A Look at the Etnies Skating Apparel Company

Pierre Andre Senizergues is the founder and CEO of Etnies, the famous line of shoes, clothing and accessories for skateboarders, snowboarders, surfers or anyone who is into BMX or Motorcross. Pierre was the first professional skateboarder to own and operate a foot wear company. In 2006 it was the Etnies 20th anniversary. "Its hard to believe that Etnies is already twenty years young. As a skateboarder, it is great to see how Etnies has been a pioneer and innovator of the action sports community over the past two decades," says Pierre Senizergues.

Pierre started skateboarding when he was just fifteen years old. The place that he calls home is L'Hay Les Roses, France. In the early 1980's he was an IBM engineer. Pierre studied at the Universitaire de Technology in Paris. In 1985 he decided to move to California. Pierre has won tons of awards for his skating including twelve French championships, five European championships, nine European cup titles, and one world championship.

The first pro model that Etnies introduced was in 1987, and it was called Natas. At this time they decided to change their name from Ethics to Etnies due to legal issues. The Senix Pro model featured ankle support and enhanced grip, both of which are really good features for skateboarders. The out sole of these Etnies shoes was made out of Indy 500 Goodyear rubber which you know was meant to last, it actually lasts about four times longer than other out soles.

Etnies is based out of Lake Forest, California. It has over 350 employees, international distribution to over 70 countries and is one of the leading action sports companies in the world. In 1989 Etnies started distributing in the United States. In 1991 they were even being advertised inside of United States skate magazines. Later, in 1994, there was a huge skate shoe boom in the United States, giving Etnies some competition and a few bragging rights. In 1997 Etnies decided to form a snow team for snowboarders. Etnies other brands include "Es" and "Emerica". Etnies sponsors tons of people in professional sports including Arto Saari, Rune Glifberg, Jason Dill, Ryan Scheckler, Ali Boulala, Lee Dainton and Chris Malloy. Today they are a well known brand of shoes and clothing, but you don't have to skate to wear them. Tons of people each year, skaters or not, pick themselves up a nice, new, comfy pair of Etnies.

"History." Etnies. URL: http://www.etnies.com/extra/timeline/.