The Wave and the Mountain: The Story Behind the Original Quiksilver Logo

Before Roxy hearts and Volcom stones ever hit the sand, there was the Quiksilver wave... the logo that started it all. Born in Torquay, Australia in 1969, Quiksilver began as a small surf wear brand with one big idea: to capture the spirit of surfing in a single image. Their founders wanted something that felt as bold and unpredictable as the ocean itself. The result? A cresting wave breaking over a jagged mountain, a design that became one of the most recognizable symbols in surf culture.

The logo was inspired by the Japanese woodblock print The Great Wave off Kanagawa by Hokusai, an image as iconic as the sport itself. But Quiksilver’s twist was adding the mountain, a nod to the brand’s growing passion for snowboarding and its “surf the earth” mentality. It perfectly balanced two extremes: the calm and chaos of nature, the sea and the summit, the ride and the climb.

Over the years, the logo barely changed, and for good reason. You don’t mess with perfection. That single wave-over-mountain symbol became the badge of surfers, skaters, and snow riders across the globe. It told everyone who saw it that you weren’t afraid to go where the next ride took you.