Extreme Group, the TV, distribution and branded goods company for surf, skate and snow enthusiasts, plans a chain of high street stores.

The company, which owns the Extreme Sports channels, as well as branded drinks and clothing ranges, is eyeing up potential retail acquisitions.

Founder and chief executive Alistair Gosling said he is assessing two chains at present - one with approximately 30 shops and one with about 70. Funding is in place to do deals, but he would not reveal how much money was available.

He said that a move into stores was a logical next step, following the success of e-tail enterprise extremepie.com, which generated turnover of about£2 million last year.

Store groups such as Blacks Leisure, Fat Face and White Stuff are already riding the crest of the extreme sports wave, but Gosling said: ‘We feel there’s an opportunity (for a retail arm), especially alongside the TV.’

Extreme was founded in 1995. The group board features a variety of entrepreneurial big hitters, including executive chairman Chris Akers, a former chairman of Leeds United.

Property tycoon and Domino’s Pizza non-executive Nigel Wray is also an Extreme non-exec. Wray was an investor in the famous Knutsford acquisition vehicle in 1999, along with Julian Richer, Archie Norman and Nick Leslau.