Shaun Tomson, the founder of Instinct, announced the relaunch of the surfwear company he founded in South Africa in 1979.
The 1977 International Professional Surfers (IPS) World Circuit champion sold the brand in 1994 after retiring from professional surfing.
Now, Tomson, 68, plans to re-ignite the iconic Instinct logo and line of products.
"Some of you may know the current state of the surfing industry - turbulence, mergers, takeovers, and licensing deals across the spectrum of merchandise and products popping up in all sorts of dodgy places," the South African explained.
"I believe there is an opportunity to re-start Instinct, a brand I founded many moons ago that targeted the core surfing market."
"I called my company Instinct because the best moments in surfing are riding inside the tube, and the very best tubes happen when you are operating on instinct in a flow state - I called this state of consciousness the 'Inner Rhythm.'"
Instinct sponsored and mentored several elite surfers, including two-time ASP World Tour champion Tom Carroll and 1988 world title winner Barton Lynch.
Now, the business path will follow a new path.
"We are going to be doing it a little bit differently this time, and my little 'Surfer's Code' card is at the core of the inspiration for the Instinct re-ignition," reveals Tomson.
"In our divided and fractured world, Instinct is reborn to inspire, uplift, and unite people through the values of surfing outlined in the Surfer's Code."
"My words and my code helped me through some dark and despairing times, and I am hoping that millions in the surfer tribe write their own code and build a positive wave that breaks across the planet fueled by commitment, optimism, discipline, and engagement."
Coming Full Circle
Plans for Shaun Tomson to take over the surf company he established with the help of investors have been in the making since at least 2023.
Instinct's first years were highly successful.
The brand swiftly grew in popularity, moved its operations to California in 1982, and soon was selling apparel in 20 countries.
Instinct emerged as a key player in the growing surf industry, becoming the third most popular surf brand in the United States, following major competitors Quiksilver and Gotcha, the latter of which was owned by Shaun's cousin, the late Michael Tomson.
After the South African left Instinct, the brand slowly lost its mojo.
In 1998, he founded another surfwear insignia: Solitude.
Shaun regained the Instinct trademarks in the 2000s, and in 2021, Instinct was relaunched in Australia.
Then, in 2023, under a sister licensing agreement, the brand returned to its original home in Durban, South Africa, thanks to a very special agreement with the Foschini Group.
The retail clothing conglomerate agreed to give the business back to Shaun if a percentage of sales, in perpetuity, went to a local surf therapy non-profit called the 9Miles Project.
The deal was sealed, and Instinct is ready to reconquer the surfing world.
Taylor Jensen, Mark "Mono" Stewart, Archie Branch, Harry Stephens, Ash Winters, Jye Pegg, Matt Clark, and Zeke Woollam are the legendary brand's team riders for its new beginning.
The Birth of the Original Instinct Logo
The story of Instinct began during Shaun Tomson's high school years when a photographer named Mike Duff captured a photo of him surfing at Dairy Beach in Durban, South Africa.
The image was his first-ever surf shot taken from the water, and it was published in the local newspaper, the Daily News.
At just 15 years old, Tomson was stoked.
Back then, surfboards weren't covered in logos like today.
They usually had just one small logo representing the manufacturer, such as Safari, Holmes, or Wetteland in Shaun's hometown.
An artist friend of his father, Derek Berry, turned the photo into a graphic, and Tomson's dad thought it would look amazing on his next surfboard.
Being a shy kid, Shaun initially resisted, telling his dad the design was too big.
But recognizing the importance of a strong and authentic logo, Ernie gave his son an ultimatum: "If you're not putting the logo on the board, I'm not buying it."
This bit of tough love from his dad paid off.
That logo ended up on all the South African surfers' surfboards throughout his career and became the symbol of the surfwear company he later founded, Instinct.
Millions of products were eventually sold with that logo, which has since become part of Shaun's identity.
Every time he sees it, he thinks of his dad and his foresight.
Words by Luís MP | Founder of SurferToday.com
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