The Image Awards of Aliso Viejo-based Surf Industry Manufacturers Association drew almost 800 representatives of apparel companies, retailers and other action-sports industry players, with San Clemente-based sock company Stance copping the award for breakthrough brand.
Brands from Orange County, where the action-sports industry is con-centrated, nabbed 12 of the awards. Top honors in the new hard-goods accessory product category went to Huntington Beach-based Quiksilver Inc. for its Cypher PS+ Heat Vest System.
Quiksilver also took home the award for best men’s marketing campaign for its “Kelly Slater 10x World Title” campaign. Companies from the apparel, shoe and surf products industries were honored in 16 categories at an awards ceremony this month.
Other local winners included:
• Greensboro, N.C.-based VF Corp.’s Vans Inc. of Cypress received footwear product of the year for its Surfsider.
• Costa Mesa-based Rip Curl USA’s Flashbomb got the nod for best wetsuit.
• Billabong USA in Irvine took home awards for environmental product of the year for its recycled boardshorts, along with best women’s apparel brand.
• RVCA Clothing, which is owned by Billabong, won men’s apparel brand of the year.
• Swimwear brand L*Space, which moved its headquarters to new space in Irvine earlier this year, took home best swim brand.
• Best women and men retailer went to Huntington Surf & Sport in Huntington Beach.
• Costa Mesa-based Hurley International LLC, part of Beaverton, Ore.-based Nike Inc., won best men’s boardshort for its Phantom 4D.
Nominees and winners were decided by SIMA members, which include a mix of industry manufacturers and retailers.
The show moved from its previous House of Blues roost at Downtown Disney to the larger City National Grove of Anaheim.
This was the second year in a row the awards ceremony took place in Orange County. The awards show had traditionally been part of SIMA’s annual Surf Summit in Cabo San Lucas.
The show moved last year to make it easier for more SIMA members to attend.
—Kari Hamanaka
