How it all began
in 1940, a man named Owen Churchill, designed and patented the Churchill® Swimfins.
He had improved it from the earlier versions made by louis de corlieu in 1935. with skin-diving’s low popularity in America, he only sold under a thousand pairs the first year. below is an image of some of the very first Churchill® Swimfins ever made.
He thought of the idea from seeing Tahitian boys using the same thrust concept. the Tahitians would use soft rubber and metal bands shaped like a fish tail to create the fins. the US navy was some of the first people to use the Churchill’s® and started using them for underwater missions. Churchill® then improved the shape of the fin and started using vulcanized rubber to get a better quality fin.
Churchill® Swimfins became one of the world’s best-selling Swimfins when the sport of bodyboarding was introduced in 1971. the Swimfins became a favorite among riders from professional to novice because of the thrust and performance that came from the fins. over several decades, the fins haven’t differed from its original shape but have introduced many colors including its iconic blue & yellow color scheme. made popular by several world champions, Churchill® then trademarked its world known colors in 1994, as well as the popular color scheme black & yellow.
