Authentic Brands Group readies Boardriders acquisition

Authentic Brands Group has initiated an acquisition of Boardriders and its portfolio of brands, including Quiksilver, Billabong and Roxy.

Other Boardriders brands set to find a new home in Authentic include DC Shoes, RVCA, Element, VonZipper and Honolua.

“As an early believer in the global and commercial appeal of action sports, this brings me back to the roots of my early career,” said Jamie Salter, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Authentic.

“Along with the great brands and impressive global reach that will come with this acquisition, we see Boardriders’ potential as a thriving online marketplace under Authentic’s ownership. With Boardriders’ proven retail playbook, we also see tremendous opportunities to accelerate the expansion of its shop-in-shops, branded retail stores, wholesale and e-commerce worldwide.”

Boardriders CEO Arne Arens added: “We are proud of our deep connection to the global action sports community, industry-leading brands and world-class teams.

“Under Authentic’s ownership, Boardriders will be uniquely positioned to expand the reach of our iconic brands to millions of consumers, capture market share in our core categories and grow white spaces, including premium athleisure, training and lifestyle.”

Authentic’s acquisition of Boardriders is expected to be finalised in Q3 2023.