It wasn’t that long ago that the public of perception anglers evoked images of old men in floppy brown hats. That’s no longer the case. It’s cool to fish these days, and for that reason the gear and apparel associated with the sport have seeped into the wider market of coastal life.
Likewise, crossover into fishing from surf sports, diving and other recreational pursuits has created a marketplace driven more by the overall saltwater lifestyle than any particular sport. Because of this evolution Surf Expo has unveiled a new Bluewater inshore and offshore fishing category at its twice-a-year trade shows.
“You look at Instagram and see surf brands on guys fishing offshore. There are inshore anglers wearing Rip Curl and Billabong,” said Surf Expo sales manager Kenneth Andres. “The same is going on with the surfers. Those guys are out there in Pelagic and Fish Hippie. We are the pivot point… you can see all of this crossover at Surf Expo. ”
The longest-running board sports and beach/resort lifestyle show on the planet welcomed fishing to the cool kids’ table in January. Their Bluewater debut featured 15 fishing exhibitors. These included some heavy-hitting brands like Salt Life, Heybo Outdoors, Hell’s Bay Boatworks, Hooked Soul, Bimini Bay and Calcutta Outdoors. Feedback from buyers and exhibitors was overwhelmingly positive, and the Bluewater category is growing headed into Surf Expo’s Sept. 6-8 show at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando.
“We offer the opportunity for buyers to see the latest in trends for hard and soft goods in coastal life,” said Andres. “With our confluence from southern California, the Pacific Northwest, the Caribbean, Central and South America, the Northeast and the Southeast, this is a trend-setting show.
“We’re trying to get the word out to retailers. We’re inviting outfitters to come check it out,” Andres continued. “We want fishing and boating retailers and marinas to come to the show and put product that’s going to sell into their stores. And if they’re not ready to buy, they can at least see these trends for themselves.”
The show features more than 2,500 booths of apparel and hardgoods. There is also a full line-up of special events, including fashion shows, awards ceremonies, education and demos. Average buyer and exhibitor turnout exceeds 28,600 attendees per show.
Surf Expo Hard Goods
The main attractions at Surf Expo have always been the hard goods. The powerboats and surfboards, kayaks, kite boards, wakesurf boards and SUPs all draw huge crowds. Everyone has seen the transition of traditional paddlesports into angling over the last decade. The rapid emergence of fishing kayaks and SUPs has proven to be much more than a flash in the pan.
The soft products, the apparel and accessories, go along with the hard goods. Andres said an outfitter could fill the whole store, front to back by attending Surf Expo. Furthermore, he said these soft goods are where a lot of the aforementioned crossover is going on. The vacation industry, with the buying power of hotels, resorts and cruise lines, is outfitting shops with the trends they see at Surf Expo.
Trade Only
And above it all, Surf Expo is a pure, trade-only event, which eliminates the hubbub and beef-jerky hawkers of open-to-the-public trade shows. Intentionally held during retail down time—the September and January restocking periods for outdoor-sports retailers—it is a marketplace to get business done in a laid-back atmosphere.
“When people come to the Surf Expo for the first time, they notice the relaxed, cool atmosphere. It’s that lifestyle we all buy into. There are a lot of beautiful people at a surf show,” said Andres. “It’s just a great place to be if you’re in the water sports industry. If you’ve got a shop, come check it out for yourself.”
The September Surf Expo kicks off with a “BBQ & Bluegrass” demo day sponsored by Costa from noon to 5 p.m. on Sept. 5. Buyers and media are invited to Turkey Lake at Bill Fredrick Park in Orlando to demo boats and products and to eat. There will also be live music from the Blue Cypress Bluegrass Band.
For more information on the Surf Expo, go to www.surfexpo.com.