A History of Creatures of Leisure
Creatures of Leisure is an iconic surf brand and well known for its surfing accessories, including surf leashes and surfboard traction pads. We've seen the likes of Mick Fanning, Stephanie Gilmore, Italo Ferreira and Clay Marzo endorsing it's products, but who started it and how?
In this article, we take a look into the history of the brand and the story of how its founder became the inventor of the modern-day urethane leash.
Back in 1972, Californian John Malloy set sail on a Norwegian cargo ship, with the aim of exploring and surfing across the Pacific Islands and onto Australia.
He ended up in Yallingup, Western Australia and instantly said he "felt he was home". Setting up a base here, John got to experience the power and beauty of the area, including waves such as Margaret's River.
As well as surfing, John started to develop leashes (or leg ropes as the Australian's called them), using bell ropes from petrol stations. He found that these were not up to withstanding the relentless power of the waves and would often snap after a short time of using them.
A chance discovery of some urethane cord - used by washing machine repair men - led him to experiment with this material and he quickly realised how good it was for leashes.
In 1987 Creatures of Leisure officially came to be, initially selling leashes and surfboard covers.
The name 'Creatures of Leisure' came from an album of the same name by Australian band Mental As Anything, who gave their permission for John to use it. And so, Creatures of Leisure was born.
Here's a few more highlights from the company's rich history of surf product development:
- 1991 - the Surefire Leash release was launched. An innovative urethane coated release tab
- 1997 - Traction pads, made in Perth, were launched, with their Square-Loc pattern
- 1998 - the Signature traction pad series was launched for surfers including Taj Burrow, Jake Paterson and Luke Egan
- 2002 - the company started making bodyboarding specific products, including leashes
- 2003 - a bearing swivel for leashes was invented by John, which doesn't size in salt water
- 2007 - the DNA Flex mold was launched, which absorbed wave impact and reduced the likelihood of the surfboard bouncing back in a wipeout
- 2019 - the Superlite Leash is launched and billed as "the lightest and most comfortable leash in the world".
Fast forward to the present day and Creatures of Leisure continues to produce a wide range of surf products, that are well known for their quality and durability.
All of their products are tested by surfers, often in the challenging Western Australian waves.
And that's a reason why so many top surfers continue to use and endorse their products - they work really well in all surf conditions.
Here's a fascinating documentary to watch that tells the story of John Malloy and Creatures of Leisure:
Check out our range of Creatures of Leisure products, including leashes, traction pads and board bags.
