With no heritage mega-brands to be found, the Expo floor was full of freshness. New and up-and-coming brands filled the aisles, addressing a void that has long been missing in the surf industry. Booths were so crowded during the first two days that Day 3 was still busy. In fact, I didn’t see brands packing up as early as usual. I heard from several booths that they received more orders at this show than they have in years.
The surfboard section featured both legends and new blood. One of my favorite surfboard booths was Thrash Craft. The 25-year-old shaper, Brad, brings a DIY, FTW surf vibe that can only come from youth. Just because the brand is called Thrash, don’t write off the Craft—his boards were being fondled by everyone. Other surfboard brands that graced the floor included Love Machine, WRV, T&C, The Factory, Gordon & Smith, and one of my longtime favorites, the crew at Savage.
To top off the board-building experience, Surf Expo held their Shape-Off in honor of Natural Art founder Pete Dooley, with Rick Carroll as the MC. Allen White took home the 1st place trophy for the best replication of a fish found at a thrift store. But wait… turns out this is a love story. Pete Dooley shaped that fish for his wife, and the board was restored and returned to her. This year’s Shape-Off included Allen White, Chris Birch, Tommy Maus, Greg Loehr, Bob Rohmann, and Scott Busbey, all of whom worked for Natural Art at some point in their careers.
Finally, Surf Expo didn’t fall short on pros and personalities. Kelly Slater walked the floor on Thursday, making appearances at his booths and checking out other brands well after the show closed. I happened to stay after the show on Thursday, and after Kelly finished talking to his friend and legendary waterman Mike Stewart, he took the time to speak with some of the shapers. He also stopped by my booth (LISS – Living In Sunshine) to check out the eco-friendly board racks and had kind words to say about the products. Rob Machado was taking photos with surf shop owners and groms, bringing stoke to everyone he met. (I wonder if Rob and Kelly high-fived as they walked past each other in the aisles). Filipe Toledo was also at Surf Expo, taking time to meet the groms. East Coast legends like Rob Kelly, Cory Lopez, and Ben Gravy were there to spread the love and support their brand partners.
I left the show feeling like I had just witnessed the rebirth of Surf Expo.
Surf Shops That Attended:
- Parrot Surf Shop
- Sun Diego
- Heritage Surf Shop
- Farias
- Ocean Magic
- Levitate
- Wavelengths
- Hobie Surf Shop
- Hansen’s
- Longboard House
- Recon Surf Shop
- Ohana Surf Shop
- Island Water Sports
- Cinnamon Rainbows
- The Room
- BC
- HIC
- Hi Tech
- T&C
- OBBC
- Bare Wires
- Surfer Supplies
- Nomad Surf Shop
- Wave Hog
- Matador
- CB Board Shop
- Ron Jon’s
- By The Sea
- McKelvin’s
- Surf Diva
- The Pit
- Sunset Surf Shack
- Ponat Surf (France)
- Secret Spot
- Surf Specialties
- Surf Station
- Citrus Surf Shop
- 7th Street
- WRV
- Marsh’s Surf Shop
- Mad Dog
- Salty Dog
- Coastal Edge
- Harmony Surf Shop
- Epic Sessions
- Villanova Surf Shop
- Anacapa
- Good Vibes
- Ride The Wind
- Darkside
- Cape Ann SUP
- Surf The Earth
- Flohanna
- Snacktown Skate, Snow, and Surf
- Ethik
Brands on the Floor:
- Florence
- Former
- Rivia Projects
- Thrills Co
- Salty Crew
- Black Bear
- Katin
- Roark
- Free Fly
- Jetty
- Howler Bros
- Dark Seas
- Sendero Provisions Co
- Ezekiel
- Instinct
- Rhythm
- The Critical Slide Society
- LISS
- Outerknown
- Vissla
- Rusty
- Seager Co
- Sisstr
- Spy
- Aloha Collection
- Sector 9
- NHS
- Arbor
Article from: buildingtherevolution.com