Lighting Bolt

LIGHTNING BOLT, Contemporary fashion inspired by surfing.

Coats, Jackets, Sweatshirts, Sweaters, Shirts, Overshirts, T-shirts, Windbreakers, Trousers, Hats, Caps and much more. LIGHTNING BOLT SPAIN.

LIGHTNING BOLT – A PURE SOURCE, SINCE 1971

Rumors swirl about the origin of the Lightning Bolt logo. Some say the Bolt was a graphic metaphor for a particularly potent strain of marijuana circulating in the Hawaiian Islands in the late 1960s. Company co-founder Gerry Lopez criticizes this: "IT'S ABOUT ENERGY."

In the 1960s and 70s, Hawaiian surfers were energized by the shortboard revolution. In Hawaii, that meant mini-weapons that allowed surfers to boldly go where no surfer had gone before: deeper, faster, higher, and lower—deep in the gizzards of Pipeline, high on the edge at Sunset, right at the back door at Pipeline.

THE BEST, FOR THE BEST

Our story goes back to a time when surfing was being redefined, when there were no limits for Hawaiian surfers, among them the legendary Gerry Lopez and Rory Russell. No one rode Pipeline like them. They were the Masters of Style. The world was mesmerized by these surfers who combined the power and beauty of Pipeline with grace.

Pipeline became the most famous wave in the world, and since then, Bolt has become the most popular brand image on surfboards—the first thing to come out of the barrels. The symbol represented energy: the energy of Hawaiian surfing, but also the energy of human physics and artistry in making surfboards ride that energy deeper, faster, and more radically.

The Lightning Bolt surfboards were as nimble, quick, and fast as they came: Lopez partnered with veteran Surf Line Hawaii shop manager Jack Shipley to form an elite boutique for Hawaii's top surfers/shapers.

Gerry, Rory, BK, Reno, and Tom Parrish, considered the most influential trainers in the Lightning Bolt stable, were surfers who mattered, making surfboards that mattered, for surfers who mattered.

And the result was energy. Gerry Lopez and Rory Russell visiting Pipeline: The Lightning Bolt logo rumbled across Hawaii and then resonated throughout the Pacific and around the world: a combination of genuine talent, perfect timing, and smart marketing of a much-needed product.

Beautifully crafted Hawaiian guns were the foundation of Lightning Bolt. This was a surprisingly new era in surfing, one that was changing rapidly and dramatically. In both freestyle and competition surfing, surfers and surfboards were evolving incredibly fast, and as the months and seasons of the early 1970s progressed, Lightning Bolt became ubiquitous.

THE MARKETING STRATEGY WAS PRETTY SIMPLE: IF A SURFER WAS HOT, PUT A BOLT UNDER HIS FEET AND A CAR BOX IN HIS CAR.

A SIMPLE STRATEGY THAT WORKED. DURING THE FIRST HALF OF THE DECADE, THE LIGHTNING BOLT LOGO WAS OBVICUOUS IN ADVERTISEMENTS, MAGAZINE EDITORIALS, AND ESPECIALLY ON THE BIG SCREEN.

In the mid-1970s, the company moved into clothing: practical surf trunks and sailing T-shirts. The world wanted that Bolt energy, and the clothing line exploded like a wave at Pipeline, inspired by the lifestyle of its cyclists.

As a roving ambassador and captain of Team Bolt, Rory Russell traveled the world in search of the perfect wave and the ultimate lifestyle. Beyond his surfing feats, the North Shore tuberiding specialist from Oahu was renowned for his fun-loving attitude and his penchant for beachwear and the laid-back lifestyle.

This newfound confidence allowed them to create a lifestyle that became synonymous with the Lightning Bolt label they established under...

Today, the brand's allure remains distinct and undiminished. Lightning Bolt continues to inspire a new generation of surfers, those who cherish the original values ​​of soul surfing and believe that surfing is more than just a sport—it's a way of life. A cool, laid-back attitude, a soul surfer, and a free-rider spirit.

A pure source.

By Ben Marcus

(adapted from the original text)