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🏄 Who Acquired Quiksilver’s Assets? The Surf-Brand Story
Are there any other surf companies that have acquired Quiksilver’s assets? Yes, surf-industry companies have acquired brands and businesses connected to Quiksilver, but the key global deal was Authentic Brands Group’s 2023 acquisition of Boardriders, Quiksilver’s parent company—not a rival surf label buying Quiksilver outright.
The ownership trail can feel like a crowded lineup: Boardriders acquired Billabong in 2018, then ABG acquired Boardriders. Meanwhile, regional licenses and retail operators have handled parts of Quiksilver’s business, which can sound like another takeover when it’s really a different role.
One detail clears up much of the confusion: a company can operate stores or sell Quiksilver products without owning the brand worldwide. Here’s who acquired what—and why the distinction matters.
Key Takeaways
- Authentic Brands Group acquired Boardriders in 2023, bringing Quiksilver and other brands into its portfolio.
- Boardriders acquired Billabong in 2018, placing two major surfwear brands under one parent.
- Licensing and brand ownership are different. Regional partners may operate or sell Quiksilver products without owning its global brand rights.
- Liberated Brands’ 2025 bankruptcy involved a licensed operator, not a sale of Quiksilver’s worldwide identity.
- To verify a claim, check who acquired what, in which region, and whether the source says “owns,” “licenses,” or “operates.”
Table of Contents
- ⚡ Quick Tips and Facts: Who Acquired Quiksilver’s Assets?
- 🏄 The Short Answer: Quiksilver’s Assets Have Had More Than One Chapter
- 📜 Quiksilver and Boardriders: The Brand and Business Behind the Deal
- Quiksilver’s ownership before the latest sale
- How Boardriders became Quiksilver’s parent company
- 🏢 Who Acquired Quiksilver’s Parent Company and Brand Portfolio?
- Authentic Brands Group’s acquisition of Boardriders
- What the sale included: brands, intellectual property, and business operations
- When the acquisition was announced and completed
- 🔍 Have Other Surf Companies Acquired Quiksilver’s Assets?
- Surf companies involved in Quiksilver’s ownership history
- Why licenses and operators are not necessarily owners
- What happened to Quiksilver’s stores, products, and regional businesses
- 📦 What “Acquired Quiksilver’s Assets” Actually Means
- Brand name and trademarks
- Designs, websites, and other intellectual property
- Inventory, stores, employees, and manufacturing
- Licensing agreements and regional distribution
- 🏦 Boardriders’ Financial Troubles and the Sale Process
- Why the former parent company faced financial pressure
- Bankruptcy proceedings and asset sales: what is—and isn’t—part of the story
- 🛍️ Who Makes and Sells Quiksilver Products Now?
- Quiksilver’s current licensing and operating model
- Where to find authentic surfwear and boardshorts
- How the ownership change may affect customers
- 🌍 Quiksilver’s Ownership Around the World
- United States and North American operations
- Australia, Europe, and other international markets
- Why local distributors can differ by country
- 🏂 What the Acquisition Means for Quiksilver’s Surf and Snow Brands
- Quiksilver’s surf heritage and product range
- Related brands in the Boardriders portfolio
- What may change—and what may stay the same
- 🧾 How to Check Who Owns Quiksilver Today
- Reliable company announcements and trademark records
- How to spot outdated ownership claims
- ✅ Key Takeaways: The Companies and Deals to Know
- 🔗 Recommended Links
- ❓ FAQ: Quiksilver’s Assets, Owners, and Acquisitions
- Did another surf company buy Quiksilver?
- Does Authentic Brands Group own Quiksilver?
- Did Quiksilver go out of business?
- Who owns Quiksilver’s intellectual property?
- Are Quiksilver products still being made and sold?
- Did Quiksilver acquire or merge with other surf brands?
- 📚 Reference Links
⚡ Quick Tips and Facts: Who Acquired Quiksilver’s Assets?
The short version: Authentic Brands Group (ABG) acquired Boardriders and its brand portfolio in 2023, including Quiksilver. Other companies have since operated particular Quiksilver businesses under regional or product-specific licenses, but that is not the same as buying Quiksilver’s worldwide brand rights. For broader context on the company’s status, see our guide to whether Quiksilver is still a company.
| Question | Best-supported answer |
|---|---|
| Who acquired Quiksilver’s parent company? | Authentic Brands Group, which announced its acquisition of Boardriders in 2023. |
| Did another surf company buy Quiksilver’s global brand rights? | The available deal announcements identify ABG, a brand owner and licensing company—not another surfwear manufacturer—as the buyer of Boardriders’ portfolio. |
| Did other surf companies acquire related brands or businesses? | Yes. Boardriders acquired Billabong in 2018, bringing the former surfwear rivals under one parent. |
| What about Liberated Brands? | It operated certain licensed retail and apparel businesses. Its 2025 bankruptcy was an operator’s failure, not a sale of Quiksilver’s global intellectual property. |
| Why do reports mention several companies? | They may refer to the brand owner, a parent company, a regional license, or a store operator. Those roles are different. |
Quick rule: A company selling Quiksilver clothing, running a store, or holding a country-specific license does not automatically own Quiksilver everywhere.
For primary-source context, start with ABG’s announcement of the Boardriders acquisition and the U.S. Bankruptcy Court’s case information.
🏄 The Short Answer: Quiksilver’s Assets Have Had More Than One Chapter
Yes, other surf-industry companies have acquired businesses connected to Quiksilver. But the answer depends on which “assets” you mean.
- Boardriders acquired Billabong in 2018. That was a surf-industry acquisition involving a major rival brand.
- ABG acquired Boardriders in 2023, taking ownership of its brand portfolio, including Quiksilver and Billabong.
- Regional licenses and operators have handled specific markets, product categories, or retail businesses. They may change without changing the worldwide owner of the Quiksilver trademark.
- Liberated Brands operated parts of Quiksilver’s U.S. retail and apparel business, then filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2025. That event did not mean it had acquired Quiksilver’s worldwide brand rights.
That distinction explains why some articles answer “yes” and others answer “no.” One may be talking about surf brands changing hands within the Boardriders portfolio; another may mean ownership of Quiksilver’s global intellectual property. Both can describe real events, but only the second answers who owns the brand itself.
📜 Quiksilver and Boardriders: The Brand and Business Behind the Deal
Quiksilver began as an Australian surf brand and later became part of a much larger public company, then a privately owned business, and eventually the Boardriders portfolio. As surfers, we’ve seen why brand ownership can look deceptively simple from the outside: you see one logo on a boardshort, while ownership, design, licensing, manufacturing, and retail may sit with different companies.
For a timeline of the label’s origins and evolution, see the Quiksilver company profile at Surfd.
Quiksilver’s ownership before the latest sale
Quiksilver’s parent company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the United States in 2015. After restructuring, the business emerged as a private company with investment firm Oaktree Capital Management as its majority owner. The parent company later adopted the Boardriders name.
That history matters because “Quiksilver went bankrupt” is often repeated as if the brand itself disappeared. It didn’t. A company’s financial restructuring does not automatically erase its trademarks or end every product line. The reorganized business continued to manage Quiksilver alongside other brands.
Quiksilver also expanded beyond surfwear. In 2005, it bought ski-equipment maker Rossignol, then sold it in 2008. That was Quiksilver buying another company—not another surf company acquiring Quiksilver. Company records and coverage of the deal can be checked through Rossignol’s corporate history and Reuters.
How Boardriders became Quiksilver’s parent company
The Boardriders name reflected a broader business than Quiksilver alone. Its portfolio included surf, skate, and snow labels; Billabong joined the group after Boardriders completed its acquisition in 2018.
That put Quiksilver and Billabong—longtime competitors in surfwear—under one corporate roof. It did not make the two brands identical, nor did it mean one logo replaced the other. Each continued as a distinct brand, even as ownership and some business functions became shared.
| Event | What changed | What it did not mean |
|---|---|---|
| Quiksilver’s 2015 Chapter 11 restructuring | The parent business reorganized under new ownership. | Quiksilver’s brand name automatically vanished. |
| Parent company renamed Boardriders | The company represented a broader collection of action-sports brands. | Every brand became one combined surf label. |
| Boardriders acquired Billabong in 2018 | A major surfwear rival joined the portfolio. | Billabong became Quiksilver or vice versa. |
For a useful overview of related labels, browse our Surf Brand Guides and Surf Fashion coverage.
🏢 Who Acquired Quiksilver’s Parent Company and Brand Portfolio?
Authentic Brands Group acquired Boardriders in 2023. ABG announced the agreement in May 2023, and the deal closed on September 1, 2023, according to the company’s acquisition announcement and closing announcement.
ABG’s model is different from that of a traditional surf company that designs and manufactures most products itself. It owns and manages brands, then works with operating partners and licenses to develop, produce, distribute, or sell goods and services. So if you’re wondering, “Does ABG run every Quiksilver shop and stitch every boardshort?”—no, brand ownership and day-to-day operations are separate jobs.
Authentic Brands Group’s acquisition of Boardriders
The deal brought Quiksilver and other Boardriders brands into ABG’s portfolio. Public reports described the transaction at approximately US$1.25 billion, though headlines may refer to different deal values, debt assumptions, or transaction measures. For the cleanest confirmation of what ABG says it acquired, rely on its own announcements rather than mixing a reported valuation with the legal description of the transaction.
| Company or brand | Role in the ownership story |
|---|---|
| Authentic Brands Group (ABG) | Acquired Boardriders and its portfolio; operates as a brand owner and licensing business. |
| Boardriders | The former parent company of Quiksilver and several other action-sports brands. |
| Quiksilver | A surf and snow brand within the portfolio. |
| Billabong | A former rival acquired by Boardriders in 2018; later included in the ABG transaction. |
| Liberated Brands | A licensed operator of certain U.S. retail and apparel businesses—not the worldwide owner of Quiksilver. |
ABG describes its approach and portfolio on its corporate site. For consumers, the practical result is that a familiar brand can continue while the company responsible for a local product line or store changes.
What the sale included: brands, intellectual property, and business operations
The transaction concerned Boardriders and its brand portfolio, not simply a batch of clothing, shops, or surfboards. The portfolio included Quiksilver and other action-sports names associated with Boardriders, such as Billabong, Roxy, RVCA, DC Shoes, Element, and VonZipper. The exact business arrangements for any one product, territory, or retail channel may depend on licensing and operating contracts.
A helpful way to separate the moving parts:
- Brand rights: Rights associated with names, logos, and trademarks.
- Licensing: Permission for a partner to use a brand in a defined category or territory.
- Operations: The people and companies managing design, sourcing, marketing, wholesale, or retail.
- Retail: Stores and e-commerce channels, which can be owned or operated by a separate company.
The ABG announcement confirms the acquisition of Boardriders; it does not, by itself, prove that one company directly manufactures every item bearing a Quiksilver logo. That’s why statements such as “ABG owns Quiksilver, so ABG makes all Quiksilver clothes” collapse two separate roles into one.
When the acquisition was announced and completed
- May 2023: ABG announced its agreement to acquire Boardriders.
- September 1, 2023: ABG announced the transaction’s completion.
- 2025: Licensed operator Liberated Brands filed for Chapter 11, prompting separate changes to some U.S. retail and apparel operations.
The dates are worth keeping straight. The 2025 operator bankruptcy happened after ABG’s 2023 acquisition; it was not a second global acquisition of Quiksilver.
🔍 Have Other Surf Companies Acquired Quiksilver’s Assets?
Other surf companies have acquired related assets and brands, but the evidence points to ABG as the buyer of Boardriders’ Quiksilver portfolio—not a different surfwear company buying Quiksilver’s worldwide brand rights.
This is where the wording gets slippery. A surf company may acquire a competitor, a license may take over a regional business, and a retailer may close. All three can appear in the same ownership story. Only one necessarily changes the owner of the global brand.
Surf companies involved in Quiksilver’s ownership history
The clearest surf-industry acquisition connected to Quiksilver is Boardriders’ purchase of Billabong. It brought two major surfwear names into the same portfolio. Later, ABG acquired Boardriders itself.
| Acquirer or operator | What it acquired or handled | Was it a global acquisition of Quiksilver? |
|---|---|---|
| Boardriders | Acquired Billabong and operated a portfolio that included Quiksilver. | No. It was Quiksilver’s parent, not a later buyer of Quiksilver from itself. |
| Authentic Brands Group | Acquired Boardriders and its brand portfolio in 2023. | Yes, at the parent/brand-portfolio level. |
| Liberated Brands | Operated certain licensed U.S. retail and apparel businesses. | No. It was an operator, not the global brand-rights buyer. |
| O5 Apparel and other licenses | Took on defined product or regional operations, as reported for particular markets. | No, not on that basis. A license is not the same as ownership of all Quiksilver rights. |
Our Surf Brand Guides explore how action-sports labels move between parent companies and operating partners. The key is to read the transaction wording carefully: “acquired the company” is not interchangeable with “licensed products in a territory.”
Why licenses and operators are not necessarily owners
Imagine the Quiksilver logo as a surfboard. The owner holds the board; licenses get permission to ride it in a defined way. A license may cover men’s apparel in North America, women’s apparel in a particular territory, or a region’s retail operations. Another company may handle footwear, accessories, or distribution.
That division can be useful: local partners bring market knowledge and logistics, while the brand owner can manage the trademark portfolio. But it also creates confusion when one partner exits and another steps in.
✅ A license can make or sell Quiksilver-branded products under contract.
❌ That alone does not make the license the owner of Quiksilver worldwide.
The World Intellectual Property Organization’s trademark guidance explains why trademarks and commercial permissions are distinct legal concepts. The details of any particular license depend on its contract, which may not be publicly available in full.
What happened to Quiksilver’s stores, products, and regional businesses
Liberated Brands operated certain Quiksilver and related-brand retail and apparel businesses in the United States. It filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in February 2025. Reporting on that filing and resulting store closures can be checked against court and company records; Chapter 11 is a court-supervised restructuring process, not a sale of every trademark associated with a company.
Afterward, operating arrangements changed. The Surfd profile reports that O5 Apparel took on the North American men’s business, Velocity Global Brands handled North American women’s apparel, The Beaumanoir Group operated in Western Europe, BR South Pacific handled Australia, New Zealand, and the South Pacific, and BRJ Group covered Japan and Taiwan. These are regional or category-specific operating roles, not evidence that each company bought the global Quiksilver brand.
Because licenses can change and public summaries may not spell out every contract detail, verify current arrangements through Quiksilver’s official site and the relevant company announcements. One abrupt store closure can make a brand look like it vanished; on a long enough coastline, we’ve learned to check the tide before declaring the beach gone.
📦 What “Acquired Quiksilver’s Assets” Actually Means
In business reporting, assets can mean trademarks, intellectual property, inventory, contracts, stores, websites, or an entire company. A headline may say “assets acquired” even when the deal concerns selected operations rather than every part of the brand worldwide. Here’s how to read the fine print without needing a lawyer’s highlighter.
Brand name and trademarks
A trademark protects identifiers such as a brand name or logo in specified goods and markets. Quiksilver’s name can be owned or controlled through corporate entities, while a license receives permission to use it under agreed terms.
To verify a trademark, search the United States Patent and Trademark Office database or the relevant national register. Trademark listings can help establish the recorded owner and filing status, but they won’t reveal every commercial agreement or explain who manufactures a product.
Designs, websites, and other intellectual property
A company may hold or license rights to:
- Logos, brand names, and slogans
- Product designs and graphics
- Photography, video, and marketing material
- Websites, online storefronts, and digital content
- Product-specific patents or registered designs, where applicable
These rights may not all follow the same contract or corporate entity. If a company buys a parent business, that transaction may include a portfolio of rights; if a retailer fails, its lease, inventory, and store operations can be handled separately.
Inventory, stores, employees, and manufacturing
A store operator’s assets could include stock, fixtures, leases, and employment contracts. A clothing license may coordinate product design and supply chains. A manufacturer might make goods under contract without owning any brand rights at all.
| Asset or activity | Possible holder or operator | Does this alone prove brand ownership? |
|---|---|---|
| Trademark | Brand owner or its corporate subsidiary | Often relevant, but check the territory and goods covered. |
| Store lease | Retail company or landlord | No. A lease is about premises. |
| Unsold inventory | Retailer, lender, or bankruptcy estate | No. Inventory is not the trademark. |
| Apparel manufacturing | Contract factory or license | No. Making a product does not mean owning its logo. |
| Regional e-commerce | Brand owner or licensed operator | No. A website can be operated under contract. |
| Brand license | License under a defined agreement | No. It gives permission within its scope. |
For practical consumer guidance on apparel and equipment, see our Surf Fashion and Surf Gear sections.
Licensing agreements and regional distribution
A license can be narrow or broad. It may cover a territory, product category, distribution channel, or a combination. That’s why Quiksilver products in two countries might have different labels, distributors, or customer-service contacts.
When a new company appears in a Quiksilver story, ask:
- What exactly did it acquire? A parent company, trademark, inventory, stores, or a contract?
- Where does the deal apply? Worldwide, North America, Europe, or a smaller territory?
- Which product category is involved? Apparel, footwear, eyewear, retail, or another line?
- Does the source say “owns,” “operates,” or “licenses”? Those verbs aren’t synonyms.
- Is there a dated primary-source announcement? A five-year-old license report may no longer describe today’s setup.
🏦 Boardriders’ Financial Troubles and the Sale Process
The ownership history includes more than one financial reset, which is why “bankruptcy” and “acquisition” often get tangled together in summaries. Financial distress can change a company’s ownership or operations without making its core brands disappear.
Why the former parent company faced financial pressure
Quiksilver grew from surfwear into a wider action-sports business, including snow and other categories. The expansion brought opportunities, but also complexity and financial risk. The 2015 Chapter 11 filing was followed by restructuring and new ownership; the parent later operated under the Boardriders name.
We should be careful about claiming one single cause for a company’s financial trouble. Debt, changing consumer habits, retail shifts, and business decisions can all matter, and the weight of each factor depends on the period and source. For formal bankruptcy records, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware is more reliable than a recycled social-media post.
Bankruptcy proceedings and asset sales: what is—and isn’t—part of the story
Quiksilver’s 2015 Chapter 11 case and Liberated Brands’ 2025 filing concern different entities and different business problems. Boardriders also underwent restructuring connected with its 2023 transaction. It’s easy to compress all that into “Quiksilver went bankrupt and got bought again,” but that skips the distinction between a parent business and a licensed retailer.
- Quiksilver’s former parent: Filed for Chapter 11 in 2015, restructured, and continued operating.
- Boardriders: Became Quiksilver’s parent and was later acquired by ABG.
- Liberated Brands: A licensed operator that filed in 2025; its failure affected its own operations and stores.
- Quiksilver’s worldwide brand rights: Not shown to have been sold to Liberated Brands simply because that operator entered bankruptcy.
When a bankruptcy estate sells inventory or store assets, that is not automatically a sale of every related trademark. To see how the court describes a filing, consult U.S. Courts’ bankruptcy information.
🛍️ Who Makes and Sells Quiksilver Products Now?
The most accurate practical answer is: the brand is associated with ABG’s portfolio, while licensed partners and retailers may handle particular products and markets. That means the company named on a product label, the seller on a receipt, and the owner of the brand may not be the same company.
Quiksilver’s current licensing and operating model
ABG’s brand-licensing model allows operating partners to work on defined parts of a brand’s business. Public sources identify different partners for certain Quiksilver categories and regions, but those arrangements can change. For the latest product availability, use Quiksilver’s official site and check the “contact,” shipping, or legal information for the market you’re shopping in.
Here’s the difference from a surfer’s perspective:
- Brand owner: Controls or manages the brand’s rights.
- License: Develops, sources, distributes, or sells products under permission.
- Retailer: Sells products to customers, online or in stores.
- Manufacturer: Makes a garment or product, possibly under contract.
A shirt can carry the Quiksilver mountain-and-wave logo while being made by a contracted factory and sold through an independent retailer. Nothing odd about that—just a supply chain doing its thing.
Where to find authentic surfwear and boardshorts
For authentic products, start with the official Quiksilver store or a retailer listed by the brand in your region. Check that the seller provides clear returns, product information, and a verifiable business identity. On marketplaces, look at seller history and listing details rather than trusting a familiar logo by itself.
- Good signs: Accurate product names, clear fabric and sizing details, consistent branding, a traceable seller, and a reasonable returns policy.
- Red flags: Unusually vague descriptions, mismatched logos, copied product photos, no seller contact information, or claims that a retailer owns the worldwide trademark without evidence.
- For older or discontinued pieces: Resale platforms can be useful, but ask for close-up photos of tags, seams, and logos.
We’re not naming any one seller as “official” unless the brand confirms it. That’s a safer recommendation than sending you on a scavenger hunt through listings that may be stale.
How the ownership change may affect customers
Ownership changes don’t instantly rewrite the fit of a favorite boardshort. They can, however, affect:
| Customer concern | What might change | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Product range | Seasonal assortments or category focus | Current catalog and product descriptions |
| Sizing and fit | Patterns or regional size charts | The size chart for your country |
| Stores | Operators, locations, or online storefronts | Quiksilver’s regional site and store locator |
| Returns and warranties | The company responsible for support | Terms at the point of purchase |
| Availability | Stock and distribution partners | Authorized local retailers |
If you surf in cold water or need technical equipment, don’t assume every Quiksilver item is made for the same conditions. Compare the product’s materials, intended use, and care instructions. Our Surf Gear guides cover the details that matter once the marketing wave rolls past.
🌍 Quiksilver’s Ownership Around the World
Quiksilver is a global name, but global branding doesn’t require one retailer or license in every country. Regional partners can manage local distribution, apparel, or stores under different contracts. That helps explain why ownership stories may identify several companies without describing a separate worldwide sale.
United States and North American operations
The U.S. story drew extra attention after Liberated Brands filed for Chapter 11 in 2025 and its remaining stores closed. That affected the operator’s retail footprint; it did not by itself show that another surf company purchased Quiksilver’s worldwide intellectual property.
Reports have identified O5 Apparel with North American men’s products and Velocity Global Brands with North American women’s clothing. Treat those as reported operating or licensing roles, not a substitute for checking the latest terms on official brand and partner channels.
Australia, Europe, and other international markets
The Surfd profile reports several regional arrangements:
| Market or category | Reported partner | Reported role |
|---|---|---|
| Western Europe | The Beaumanoir Group | Regional operation beginning in 2024 |
| Australia, New Zealand, and the South Pacific | BR South Pacific, part of Caprice Australia | Regional operation beginning in 2025 |
| Japan and Taiwan | BRJ Group | Regional operation reported from late 2023 |
| North American men’s apparel | O5 Apparel | Product-category operation reported from 2025 |
| North American women’s clothing | Velocity Global Brands | Product-category operation reported from 2025 |
These names help explain who may be managing a local business, but they should not be described as separate worldwide owners without evidence of a global trademark transfer. For current regional availability, use Quiksilver’s official site and its country selector.
Why local distributors can differ by country
A regional license may understand local sizing, climate, retailers, and shipping better than a single global team. The trade-off is that customer service, stock, product mix, and even website design can vary by market.
Before buying, check:
- The country or region named in the retailer’s terms.
- The seller of record on the checkout page.
- The returns address and warranty terms.
- Whether the product is intended for the local market.
- Whether the Quiksilver site links to that seller or partner.
Want to see how surf brands fit into the wider culture of coastal life? Explore our Surf Lifestyle stories—and our Ocean Conservation coverage for the parts of surf life that don’t fit on a hangtag.
🏂 What the Acquisition Means for Quiksilver’s Surf and Snow Brands
Quiksilver’s roots are in surfwear, but the business developed into an action-sports portfolio spanning surf, snow, and streetwear. ABG’s acquisition changed the ownership structure above the brand; it didn’t automatically erase Quiksilver’s identity or make every product line the same.
Quiksilver’s surf heritage and product range
Quiksilver’s core identity has long been tied to surf apparel, especially boardshorts, casual clothing, and surf-inspired accessories. The brand also has a connection to snowboarding and winter apparel. Product ranges vary by region and season, so check each item’s current specifications rather than assuming the label alone tells you its technical performance.
When choosing gear, pay attention to:
- Boardshort construction: stretch, waistband design, seams, and intended activity.
- Wetsuit specifications: thickness, lining, seams, entry system, and water temperature.
- Everyday surfwear: fabric composition, care, durability, and fit.
- Snow apparel: waterproofing, insulation, layering, and movement.
You can browse the current collection at Quiksilver and compare broader equipment advice in our Surf Gear section.
Related brands in the Boardriders portfolio
Boardriders’ portfolio included Roxy, Billabong, RVCA, DC Shoes, Element, and VonZipper, alongside Quiksilver. The brands retain their own identities, audiences, and product categories even when their corporate ownership is shared.
That’s a familiar pattern across fashion: a parent company manages a group of brands, while each label keeps its own look and customers. Shared ownership is not the same thing as a merger of logos, product lines, or brand histories.
What may change—and what may stay the same
Possible changes:
- Product licenses and regional operators
- Store locations and e-commerce partners
- Product assortment or distribution
- Brand collaborations and marketing priorities
Things that may remain familiar:
- The Quiksilver name and mountain-and-wave mark
- Surf and snow roots
- Product categories and customer recognition
- Local retailers that continue carrying the brand
We’ve watched plenty of apparel labels change corporate hands while keeping the graphics surfers recognize in the lineup. The logo is a clue to the brand; it is not a complete org chart.
🧾 How to Check Who Owns Quiksilver Today
For a current ownership check, use more than one source. A dated press release confirms what happened at a particular time; a trademark record may identify a legal owner; a retailer’s website tells you who is selling today. No single source answers every question.
Reliable company announcements and trademark records
Use this verification sequence:
- Find the acquisition announcement. ABG’s 2023 Boardriders announcement and its closing announcement establish the major transaction.
- Check the brand’s official site. Review its regional pages, legal information, and current customer-service details at Quiksilver.
- Search trademark databases. The USPTO search portal can help verify U.S. trademark records; WIPO’s Global Brand Database can help with international marks.
- Read the precise deal language. “Acquired,” “licensed,” “operated,” and “distributed” describe different relationships.
- Check the date and region. A 2023 global deal and a 2025 regional license change can both be true.
- For bankruptcy claims, consult court sources. Start with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware.
How to spot outdated ownership claims
Be cautious when an article:
- Says a company “owns Quiksilver” but never identifies the territory or business unit.
- Treats a store closure as proof that the brand shut down worldwide.
- Confuses Oaktree, Boardriders, ABG, and a regional operator.
- Uses a deal value without explaining whether it includes debt or other assumptions.
- Lists a license without giving the report date.
- Treats all Boardriders brands as if they still share the same local operator.
The best sources for different parts of the story are not identical: ABG for its acquisition announcement, court records for bankruptcy proceedings, trademark databases for registrations, and the official Quiksilver site for current product and regional information.
✅ Key Takeaways: The Companies and Deals to Know
- ABG acquired Boardriders in 2023, including Quiksilver in its brand portfolio.
- Boardriders acquired Billabong in 2018, bringing two prominent surfwear rivals under one parent.
- Liberated Brands was an operator, not the global owner of Quiksilver. Its 2025 Chapter 11 filing and U.S. store closures did not equal a worldwide trademark sale.
- Regional and category-specific licenses may make, distribute, or sell products without owning Quiksilver’s global brand rights.
- When you see “acquired Quiksilver’s assets,” ask which assets, which territory, and which company role.
- Verify ownership with dated company announcements, official brand pages, court records, and trademark databases—not just a headline.
The puzzle’s final piece is the vocabulary: Boardriders bought Billabong; ABG bought Boardriders; licensed partners operate parts of Quiksilver’s business. Those are connected events, but they are not the same transaction.




