Billabong vs The Critical Slide Society:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Billabong had more branded searches than The Critical Slide Society among surf brands in Australia. Billabong had about 74,000 branded searches, while The Critical Slide Society had 1,300. Billabong made up 27.6% of all surf brand searches we track, and The Critical Slide Society accounted for 0.48%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about surf brands, Billabong appeared in all five answers and The Critical Slide Society in one. Billabong was mentioned before The Critical Slide Society in every answer.
Who do people search for more?
Billabong, about 57 searches for every 1 for The Critical Slide Society
Who does AI mention more?
Billabong, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
Billabong, named ahead of The Critical Slide Society in every answer
Follow Billabong vs The Critical Slide Society and get free monthly updates on what changed
By continuing you'll get index updates and occasional product news from Brandwave. Unsubscribe any time. Privacy
Top surf brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Billabong appeared in all five answers. The Critical Slide Society was mentioned in one out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Billabong was listed before The Critical Slide Society in every answer.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Rip Curl1st
Billabong2nd
Quiksilver3rd
Rhythm4th
Volcom5th
Ocean & Earth6th
Vissla7th
O'Neill8th
Afends9th- +3 more
The Critical Slide Society13th- +2 more
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
Billabong5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Rip Curl5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Quiksilver4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Ocean & Earth3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Volcom2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Rhythm2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
O'Neill2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Rusty2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Vissla2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
The Critical Slide Society1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about surf brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which surf brand should I buy from in Australia?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best surf brands in Australia?”
Asked ChatGPT
“Which boardshorts are best for surfing?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“boardshorts”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“surf brands”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in Australia on October 26, 2026.
Is Billabong or The Critical Slide Society more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Billabong and The Critical Slide Society by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 15 surf brands we track, month by month, from searches in Australia.
Share of searches by month for Billabong, The Critical Slide Society. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Billabong | Rip Curl | Afends | Roxy | Deus Ex Machina | Volcom | Rhythm | Mambo | O'Neill | Quiksilver | Rusty | Ocean & Earth | Salty Crew | Vissla | The Critical Slide Society |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 23.4% | 28.6% | 15.7% | 8.6% | 5.7% | 3.8% | 3.1% | 2.1% | 1.7% | 2.6% | 1.1% | 1.1% | 1.1% | 0.62% | 0.62% |
| Nov 2025 | 21.9% | 26.6% | 21.9% | 8% | 4.4% | 4.4% | 2.4% | 1.3% | 1.6% | 2.9% | 1.6% | 0.87% | 1.1% | 0.58% | 0.58% |
| Dec 2025 | 24.4% | 29.7% | 13.3% | 7.3% | 4.9% | 3.3% | 2.7% | 4.9% | 1.5% | 2.7% | 1.8% | 1.2% | 1.2% | 0.65% | 0.65% |
| Jan 2026 | 24.2% | 29.6% | 16.2% | 7.3% | 4.8% | 3.2% | 3.2% | 2.2% | 1.8% | 2.2% | 1.4% | 1.4% | 0.95% | 0.79% | 0.62% |
| Feb 2026 | 23.7% | 23.7% | 19.4% | 7.1% | 5.8% | 3.9% | 3.9% | 3.2% | 2.1% | 2.6% | 1.4% | 1.1% | 0.91% | 0.62% | 0.62% |
| Mar 2026 | 20.7% | 25.3% | 20.7% | 6.2% | 7.6% | 3.4% | 3.4% | 2.8% | 2.3% | 2.8% | 1.8% | 1% | 1% | 0.67% | 0.54% |
| Apr 2026 | 21.7% | 26.6% | 17.8% | 6.5% | 6.5% | 3.6% | 3.6% | 2.9% | 2.4% | 2.9% | 1.9% | 1.3% | 1.1% | 0.83% | 0.57% |
| May 2026 | 24% | 24% | 16% | 7.2% | 7.2% | 3.9% | 3.9% | 3.2% | 2.6% | 2.6% | 1.7% | 1.2% | 1.2% | 0.77% | 0.63% |
| Jun 2026 | 21.1% | 21.1% | 25.8% | 7.7% | 5.2% | 4.2% | 3.5% | 2.3% | 2.3% | 2.3% | 1.5% | 1% | 0.81% | 0.56% | 0.43% |
| Jul 2026 | 24.5% | 24.5% | 16.4% | 9% | 6% | 4% | 3.3% | 2.7% | 2.2% | 2.7% | 1.4% | 1.2% | 0.94% | 0.64% | 0.5% |
| Aug 2026 | 23.9% | 23.9% | 16% | 8.7% | 7.1% | 3.9% | 3.9% | 2.6% | 2.1% | 2.6% | 1.4% | 1.2% | 1.2% | 0.77% | 0.63% |
| Sep 2026 | 27.6% | 22.6% | 18.5% | 10.1% | 5.5% | 3% | 2.5% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 1.3% | 0.9% | 0.9% | 0.6% | 0.48% |
How has the Billabong and The Critical Slide Society comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Billabong was ahead of The Critical Slide Society in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Billabong’s share of searches among surf brands in Australia moved from 23.4% to 27.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 60.5K to 74K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, The Critical Slide Society’s share of searches among surf brands in Australia moved from 0.62% to 0.48%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 1.6K to 1.3K.
How did search popularity change for Australia surf brands in September 2026?
2 changes

In September 2026, Billabong gained share of searches among surf brands in Australia, from 23.9% to 27.6%.

Estimated monthly branded searches for The Critical Slide Society in Australia fell 18.8% over 12 measured months, from 1.6K to 1.3K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Billabong’s and The Critical Slide Society’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Billabong
1 branded search term
- billabong
The Critical Slide Society
1 branded search term
- the critical slide society
Other head-to-heads among surf brands

Put your own brand in this comparison
Brandwave tracks your branded demand next to the rival you actually watch, with your campaigns, spend and outcomes on the same timeline.