The one to watch

ANIMAL has grown into the UK’s fastest growing action sports brands, producing clothing, watches, eyewear, footwear, luggage and accessories since its conception 20 years ago.

Animal was conceived back in 1987 by two surfers who were really fed up with continuously losing their watches in the water due to the straps breaking under extreme conditions.

They came up with a solution in the form of a webbing and Velcro strap that seemed to put an end to their problems.
Setting up production in a back bedroom at one of their mother’s houses, they began to make small quantities of straps and sell them to their surfing friends. The money raised paid for surf trips to far-flung spots in Oz and Hawaii where the pair sold more straps to fund their storm chasing escapades.

The simplicity and rugged nature of the strap made it suitable to cross over into other action sports such as windsurfing, snowboarding, skateboarding and mountain biking.

First and foremost as a functional performance product, the strap became a success and Animal was born.

Before long, Animal started to make sports watches. Aimed at freesports enthusiasts, they were water-resistant, functional and looked great on the wrist. These watches enjoyed phenomenal success and are now a household name.

Animal is now a design-led sports brand, boasting an extensive team of riders in each of its core sports. These are surfing, snowboarding, windsurfing, mountain biking and kitesurfing. The ‘rider-refined’ programme means all products get tried, tested and tweaked by the Animal pro team for real rider performance. This ensures the products excel in the harsh conditions found in today’s active sport environments.
MADE FOR ENDURANCE: Animal2007-08-09T13:59:48