Agenda Adds a Day, ASR Shuffles Schedule

Come January, surf and skate companies won’t sacrifice an entire weekend to do business for the upcoming Summer season.

The Action Sports Retailer Trade Expo, which typically runs Friday to Sunday at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, has opted for a Thursday to Saturday schedule for its January edition. Set for Jan. 25–27, ASR hopes to appeal to buyers who prefer working weekdays and to avoid the Sunday slump, which has historically plagued the show.

“This is a little experiment we’re conducting for January,” said Andy Tompkins, ASR’s show director. “We heard both exhibitors and buyers prefer to work on the weekdays. They find it more conducive to doing business,” he said, acknowledging that Sundays tend to be poorly attended. If the new schedule is successful, Tompkins said future editions of ASR may follow suit.

ASR’s January show will also see the addition of its first ASR/SIMA Board Builders Pavilion. The result of a partnership with the Surf Industry Manufacturers Association, the new pavilion will be dedicated to surf hardgoods manufacturers. That segment of the industry was thrust into the spotlight last year when Mission Viejo, Calif.–based Clark Foam, the primary source for surfboard blanks, abruptly shut its doors in December. ASR and SIMA hope the 3,000-square-foot pavilion, which will feature product booths and displays, will spark communication and sales between board builders and retailers.

The Agenda Trade Show, held in San Diego at the same time, is also looking to benefit by proxy from ASR.

In the past, Agenda has catered to streetand skate-inspired brands and maintained a two-day, Friday-to-Saturday schedule. Now, as ASR shuffles its dates to accommodate weekend-weary buyers, Agenda will match it day for day, running Jan. 25–27 at the San Diego Concourse.

“Now that ASR is Thursday, Friday, Saturday, we think we can support a third day. It didn’t make sense to open on Sunday. It was a slow day. There wasn’t anyone around,” said Aaron Levant, Agenda’s show director.

The added day will force rates up a bit for booth space, Levant said, but he is confident the added day will bring in extra buyers. “If, at the end of the day, we get an added 25 percent more retailers in the door, then it is worth it,” he said.

The buyers who make the fouror five-block trek over to Agenda will have plenty to keep their attention. The show, which has been on a growth track for the last year, will have its deepest exhibitor roster to date in January, Levant said. “We’re expanding into the lobby and upstairs. There will be about 250 exhibitors—50 more than we had in September.”

Set to exhibit at Agenda in January are Obey Clothing, Stuuml;ssy, RVCA, Adidas and Fresh Jive.

Executive Shuffle at O’Neill, Rip Curl

In October, Kelly Gibson stepped down as O’Neill Clothing’s chief executive to join Costa Mesa, Calif.–based Rip Curl as its USA president and chief executive officer. Now Rick Petri has followed Gibson, resigning from his post as O’Neill’s vice president of men’s merchandising to become Rip Curl’s executive vice president and chairman of men’s surfwear.

Petri, who served as an accessories product manager at Rip Curl more than a decade ago, called his return to the surf company a sort of homecoming. His primary responsibility at Rip Curl will be to direct all of the brand’s men’s categories, focusing on men’s surfwear. He will also work on marketing, sales and retail projects.

Irvine, Calif.–based O’Neill has hired from within to fill Gibson’s spot. Toby Bost, who joined the company in 1999 and most recently served as chief operating officer, has been promoted to the role of chief executive of O’Neill Clothing as well as that of its sister company, Lost Clothing.

Gravis Goes West

Burlington, Vt.–based Gravis, a footwear division of boardsport brand Burton, announced it will pack up and move west at the end of the year. The brand, which makes footwear inspired by skate and surf lifestyles, will relocate its product, sales and marketing divisions to Irvine, Calif.

Fabrice Le Det, a veteran of Reef and Callaway Golf and the brand’s new general manager, will oversee Gravis in its new home.

“Southern California is the epicenter of the action-sports industry and the natural location for Gravis,” Le Det said.

Quiksilver, By the Book

Celebrating its 30-plus years in the boardsport industry, Huntington Beach, Calif.–based Quiksilver Inc. became a publisher this month with the release of “The Mountain and The Wave, The Quiksilver Story.” The 320-page book chronicles the rise of the brand from humble beginnings to its present-day status as a billion-dollar company. Full of contributions from the best industry writers, photographers and artists, the coffee-table book follows Quiksilver’s adventures in surf, snow and skate. Edited by journalist/publisher and former Quiksilver Europe executive Phil Jarratt, “The Mountain and The Wave” includes first-person accounts from legendary surfers, surf journalists and industry figureheads, including Quiksilver’s own chief executive, Bob McKnight.

“The Mountain and The Wave” will retail for $49.95 at Quiksilver’s stores and select retailers.

Op Goes to the North Shore

Irvine, Calif.–based Ocean Pacific sponsored the Op North Shore Makahiki Festival in Haleiwa, Hawaii, Nov. 10–12 to help kick off the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing competition. The event, which celebrated Makahiki—the Hawaiian new-year season—featured cultural exhibits, crafts, music, food and surf films. Jack Johnson, a local musician as well as this year’s recipient of the Surf Industry Manufacturers Association Environmentalist of the Year, performed for the crowd of professional surfers, as well as locals and surf enthusiasts.

“The success of the Op Pro North Shore Makahiki Festival proves that global surf companies can use their platforms to give back to the community. As the sport of surfing, contest venues and their popularity continue to grow, it is the responsibility of surf brands to reconsider their impact on the local cultures that host them,” said Eric Crane, senior vice president of marketing for the brand.