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JIMMY'Z is a clothing and lifestyle company founded in 1984 by Jimmy Ganzer and Sepp Donahower, known for its signature E-Z-In velcro closure shorts.
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Apparel |
| Founded | Malibu Beach, California (1984) |
| Founder | Jimmy Ganzer and Sepp Donahower |
| Headquarters | , U.S. |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Jimmy Ganzer, Founder Blake Harrington (CEO/Director) |
| Products | Skateboarding and surfing apparel |
| Owner | Authentic Brands Group |
| Website | jimmyzworld |
History
edit1984–1991: Origins
editIn the early 1980s, Jimmy Ganzer was a surfer and artist living in Malibu Beach, CA.
I slid into third base headfirst, got up, dusted myself off. And I went, “F***, why didn’t some surfer ever come up with an idea where the pants don’t fall off like this?” Inside of the waistband on these baseball pants was a woven nylon belting. That belting did not move. And I went “Wow, what if I used that belting and Velcro on the side over here?” And I stood there on third base for about that long. And I went, “That’s a good idea.”[1]
The shorts he created became known as E-Z-In, E-Z-Out shorts, and the idea quickly took off, finding a natural home not only amongst surfers but in the skateboard community during the boom of the 1980s, as the lack of a belt buckle or button prevented discomfort while paddling out on a surfboard, bending to grab the board beneath your feet or when falling from a skateboard onto a hard surface.
During the 1980s, the brand grew, eventually sponsoring famous skateboarders such as Steve Caballero and Christian Hosoi. Jimmy Ganzer and partner Sepp Donahower[2] sold the brand to Ocean Pacific in 1987, and then Ocean Pacific later sold it to a chain of multiple owners[3] ending up with Aéropostale during skateboarding's downturn at the start of the 1990s. Aéropostale kept the brand going as an upscale surf-orientated brand, but ceased all activity in 2009.
2011–present day: Revival
editIn late 2011, Blake Harrington, a fellow Californian surfer, joined forces with Jimmy Ganzer and reacquired the rights to the brand from Aéropostale. Together they restarted production of the original E-Z-In shorts, choosing styles and designs that would bring the idea up to date for modern skaters and surfers worldwide.
Today the company continues to sponsor a team of skateboarders across all disciplines (including Steve Caballero, who rejoined as soon as the company restarted production), and produces an array of T-shirts, tank tops, hoodies and hats to go along with their signature velcro closure shorts.
References
edit- ^ "JIMMY'Z History". JIMMY'Z. Archived from the original on 2020-09-23. Retrieved 24 July 2015.
- ^ "JIMmy'z TRADING, INC. :: California (US) :: OpenCorporates".
- ^ "Ocean Pacific Plans to Reacquire Rights to Jimmy 'Z Line". Los Angeles Times. November 17, 1990. Archived from the original on 2018-11-16.