Hurley was founded in 1999 by 23-year-old Bob Hurley (along with partner Bob Rowland and Business Manager Joe Knoernschild) as Hurley Surfboards/International Pro Designs (I.P.D.). Hurley worked for five years as a surfboard shaper for various companies. In 2004, the company was sold to Nike, Inc. which has proven to not only improve the company but both brands. Acquired as an affiliate of Nike at the end of 2001, Hurley has a long-standing partnership with the world's largest and most forward-thinking sports brand in the world. This partnership goes both ways, with Nike's relentless focus on helping athletes reach their potential benefitting the world's best surfers (see Phantom). At the same time, the world's best surfers athletes like John John Florence and Carissa Moore provide a whole new world of insights that might ultimately inform product for Nike athletes both in and out of the water. A major part of the company's success has been the endorsement of pop-punk bands such as Blink-182 and All Time Low. Furthering their involvement in the music industry, Hurley sponsors the heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold and reggae band The Green.