1990s archive · the Chiemsee & Friends campaign world
That was then.
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2026 · the campaign world of Join the Ride
One
freedom.
No boxes.
Forty years sit between those two pictures. This is what happened in between.
1977
1977 to 1986 · Two schoolboys, a surf shack, self-printed tees
Brothers Christof and Martin Imdahl open a windsurf school and a tiny “Surfhütterl” shop on the shore of lake Chiemsee, selling self-printed T‑shirts out of the shack.
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1979
On a trip to Hawaii the brothers meet the Austrian pro surfer Mike “Eskimo” Ribolitz, later co-founder and head designer.
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1982
“Windsurfing Chiemsee” is founded in Grabenstätt and debuts at the Boot Düsseldorf trade fair. First focus: boards.
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1984
The first clothing collection (tees, shorts and a nylon jacket with the kangaroo motif) is enthusiastically received.
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1986
The first snowboard line launches and the “Chiemsee & Friends” athlete programme starts backing surf world cups.
1987 · the 90s heyday, the mark
The “Springer” (a diver seen from behind, inspired by cliff divers in Brazil) becomes the registered trademark. Within five years it is in every pedestrian zone and on every dancefloor.
Registered trademark since 1986/87 · still the mark on every it-piece
The 90s heyday · the volume
800,000
Garments a year by the early nineties, produced in Austria and Portugal. The Chiemsee Pulli, at 150 DM and up, was THE status symbol of the German schoolyard.
1993
1993 · the 90s heyday, the world
Title sponsor of the Pipe Masters on Oahu’s North Shore, the “Gerry Lopez CHIEMSEE Pipe Masters”. From a Bavarian lake to the loudest wave on earth.
The 90s heyday · the peak
76 million DM
Peak revenue, 1996, the year the brand was everywhere at once.
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Harrods, London
A Chiemsee shop-in-shop on the floor of the loudest department store in Europe.
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Defrost
The line that delivered the first truly functional snowboard clothing.
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Gegen den Wind
The ARD windsurf series ran a licensed Chiemsee collection on prime-time television.
1997 to 2012 · The quiet years
1996 76 → 1997 60 → 1999 50 million DM
1997
Mike Eskimo, co-founder and head designer, moves on. Boardsports style slips out of the mainstream, and Chiemsee steps out of the spotlight for a while.
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1999
The European Court of Justice confirms the trademark, and the founder generation begins to exit.
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2002
The wild 90s prints give way to minimalism, and the label turns quiet.
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2003
The Schmidt Group, in Norderstedt, takes Chiemsee under its wing and keeps the flame alive through the years its style is out of fashion.
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2011/12
The base settles in Norderstedt, and the brand waits for its moment to come round again.
How people saw it
Damen Herren Kinder Accessoires Outlet
Summer Sale –40%
„Chiemsee? Das kenne ich noch aus der Schulzeit.“
Kundenbewertung, 2011
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How it feels now
This
is
now.
2026 · the relaunch
Freedom.
Reborn.
It is never too late to reinvent yourself.
Cornelia Schmidt brings the worldwide Chiemsee trademark home, into Join the Ride, Hamburg.
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N°01
It-pieces over collections.
Hero pieces over collection cycles. Every item says something. Nothing blends in.
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N°02
One freedom. No boxes.
No gender. No categories. No limits. One range. One mindset.
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N°03
We embrace imperfection.
Not polished. Not predictable. Sometimes too much. Sometimes off. Exactly right.
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N°04
We evolve without apology.
The logo is not sacred, it’s adaptable. Reinvention without losing the core.
The first capsule · it-pieces, in the shop now
Enjoy the
ride, we
can do fancy
Chiemsee should feel like fun again.
Shop the it-piecesFour pieces below. The whole first capsule is in the shop.
