![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.boardistan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/sima_awards2019-450x240.jpg\")
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We’ve been out of the Surf Industry Manufacturers Association<\/strong> loop for more than a minute so please forgive our ignorance, but we were pleased to discover that SIMA<\/strong> is still doing an annual awards show. Yes, in 2019. Their 15th, apparently. And last night (March 20, 2019) they got their membership together for a “sold out” show at The Observatory<\/strong> in Santa Ana, California to pat (Parnell) each other on the backs for surviving another year and to swap awards for all the great work they’re doing.<\/p>\n Brands to grab awards included Vissla<\/strong>, Billabong<\/strong>, FCS<\/strong>, Vans<\/strong>, and a few others. There were 116 nominees from 41 brands. The breakout brand of the year award went to Seea<\/strong>. Who? Seea, you know, the swim brand that “is dedicated to the pioneering women who first braved the waves, and to every woman who has ever searched for a suit that is feminine, comfortable, and fun.” Now you know. Billabong was the night’s big winner with five awards. Quiksilver<\/strong> was nominated in six categories (eight if you count Roxy<\/strong>) and they didn’t win a thing. Volcom<\/strong> didn’t get a mention, and Hurley, <\/strong>well Hurley is no longer a member of SIMA, and you can’t win if don’t SIMA even had an award from what’s left of surf media for something called the “Consumer Media Feature of the Year.” It was won by Stab Magazine<\/strong><\/em> for The Electric Acid Surfboard Test<\/em>. The other media in the running were Surfer<\/strong><\/em>, Surfline<\/strong>, and something called The Inertia<\/strong>. <\/p>\n For the official word from SIMA including all the winners and nominees, please follow the jump.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 15TH ANNUAL SIMA AWARDS HONORS SURF INDUSTRY\u2019S BEST BRANDS AND PRODUCTS AT SELL OUT EVENT<\/p>\n Laguna Niguel, Calif. (March 21, 2019) \u2013 116 nominees representing 2018\u2019s best from the surf industry were honored last night at the 15th Annual SIMA (Surf Industry Manufacturers Association) Awards ceremony at The Observatory in Santa Ana, Calif., celebrating their outstanding innovations and contributions made to the industry. More than 500 attendees from surf companies and specialty retail shops were in attendance at the sold out event.<\/p>\n The SIMA Awards nominees and winners were recognized throughout the lively ceremony, hosted by Pat Parnell. The event moved to a new venue, The Observatory, which provided the perfect setting to celebrate the industry\u2019s best brands, products, retailers and media. The ceremony also served to honor specialty surf shops that have been in business for more than 50 years. Now in its fourth year, the 2019 SIMA Surf Shop Gold Wave Award recognized Farias Surf and Sport of Ship Bottom, NJ, Nomad Surf Shop of Boynton Beach, FL, Village Surf Shoppe of Garden City Beach, SC and Wise Surfboards of San Francisco, CA.<\/p>\n As the only awards program of its kind, the goal of the SIMA Awards is to identify the surf industry\u2019s most influential companies and products, and recognize their efforts to advance and grow the industry over the past year. The following companies were recognized in 19 categories for the 2018 calendar year. The evening was made possible by Surf Expo, Audi and Sync who supported the event with generous sponsorships.<\/p>\n SIMA AWARDS PRODUCT Environmental Product of the Year- winner: Recycler Boardshorts by Billabong Footwear Product of the Year- winner: UltraRange Rapidweld by Vans Eyewear Product of the Year- winner: John John Signature Series by Electric Wetsuit of the Year- winner: HyperFreak Series by O\u2019Neill SURFBOARD Alternative Surfboard Model of the Year- winner: Go Fish by Firewire Surfboards MEN\u2019S Men\u2019s Apparel Brand of the Year- winner: Vissla Men\u2019s Boardshort Brand of the Year- winner: Billabong WOMEN\u2019S Women\u2019s Apparel Brand of the Year- winner: Billabong Women’s Women\u2019s Swim Brand of the Year- winner: Seea OVERALL MEDIA RETAIL Retailer of the Year \u2013 Inland America- winner: evo (Denver, CO) Retailer of the Year \u2013 West Coast- winner: Surf Ride (Oceanside, CA)* Retailer of the Year \u2013 Hawaii- winner: Hi-Tech Surf Sports (Kahului, HI) Download event and winner photos here.<\/p>\n About SIMA Awards About SIMA We’ve been out of the Surf Industry Manufacturers Association loop for more than a minute so please forgive our ignorance, but we were pleased to discover that SIMA is still doing an annual awards show. Yes, in 2019. Their 15th, apparently. And last night (March 20, 2019) they got their membership together for a “sold […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10,6,12],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.boardistan.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53801"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.boardistan.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.boardistan.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.boardistan.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.boardistan.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=53801"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.boardistan.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53801\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":53807,"href":"https:\/\/www.boardistan.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53801\/revisions\/53807"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.boardistan.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=53801"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.boardistan.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=53801"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.boardistan.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=53801"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}pay<\/del> play.<\/p>\n
\nNOMINEES AND WINNERS<\/p>\n
\nAccessory Product of the Year- winner: FCS Freedom Leash by FCS
\nEVAC by Billabong
\nFCS Freedom Leash by FCS*
\nUnbound series pack & tote by Hydro Flask
\nThe Regulus by Nixon
\nHIGHLINE AIRLIFT VEST by QUIKSILVER
\nSearchGPS 2 by Rip Curl
\nDrylock Boot by XCEL Wetsuits<\/p>\n
\nRecycler Boardshorts by Billabong*
\nUntangled Collection by Costa Sunglasses
\nMIZU 360 Personal Filtration and Purification System by Mizu
\nMen’s & Women’s Fall 18 Yulex Wetsuits by Patagonia
\nQUIKSILVER X REPREVE BOARDSHORTS by QUIKSILVER
\nThe Eco Leash by Slater Designs x Revolwe
\nUpcycled Coconut Boardshort by Vissla<\/p>\n
\nNalukai Kapa Boot by OluKai
\nQUIKSILVER TRAVEL OASIS SANDAL by QUIKSILVER
\nCUSHION BOUNCE by REEF
\nChiba Quest by Sanuk
\nUltraRange Rapidweld by Vans*<\/p>\n
\nUntangled Collection by Costa Sunglasses
\nBaile H20 by Dragon
\nJohn John Signature Series by Electric*
\nROVE Polarized Collection by Kreedom Eyewear by Fortress
\nLatch Key by Oakley
\nA Day Late by OTIS Eyewear<\/p>\n
\nFurnace Revolution by Billabong
\nHyperFreak Series by O\u2019Neill*
\nMen\u2019s R2 Yulex Front-Zip Full Suit by Patagonia
\nFlashbomb Heat Seeker by Rip Curl
\nSeea x Yulex Collection by Seea
\n7 Seas Wetsuit by Vissla
\nComp X by XCEL Wetsuits<\/p>\n
\nPerformance Shortboard Model of the Year- winner: The Ghost by Pyzel Surfboards
\nFever by Channel Islands Surfboards
\nSKX by Firewire Surfboards
\nMonsta Box HYFI by JS Industries
\nThe Ghost by Pyzel Surfboards*
\nSD by Rusty Surfboards
\nCymatic by Slater Designs
\nDisco Inferno Dual-Core by Surftech x Sharp Eye<\/p>\n
\nRocket Wide Spine-Tek (construction) by Channel Islands Surfboards
\nGo Fish by Firewire Surfboards*
\nChupacabra by Rusty Surfboards
\nModern 2 by Surftech x Sharp Eye
\nCaptains Log by Wave Riding Vehicles<\/p>\n
\nMen\u2019s Marketing Campaign of the Year- winner: Life\u2019s Better in Boardshorts by Billabong
\nLife\u2019s Better in Boardshorts by Billabong*
\nQUIKSILVER GENERATIONS OF ADVENTURE by QUIKSILVER
\nBEACH FREELY by REEF
\nKingston Deadbeats by Roark
\nUncover the Uncommon by Stance
\nUltraRange by Vans
\nCreators & Innovators by Vissla<\/p>\n
\nBillabong
\nO\u2019Neill
\nQUIKSILVER
\nRoark
\nRVCA
\nVans
\nVissla*<\/p>\n
\nBillabong*
\nO\u2019Neill
\nQUIKSILVER
\nRip Curl
\nRoark
\nRVCA
\nVissla<\/p>\n
\nWomen\u2019s Marketing Campaign of the Year- winner: A Bikini Kinda Life \u2013 New Wave Campaign by Billabong Women\u2019s
\nA Bikini Kinda Life \u2013 New Wave Campaign by Billabong Women\u2019s*
\nElevate by Electric Women\u2019s
\nOCEAN IS CALLING by O\u2019NEILL
\nBEACH FREELY by REEF
\nMake Waves Move Mountains by ROXY
\nGenerations by Seea
\nUncover the Uncommon by Stance<\/p>\n
\nBillabong Women’s*
\nO’NEILL
\nRip Curl
\nRVCA
\nVans<\/p>\n
\nBillabong
\nL*SPACE
\nO\u2019NEILL
\nRip Curl
\nROXY
\nRVCA
\nSeea*<\/p>\n
\nBreakout Brand of the Year- winner: Seea
\nDuvin Design Co.
\nJetty
\nMaui and Sons
\nMIZU
\nOTIS Eyewear
\nSeea*<\/p>\n
\nConsumer Media Feature of the Year- winner: The Electric Acid Surfboard Test by Stab Magazine
\nThe Electric Acid Surfboard Test by Stab Magazine*
\nShed Sessions by SURFER
\nWave of the Winter by Surfline\/Wavetrak Inc.
\nAlternativa by The Inertia<\/p>\n
\nRetailer of the Year \u2013 East Coast- winner: Heritage Surf & Sports (Sea Isle City, NJ)
\nAqua East Surf Shop (Neptune Beach, FL)
\nBC Surf & Sport (Fort Lauderdale, FL)
\nCinnamon Rainbows Surf Co. (Hampton, NH)
\nHeritage Surf & Sports (Sea Isle City, NJ)*
\nREAL Watersports (Waves, NC)
\nRon Jon Surf Shop (Cocoa Beach, FL)
\nWarm Winds Surf Shop (Narragansett, RI)<\/p>\n
\nBC Surf & Sport (Denver, CO)
\nBenjamin Surf N Skate (Corpus Christi, TX)
\nevo (Denver, CO)*
\nTyler’s (Fort Worth, TX)<\/p>\n
\nevo (Portland, OR)
\nHuntington Surf & Sport (Downtown Huntington Beach, CA)
\nJack\u2019s Surfboards (Huntington Beach, CA)
\nSPYDER SURF (Hermosa Beach, CA)
\nSun Diego Boardshops (Carlsbad, CA)
\nSurf Ride (Oceanside, CA)
\nVal Surf (Valley Village, CA)<\/p>\n
\nHawaiian Island Creations (Haleiwa, HI)
\nHi-Tech Surf Sports (Kahului, HI)*
\nSurf N Sea (Haleiwa, HI)
\nT&C Surf Designs (Honolulu, HI)<\/p>\n
\nIntroduced in 2003, the goal of the SIMA Awards is to identify the surf industry\u2019s most influential companies and recognize them for their efforts to advance and grow the industry over the past year. Eligible SIMA members and specialty retailers are able to enter their brand and products in the appropriate categories. All entries are then reviewed by an industry panel that includes both manufacturers and retailers, who vote to determine the nominees in each category. All paid SIMA member companies and a select list of specialty retailers are then able to vote to determine the winners of the year. For detailed information on the voting process, visit www.sima.com\/about-sima-awards.<\/p>\n
\nThe Surf Industry Manufacturers Association (SIMA) is the official working trade association of more than 300 surf industry suppliers. Founded in 1989, SIMA is a non-profit organization that serves to promote awareness of the surf industry and participation in the sport of surfing through public relations efforts and a variety of services, educational programs and research. In addition, SIMA actively supports oceanic environmental efforts through its 501(c)(3) charitable environmental foundation, the SIMA Environmental Fund. In the past 24 years, SIMA\u2019s Environmental Fund has raised more than $8 million for environmental groups seeking to protect the world\u2019s oceans, beaches and waves. The SIMA Humanitarian Fund, also a 501(c)(3) charitable foundation, was established in 2006 to award grants to various surf or boardsport related social and humanitarian non-profit organizations whose efforts are focused on improving the quality of life, health and\/or welfare of people.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"