Beneath the neon colors, 80’s headbands, sunglasses, and youthful exuberance of one of surfing’s more identifiable brands is a dedication to one thing: fun. On the shoulders of their ultra-popular Catch Surf Beater boards, San Clemente-based Catch Surf has captured the carefree feeling of a summer day at the beach and managed to infuse that into their line of clothing, boards, and other accessories. As company founder and president George Arzente comments on their website, “Catch Surf is all about fun and good vibes.” One look at their marketing tactics and product offering, and it’s easy to see that Arzente is serious about not taking things too seriously.
Catch Surf’s flagship product is the Beater, which derives its name from the fact that it can be used to beat the dreaded Blackball flags that are planted on popular beaches come summer time. Blackball flags basically prevent the use of hard, PU-constructed boards in the surf during peak beach-going hours, which is designed to keep people safe. For surfers, however, the Blackball flags are as unwelcomed as a shark in the lineup. Enter the Beater, whose soft top and durable plastic bottom not only help to get around the Blackball issue, but also provide an added element of stoke for those small, mushy days of summer surf.
On the success of the Beater, Catch Surf has expanded their offering to include boogie boards, soft-top funboards and longboards, a line of boards developed by surf legend Tom Morey, and a full clothing line which includes hats, t-shirts, shorts, pants, and swim wear. Through their happy-go-lucky approach to surfing, Catch Surf has succeeded in emphasizing the lighter side of the sport, endearing the brand to hard-core pros and weekend warriors alike. As a result, Catch Surf has been able to work with established pros like Kalani Rob, the Smith brothers (Koa and Alex), and Jason “Rat Boy” Collins, who have helped propel the brand into the spot light. Nowadays it’s nearly impossible to head to a Blackballed beach on a summer day and not see a Beater or two out in the lineup.