Surf Expo 2012

[tde]

Went over to Orlando yesterday to check out the Surf Expo. I'm interested in what others who attended thought.

 The most striking thing for me WAS HOW MUCH THE SUP MARKET HAS GROWN!!  There was an amazing number of board manufacturers (many of whom I have not heard of), an amazing number of different styles of boards (entry level, cruising, racing, high performance surf SUPs, inflatables, fishing SUP's, whitewater SUPS, etc,) ),....lot's of different paddles to chose from..., lots of accessories....it just went on and on. No doubt that there is a HUGE MARKET focus is on SUP.

Personally, I'm really most interested in the surfing aspect of the sport. As far as that was concerned I didn't see anything that was so new that it "wowed" me.  But I must say, unlike years past, there are a lot of really nice boards on the market to chose from.

What did impress me was the huge number of Race Boards (and to a lesser extent high performance "Cruisers")that were there. Some absolutely beautiful equipment!!!!  I just wonder if that segment of the market is large enough to accommodate all the new boards and designs that are coming out?

Still, it was a really GREAT SHOW....Everytime I go I feel like a KID IN THE CANDY STORE!!!

As noted, I'd love to hear comments from other Zoners who attended
TDE

[UDflyer]

I was there Saturday...like you said, alot of various companies that i had never heard of or seen their boards around. Had a chance to talk to Thomas Maximus (of Riviera paddleboards)..great guy who gave me some great encouragement about entering races and giving it a shot. He had his 19 footer race board there, thing only weighed 24 pounds, amazing how easy it was to hold.

Ive always been to the fall surf expo so this was a good change, enjoyed it and had great hospitality with the co. I was repping for there.

[raf]

It was a good show.  Starboard and Naish both seemed to have smaller booths than last year.  I liked what I saw from Boardworks and will definitely be bringing them into the shop.  The new Mini Mods are very cool boards...small, surfy, low volume (I was surprised at how thin they were) and very light.  The prices on all the Boardworks boards seemed really good too.  Between their own models and their branded lines (Rusty, Infinity, M&M, Ohana, Badfish), they have a very comprehensive array of SUPs.  
Although I think a few companies are raising their prices, I think we will also see a lot of pretty well built boards in 2012 for lower costs than what we saw in 2011.  
The new Riviera paddles ("Asset" I believe) were killer and will give the big 3 a run for their money .  
I got to look at the Fanatics, and was most interested in the HRS and All-wave models.  They come standard with windsurf mast inserts.  These are very high volume boards for their length/width, so will make really nice options for anyone looking for a well built/designed board for beginner/larger riders.  The All-wave is particulary insteresting, with a design template similar to the Coreban Vibe/Fusion/Icon family (but only 3 fin slots), but in widths from 31-33 inches.  If anyone has wanted one of those Corebans but was scared of the 30" width, check the Fanatic All-Waves out.  

raf
owner of Soposup
www.soposup.com

[mjd]

It was our first time at Surf Expo and a great experience.  Mark and Dave from Kialoa were just outstanding.  Rarely have I come across folks this helpful and knowledgeable. 

We also talked a lot with Dave, Trish, Jamie and Dino from Boga whose boards are so sweet.  We are really impressed with their line.   Also Tye from C4 who was really good to us and helpful.

We liked the sweet shapes of the Tropical Blend line a lot also.

We were there all three days and it was a lot to take in at times but we're very glad we went.  On to SIA in Denver in two weeks!

[Old School]

I was there on Thursday and was blown away.  A few random observations. . .

(yes I realize this is all superficial due to the inability to really test anything in the water)

Didn't know anything about KM paddleboards until I saw the booth.  Absolutely stunning boards.  I plan on finding a way to try one in the water soon.  Just beautiful.  I got to spend some time with Brett, the owner, and thought him a class act.  A relative newcomer, but he gets the importance of visual appeal of the board.

Also got to meet Royce from Pau Hana.  Another great guy.  Very cool deck pads on some of their boards. 

I also really like the Raven from boardworks - a cruising board with a displacement hull.  Comes in both 12'6" and 10'6" versions.  Hadn't thought much of it when I saw pictures, but in person its a great looking board.  Cruising boards - a little wider than the racers and with built in tie downs, seem to be the popular.  I didn't see any new cruising boards with the front rocker similar to the Bark Expedition. 

I had been drooling over the new Hobie race boards. . .but found them very underwhelming.  I was really disappointed when I saw them. 

Guys at the Werner booth were great.  Saw Jim Terrell walking through but didn't see a quickblade booth. 

Surftech had all their new race boards there, the new colors on the dominator, the Bark Laird, and the Jamie Mitchell, but didn't seem to have anyone there who new anything about them.

Starboard also had a large booth, but couldn't get the time of day from any of the reps. 

[SwellSUP]

Was also there all three days.  First time for myself and it was a neat experience.  Learned a lot from the bigger guys and booths in SUP.  I wonder how long all these new lines will be able to stick around.  Picked up Rivieras line.  (bought a 404 monster i raced yesterday at the Orangle Bowl Paddle Championships.... Nice)  Brandon and Helga are great to deal with and extremely knowledgable.  Chatted with Danny Ching for a bit also.

Also picked up a few accessory lines as well.   All in all i think it was a great show. 


I think KID IN A CANDY STORE, might be an understatement for a newbie.

Wands

[Old School]

I wonder how long all these new lines will be able to stick around. 

Good question.  I have no idea the size of the total market or the volume needed for a manufacturer to be viable, but it feels like a huge number of players. 

[skyfish]

Did any of you checked out MHL from Puerto Rico? Really nice race boards in full carbon and astonishing finishing details. They have spent some good time and $$$$ in RD in the past year with great results in their hulls. It was also their first time in the expo

[Caribsurf]

I have been working and/or attending the Surf Expo for over 10 years now and the SUP category has really sparked some life back into the show again.

For a number of years the show had grown somewhat predictable and dull, but with the addition of SUP category, there seems to be a new level of excitement and a buzz in the air.  It's great to see so many companies catering to the SUP community with such a range of products, some worthy while others  have me scratching my head, but either way it's an exciting time for the industry, and it will be interesting to see which companies are in for the long haul and which are fly by night.

[mjd]

Did any of you checked out MHL from Puerto Rico? Really nice race boards in full carbon and astonishing finishing details. They have spent some good time and $$$$ in RD in the past year with great results in their hulls. It was also their first time in the expo

Yes, they spent a good amount of time with us explaining their boards.  Heather Baus even gave us signed poster!  The boards looked sleek and were very lite as I recall.  They had 3 or 4 racers and some high performance surf sups.  And what looked like a wakeboard with some kind of a hydrofoil thingy attached.  I didn't ask about that.

[Boludo]

This thread sucks for those that didn't go.  All this talk with no pictures!

[raf]

no pics allowed 

[catdailey]

Saw some pics of the MHL's race boards on Distressed Mullett. Googled them, went to their website to find out about their 12'6" race boards and the only info was, "This board speaks for itself."  Really??? That's the best you can do? Talk about a complete waste of trade show buzz by a poorly engineered website....

[TN_SUP]

Similar to Infinity's and other websites where they don't even have dimensions - I don't like dealing with companies with lazy websites.

[Ucycle]

I think Infinity build mostly custom so it is pointless to put # on their board when it is tailor to different individual. But if you are talking about their recent Boardwork line, then it make sense to have dimension on it.