Dakine | Backpacks, Luggage, Surf, Snow, & Bike Gear Since 1979
                     Dakine | Backpacks, 
Luggage, Surf, Snow, & Bike 
Gear Since 1979 
A HISTORY OF INNOVATION: 
Founded in Hawaii in 1979 and 
located at the base of Mt. Hood in 
Hood River, Oregon, Dakine builds 
backpacks, travel bags, accessories, 
outerwear and clothing for people 
who love to surf, snowboard, 
skateboard, mountain bike, ski, 
windsurf, kiteboard and travel. 
1979 THE CANNERY Dakine got its 
start on Maui’s North Shore in 
1979. Rob Kaplan was a surfer first, but he was also a tinkerer who 
loved building stuff. Word got out, and soon fellow surfers began 
turning to him with their gear problems—most often busted surf 
leashes. After repairing enough leashes, he set out to make a new 
leash with the kind of bombproof materials and stitching only 
someone who’s lost a board to the rocks would know how to make. 
1980 WIND REVOLUTION In 1980, Dakine introduced windsurfing’s 
first adjustable foot strap, followed in 1982 by a waist harness and a 
whole bunch of travel bags, then the sport’s first seat harness in 
1983, and then the now-ubiquitous thermo-molded waist harness. 
These advances in equipment design helped windsurfers sail faster, 
jump higher and ride in more intense conditions. They also 
established Dakine as one of the new sport’s most trusted brands. 
1986 HOOD RIVER, OREGON By 1986, windsurfing’s center of gravity 
had shifted to Hood River, Oregon. While Dakine would keep a 
presence on Maui, its headquarters moved to the mainland. Hood 
River also sat at the base of Mount Hood, where snowboarders and 
skiers from all over the world trained in the summer. Now, not only 
were we talking to some of the world’s best surfers and windsurfers, 
but we also had world-class snowboarders and skiers coming in and 
out of the office too. It was one of those snowboarders that led us to 
the first Heli Pack. He had come off the mountain and wandered into 
Dakine with a request: He needed an essentials-only pack for his heli 
trips to Alaska. Dakine created a custom pack that had everything he 
wanted and nothing more. That favor for a friend eventually turned 
into one of our most iconic products ever. 
2005 ALL ABOUT THE DOWNHILL By 2005, Hood River had grown 
into a legitimate mountain bike destination, and those same friends 
started to bring a different set of problems into the shop: What’s the 
best way to load three bikes into a pickup without dinging the down 
tube? How do I ride down with full-face helmet and pads on, but ride 
up without sweating to death? Is there a way to carry a chain saw, 
hammer and set of loppers up a trail on a bike? The answer we 
found, was yes! 
2017 MORE DAYS We always try to answer those kinds of questions 
with the same resourcefulness, integrity and craftsmanship that Rob 
built into that first surf leash. All told, Dakine is responsible for 
hundreds of product firsts that have helped snowboarders, surfers, 
kiteboarders, skiers, windsurfers and mountain bikers grab more 
days on the mountain and in the water. Through every one, our 
approach has never changed: Build gear we’d be proud to give 
friends who love being on the mountain and in the water as much as 
we do. 
PRODUCTS THAT GET PEOPLE TALKING 
No need to spend our lives in a lab 
trying to figure out what people will 
need 10 or 20 years from now. There 
are plenty of problems that waste 
precious mountain or water time right now. And the best way to find 
them is to get out on the mountain and in the water yourself. Live it. 
Build it. Test it. Improve it. Then do it all over again next season. That 
gets people talking. 
Get 15 off your first purchase at Dakine com! High quality backpacks, 
bags, apparel, and gear for any sport 
https://www.dakine.com/