Maui Rippers was born from a surf safari, a dream, and a deep respect for craftsmanship. Back in the early 2000s, our founder Joe- surfer, woodworker, and diehard waterman, was chasing waves in Indonesia when inspiration struck. He linked up with local seamstresses and sketched out a vision for the perfect pair of surf trunks: clean, tough, and built to last. He brought the first 25 pairs back to Maui as a gift for his crew- friends, lifeguards, and fellow surfers known as the “Maui Rippers.”
Word spread fast. Those first shorts weren’t just well-made, they were field-tested by Maui County’s lifeguards and quickly adopted as their go-to uniform. From beach patrols to surf breaks, Joe’s design proved itself in real water. The shorts hit surf shops, then spread to other islands, the mainland, and eventually across oceans. From Jersey to Kauai, Australia to Austria, Maui Rippers became a trusted name for boardshorts that don’t back down.
Today, we’re still a family-owned brand rooted in Aloha, but our sights are set on what’s next. We’ve grown from a small-batch surf trunk project into a global e-commerce company serving watermen, lifeguards, athletes, and everyday adventurers. We’re proud to supply gear to lifeguard agencies around the world, and our boardshorts continue to show up in surf shops, specialty stores, online- wherever performance and durability matter.
Founded by Joe and Mary, we bring decades of design experience, craftsmanship, and surf culture to everything we do. And we're more dedicated than ever to quality, legacy, and living life in and around the water.
Built on heritage. Designed for now. Ready for wherever you go.
Stay Ripping! Mahalo And Aloha!