Pacsafe x Quiksilver Collaboration

I’ve been a surfer most of my life, so was pretty excited when I saw that Pacsafe was doing a collaboration with one of my favorite boardsport pioneers, Quiksilver. It’s a perfect fit really. Surfers and snowboards are eternal travelers, scouring the globe for new waves and fresh tracks. Giving them some added security when roaming in often dicey countries is a win-win.

What you might not know is that the VP of Marketing at Pacsafe, Simon MacGregor used to work in Marketing for Quiksilver. The Executive VP of Product at Pacsafe, Phil Hayes also used to work at Quiksilver in product development. That’s two surfer/snowboarders who have a deep connection with both companies, currently working to push the envelope with anti-theft carry solutions. The whole philosophy of catering to intrepid lifestyles and designing around those problems has spanned their careers. There are also the friendships these guys have developed with the Quiksilver crew over the years. Once you know this, there’s little wonder Pacsafe didn’t team up with Quiksilver sooner.
I caught up with Phil Hayes to dive a bit deeper into the birth of collection, why each of the bags exists and how they help boardriders get “peace of mind for the ride”, as the collab swing tag says.

Phil, how did the collaboration with Quiksilver come about?

As soon as I started with Pacsafe I saw all the applications of their designs for surf, skate and snow, since that had been my background for last 20 years.
So, I started talking about it with ex-colleagues and also had a visit from Bob Mcknight and Greg Healy (Quiksilver executives) at the Pacsafe booth in SLC. After I showed them, they immediately got it and supported the idea.
The concept was simply that when you are out in the water, in the bowl or on the mountain – who is looking after your valuables? Pacsafe bags allow you to do your thing while knowing your stuff is safe.

What was the design process like in terms of what input Quiksilver had and what you were trying to achieve?

I sent their team a couple of our styles that were the most relevant to action sports. They made a few tailored tweaks, like adding the wetsuit dry bag section, fin/wax storage etc.
We sampled them up and everyone was stoked! I thought there was still something missing so asked them to allow us to try colored lining. Luckily, they were working on the blue water design print which looked killer in the sample so we all agreed to go with it. It helped bring a real signature stamp to the collection and bring continuity into the rest of their range.

Can you give us a quick rundown on what carry problem each bag is trying to solve?

The Carry-On is a dual purpose backpack and overnighter fully fitted with dry bag, wax and fin storage. The Pacsafe anti-theft technologies allow it to the locked up for peace of mind while surfing, skating or anything you feel like doing.

The Backpackis the perfect sized daily use backpack with 25L of storage and internal compartments for laptop, tablet and any other expensive stuff we carry with us daily. The backpack features anti-theft technology like the PopnLock security clip to help anchor your bag around any fixed object.
Thanks, Phil!
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I personally love the 25L Backpack for everyday use. The pouch at the front of the laptop compartment is epic for sliding in a Moleskin notebook that helps me take notes on the road. I can basically lock up my home office, sling it on my back and hit the trail in search of surf. Get on it.
You can see more of the Pacsafe x Quiksilver collection by clicking here. 
By Tim Hawken

 
 
Tim Hawken is an Australian writer who enjoys surfing, Indian food and romantic midnight strolls to the beer fridge. He has clocked up visits to 23 countries on 5 continents (and counting). Find out more about his weird world by heading tohis website, or following him onInstagram andTwitter.