O'Neill Receives Final Patent Approval for Superfreak Boardshort Series

IRVINE, Calif., Sept. 8, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- O'Neill Clothing, the original surf, snow and youth lifestyle brand, has officially received the product patent for its top-selling Superfreak Boardshort Series.  This announcement marks eight years in the making, and adds to O'Neill's lengthy list of notable awards and patents.  The Superfreak patent also comes on the threshold of O'Neill's 60th anniversary, upon which the brand will celebrate more than a half century of product innovations, including the first wetsuit, surf leash and surfboard bag.

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Inspired by Jack O'Neill's famous wetsuit invention, the Superfreak Series led the way for many of the technical boardshorts currently on the market.  The Superfreak incorporates patented technology, in which a stretchable panel runs along the rear of the short, providing greater flexibility.  The less flexible areas of the loose-fitting boardshort allow for continued durability and comfort. The result is a flexible boardshort that doesn't compromise form or durability for comfort and performance.

"Our patented invention is for a Superfreak boardshort that's constructed with a stretchable panel," said Steve Ward, Senior VP of Sales and Marketing, O'Neill Clothing. "Although the invention is useful in a wide range of clothing and applications, it's especially relevant for apparel with high-intensity physical activity, such as surfing, wakeboarding and paddle boarding."

After several years in development, O'Neill's original Superfreak was officially introduced in 2003 and won SIMA's Product Innovation Award in 2004.  In the subsequent years, O'Neill has refined and expanded the Series, which currently includes more than 15 styles, many named after the brand's top athletes, including the world's number-two surfer, Jordy Smith, ASP tour surfer Cory Lopez and wakeboarder Scott Byerly.

"For a company built upon and known worldwide for product innovation and performance, the patented Superfreak boardshort is the latest achievement in a long line of industry-leading ideas from O'Neill," said Toby Bost, CEO of O'Neill Clothing and La Jolla Group.  "We introduced the stretch boardshort category and are always striving to make our products perform better, fit more comfortably and look cooler than any other out there."

"It's unfortunate that so many products proprietary to the industry have been pirated and mass-produced over the years," added Bost.  "O'Neill has been working on patenting aspects of this boardshort since 2003.  Now that the patent has been granted, we intend to protect our invention and the surf industry as a whole from poor quality infringing products.  There's a right way to go about protecting one's property and peers, and this is one way O'Neill will invest our future efforts."

For more information about O'Neill apparel, athletes and events, please visit www.oneill.com.

About O'Neill

O'Neill, the original California surf, snow and youth lifestyle brand, was founded in 1952 when a young man named Jack O'Neill took his unstoppable passion for surfing and used it to beat Mother Nature at her own game. Pioneering the world's first neoprene wetsuit, Jack had successfully found a way to extend his surf sessions in the bone-chilling breaks of Northern California. He opened up the garage doors to his first surf shop in Santa Cruz soon after.

While many things have changed since those humble beginnings, Jack's initial vision of producing functional and innovative boardriding products continues to lie at the core of everything the company does. O'Neill's core values – innovation in style and technology – have seen the brand devote itself wholeheartedly to the evolution of the action sports lifestyle.  From the first ever neoprene wetsuit and surf leash, to the world's first stitchless boardshorts and range of groundbreaking wearable electronics, O'Neill's progressive spirit will always drive the company forward.  For more information, please visit www.oneill.com.

SOURCE O'Neill Clothing