Billabong International Ltd announced today it had signed a joint venture with Chris Athas’s Surfection retail business. Billabong will take an interest in Surfection’s Manly Corso and Westfield Bondi Junction stores. Surfection has also recently opened a Tigerlily-branded store at Warringah Mall and that is now also included in the joint venture with Billabong. Chris Athas has a long history in the retail business and at one time headed Quiksilver’s retail division. He sold several Surfection stores including Mona Vale and Westfield Bondi to Quiksilver, before leaving the company in 2009. Athas will be running the JV with Billabong from his office in Brookvale along with all of his existing staff. Surfection’s original store located in Military Rd, Mosman is not part of the deal. Billabong also operates a flagship store in Manly Corso in partnership with Australian Surfer HQ retailer Mark Eymes.