Industry News

The Surf Industry’s Best of the Best, SIMA Image Awards Winners Announced

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 4 February, 2011 : - - Anaheim -- The Surf Industry Manufacturers Association (SIMA) is proud to announce the winners of the eighth annual SIMA Image Awards honoring the best of the surf industry from 2010. The nominees and winners were honored in a ceremony at the House of Blues Anaheim on Thursday, February 3, 2011. Approximately 700 attendees from surf companies and specialty retail shops packed the House of Blues Anaheim to celebrate the outstanding innovation and contributions made by the SIMA Image Awards nominees and winners.

"Last night was amazing. Not only is it clear that the SIMA Image Awards themselves have become truly meaningful to those brands and products getting the deserved recognition, but we also succeeded in adding hundreds of more surf industry members to the mix by moving the event to Orange County," says Doug Palladini, SIMA President and Vans' VP of Marketing. "On behalf of the SIMA Board of Directors and our member brands, congratulations to all the nominees and award winners."

As the only awards program of its kind, the goal of the SIMA Image Awards is to identify the surf industry’s most influential companies and recognize them for their efforts to advance and grow the industry over the past year. This year, companies were recognized in the following 15 categories. 

OVERALL AWARDS

Breakthrough Brand of the Year: *winner - OluKai
Criteria: Recognizing the small- to mid-size men’s or women’s brand that experienced breakthrough growth between January 1 and September 1, 2010. Consider surfboard, apparel, footwear, wetsuit and accessory brands that had a breakthrough year through product development and/or increased brand recognition and appeal. Nominated companies can be new or established brands, but must have annual U.S. sales of at least $1 million and no more than $25 million.
ambsn           
Analog Clothing           
OluKai *
Quiksilver Waterman Collection
Rusty
          
Breakthrough Retailer of the Year: *winner - Hobie
Criteria: Recognizing the specialty retailer with 15 U.S. brick and mortar doors or less that experienced success in 2010 between January 1 and September 1, 2010. Consider the specialty retailer that had a breakthrough year in terms of sales and increased store recognition and appeal.
Brave New World
Coastal Edge
Farias Surf & Sport
Hanger 94
Hobie*

Team Green Foam with their award © SIMA

           
MEN’S AWARDS

Men’s Marketing Campaign of the Year: *winner – Nixon’s “Impressions” Campaign
Criteria: Awarded to the men’s apparel, footwear, wetsuit, hardgoods, accessory or media brand that produced the most creative marketing campaign in 2010. Consider men’s brands that displayed a creative, cohesive and consistent brand message in print, digital and point-of-purchase materials. Campaign must have first appeared in consumer print publications with an on-sale date between January 1 and September 2010 (approx. the September or October issues of endemic magazines.)
…Lost’s “shitty & witty” Campaign
Hurley’s “Phantom: True Performance” Campaign
Nixon’s “Impressions” Campaign*           
Rip Curl’s “MIRAGE: Like Wearing Nothing” Campaign
Sanuk’s “Cut & Paste” Campaign

Men’s Apparel Brand of the Year: *winner - RVCA
Criteria: Awarded to the men’s apparel brand that featured the most exciting designs, increased its brand appeal, and grew its business between January 1 and September 1, 2010.
Billabong           
Hurley
Quiksilver
RVCA*
Volcom

Men’s Boardshort of the Year: *winner – Phantom by Hurley
Criteria: Awarded to the boardshort product from Spring or Fall 2010 product lines (at retail between January 1 and September 1, 2010) that featured the most exciting design, appeal or innovation.
Cypher Brigg by Quiksilver
Hyperfreak by O’Neill
MIRAGE Boardshort by Rip Curl
Phantom by Hurley*
PX1 by Billabong
                      
Men’s Retailer of the Year: *winner – Jack’s Surfboards, Huntington Beach
Criteria: Awarded to the specialty retailer that featured the best selection, product mix and merchandising in the men’s category between January 1 and September 1, 2010.
17th Street Surf Shop
BC Surf & Sport, Fort Lauderdale
Jack’s Surfboards, Huntington Beach*           
Spyder Surf Shop, Pacific Coast Highway, Hermosa Beach
Surfside Sports, Costa Mesa
                                  
WOMEN’S AWARDS

Women’s Marketing Campaign of the Year: *winner - Insight’s “Repeat After Me: I am Free” Campaign
Criteria: Awarded to the women’s apparel, swimwear, footwear, wetsuit, hardgoods, accessory and media brand that produced the most creative marketing campaign in 2010. Consider women’s brands that displayed a creative, cohesive and consistent brand message in print, digital and point-of-purchase materials. Campaign must have first appeared in consumer print publications with an on-sale date between January 1 and September 1, 2010 (approx. the September or October issues of endemic magazines.)
Billabong’s “Almost Famous” Campaign
Insight’s “Repeat After Me: I Am Free” Campaign*
Nixon’s “Impressions” Campaign
Roxy’s “Cynthia Rowley for ROXY” Campaign
Volcom’s “Five Speed Fever” Campaign                                   

Women’s Apparel Brand of the Year: *winner - Billabong
Criteria: Awarded to the women’s apparel brand that featured the most exciting designs, increased its brand appeal, and grew its business between January 1 and September 1, 2010.
Billabong*
Insight
O’Neill Girls
Roxy
Volcom

Women’s Swim Brand of the Year: *winner – L*Space
Criteria: Awarded to the women’s swim brand that featured the most exciting designs, increased its brand appeal, and grew its business between January 1 and September 1, 2010.
Billabong
Hurley           
L*Space*
Vitamin A by Amahlia Stevens
Volcom
           
Women’s Retailer of the Year: *winner – Hansens Surfboards, Encinitas
Criteria: Awarded to the specialty retailer that featured the best selection, product mix and merchandising in the women’s category between January 1 and September 1, 2010.
Hansens Surfboards, Encinitas*
Jack’s Girls, Huntington Beach
Surf Diva Boutique, La Jolla
Surf Ride
Surfside Sports, Costa Mesa
          
PRODUCT AWARDS

Accessory Product of the Year: *winner – Roc Nation Aviator by Skullcandy
Criteria: Awarded to the accessory product from Spring or Fall 2010 product lines (at retail between January 1 and September 1, 2010) that featured the most exciting design, appeal or innovation. Accessory products such as watches, eyewear, bags, fins, etc. can be considered.
CERAMIC 51-30 by Nixon
Cypher PS+ Heat Vest by Quiksilver
Infiniti Drylock Boot by Xcel
Roc Nation Aviator by Skullcandy*
SurfSkates by …Lost           
 
Environmental Product of the Year: *winner – Green Foam Blanks by Green Foam
Criteria: Awarded to the most exciting, appealing and/or innovative environmental surf product from Spring or Fall 2010 product lines (at retail between January 1 and September 1, 2010). Consider apparel, footwear, accessory, wetsuit, surfboard or any other surf-related product that was created to lessen the impact on the environment, whether through its manufacturing process, materials or usage of the product itself.
Green Foam Blanks by Green Foam*
RASTA Project by Sanuk
Recycled Boardshort Series by Billabong
The Ugandal by Reef
V.co-logical T-shirts with a Reduced Carbon Footprint by Volcom
          
Footwear Product of the Year: *winner - Yoga Mat Sandal by Sanuk
Criteria: Awarded to the footwear product from Spring or Fall 2010 product lines (at retail between January 1 and September 1, 2010) that featured the most exciting design, appeal or innovation.
Kia’i Trainer by OluKai
Lucent Creedlers by Volcom
Playa Negra by Reef
Vans Surfsiders by Vans
Yoga Mat Sandal by Sanuk*
 
Surfboard of the Year: *winner - The Dumpster Diver by Channel Islands Surfboards
Criteria: Awarded to the surfboard model from the Spring or Fall 2010 product lines (at retail between January 1 and September 1, 2010) that featured the most exciting design, appeal or innovation.
Dwart by Rusty           
The Dominator by Firewire
The Dumpster Diver by Channel Islands Surfboards*
Scorcher Series by …Lost
SUP 12’6 Race by C4 Waterman
          
Wetsuit of the Year: *winner Infiniti Drylock by Xcel
Criteria: Awarded to the wetsuit from Spring or Fall 2010 product lines (at retail between January 1 and September 1, 2010) that featured the most exciting design, appeal or innovation.
Cypher DS by Quiksilver
E-Bomb Pro by Rip Curl
Infiniti Drylock by Xcel*
Psycho RG8-Regenerate by O’Neill
SGX Chest Zip by Billabong
 
All regular and board builder SIMA members were given the opportunity to enter their own companies or brands, and retailers, in any qualifying categories. These entries were then reviewed and voted upon by an industry panel of experts comprised of both manufacturers and retailers. The outcome of the panel vote determined the five nominees in each category. Winners are determined by a final vote open to all SIMA member companies, as well as specialty retailers. 

Check the slideshow from the evening's festivities
 
www.simaimageawards.com

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Mandy Lausché

Industry - Surfersvillage