Come out to check some surfing athletes from top surf brands battle it out for bragging rights in Huntington Beach on Aug. 29.
Athletes from Billabong, Quiksilver, Rip Curl and O’Neill (and the zany editors from Surfer Mag, Surfing Mag, TransWorld Surf, Surfline and Fuel TV) will be going head-to-head during the 3rd annual PacSun Battle of the Brands.
When: 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 29
Where: South side of the Huntington Beach Pier.
Read more on surfing:
Back in 1989, the surf industry was still in its teenage years.
Most surf retailers were operating as low-key, mom and pop shops. Brands like Gotcha hit the scene, and no one could have guessed just how successful the surf industry would be.
The manufacturers needed a unified voice, a group that could tailor their niche products to a broader marketplace. So a large group of industry executives – including O’Neill’s Kelly Woolsey and several editors of surf magazines – got together to figure out how to make their industry grow.
In 1990, SIMA (Surf Industry Manufacturing Association) became formally recognized, with Quiksilver’s Bob McKnight as president and Gotcha’s Michael Tomson as vice-president.
“Over the years the surf companies have not only grown in size, but they also got very smart, very savvy,” said SIMA’s Executive Director Sean Smith. “They really started to see more than just in their back yard. They really tried to think broader and bigger.”
And that they did. Twenty years later, the surf and skate industry hit $7.88 billion in revenue.
“I think this organization has brought unity to a group of businesses – wholesale, retail, marketing and media – and kept it special, kept it unique,” said Paul Naude, president of Billabong USA. “I think that’s what makes the industry what it is.”
SIMA does more than serve as a cohesive glue for the surf industry. It has many branches, giving workshops and boot camps for retailers and manufacturers, doing independent reports on the state of the industry, and raising money for environmental and humanitarian causes.
There are two major benefits held each year by SIMA. The Liquid Nation Ball, which started six years ago, raises funds for its Humanitarian Fund.
This weekend, the Waterman’s Weekend will be held, where industry leaders and well-known surfers gather for a few day of fun over a golf course at Monarch Beach in Dana Point, and at a formal Waterman’s Ball (yes, they actually trade in their board shorts for suits for this one) at the Ritz-Carlton in Laguna Niguel.
Can you imagine showing up at a hip hotel and realizing you forgot your surf trunks or bikini, but then you find out you can purchase a pair of boardshorts or a bikini from a vending machine?
That’s what Quiksilver and The Standard hotel are doing.
If you’re going out in LA anytime soon and you’re staying at the Standard hotel in Downtown Los Angeles, then check this out.
Starting this Saturday, Aug. 8, a limited collection of original boardshorts from the 70’s and 80’s will be available on the rooftop pool deck.
The Standard Boardshorts by Quiksilver series includes four different designs each inspired by a different Standard hotel in LA, Miami and New York. For Downtown LA, Quiksilver chose its iconic Hokus Polkas print with red and white polka dots on a black background.
All the boardshorts and bikinis come packaged in a specially designed odor resistant waterproof travel bag making it easy to go from the pool to the suitcase. And to reflect the true collaboration of The Standard and Quiksilver, the original wave logo was flipped upside down just like the writing for The Standard hotel.
To celebrate the launch of the boardshorts and the vending machine at The Standard in Downtown LA, Quiksilver is having a special reception featuring live music on Thursday, August 13, from 7 to 10 p.m.
Read more on surfing:
The Doheny Longboard Surfing Association is looking for a handful of volunteers to help a group of wounded soldiers learn to surf.
Approximately ten veterans from the Wounded Warrior Project will take part in this special event. Most of these soldiers are amputees or suffer from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
If you have some good surfing experience and you want to help out some people who have fought for our country then this is an amazing opportunity.
Killer Dana surf shop in Dana Point is loaning several soft-top surfboards for the day and Quiksilver is donating backpacks and beach towels for each wounded soldier.
All volunteers will need to sign a waiver and have it turned in at least one week prior to the event so that they can get everyone on the access list to the marine base. For more info. contact Tom Dolton at tdolton@cox.net.
When: The morning of Saturday, August 1.
Where: Camp Pendleton, San Onofre beach. The exact location is cabana 1 and 2 which are the two cabanas on the northern end of the beach closest to the surf area.
There’s a lot of talk about 9-time World Champion Kelly Slater developing a new pro surfing tour that could start as soon as next year.
According to the website insurfnews.com, Slater’s longtime manager Terry Hardy is in the advanced stages of discussions with ESPN to create a new world tour in 2010.
The new tour would include eight events and much bigger prize money with the first round losers walking away with $40,000.
That would mean by just showing up at every event, the last place finisher would take home a huge $320,000 salary for eight contests.
The current salary for an ASP World Championship Tour surfer who gets equal 33rd at every event in 2009 would bring in $47,000 ($4700 for a 33rd and ten events).
Insurfnews.com also says that there will be 15 top pros joining Kelly Slater, but how they will be chosen has yet to be determined. Whether this new tour gets picked up by the ASP or becomes a rival tour depends on upcoming talks between the ASP, ESPN, Terry Hardy and the surfers. An announcement is expected at the U.S. Open of Surfing next week.
The Orange County Register reports that Quiksilver Inc. will lay off 168 more people at its Huntington Beach headquarters, according to a notice filed with the California Employment Development Department.
Register reporter Mary Ann Milbourn wrote that officials at the action sportswear company were not immediately available to discuss the cuts.
The layoff notice says 153 workers will be let go by July 21 and another 15 will leave by Oct. 1.
Click here to read more about the Quiksilver layoffs by the Register.
If you’ve never heard of the day, it started about five years ago - with the goal of surfers getting together to help clean up their beloved environment, then heading out to appreciate some surf.
The first two years started pretty slow, but the day has gained a lot of traction, and I expect this year to be the biggest.
Get out and surf!
If you’re shopping for some new surf trunks for summer, but aren’t sure what you like, then check this out.
Killer Dana Surf Shop in Dana Point now has more than 1,000 different styles of boardshorts for men, women and kids at killerdana.com.
Some of the big brands you’ll find are Volcom, Hurley, Quiksilver, Billabong, Rusty, RVCA, O’neill and Lost…. Some of the smaller companies include Katin, Factor 54 and Jet Pilot.
If you’re looking for those state of the art boardies, check out O’neill’s Hyperfreak trunks, Hurley’s Phantom series or Quiksilver’s boardshorts with Diamond Dobby fabric.
Now if you’re ready to rock a pair of 80’s style trunks … remember the short ones that sit about five inches above the knees, there are plenty of clothing companies bringing those back.
To celebrate carrying more than 1,000 styles of boardshorts on killerdana.com, Killer Dana is giving the first 1,000 customers who buy some trunks a FREE limited edition Boarshort Superstore t-shirt.
Local surfers recognized Surfline wire news
