HOKA's Reality Check & Surf Industry Drama

Today on the show Eoin Comerford breaks down La Jolla Group's surprise decision to drop the O'Neill license after 33 years and what a sealed legal battle with Sisco Textiles might reveal about what actually happened.

Then, a close read of Deckers' latest earnings report and what slowing HOKA growth really signals. Lastly, Snow Peak Brand and Marketing Director Mike Andersen joins the show to talk about the Japanese camping brand's cult following, its Long Beach Peninsula camp field, the award-winning Takibi restaurant inside Portland HQ, the acquisition of Epic Fly Rods through Swift Fly Fishing, the $330 million Bain Capital-led buyout, and how Snow Peak is building something most outdoor brands can't: genuine community.

Timestamps

(0:24) What's Really Behind the O'Neill Breakup

(7:46) ISPO Amsterdam — Sponsor message

(7:58) HOKA's Growth Deceleration

(13:27) Guest Introduction: Mike Anderson, Snow Peak

(14:01) Snow Peak's Origin Story

(16:55) Snow Peak's US Camp Field on the Long Beach Peninsula

(19:11) Takibi Restaurant Inside Snow Peak's Portland HQ

(23:04) Swift Fly Fishing, Epic Fly Rods, and Snow Peak's Fly Fishing Strategy

(26:22) Post-COVID Rebuild and the Shift to DTC