Sep 8th, 2007
Chip & Poppa P visit ASR 2007
In spite of a brutal travel day (departing from Salt Lake City for San Diego at 6:40 a.m. and landing back in SLC at 11:55 p.m.the same day), Chip and I had a great Friday in southern California.
The purpose of our trip? Checking out ASR 2007 — the Action Sports Retailer show which attracts top manufacturers in the surf, skate, snow, swim, style, moto and youth industries and the shops/dealers (and distributors) that sell/distribute such goods. (ASR is a Nielsen Business Media show, the same company that produces Interbike and Health+Fitness Business Expo, two SOAR Communications clients.)
As California natives now living in Utah, it was fun for both Chip and me to A) soak up the wonderful early September weather in San Diego, as well as B) reconnect with our skateboarding/surfing roots.
One of my pastimes as a teenager was riding on a three-foot long wooden skateboard, what today would be considered a “long board.” Conversely, Chip learned to surf in the Pacific swells off the southern California coast.
Although we both got a real eye-full at ASR, five “new” products caught my eye at ASR.
1. The carbon fiber surfboards from Aviso Surfboards are very cool. Certainly more expensive than a typical surfboard, but dramatically stronger, lighter and more durable.
2. The Spinners from Skubs take the concept of those crazy spinning rims from expensive wheels/cars and bring them to the skateboard and skater worlds.
3. Yoga Stick-e Socks from Libby’s Luxuries are a patented new look at sock for wear while practicing yoga (naturally), as well as in any other exercise or sport where going barefoot is appropriate but wearing socks would be better.
4. The brand new Si-Boards from Si-Boards take a whole new approach to balance
boards.
5. And finally, the AquaSkipper from Inventist, which is probably weirdest-looking personal watercraft I have ever seen in my life. (They call it a human-powered hydrofoil.) Inventist also was showing off some wheeled products at the show:
- The Wheelblazer;
- The Swerver Ultimate Carving Streetboard;
- And a new type of skates (no page available on the Web site).
