PAT O'CONNELL
Laguna Beach, California
Laguna Beach, California
Date of Birth: Sept 28, a long time ago
Best Known For: Endless Summer, and a smile
Local Spot: Salt Creek, best beach in the world. Ha!
My Crew: Mr. Snokoko
Board of Choice: My new 5'7” Timmy Patterson
Dream Wave: Love them all
| My Top Five: | 1.) Coffee in the am 2.) Surfing 3.) Avocados 4.) Friends 5.) Wine in the evening Thanks the perfect day... |
About a month ago, Pat O called and told me I was going to do some commentating on the webcast for the Hurley Pro at Tresles. I tried to wiggle my way out, but when Pat sets his mind to something there is no changing it. I was on my way to Cal. For most people this probably sounds fun. Hurley pays my way to the mainland, gives me great accommodations (Pat's couch), and Pat takes me out to dinner, lets me drink his wine and eat his ice cream.
All I have to do is bullshit about the best surfers in the world. I know this makes me sound like a puss, but talking on the web is scary. Let me go paddle in at Waimea, or do some dumb stunt, those are things I can handle. Walking into the webcast booth, that's intimidating.
Once I get going, it's all good, and then come the e-mails. In between questions and "Atta boy Brock" is the constructive criticism all the webcasters love. Stuff like "You're a kook," "I'm tired of Brock already" etc., all that crap tends to stick with you more than the love letters.
This year the waves were inconsistent, but I thought the contest was still insane. The level of pro surfing is so high. This was the first time in at least a decade, I walked away not sure who the best surfer in the world is. For me it's always been Kelly. This year, I thought a few of the guys had reached his level, or maybe he slipped a little. Could be his boards suck. Whatever, now I feel like Kelly's one of the best, with company.
Can't wait to webcast next year, if Kelly's on tour he'll prove me wrong. If he's retired, he'll e-mail me and call me a kook.—Brock
The Phantom Stretch fabric — first introduced in 2007 —has sparked a space race in the boardshort category, with a handful of companies pushing for the next quantum leap in lightness, stretchiness and overall performance. Fortunately, the original of these super-stretch boardshorts keeps evolving with the Phantom with Nike Flywire coming 11/27/09. Check out the primer here or, to buy your own pair of Phantoms, go to our store.
Here's the complete list of SIMA Image Awards winners recognized this weekend at the SIMA Surf Summit. Congratulations to all the brands who took home a wooden wave. Hope that tequila wasn't too hard on you in the morning.
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
