News / Press

Irvine, CA (April 9, 2009) – La Jolla Group, the premiere multi-brand company in action sports with a prominent portfolio that includes O’Neill Clothing USA, Lost Clothing, Metal Mulisha Clothing, and Rusty North America, today announced a new collection of Rusty surf apparel for JCPenney, consisting of an exclusive line of graphic tees, shorts, boardshorts and hoodies for young men and boys to drop in stores this July. Featuring a customized “crown” logo, the Rusty collection for JCPenney will offer a fresh assortment of styles ranging from $26 for tees to $55 for shorts and hoodies. Rusty will also continue to design and distribute a specialty line for core retailers, reinforcing the brand’s high-quality, performance-driven products bearing the signature R-dot logo.

“We’re excited to bring Rusty’s rich surf heritage to one of the nation’s leading department stores,” said Toby Bost, chief executive officer, La Jolla Group. “Rusty has been a core surf brand for 25 years, and has one of the most recognizable logos in the industry. The Rusty collection for JCPenney will offer authentic, beach-inspired products that appeal to a diverse, aspirational and highly impressionable young audience. We’re stoked to add JCPenney to our growing list of premiere retail partners, while enhancing our growth at the core level.”

“With the growing interest in action sports everywhere, we have an exciting opportunity to further segment our distribution channels with product differentiation and distinct branding, while maintaining Rusty’s core authenticity, quality, and innovation,” added Charlie Setzler, president of Rusty North America. “We are now able to make the entire core line available exclusively to specialty stores and more actively explore trends, fabrications and ideas; and at the same time, drive demand at core stores, thanks to the increased exposure in a national retailer like JCPenney.”

The Rusty Collection for JCPenney joins the retailer’s growing list of national, exclusive and private brands for teens such as Vans, Arizona, American Living, RS by Sheckler, Southpole, Third Rail a Zoo York Production, and the extension of Decree into young men’s. Rusty’s specialty retailers will continue selling an exclusive collection of sportswear, printables and boardshorts bearing the iconic R-dot logo. Rusty’s premium boardshorts category, including its unique Global Cooling Boardshort series featuring the brand’s trademarked Ecostretch fabric, will maintain distribution at specialty stores as well.

For more information, visit rusty.com

###

About Rusty
Rusty is a brand with its roots firmly planted in the pursuit of the surfing lifestyle. By 1984, Rusty Preisendorfer had already established himself as a young legend in the surfboard shaping world. When the Rusty brand officially launched in 1985, there were few people who didn’t recognize the R-dot logo on surfboards across the globe. With the initial goal of making the best surfboards on the planet, it soon became clear that the tremendous demand for Rusty boards and recognition of the name would easily translate to apparel. What began with t-shirts quickly grew into a comprehensive collection driven by authentic surf roots, progressive product, edgy style, and the signature R-dot.

Decades later, Rusty continues to be an iconic brand in surf culture, featuring a product mix for guys and girls that includes boardshorts, hoodies, tees, knits, dresses and accessories; all available at leading surf shops worldwide. Inspired by art, fashion, music and design, Rusty delivers surf products that represent the classic, casual beach lifestyle defined by the risk-taking spirit and irreverence of today’s youth.
To get a closer look, visit www.rusty.com.

About La Jolla Group
La Jolla Group is the premiere multi-brand company in action sports, with a prominent portfolio that includes some of the most recognized names in the industry: O’Neill Clothing USA, LostClothing, Metal Mulisha Clothing, and Rusty North America. Enhancing the successful model perfected with the company’s acquisition of the O’Neill Clothing USA license from Jack O’Neill and family in 1992, La Jolla Group has applied its core competencies in design, marketing, sales, production, and distribution to each of its licenses, creating a diversified brand mix specialized in surf, skate, snow, motocross and beach lifestyle.

With four successful brands, over 300 employees across the U.S., six successful retail locations — including O’Neill’s flagship store in Anaheim, CA and the expansion of its Irvine, CA headquarters into a new 200,000 square foot facility — La Jolla Group continues to evolve and leverage synergies across its platforms. La Jolla Group brands are sold in over 3000 retailers across the country, and can also be found in Europe, U.K., Canada, Latin America, Australia, and Japan.

About JCPenney
JCPenney is one of America’s leading retailers, operating 1,101 department stores throughout the United States and Puerto Rico, as well as one of the largest apparel and home furnishing sites on the Internet, jcp.com, and the nation’s largest general merchandise catalog business. Through these integrated channels, JCPenney offers a wide array of national, private and exclusive brands which reflect the Company’s commitment to providing customers with style and quality at a smart price. Traded as “JCP” on the New York Stock Exchange, the Company posted revenue of $18.5 billion in 2008 and is executing its strategic plan to be the growth leader in the retail industry. Key to this strategy is JCPenney’s “Every Day Matters” brand positioning, intended to generate deeper, more emotionally driven relationships with customers by fully engaging the Company’s approximately 150,000 Associates to offer encouragement, provide ideas and inspire customers every time they shop with JCPenney.

Media Contact:
KurenT, Inc.
310.397.9025
Andrea Tagliareni // Lauren Kay
andrea@kurentinc.com // lauren@kurentinc.com

Rusty
949.428.2891
Shelley Sheppard
shelley.sheppard@lajollagroup.com

La Jolla Group
Erik Forsell, Vice President New Business Development
949.428.2969
erik.forsell@lajollagroup.com

The 1st Lusk Legacy Foundation Poker Tournament Party is coming up in just 1 week! All the Metal Mulisha team will be on hand supporting the cause, as well as many of the top riders in action sports. Ticket prices are lower now, and time is running out, so get your tickets NOW!

29 March 2009, Marrawah, Tasmania – It was a battle of the World Tour surfers, as Jordy Smith took out the inaugural Cold Water Classic Series event held in truly epic conditions at Bluff Reef in Marrawah, Tasmania.

In solid 8-foot swell, offshore winds and just to top it off – sunshine, Jordy Smith and Damien Hobgood showed just why they are two of the top World Tour surfers at the moment.

“It was good to get a win,” said Jordy. “It’s been a while. Damo’s been ripping this whole event,” he said. “I looked up to him as a kid so it’s great to be out there with one of your heroes.”

For Damien it was an impressive second place performance, but he was disappointed not to win the engraved wooden trophy; “I was hoping to dedicate that trophy to the Marrawah pub,” he said. “I had needed to step it up. I just didn’t do it. It was hard for me. Sometimes I was really hanging on with my toes so hard. It’s a little bit more bumpy out there than it looks for sure.”

Jordy Smith had blazed his way to the finals, knocking out the phenomenal Australian talent of Owen Wilson in the quarterfinals before an exciting close semifinal heat against the Brazilian Jadson Andre.

The other semifinal also could not fail to disappoint given the talent on offer at this competition coupled with the perfect conditions. The American Patrick Gudauskas narrowly missed out on advancing to the finals with a spectacular barrel on his last wave which came so close to the 9.07 score he had required against Damien Hobgood.

“Thank you to O’Neill for thinking out of the box,” said Damien after his heat, “and thank you to all the people in Marrawah who have been so welcoming and so open.”

Among them were Christel and Max Whish-Wilson who let the final contest day move into their house and front lawn – looking out over Bluff Reef.

“It’s been an awesome experience,” said Christel. “We’ve had the best guys staying with us while we cook and take care of them. They’re so well mannered.”

“Having the final here today was exceptional. We had the first day and now the last day here. We just loved it. Max and I both loved it. Hopefully it will come back next year as well.”

It has been a spectacular week both in the surf and out at this first stop on the O’Neill Cold Water Classic Series.

Rob Bain, O’Neill’s marketing manager summed it up saying; “It’s been more successful that I could have hoped. We wanted raw and challenging, remote and adventurous, and a good spirit and adventure around the event. We ticked all those boxes,” he said.

“The biggest thing I am proud of,” said Rob, “is the spirit of both the locals and the surfers around the event. The locals didn’t know who the surfers were and they didn’t care. All they cared about was if they were good kids or not, and they all came with such a good attitude and spirit.”

…Lost is nominated for Mens Marketing Campaign of the year, and for Surfboard Model of the Year.

O’Neill is proud to announce that it has been nominated for four awards for the 2009 SIMA Image Awards. O’Neill received nominations for Men’s Apparel Brand of the Year, Footwear Product of the Year, Wetsuit of the Year and Boardshort of the Year. The winners will be announced on May 6-9, 2009 at the SIMA Surf Summitt in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

Category – Men’s Apparel Brand of the Year
O’Neill has a strong history of being a leader in innovation for the surf industry. From the invention of the wetsuit to the introduction of the Super Freak boardshort, O’Neill has a pioneered the most technically advanced product to ever hit the marketplace.  This leadership position continued in 2008 with development of the TIA boardshort, Jordy Smith’s first signature style.  Riding the momentum of the 2007 Jordy Smith signing, O’Neill designed a unique African inspired standalone boardshort for 2008.  Combining functionality, comfort ability and style, the TIA was a huge success at retail.  O’Neill continues to push all other apparel categories with fashion forward trends.  Key category standouts were sweaters, denim, jackets and boardshorts. Backed by an elite athlete roster which includes Jordy Smith, Cory Lopez, Timmy Reyes, Ian Walsh, Roy Powers, and John John Florence; O’Neill not only has on point product, but the star power to effectively market this product to the mainstream.

Category – Men’s Boardshort of the Year
Product Name – TIA
“This is Africa. This is Jordy.” Jordy Smith’s first O’Neill signature boardshort launched in Spring 2008 and ran the industry a buzz. With its African zebra print and bright color pops, a throw back to Jordy’s personality and South African descent, this boardshort stood out as 2008′s leading contender. The TIA psycho stretch 22″ engineered print boardshort features four-way stretch, a super fly closure, and cargo pocket. Jordy’s Y signature, inspired by the South African flag, integrated into the boardshort design gave this signature style a direct tie to his African heritage.

Category- Footwear Product of the Year
Product Name – Surf Turkey
What every surfer needs when they are stepping out of the water on those cold winter mornings. The Surf Turkey is a novelty tweed mid top after surf boot, with a sherpa lined interior, tricot lined footbed and a vision custom molded rubber outsole. This surf boot not only guarantees to keep surfer’s feet functioning but is also a stylish, comfortable addition to any footwear collection.  

Category – Wetsuit of the Year
Product Name – O’Neill Psychofreak
 
O’Neill, the Industry’s Original Wetsuit manufacturer, never sleeps when it comes to innovative design and materials.  For 2008 O’Neill’s Area 52 Product Development Team introduced another revolution in wetsuit design with the Psychofreak.
 
Determined to make the warmest and most high-performance cold water wetsuit, Area 52 set out to design a wetsuit that improved the insulation from its neoprene without sacrificing flexibility.  The end result was the introduction of the Psychofreak made with 100% XDS-Air insulated neoprene. 
 
XDS-Air insulated neoprene is built with a complex 3D structure of rubber and trapped air components that increase the amount of air in the neoprene.   The increased air-to-rubber ratio provides more insulation, which generates more warmth than traditional neoprene.  
 
Combine the toasty XDS-Air insulated neoprene with the insane features of O’Neill’s stellar Psycho 2, and you have a wetsuit that warrants the Psychofreak name.

Introduced in 2003, the goal of the SIMA Image Awards is to identify the surf industry’s most influential companies and recognize them for their efforts to advance and grow the industry over the past year. As you know, all regular and board builder  SIMA members were eligible to enter their brands or products, as well as enter retailers. All entries were then reviewed by an industry panel of experts which included manufacturers and specialty retailers. The nominees in 15 categories were determined by a vote from this industry panel of experts. All paid SIMA member companies and a select list of specialty retailers will now vote to determine the winners. For for detailed information on the voting process, visit simaimageawards.com