The panda logo, the ridiculous ads, the chaotic team energy — Enjoi always felt like skateboarding having fun with itself. At a time when a lot of brands were leaning serious and technical, Enjoi leaned the other direction and somehow still put out some of the most memorable video parts of the era.

So when the brand got tangled up in corporate ownership over the last few years, plenty of skaters assumed that version of enjoi was probably gone for good.

But now there’s a twist: Louie Barletta has officially taken the brand back.

After what he’s described as a three-year effort to regain control, Barletta confirmed that Enjoi is once again in skater hands.

How Enjoi Ended Up in Corporate Limbo

Enjoi was founded in 2000 by Marc Johnson and Rodney Mullen, eventually becoming part of Dwindle Distribution, which also ran brands like Almost, Blind, and Darkstar.

For years that structure worked — until Dwindle shut down in 2022. After the collapse, the brands were acquired by Highline Industries, a holding company that purchased the intellectual property and began relaunching them under a new structure.

On paper the brands still existed, but many of the original voices that built them weren’t involved in running them anymore.

Barletta has said that never sat right with him. Over the past three years he worked behind the scenes to regain control of Enjoi and bring the brand back under someone who actually came up within its culture.

Now that effort has finally paid off.

The Enjoi Era That Defined a Generation

Even skaters who never rode Enjoi boards probably remember the videos.

The brand’s 2006 video “Bag of Suck” became one of the defining skate videos of the era. Jerry Hsu’s part alone is still considered one of the greatest skate video parts ever filmed, while the rest of the video perfectly captured the weird humor and personality that made the brand stand out.

Louie Barletta was right in the middle of that energy. His skating — creative, awkward, unpredictable — embodied the idea that skating didn’t have to look perfect to be incredible.

For a lot of skaters who grew up in that era, Enjoi represented a version of skateboarding that didn’t take itself too seriously while still pushing incredible skating.

That’s a big reason the news of Barletta reclaiming the brand is hitting so hard with longtime fans.

The Jacuzzi Question

One interesting wrinkle in all of this is Jacuzzi Unlimited, the board company Barletta co-founded in recent years.

Jacuzzi has built its own identity quickly, with a team and aesthetic that clearly reflects Louie’s creative direction. So now that Enjoi is back under his control, people are naturally wondering how those two brands will coexist.

The first Enjoi board posted since the announcement gives a small hint. Instead of a traditional relaunch graphic, it’s a Enjoi x Jacuzzi Unlimited crossover board.

That raises some interesting possibilities. Maybe Barletta tries to balance both brands at once. Maybe Jacuzzi continues under co-owner Jeff Davis’ leadership while Louie focuses more heavily on rebuilding Enjoi.

Or maybe the crossover approach hints at something more collaborative between the two.

For now, the exact plan isn’t clear — but the fact that the first board ties the two brands together suggests this story might be bigger than just a simple Enjoi comeback.

Image Credit: Louie Barletta / @louiebarletta

Enjoi’s Second Life

Barletta hasn’t fully revealed the roadmap yet, but he’s hinted that the goal is to rebuild Enjoi with the same spirit that made people care about it in the first place.

That could mean new riders, new graphics, and potentially new video projects down the line.

What we do know is that Enjoi is once again being run by someone who helped shape its identity during its most memorable years.

And in a skate industry where legacy brands often fade out or get absorbed into corporate portfolios, seeing one come back under skater control is rare.

The panda might not be done yet.

What Do You Think?

Louie bringing Enjoi back into skater hands could mark the start of a real revival.

But it also raises new questions — especially with Jacuzzi Unlimited already in the mix.

However it plays out, it’s going to be interesting to watch.

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