A MELBOURNE man has accused surfing giant Rip Curl of stealing his concept for the world’s first heated wetsuit.

The battery-powered wetsuit with a heated panel could be worth millions of export dollars.

Rob Vassallo, who heads family-owned company Jett Performance Products, is trading allegations with Rip Curl.

He said he designed the core technology for the surf specialist in 2006.

“Rip Curl shouldn’t be selling this wetsuit as their own. They’re taking credit for my ideas, ” he said.

Torquay-based Rip Curl, whose global wetsuit sales are said to have topped $30 million last year, denied Mr Vassallo’s allegations. It has sold 200 heated wetsuits since last year for $1500 each.

“We absolutely refute the idea that we have stolen anything from Rob Vassallo or Jett,” spokesman Gary Dunne said.

“If Vassallo believes he has a legitimate claim against us he should launch an action against us, because the only appropriate forum to resolve this issue . . . is with an independent arbitrator.”

Mr Vassallo said he was inspired to make the wetsuit after a jockey mate wanted to lose weight but not spend hours in a sauna. He wrapped him in an electric blanket and cling wrap and after six, 10-minute sessions he had lost 2kg.

Mr Vassallo said he spent 18 months designing a battery-powered heated vest and showed it to Rip Curl in 2005.

“They loved the technology and, after I provided mock-up samples, they sent prototypes to the US for feedback and finally, in 2006, they ordered 500 units,” he said.

Rip Curl unveiled the wetsuit last year as the H-bomb using a surfing video shot in Iceland.

Mr Vassallo said that a week later Rip Curl told him it had lost faith in Jett’s ability to make the wetsuit.

“We gave them the idea and they made up excuses because they wanted it all on their own,” Mr Vassallo said.

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West sustainable production developments 2009

In line with West’s existing sustainable products and our commitment towards a greener future we have employed some new products and practices.

West Bio-plastic packaging: 80% biodegradable cornstarch plastic 20% PE

Did you know that some parts of the Pacific Ocean contain six times more plastic than plankton? Ask any surf shop owner and they will tell you that the accumulation of packaging is consistently overwhelming and although this is not a part of the process that the end user often gets to see, it’s worth giving a thought to the mountains of plastic that fill up store rooms all over the world.

Traditionally, plastic packaging has been made from petrochemicals which are heavily used worldwide; however, the final disposal of used flexible plastics causes problems. If plastic film is not recycled or disposed of correctly it can be a significant source of litter and create serious problems in waste management.

To combat some of these problems we have employed the use of biodegradable cornstarch plastic bags for all our packaging. The cornstarch bags perform equally to traditional plastic packaging being light weight, relatively imperviousness to gas and water but crucially it will reduce the amount of toxic waste and space in landfill as the material biodegrades in a fraction of the time.

West Eco-Lycra : 6 oz 15% bamboo fibers, 85% recycled plastic water bottles UPF 50+

West’s Eco-lycra, derived from bamboo and recycled plastic bottles provides a superior quality fabric while conserving the earth’s valuable resources. Quickly renewable, bamboo grows easily without the use of pesticides and fertilizers; the pulp is bleached without chlorine and is easy to dye, lessening the environmental impact during production.

Another nice feature of bamboo is the natural anti bacterial properties which helps prevent irritation from rash and also reduces the familiar unwanted smells when drying. Bamboo is strong, lightweight and naturally UV resistant; making it a great selection for use in surfing products, expect to see more of this used throughout the west range in the near future.

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More restructuring at VF:

Kevin Bailey has been named president of Vans Americas.

Bailey used to run Vans’ retail division and was a key executive during the company’s turnaround years of 2002-03, Steve Murray, president of VF’s Action Sports Coalition told me this morning.

“As you know, over the past few years Vans has grown strongly in both size and complexity and we feel it’s the right time to add to our leadership team,” Steve said via email.

Bailey career has included stints at Lucky, Nike and American Eagle.

Steve, who previously served as Vans president, will now focus more deeply on the Action Sports Coalition, which currently includes Vans and Reef, he said.

Key areas he plans to focus on include “long term strategy, brand and product extensions, supporting our international regions better, getting after the China market, exploring new acquisitions, people development, organizational design etc.,” he said.

Vans has been one of VF’s strongest performers and has continued to post strong results even during the recession.

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