Based in Hood River, Oregon, DAKINE was founded in Maui, Hawai'i in 1979 by a long-time surfer, Rob Kaplan. DAKINE'S first product, a revolutionary new surf leash, quickly gained worldwide popularity. This first leash led to more surfing related products, built to withstand the punishing conditions of the surf on the north shore of Hawai'i. In Hawaiian slang, "Da Kine" means "the best" and the company has lived up to this standard through attention to detail, focus on accessories and a notoriously thorough design process.