Animal Clothes and Animal Surfwear

Animal is a UK-based surfwear brand and general boardsports clothing retailer. Established in 1987, Animal was started by 2 surfers frustrated at losing their watches, so they made their own straps. Their manufacturing and selling of Velcro watchstraps led to sports watches aimed at freesports enthusiasts. Animal is now a design-led international brand manufacturing surfing, snowboarding, windsurfing, kitesurfing and mountain biking apparel and accessories. Animal sponsors many events including the Newquay Surfing Open at Fistral Beach, and Windfest the annual 3 day festival of water-sports at Sandbanks Poole, featuring the UK Windsurfing Freestyle Final and the British Kitesurfing Championships. The company has 50 stores in the UK and a further 10 internationally. It employs over 160 people and has a turnover of £40 million. In 1997 it was bought by the limited company H Young Holdings specialising in brand warehousing and distribution.