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Is Quiksilver / Boardriders Owned by Private Equity?

Not anymore — Quiksilver / Boardriders was owned by Oaktree Capital Management, which acquired it in 2016, but the firm has since exited. The effects of that ownership can linger.

FORMERLY PE OWNED

Quiksilver / Boardriders

Includes Quiksilver, Roxy, DC Shoes, Boardriders, Billabong

fashion · Huntington Beach, CA

PE Firm
Oaktree Capital Management
Year Acquired
2016

PE took control of surf culture's biggest brands, Quiksilver, Roxy, Billabong, DC Shoes. Then sold them off for licensing. The waves are still there. The brands aren't.

What Happened

  1. Oaktree Capital Management provided $175 million in rescue financing and took majority control after Quiksilver's 2015 bankruptcy with $826 million in debt
  2. Oaktree had Boardriders (Quiksilver's parent) buy rival Billabong in 2018, putting the two biggest surf labels under one PE owner
  3. In 2023, Oaktree sold the whole portfolio to Authentic Brands Group, which turned Quiksilver, Roxy, DC Shoes, and Billabong into licensed labels
  4. Liberated Brands, the licensee that ran the brands' US retail after Authentic Brands Group took over, filed for Chapter 11 in February 2025 and wound down its North American operations

The Damage Done

  • Quiksilver shut 27 of its 122 US stores during the 2015 bankruptcy
  • Buy a Quiksilver or Roxy today and you're getting a licensed logo, not gear from the surf company that built the name

Sources

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What people ask

Is Quiksilver / Boardriders owned by private equity?

Not anymore. Quiksilver / Boardriders was formerly owned by Oaktree Capital Management starting in 2016, but the firm has since exited. The effects of PE ownership often linger.

What happened to Quiksilver / Boardriders after the acquisition?

Quiksilver shut 27 of its 122 US stores during the 2015 bankruptcy Buy a Quiksilver or Roxy today and you're getting a licensed logo, not gear from the surf company that built the name

Who owns Quiksilver / Boardriders?

Quiksilver / Boardriders is owned by Oaktree Capital Management, which acquired it in 2016.

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