The rise of RinseKit at retail

RinseKit is a portable pressurized shower/clean up system that’s like having a hose to go.

It is taking off at surf shops and has been a popular holiday gift, especially in California where state parks have turned off showers at local beaches.

The story of the brand and how it came to be is one of those classic tales in action sports. RinseKit started in a garage and has quickly grown with an investor group that has a strong track record. We caught up with 31- year-old owner and founder, Chris Crawford, about how he got started, who is behind RinseKit, and where the brand is seeing growth.

Who are the investors behind Rinse Kit? I hear you have some people like Beaver Theodosakis, the founder of PrAna, on your team, along with some sales guys from GoPro. Can you tell me about how you got started?

Chris Crawford: Beaver would be the main investor, but we have several family and friends that also believed in us enough to invest. I was first introduced to the sales team for GoPro through a family friend that knew one of their senior partners. They were actually the first outside sales force for GoPro and were able to work with them over the years.

It was really a good fit because RinseKit is similar to GoPro in how it fits into so many different categories including surf, camping, fishing, pets, kids and so on. 

How big is the company now? How many employees? Where are you based in Carlsbad and why Carlsbad?

Chris Crawford: The company is growing every day. Since we officially launched in April 2015, we have over 900 retail doors in 11 different countries carrying RinseKit. Currently we have six employees and around 60 reps in the U.S. alone. Our new office is off Palomar Airport in the business park, not too far from the beach for a mid-day surf/board meeting. We first started the company out of my garage in Carlsbad and it’s an amazing place for cultivating action sports companies. 

Where did you get your start? Was it in surf shops? Or did you sell to other specialty shops to start?

Chris Crawford: I showed our first prototypes to two surf shops. One said maybe and the other said it was stupid.

After that I showed it to a local big wave surfer, Scott Chandler, who thought it was awesome. Scott then introduced me to a rep that helped us place it in a few Carlsbad surf shops. We made over 400 prototypes by hand in my garage to keep up with local demand before we shut everything down to set up large scale production and launch the current version you see today. 

Where does Rinse Kit sell now? Who are your biggest customers?

Chris Crawford: Currently we have over 900 stores across the world in 11 different countries. Some of our bigger clients are: Bass Pro Shops, REI starting in 2016, West Marine, Ron John Surf, Jack’s Surf, Tilly’s, Sport Chalet, Academy Sports, Cabela’s, ACE, Dicks and more!

Some local stores include Hansen’s, Sun Diego, Surf Ride, Rip Curl, and Adventure 16.

What’s the demand been like since the water has been turned off at state parks?

Chris Crawford: The showers getting shut off were a bummer for everyone. But I’m not going to lie – it couldn’t have happened at a better time for us. I had been closely watching the state rulings on when the water was going to get shut off and had been emailing all the local news stations trying to get on.

When the state parks turned the water off, you ended up working with the state. How did that happen?

Chris Crawford: We kind of saw it coming so we were determined to show the RinseKit to this newly created market. We got a break at a local surf contest we sponsored, the State Beach Classic in Carlsbad, when Fox 5 was there. I just walked up to the reporter, Brad Wills, just handed him a RinseKit. I told him that the showers were about to be shut off and the RinseKit might make for a good solution for people. They called me up a few days later and we got on the news.

After that, one of the head lifeguards from the state who happened to live down the street from me saw our RinseKit vehicle parked and gave us a call. They were about to shut off the water and this was a great solution for them since the public was going to be pissed. After that we set up a partnership with the state that gives people a $10 discount on a RinseKit and we donate $10 to the State Parks when they purchase a parking pass at the parks.

What are some of the biggest lessons you have learned so far in starting Rinse Kit?

Chris Crawford: I’d say don’t give up too easily. There’s always going to be tough spots and you have to have thick skin to build a whole new category like this. People sometimes don’t know they need something until you give it to them.

If I had listened to that first shop owner and just given up because he said it was stupid, then things would be much different today. He actually called us up the other day and asked if he could become a RinseKit dealer after he saw Surf Ride sell four a day all summer long.

What’s next? What’s the next evolution of the product?

Chris Crawford: The current RinseKits are insulated and we just came out with a sink adapter that allows customers to fill it with hot water. The next versions of RinseKit will be larger and more versatile, allowing users to fill and pressure it with out having to hook it up to a pressure source.