California Apparel News

The Surf Industry Manufacturers Association has chosen eight environmental organizations to be recipients of the 2003 SIMA Environmental Fund: the Surfrider Foundation, the Ocean Institute, Wildcoast, Heal the Bay, the Orange County CoastKeeper, the Surfing Education Association, the Alaska Wilderness League and the Seymour Marine Discovery Center.

Proceeds from SIMA’s annual environmental fund-raisers, the Waterman’s Classic Golf Tournament and the Waterman’s Ball and Auction, will be included in this year’s fund, said SIMA Managing Director Sean Smith.

“The work done by these organizations is absolutely essential and completely relevant to our mission to help protect and preserve our oceans,” said Paul Naude, chairman of the SIMA Environmental Fund’s board of directors and chief executive officer of Billabong USA in Irvine, Calif. “It’s critical that we not lose sight of our fund-raising goals and that we continue to focus on defending against the threats to our oceans through our support of these environmental groups.”

SIMA will hold this year’s Waterman’s Classic on Aug. 22 at the Monarch Beach Golf Links in Dana Point, Calif., and its Waterman’s Ball and Auction on Aug. 23 at the St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort and Spa, also in Dana Point.

SIMA will give this year’s Waterman of the Year Award to big-wave surfer Laird Hamilton for his style contribution to the sport. Wildcoast Director Serge Dedina will receive an award for Environmentalist of the Year for his efforts to protect surf breaks along the coast of Baja California. The association will also present a special Lifetime Achievement Award to Body Glove founders Bill and Bob Meistrell for their development of the wet suit.

Some 300 surf manufacturers and surf-related companies make up SIMA’s membership. The nonprofit organization supports oceanic environmental planning through its SIMA Environmental Foundation. Over the past decade, SIMA has donated more than $2 million to environmental groups seeking to protect the world’s oceans and beaches.

Surf Industry by Design

Quiksilver Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Bob McKnight hosted a dinner party for members of the surf industry on April 7 at the company’s Surf City headquarters in Huntington Beach, Calif. The event promoted the future of apparel design and the burgeoning young talent at Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles.

Otis President Samuel Hoi, Otis Director Rosemary Brantley and Otis Chairman Stuart Buchalter of Buchalter, Neiman and Younger gave a presentation to approximately 50 guests. Among them were Bob Hurley of Hurley International, Susan Crank of Lunada Bay, Pacific Sunwear President Tim Harmon, Billabong USA Chief Executive Officer Paul Naude and The LAB Anti-Mall/The CAMP retailer Shaheen Sadeghi.

Last spring, the Surf Industry Manufacturers Association posted a message in its newsletter encouraging surf manufacturers to participate in Otis’ summer paid-internship program. Sean Smith, managing director at SIMA, said the future of the surf industry is in design.

“It’s a multi-billion-dollar lifestyle industry— the design teams have to be talented,” Smith said.

Otis admits about 90 sophomore students each year into its fashion department, and its talent pool is strong. Students are required to submit samples of their work before the college will consider their admissions applications.

During the past seven months, Cathy Paik, director of design for Billabong juniors, and Lian Murray, director of design at Hurley, have served as mentors for 16 juniorclass design students at the college. Their designs will be featured in the Otis Scholarship Benefit and Fashion Show on May 3 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif.

SIMA to Get Image Conscious

The Surf Industry Manufacturers Association will hold its first SIMA Image Awards ceremony at the SIMA Surf Summit 6. The conference will take place May 15–18 at the Royal Solaris Los Cabos Hotel in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

“People in this industry deserve recognition just like in any other industry, but rarely do we stop and take the time to give each other a pat on the back,” said Dick Baker, SIMA president and chief executive officer of Ocean Pacific. “We all play a part in growing the industry and contributing to its success, and this is a way to recognize the companies and individuals that have made the greatest impact over the past year.”

A committee of retailers and manufacturers selected the nominees, which include DC Shoes, O’Neill, Op Classic, Reef and Volcom for Print Ad Campaign of the Year; DVS Shoes, Ezekiel, Fox Racing, Lost International and Split for Breakthrough Manufacturer of the Year; Billabong USA, Hurley International, O’Neill, Quiksilver and Volcom for Manufacturer of the Year; and DVS Shoes Chief Executive Officer Kevin Dunlap, Hurley International Chief Executive Officer Bob Hurley, Quiksilver Chief Executive Officer Bob McKnight, Billabong USA Chief Executive Officer Paul Naude and Volcom Chief Executive Officer Richard Wolcott for Industry Achiever of the Year. Jack’s Surfboards in Huntington Beach, Calif., Local Motion in Honolulu, Quiet Flight in Cocoa Beach, Fla., 17th Street Surf Shop in Virginia Beach, Va., and Surf City Surf Shop in Wrightsville Beach, N.C., have been nominated for Retailer of the Year.

The deadline for submitting ballots, available at www.sima.com and www.transworldsurf.com, is May 1.

Op Down Under

Sydney, Australia–based apparel maker Liquid Culture will manufacture, market, sell and distribute apparel for Ocean Pacific, Op Classic and Seven2 in Australia and New Zealand, said a spokesman at Op.

Spring 2003 Op and Op Classic will be sold in stores beginning in September. Op’s fashion-forward line, Seven2, will launch in Australia and New Zealand in 2004. The lines will be sold at better department stores and specialty surf shops.

Op and Liquid Culture have a common surf heritage, which makes the deal a good fit for both companies, said Op Vice President of International Licensing Kathy Hoffman.

“Australia is synonymous with competitive surfing, and its influence on both the sport and business of surfing is something that all truly global brands need to embrace if they’re going to be successful,” Hoffman said.

Billabong Books

Billabong USA has published a book called “See Me Speak,” which chronicles the travels of young athletes through journal entries and photography. Billabong spokespeople said “See Me Speak” is the first in a series of art-infused coffee-table books that it will publish this year.

Davies Steps Up at

Authentic Fitness Authentic Fitness Corp., a division of Warnaco Group Inc. in New York, announced the promotion of Stephen Davies to executive vice president of accessories for the Speedo division.

“Stephen has been instrumental in doubling our accessory and hard-goods business over the last two years,” said Susan Guensch, president of Speedo. “We look to this business segment for continued growth in the future.”

Davies, who has worked at Speedo for the past two years, will lead the accessories/ hard-goods division in developing, merchandising and manufacturing products under the Speedo label.

Surf Shorts

bull; Cameron Brun was recently named marketing coordinator at Irvine, Calif.–based Billabong USA. Brun previously served as media coordinator at Vista, Calif.–based DC Shoes.

bull; Megan Brainard was recently promoted from Billabong USA marketing coordinator to team manager. In her new role, she will manage Billabong junior athletes.

bull; Menswear designer Jason Bleick has resigned from his position at Huntington Beach, Calif.–based Quiksilver to start an upscale men’s line in Los Angeles. His position has been filled by Matt Anderson.