Athletic brand Under Armour, which recorded $1.5 billion in sales in 2011, is moving into action sports and debuted its initial surf line to retailers at Surf Expo.
Brendan Hanley, who was with the Billabong family of brands for 13 years, joined Under Armour in October as the Director of Sales for the Action Sports/Mountain Division.
He said Under Armour is a leader in technical apparel, and wanted to bring that performance aspect to action sports, especially since many athletes are very serious about training these days and extending their careers.
Under Armour already sponsors teams of athletes for skiing and snowboarding, in addition to skateboarder Mitchie Brusco, and is on the hunt for top-notch surfers to sign. Brendan said athletes have also approached Under Armour asking them to enter the space.
The brand’s first surf line consists of compression shorts, boardshorts, swim, rashguards and lifestyle apparel. (See photos of the line and details about price points, etc. above in our slide show.)
Brendan said Under Armour is known for its stretch fabrics and water wicking technology.
“We should be involved in water sports,” he said.
Under Armour is going after action sports distribution, and met with several key retailers at Surf Expo.
He said Nike’s acquisition of Hurley has brought down some barriers in the industry, and increasingly, athletic brands are playing in the space.
“There is a place for good product,” he said. “Our whole mission as a company is to make products that make athletes better.”
Under Armour is based in Baltimore, which Brendan believes gives the brand a different perspective. One of his goals is to build a strong, East Coast presence at key retailers, in addition those on the West Coast.
Brendan stressed the Spring 13 line is the brand’s first, and the company is not planning to enter the industry with guns blazing.
“We’re humble. We know it’s not an easy road – we want to be a good partner and make the retailer money,” he said.
