What's here
Quiksilver was born in Torquay in 1969, and you can still buy it in two places in town. The Boardriders store at 61 Surf Coast Highway, at the opposite end of Surf City Plaza from Rip Curl, carries Quiksilver and Roxy. The Quiksilver outlet is around the corner at 16 Baines Crescent. Billabong, part of the same group since 2018, has its own store in the plaza.
The Boardriders store shares its address with 4 Pines x Boardriders, a bar with a big patio. So one of you can shop while the other has a pint.
The boardshort that started it
Alan Green and John Law started Quiksilver in Torquay in 1969. Green had been making wetsuits, and he was working at Rip Curl when he made the first Quiksilver boardshorts in the Rip Curl factory in April 1970. The design borrowed from wetsuits and swimwear: a Velcro fly, metal press studs, scalloped legs, and a "yoke" waist that sat higher at the back than the front. Those details set the pattern for the modern boardshort.
The shorts were in Australian shops in 1970, and visiting surfers spread the word. In 1976 Jeff Hakman and Bob McKnight took the licence to the United States, and Quiksilver Europe followed in 1984, based in south-west France. The company launched Roxy, its women's surf line, in 1990.
Quiksilver in Torquay today
In 1997 Quiksilver moved into a purpose-built headquarters at 27 Baines Crescent, a double-storey building with offices, an auditorium, a workshop and warehousing. The parent company renamed itself Boardriders in 2017, bought Billabong in 2018, and announced the same year that its Australian head office would move to Burleigh Heads on the Gold Coast. Authentic Brands Group bought Boardriders in 2023, and the group is now based in California.
The old headquarters is still there, and it's now the Torquay Taphouse, Great Ocean Road Brewing's brewery and beer garden. So you can have a beer in the building Quiksilver was run from for about twenty years.
The shops
Boardriders Torquay
61 Surf Coast Highway, at Surf City Plaza. Quiksilver and Roxy, from boardshorts and wetsuits to everyday clothes.
Quiksilver outlet
16 Baines Crescent. Boardshorts, wetsuits, springsuits, rash vests and tees for men, teens and kids, at outlet prices. Searoad's outlet guide lists it as open 9am to 5pm, seven days.
Billabong
A Boardriders brand since 2018, with a store in the plaza (Searoad lists Shop 6/61 Geelong Road). Known for triple-stitched boardshorts, plus wetsuit jackets and vests, bags and hats.
Hours change through the year, so check before you make a special trip.
Shopping tips
Getting there and what's nearby
Surf City Plaza is on the Surf Coast Highway at the Geelong end of town, about five minutes' drive from north Torquay. Baines Crescent is just behind it, so park once and walk.
Make a morning of it with Rip Curl, the Baines Crescent outlets and the Australian National Surfing Museum, which tells the Quiksilver and Rip Curl story. For lunch, there's 4 Pines in the plaza, or the Taphouse in the old Quiksilver building.
Quiksilver Torquay FAQ
Where is the Quiksilver store in Torquay?
Quiksilver and Roxy are in the Boardriders store at 61 Surf Coast Highway, Surf City Plaza. The outlet is at 16 Baines Crescent.
Did Quiksilver start in Torquay?
Yes. Alan Green and John Law founded it there in 1969, and the first boardshorts went on sale in 1970.
Is Quiksilver's head office still in Torquay?
No. The group moved its Australian head office to the Gold Coast and is now based in California. The old Torquay headquarters is the Torquay Taphouse.
Is there a Billabong store?
Yes, in Surf City Plaza. Billabong has been part of Boardriders since 2018.
Is there a bar at Boardriders?
Yes. 4 Pines x Boardriders shares the address, with a patio beer garden, open seven days.
For the other shops and outlets, see our Torquay surf shops guide, and for somewhere to wear the new boardies, the beaches guide. For a label that started at a Torquay market, see our Ghanda guide. Staying in north Torquay? Check dates at Holyday House.
Sources
Facts on this page were checked against these sources on 20 October 2026. Opening hours, patrols, rules and closures change — check with the source before you go.
- Quiksilver — Wikipedia
- Torquay asset, purpose built for Quiksilver in 1997, sells — realestatesource
- 7 Best Torquay Factory Outlets — Searoad Ferries
- Shopping in Torquay — Visit Great Ocean Road
- 4 Pines x Boardriders Torquay — 4 Pines Brewing (official)