1979, Maui, Hawaii: Founding Father Rob Kaplan is manufacturing the first DAKINE leashes on one of the hotspots for windsurfing and surfing. The DAKINE surf leash is designed to withstand the rigorous Hawaiian conditions. By 1980, professional windsurfers asked Kaplan to help build footstraps for their new wave boards. Rob´s garage is just 10 minutes far from the popular Maui Hookopia beach, so his handicrafts can be instantly checked by the pros. This forced DAKINE, from the very beginning, to develop highest quality. It´s not by chance that „Da Kine“ comes from the Hawaiian pidgin word for „the kind“, „the best“.
DA KINE: The best from Hawaii
On this claim nothing has changed by today. „Everything we design and build is all about quality“, this slogan makes clear that the label won´t be satisfied with the mean. That´s the reason why DAKINE is also acclaimed by Prosnowboarder, skater and biker. The Brand produces durable and stylish gear bags, board bags, gloves, caps and accessories which fulfil the demands of professional athlets and extrem sports. What´s good for pros is more than suitable for leisure athlets. The DAKINE backpacks created a new category of daypacks, the minimalist technical packs: in the mountains, on the beach or in the city, DAKINE is alway the best choice.