Our Story
Our Story
Our challenge on the open sea started in Genoa in 1979

We are the result of a friendship that was consolidated in competition. Our roots are in the water and our route is where the wind takes us. The Slam story is a journey that has lasted forty years.

1979 - 1989

All great enterprises start with a group of friends who share an unachievable goal. Few people know whether the four young founders of Slam were sitting over a glass of wine in a restaurant or around a table at a tailor’s shop when they decided to create a sailing clothing brand.

What everyone knows is the basis of their passion and their friendship: the sea. And Slam set sail straight away with the iconic Mickey Bear, the first fleece designed for sailors, who had been used to wearing soaking wet, uncomfortable and heavy wool until then.

Ten years later, the brand was recognised throughout the sailing world.

1990 - 1999

During the previous decade, in addition to Mickey Bear, the Slam Classic sailing jacket was also introduced and became an absolute must-have, even for people who had never set foot on a boat. The jacket was produced in a variety of colours and was a frequent sight in all Italian and Spanish seaside towns. Some people even used it on the ski slopes.

Slam continued to experiment over these ten years. New products included the Stormy Gear System, resistant to the most severe conditions, the Skiff technical line and Mistral, the first shoe designed specifically for sailing. Slam officially became one of the small number of manufacturers of high-quality technical material.

2000 - 2009

Over the first twenty years of its existence, Slam had already started close partnerships with sailors and international Yacht Clubs, sponsoring the British Commodore’s Cup and thus entering the Olympus of the sailing world.  The list of medals won by Slam athletes was now increasing constantly and the gold medals included the 50th Rolex Giraglia and the Rolex Sydney to Hobart.

Research also continued and resulted in the waxed jackets with heat-sealed stitching and the seamless underwear. There was a major boost to development with the arrival of a certain Russel Coutts: the world number one yachtsman not only agreed to be a Slam testimonial, but also a tester.

2009 - 2019

Many times champion Coutts revolutionised Slam, testing clothing, making suggestions and experimenting. And Slam knew precisely what gear to provide. In 2010, Coutts and Slam won the America’s Cup, the crowning achievement of the four original sailing enthusiasts and their dreams.

Slam is celebrating its fortieth anniversary in 2019 with a major event: a collection of photographs of Genoa, its home town, seen through the faces of its inhabitants. But the journey does not end here: the logo has changed, the shops continue to be in the forefront and research on the clothing continues every day. Just like the love for the sea.