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SURFscape to showcase latest surf, outdoor gear right on the sand in Huntington Beach

April 27, 2023

Looking for a new surfboard and want to test it out first? Want to scope out the latest outdoor gear before it hits retail shops?

A new beachside expo, SURFscape, will be held in Huntington Beach this weekend, bringing retailers together with surfing and outdoor enthusiasts during a festival-style event.

“It’s all coming together, we’re really excited. Weather is going to be good and there’s going to be swell in the water, so we’re pretty happy to be debuting the event,” said Vipe Desai, executive director of the Surf Industry Manufacturers Association, or SIMA.

The free event to be held Saturday and Sunday, April 29 and 30, across from the Waterfront Hilton just south of the Huntington Beach Pier, aims at giving attendees an “interactive surf experience” with about 90 booths.

Among the well-known brands signed up are Quiksilver, Billabong and O’Neill, as well as up-and-coming newer brands trying to make waves in the surf space such as Mamala Surf, a women’s wetsuit brand.

“The surf market is one of the most creative and innovative industries in the world,” said SIMA President Paul Naude, also the creator of surf brand Vissla, in an announcement. “Once someone catches the wave and surf stoke, they’re a surfer and surf product buyer for life. We’re looking to grow the market with this unique consumer-facing experience in a way that’s never been done before.”

There’s currently a void in surf trade shows in Orange County, considered a hub for action-sports brands and where many major players call home. The Action Sports Retailer trade show dissolved in 2010 after 30 years, and Surf Expo is held in Florida.

Desai said surfboards and wetsuits will be available to demo, and brands will showcase everything from surfboard fins to new materials in boardshort technology. Shaping and glassing demonstrations will showcase the craft of surfboard making.

There will also be an outdoor element tapping into the new “van life” trend, with trailers, campers and other accessories “to make the outdoor adventure experience that much more exciting for people,” Desai said.

Hitchfire Grill, which attaches to the tow hitch of a vehicle, will be on hand at SURFscape to showcase its product. (Photo courtesy of SIMA)

Native like Water, a surf therapy group, will be showcasing its “SUPsquatch,” an eight-person stand-up paddleboard used for team building.

There will be Rising Tides talks throughout the weekend around environmentalism and activism with representatives from the Surfrider Foundation and other discussions around sustainability. The Bolsa Chica Conservancy will have a touch tank on hand.

Each day will feature music, with Cali Conscious and Ken Garcia performing, and there will be a Kona Big Wave beer garden and food trucks available.

An art campaign, “Split Life,” will be unveiled, showing how art and activism can combine. The art uses sea life impacted or killed by oil spills to make imprints of the animals on rice paper, using the oil to make the marks.

A Spilt Life exhibit to be showcased uses the imprints of creatures that die or are harmed due to contact with oil spills. (Photo courtesy of SIMA)

“It’s almost like taking a fingerprint of a deceased animal, instead of ink they are using the oil that killed the animal. The idea behind the campaign is to continue showcasing the harms of offshore oil spills,” Desai said.

The number of new surfers has surged since the onset of the pandemic as people looked for outdoor alternatives. Combine that with the Olympic exposure from surfing’s debut in 2021 and wave pools popping up inland, and it is expected interest among new surfers will continue in coming years, Desai said.

“From the response of brands and consumers signing up for the demos,” he said, “we feel this is going to really excite consumers and help them to find products that will make surfing and outdoor experiences that much more enjoyable.”

Get more information at: surfscape.com

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