P m tenore biography

VIA – ASIAN JOURNAL

Pat PM Tenore: Entrepreneur and Founder of RVCA

Saturday, 10 September 2011 00:00 Joseph Pimentel | AJPress Los Angeles

WHEN Pat PM Tenore founded his company, RVCA (pronounced Ruca), it defied convention. Created in early 2000 with former wave rider Conan Hayes, Tenore’s vision was to create a label, a lifestyle brand that fused skate and surf sports fashion with music, and art. His goal was to combine art, music, fashion and a modern lifestyle presented in an original way.

It’s safe to say that 10 years later, Tenore succeeded.

His lifestyle brand RVCA is one of the most successful companies in the world and is sported by mainstream celebrities, jocks, surfers, artists and musicians.

In 2009, before he sold it to Billabong, RVCA was being sold in 600 accounts in the US, 28 countries around the world and climbing the $50 million sales mark, according to Entrepreneur.

He created a haven for artists, where they can come and go as they please at apartments in the company’s 70,000-square-foot headquarters in Costa Mesa.

“I wanted to do something other people in the industry weren’t, and that is provide a space for artists, musicians, surfers, skaters, curators, models.

That’s when I started conceptualizing the artists network program (ANP),” Tenore told Entrepreneur in 2009.

“The name RVCA is an ambiguous word, created to support the meaning behind the chevrons (VA),” he explained to Transworld Business.

“The chevrons are the icon that represent the balance of opposites – man / woman – industrialization / nature – basically how everything co-exists.”

Tenore was also among a small number of business people who was invited by President Barack Obama in 2009 to the White House to discuss the administration’s plan to help small businesses.

“The President seemed authentic and connected to the problems and concerns of everyone in the group,” Tenore said to shop-eat-surf.com about his

My dad was 19 and my mom was 17 when I was born. My mom left Corona del Mar High School because she was pregnant and went to a continuation school. She started at Cal State Fullerton when I was three weeks old. She ended up studying education and becoming a sixth-grade teacher. Four years later, they got married.

My dad didn’t go to college; he took some classes, but all I know is that everything he learned was because he went out, grinded, bought computer programs and was self-taught. My dad wasn’t given an easy positionwhere you have all the resources you want and have a wealthy family. His mom was 13 when she had her first child, and she tried her best. My dad had to hustle to get his. He did a lot of moving during his childhood, from Chicago to San Francisco to Oakland to Piedmont, then to the Philippines, and eventually ending up in Orange County—all that before he was 11 years old. He did a lot of jumping around. I think having a child put a fire under his ass. Maybe college was too slow for him.

I have a vivid memory of our house in Costa Mesa, where my parents moved after they got married, walking through the backyard to the garage, where his creative kingdom was. Everything started in the garage. He had his friends over: TYKE AWR was sitting there—he’d just got done doing multiple canvases—and my dad was working on the computer. It was cool. I remember my dad got jeans, and he and his friends were in the backyard drawing on them with paint pens and then going to sell them at boutiques around L.A. and Orange County. From a young age I felt the energy of his creative work.

Growing up in Costa Mesa was fun. With the parents I have, things like skateboarding and creative thinking were pushed. Surfing was also pushed, but I didn’t get into it. I’m a skater, to be real with you. There were always a lot of people around our house, because my parents were still young. The vibe growing up with them was trippy—their friends were artists, fighters, designers, sk

American clothing company

For the environmental protection and advisory agency in Ottawa, Canada, see Rideau Valley Conservation Authority.

RVCA is a Costa Mesa, California–based clothing company owned by Authentic Brands Group.

Etymology

The logotype for RVCA portrays the letter A without a crossbar, resembling an uppercase lambda (Λ). The name resembles the Greek ρούχα (uppercase: ΡΟὙΧΑ; [ˈruxa]) which means 'clothes' in English. The RVCA logo is based on the two chevrons, the V & the A, representing the brand's ethos "The Balance of Opposites" as stated by RVCA founder PM Tenore.

History

RVCA was founded in 1999 by Pat Tenore and Conan Hayes, a professional surfer from Hawaii.Billabong purchased RVCA in July 2010, and then Boardriders acquired Billabong in 2018, taking ownership of RVCA, Element, Von Zipper, and XCEL.

On February 2, 2025, Liberated Brands, owner of RVCA retail stores in the US, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, listing assets and liabilities between $100 million and $500 million. The company announced the closure of all remaining RVCA locations in the US, with liquidation sales beginning a week before the bankruptcy.

Culture

RVCA is closely associated with skateboard, surf culture, Brazilian jiu jitsu (BJJ), and MMA. The company sponsors a skateboard and surf team. They also sponsor prominent BJJ competitors and prominent MMA fighters. RVCA clothing is found in skateboard/surf shops and numerous other shops.

Because of its art focus, RVCA is also associated with the street graffiti subculture. RVCA is involved with various contemporary art galleries such as KNOWN Gallery.

RVCA Training Center

Because of its Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and MMA focus, RVCA founder Pat Tenore (who holds a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu) built a BJJ/MMA gym known as The RVCA Training Center. The training facility was lo

Pat Tenore, the founder and president of internationally successful surf and skate label RVCA, isn't just the epitome of the stylish surfer but also one of the nicest and most down-to-earth people around. Ask him about his mega-successful brand, now owned by Billabong, and he'll talk about artists and athletes the company sponsors and collaborates with, not new products or retail projects. His side hustles are with his best friends. Philanthropy and community are woven into these endeavors as well as RVCA, and have been since day one. And while the man owns several rare luxury cars, he's been known to cruise around Costa Mesa in a minivan (see: having three kids). In short, he's a good businessperson and a good dude. Plus, he's got enough swagger to rock a gold tooth, tattoo sleeves, and a topknot on the regular. So who better to give the 10 Essentials treatment to? Here, his favorite things.

1. Jade Necklace

"This was a gift from Dibi Fletcher, the matriarch of a legendary surfing family. It was originally given to her by someone she greatly admired and she was generous enough to pass it onto me. It’s a soft green jade dragon, which symbolizes luck, prosperity, and protection. I used to wear it around my neck but the chain broke so I keep it on my dresser now. I’m not super into things that have mystical, magical powers but this piece means a lot to me. One day I’ll pass it onto someone else who needs it."

2. ICON Thriftmaster Truck

"This truck is by a local guy named Jonathan Ward. He makes cars that look like classic models but have modern technology inside. Every detail is custom made and designed by him to be even better than the original. This car is inspired by the classic Chevy pickup of the ‘40s and ‘50s but has a 440 horsepower engine, touchscreen display, black bison-hide seats, and other custom details. I don’t drive it as often as I want to. I have another ICON car, the FJ43, which we’ll bring it to Hawaii