states in the sustainability section of their website that they aim to ”Design and develop innovative products that are durable and long-lasting to extend product life and reduce overall consumption, considering the impact of each stage of the production cycle on the environment.”, showing their rejection of planned obsolescence in favour of sustainability.

MANUFACTURING

Lean Manufacturing
Lean manufacturing is a process that is based on total quality management, which aims to consistently reduce the errors therefore continuously streamlining the supply chain. It was defined in 1990 by Toyota, which over many years post WW2 has refined its manufacturing systems to produce and transport each product in the least time possible, with minimal mistakes or abnormalities. To do this, they utilize automated systems that allow for minimal human error, and when error does occur production safely halts. The Toyota Production System (TPS) also allows for less waste in storage of materials and excess product, with a just-in-time (JIT) philosophy. TPS has seven areas of waste management which are overproduction, unnecessary transportation, storage of inventory, motion, defects, over-processing and waiting. These waste areas are considered by other companies as well, and although their production systems may not be as seamless, allow for consideration of which areas they could improve. Overall, the lean manufacturing system aims to have no waste of materials, time, labour, space resulting in a seamless production of a high quality with least possible cost. At Rip Curl, most products are produced overseas in their Taiwan factory, where workers are treated well and with respect which allows for high workflow. This work is done overseas due to lower production and material costs. To reduce cost of transportation, all repairs are done in Torquay, allowing for the Rip Curl team to constantly assess the quality and longevity of their products. Other than this, there is no evidence of lean manufacturing processes in place.

Flexible and responsive manufacturing
Flexible and responsive manufacturing allows for customizable products to be able to change production with little notice. Lean manufacturing conduces this as it allows to company to reduce waste of unwanted products, and cater to the current trend cycles. Flexible and responsive manufacturing often uses machinery to speed up the process and eliminate human error. Spanish clothing brand Zara is known for its agile manufacturing, quickly growing in popularity as the consumer is able to access trendy clothes that won’t be seen on everyone else, as the design turn around is much faster. The automotive industry has used these techniques for years in order to provide the user with a customized and high quality product. At Rip Curl, the fastest and cheapest production location is chosen for each different product, such that most are produced overseas and rash vests are produced in Torquay. Wetsuit material, neoprene, is strong and durable and can be cut either by hand or with a number of different mechanical cutters. Rip Curl uses a combination of these cutting techniques in their final wetsuit production. Trend analysts and graphic designers research the changing trend cycles and conduct market research in order to create a product that will visually appeal to customers, whilst remaining stylish for a number of years.

PRODUCTION

Scales of production
There are many scales of production, one-off creations, low-volume production, mass production or continuous production. The choice of manufacturing scale depends on the type and demand of the product, and the production facilities. One-off production is essentially custom made products, meaning they are high in cost and production time, but the end product is unique and provides the company with increased satisfaction. Low-volume production is often referred to as ‘batch’ production, and usually has to be done locally as overseas manufacturers deal in thousands of products. They create unique products that can be changed to fit changing trend cycles rapidly, such as boutique clothing lines. Although the changing of machinery is more costly, low-volume production is often very financially beneficial. High-volume production is fast and inflexible. It is carefully planned and production lines are often devoted to a singular product. The work is repetitive and boring, but the cost per item is low for the consumer. Continuous production occurs 24/7 and is mostly run by computer-aided manufacturing systems. It is constantly watched in order to avoid any accidents.

Scales of production: Rip Curl
At Rip Curl, they started with one off manufacturing (in Torquay) and moved to low production within a few years (Old Torquay Bakery). Now, their production method would be considered as high-volume or mass production, as it is done commercially overseas (Japan or Taiwan). This allows their cost per item to be low, and the time taken to produce each separate wetsuit is reduced. Thousands of products can be made in such a short period of time, and the accuracy rate is high. Despite this, Rip Curl must put more effort into their sustainability processes to offset the carbon footprint, as well as consider the living wages of their workers. Rip Curl’s wetsuits are all produced in Taiwan, therefore they can be sold for a cheaper price with the same quality of stitching. The materials, glues, zips and techniques used are equally as high quality.

INTELLECUAL PROPERTY – REFERENCES

Shop Surf Apparel, Wetsuits and watches - rip curl australia (no date) Shop Surf Apparel, Wetsuits and Watches - Rip Curl Australia. Available at: http://www.ripcurl.com.au/

Taylor, J. (2021) Vale Fred Pyke 1934-2021 - Surf Coast Times, Surf Coast Times. Available at: https://timesnewsgroup.com.au/surfcoasttimes/news/vale-fred-pyke/

What Is Biomimicry? – Biomimicry Institute (2023). Available at: https://biomimicry.org/what-is-biomimicry/

(2023) Youtube.com. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_vJ_hy_Lmg

Torquay History | Rip Curl Celebrates 50 Years of Business - One Agency Surf Coast (2019). Available at: https://oneagencysurfcoast.com.au/2019/04/torquay-history-rip-curl-celebrates-50-years-of-business/

The rip curl story - new book you should read, Carvemag.com. Available at: https://www.carvemag.com/2019/04/the-rip-curl-story-new-book-you-should-read/

Liberatore, S. (2016) MIT creates beaver-inspired material that could keep surfers warm, Mail Online. Available at: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3824131/Forget-wetsuit-scientists-say-donning-fur-like-Beaversuit-warm-water.html

ClimeCo | What is a Life Cycle Assessment? (2022). Available at: https://climeco.com/what-is-a-life-cycle-analysis/#:~:text=Unlike%20GHG%20footprints%20or%20other,product%20or%20a%20facility%20level.

(2021) Sustainability Report 2021 RipCurl. rep.

Product stewardship (no date) DCCEEW. Available at: https://www.dcceew.gov.au/environment/protection/waste/publications/national-waste-reports/2013/product-stewardship

Rip Curl sold to Kathmandu in $350 million deal (2023). Available at: https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/rip-curl-sold-to-kathmandu-in-350m-deal-20191001-p52wfg.html

About TerraCycle® (2023). Available at: https://www.terracycle.com/en-US/about-terracycle/

What Is Total Quality Management (TQM), and Why Is It Important? (2023). Available at: https://www.investopedia.com/terms/t/total-quality-management tqm.asp#:~:text=What%20Is%20Total%20Quality%20Management%20(TQM)%3F,up%20to%20speed%20with%20training.

What is Neoprene Fabric: Properties, How its Made and Where (2023). Available at: https://sewport.com/fabrics-directory/neoprene-fabric

Soöruz Story (2021) Sooruz Surfwear. Available at: https://surfwear.sooruz.com/histoire-sooruz/?lang=en

CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF WETSUIT INNOVATION AT RIP CURL - ASB (2019). Available at: https://asbmag.com/celebrating-50-years-of-wetsuit-innovation-at-rip-curl/

SUSTAINABILITY SPOTLIGHT - AIRSTEP X RIP CURL - Underlay Flooring (2023). Available at: https://www.airstep.com.au/sustainability-spotlight-airstep-x-rip-curl/

CORPORATION., T. (2023) Toyota Production System | Vision & Philosophy | Company | Toyota Motor Corporation Official Global Website, Toyota Motor Corporation Official Global Website. Available at: https://global.toyota/en/company/vision-and-philosophy/production-system/

INTELLECUAL PROPERTY - IMAGES

1. Profile

- Ripcurl logo image

- www.ripcurl.com.au/

- Mick Fanning

- www.mickfanning.com.au

- Brian Singer and Doug Warbrick

- www.ripcurl.com.au/

- Old Torquay Bakery

- www.oneagencysurfcoast.com.au

- Brian Singer and Doug Warbrick

- www.carvemag.com