The Surf Industry Manufacturers Association (SIMA) is proud to announce the winners of the seventh annual SIMA Image Awards, the only awards program that gives the surf industry the opportunity to recognize fellow surf industry companies for their outstanding contributions to the industry.

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.

Winners were honored in 15 categories in a ceremony on October 2 at SIMA Surf Summit 12 in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

2009 SIMA IMAGE AWARDS WINNERS and NOMINEES

OVERALL AWARDS

Breakthrough Brand of the Year: * winner – Atwater
Criteria: Recognizing the small- to mid-size men’s or women’s brand that experienced breakthrough growth between January 1 and December 31, 2008. 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.

Atwater *
Firewire Surfboards
Sanuk Footwear
Skullcandy
Von Zipper    

Breakthrough Retailer of the Year: * winner – Coastal Edge, Virginia/NC
Criteria: Recognizing the specialty retailer with 15 U.S. brick and mortar doors or less that experienced success in 2008. Consider the specialty retailer that had a breakthrough year in terms of sales and increased store recognition and appeal.

Coastal Edge, Virginia/NC *
Hanger 94, San Diego
Heritage, New Jersey
K-5, Oceanside
Quiet Flight, Florida

MEN’S AWARDS

Men’s Apparel Brand of the Year: * winner – Billabong
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 December 31, 2008.

Billabong *
Hurley
O’Neill
RVCA
Volcom

Men’s Marketing Campaign of the Year: winner - …lost’s “The ‘Old’…lost” Campaign     
Criteria: Awarded to the men’s apparel, footwear, wetsuit, hardgoods, accessory or media brand that produced the most creative marketing campaign in 2008. 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 on or before October 1, 2008 (approx. the October or November issues of endemic magazines.)

…lost’s “The ‘Old’…lost” Campaign *           
Billabong’s “Evolution of an Icon” Campaign
Hurley’s “Phantom – True Performance” Campaign
Nixon’s “Motion” Campaign
Sanuk’s “This Is Not a Shoe” Campaign

Men’s Boardshort of the Year: * winner - Phantom® 120 by Hurley
Criteria: Awarded to the boardshort product that featured the most exciting design, appeal or innovation between January 1 and December 31, 2008.

Angulator Mod by Volcom
Metallica Limited Edition by Billabong
My Dog Spot by Quiksilver
Phantom® 120 by Hurley *
TIA by O’Neill

Men’s Retailer of the Year: * winner – Surfside Sports, Costa Mesa
Criteria: Awarded to the specialty retailer that featured the best selection, product mix and merchandising in the men’s category between January 1 and December 31, 2008.

Hansen’s Boardroom, Encinitas
Huntington Surf & Sport, Huntington Beach
Surfside Sports, Costa Mesa *
The Beach House, Santa Barbara
Whalebone, Virginia/NC

WOMEN’S AWARDS

Women’s Apparel Brand of the Year: * winner – Billabong Girls
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 December 31, 2008.

Billabong Girls *
Hurley
Roxy
RVCA
Volcom Girls

Women’s Marketing Campaign of the Year: * winner - L*Space’s “What’s Your L?” Campaign
Criteria: Awarded to the women’s apparel, swimwear, footwear, wetsuit, hardgoods, accessory and media brand that produced the most creative marketing campaign in 2008. 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 on or before October 1, 2008 (approx. the October or November issues of endemic magazines.)

Billabong’s “Fever” Campaign
Hurley’s “Young Contemporary” Campaign
L*Space’s “What’s Your L?” Campaign *
Roxy’s “Ia Orana (Hello Tahiti)” Campaign
Volcom’s “Easy on the Eyes” Campaign

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 December 31, 2008.

Billabong Girls
Hurley
L*Space *
Roxy
Volcom

Women’s Retailer of the Year: * winner – Huntington Surf & Sport, Huntington Beach
Criteria: Awarded to the specialty retailer that featured the best selection, product mix and merchandising in the women’s category between January 1 and December 31, 2008.

Becker, Corona Del Mar
Hansen’s Boardroom, Encinitas
Huntington Surf & Sport, Huntington Beach *
Jack’s, Irvine
Spyder, Hermosa Beach     

PRODUCT AWARDS

Accessory Product of the Year: * iPhone Application by Electric Visual
Criteria: Awarded to the accessory product at retail between January 1 and December 31, 2008 that featured the most exciting design, appeal or innovation. Accessory products such as watches, eyewear, bags, fins, etc. can be considered.

Double Agent Headphones by Skullcandy
Infiniti Drylock Boot by Xcel
iPhone Application by Electric Visual *
Master Blaster Headphones by Nixon
Ultimate Tide Watch by Rip Curl

Environmental Product of the Year: * winner - Recycled Boardshort Series by Billabong
Criteria: Awarded to the most exciting, appealing and/or innovative environmental surf product at retail between January 1 and December 31, 2008. 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.

Recycled Boardshort Series by Billabong *
Slightly Choppy Eco-Friendly Boardshort by Quiksilver
Soleo Organics Sunscreen by Soleo
Stash Sandal by Reef
V.Co-Logical Creedlers Sandal by Volcom

Footwear Product of the Year: * winner - Authentic by Vans
Criteria: Awarded to the footwear product at retail between January 1 and December 31, 2008 that featured the most exciting design, appeal or innovation.

Authentic by Vans *
Dr. Simmons by Reef
Kia’i by Olukai
Sidewalk Surfers by Sanuk Footwear
Surf Turkey by O’Neill

Surfboard Model of the Year: * winner - Proton by Channel Islands
Criteria: Awarded to the surfboard model at retail between January 1 and December 31, 2008 that featured the most exciting design, appeal or innovation.

C4 Waterman Subvector 9-3 Stand Up Board by C4 Waterman/Boardworks         
GTR by Rusty Surfboards
Proton by Channel Islands *
Shane Beschen Rocket by …lost
Taj Pro Model by Firewire Surfboards

Wetsuit of the Year: * winner - Psychofreak by O’Neill Wetsuits
Criteria: Awarded to the wetsuit at retail between January 1 and December 31, 2008 that featured the most exciting design, appeal or innovation.

Cypher by Quiksilver
H-Bomb by Rip Curl
Infiniti Drylock Fullsuit by Xcel
Psychofreak by O’Neill Wetsuits *
Solution Gold Back Zip Fullsuit by Billabong

All regular SIMA members were given the opportunity to enter their own companies or brands in any qualifying categories, as well as enter retailers in the retail categories. These entries were then reviewed and voted upon by an industry panel of experts from both the manufacturing and retailing sides. The outcome of the panel vote determined the five nominees in each category. Winners were determined by a final vote open to all SIMA member companies through the main SIMA contact at each company and specialty retailers.

SOURCE: SIMA