Business owners and brothers, Chris and Ricky Martin of innovative surfboard producers Skunkworks Surf Co. set up their company after being disappointed in the performance, lifespan and visual appeal of surfboards on the market. The brothers, who grew up on the North Coast and who have surfed at major international championships, were determined to make surfboards stand the test of time and of waves and to provide surfers with the most robust, high performing surfboards and paddleboards in the world. After working with some of the UK and Ireland’s best engineers and materials experts, Chris and Ricky secured an initial investment of £50,000 and in 2014 set up Skunkworks Surf Co. Then in 2016, they moved into their 16,000 sq. ft. factory in Coleraine and since then have been leading the engineering, shaping and sales and marketing teams who manufacture and distribute the boards across the globe. The company now employs 16 people. The first boards, which were exported to Europe in April 2017, are now being used by surfers in France, Spain, Norway, Portugal, and Holland as well as in surf schools in the UK and Ireland. Tourists also get the opportunity to test ride the boards through rentals and direct purchase from Alive Surf School, which is run by Ricky. But can catching a big wave be any more difficult than working with your brother? Chris and Ricky tell all…
Brother:
Ricky Martin I began surfing when I was about 13. Santa brought me a bodyboard and wetsuit which still rank as the best presents I have ever had! Surfing became my obsession, to be fair I was obsessed long before I was allowed in the sea. Things were very different then, there were no lifeguards, no surf schools…parents had to let their kids go for it themselves which is why I was only allowed to start once I had proved to be a strong swimmer. As soon as Chris was old enough, he too donned a wetsuit and joined the Portrush surf crew. Those were the best days, we had such a great group of friends and would travel around Ireland each year surfing perfect waves, which Ireland has in abundance. Both Chris and I entered local and national competitions and have both represented Ireland at European level. We have been lucky enough to surf all over the world. SkunkWorks Surf Co started from frustration. I own Alive Surf School in Portrush and every year my boards would fall apart and after trying nearly every brand on the market we decided to make our own. Chris really took the bull by the horns. He realised that we needed to eliminate glue from the manufacturing process and introduce new, higher quality materials to the market. It was at this point I discovered just how stubborn….I mean tenacious… that Chris really is. He basically sat in a room for about 9 months with countless foams, plastics and a heat gun and one day came in with a block of four materials bonded together declaring “Here is our surfboard!” We have come a long way since that day, we now employ 16 people and have a 16,000 sq. ft. factory and are exporting boards globally. Not only that but we are working with sustainable products so our focus is about contributing to a sustainable environment, job creation, growth and profitability. I think we have both grown a lot as people since we started this and have got through some huge challenges together. There have been some really tough times – times when we have had some major rows and arguments but these have been far outweighed by the times we have stood side by side and worked together to bring the company forward. We have a really close family, Chris and his partner Liza, myself and my wife and kids, and our parents all live within a few minutes of each other. Our parents are entrepreneurs so I suppose it is no surprise we followed in their very hard working footsteps. I am very proud at what we have achieved, very proud to have done it with Chris and am really looking forward to the future and all the joy and challenges it will bring!
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