Values. It’s a word that gets tossed around a lot by entrepreneurs trying to define their brand. Pat Tenore, by contrast, preferred to walk the talk, honouring the values he has believed in since childhood, every step of the way.

Pat Tenore is something of a legend in the surfing, skateboarding, and martial arts communities. The designer founded and managed the brand RVCA for almost a quarter century but when its parent company, Boardriders, which owned other action sports and lifestyle labels, such as Roxy, Element, Quiksilver, and Billabong, was acquired in 2023 by Authentic Brands Group, he decided to go off with a “bang” - and launch a new brand: TENORE. 

“I wanted to focus again on quality and product; not on money and margins,” he says. “That’s why I decided to launch Tenōre. At 51, I could have retired, but my brand was part of so many people’s lives that I didn’t want to stop supporting the subcultures I grew up with.” As soon as he announced his departure, many sporting legends decided to follow his path without really knowing where it would lead. 

About thirty top athletes, including many surfers and world champions in combat sports, have joined his label. One of them, Kade Ruotolo, became the youngest submission wrestling world champion at the age of 19. His twin brother, Tye, is the youngest world champion in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. “I’ve known them since they were two and started sponsoring them when they were seven,” Pat explains. “You can’t buy that kind of relationship.” “His” athletes come in droves to train daily at the gym he built right next to the company offices in Costa Mesa, south of Los Angeles. An MMA cage, tatami mats, and punching bags are always available to fighters passing through.

Starting a new company in your fifties is no easy ride. “To be honest, I thought it would be a lot smoother, but a startup is a startup. You have to start from scratch, though at least this time I didn’t have to do from in my garage like I did for RVCA.” His career reads like something out of the American dream. The recipe for his success blends a generous dose of talent with the fruits of countless encounters, all topped off with a thick layer of hard work.

After growing up the Philippines with different relatives, Pat moved with his mother to the Bay Area, before settling down to Orange County, California, when he was around 10 or 11 and he has never left. The first kids he met were surfers in Newport Beach, with whom he’s still friends to this day. During his youth, the only two things he cared about were surfing and skateboarding. He started designing clothes for a surf shop on Pacific Coast Highway when he was 13, 14 or 15, then worked for bigger brands at 16 or 17 (he admits he’s hopeless at remembering dates). He was just 19 when his first child, Joseph, was born. Becoming a young father didn’t stop him from creating his own label. 

Starting a new company in your fifties is no easy ride. “To be honest, I thought it would be a lot smoother, but a startup is a startup. You have to start from scratch, though at least this time I didn’t have to do from in my garage like I did for RVCA.” His career reads like something out of the American dream. The recipe for his success blends a generous dose of talent with the fruits of countless encounters, all topped off with a thick layer of hard work.

After growing up the Philippines with different relatives, Pat moved with his mother to the Bay Area, before settling down to Orange County, California, when he was around 10 or 11 and he has never left. The first kids he met were surfers in Newport Beach, with whom he’s still friends to this day. During his youth, the only two things he cared about were surfing and skateboarding. He started designing clothes for a surf shop on Pacific Coast Highway when he was 13, 14 or 15, then worked for bigger brands at 16 or 17 (he admits he’s hopeless at remembering dates). He was just 19 when his first child, Joseph, was born. Becoming a young father didn’t stop him from creating his own label.