Australian Surf Industry Awards Announces Winners

Billabong and Rip Curl were the big winners at the 2015 Australian Surf Industry Awards, presented by Surf & Boardsports Industry Association Inc.

The Australian surf industry celebrated its annual awards in the Gold Coast on Thursday June 11. Held at Twin Towns resort, the night attracted over 200 retailers and brand representatives from all over Australia, on hand to acknowledge the high achievers of the Australian surf industry.

Both retailers and brands were recognised with 34 awards presented throughout the night, across a number of retail, product and marketing categories.

Highlights in the retail oriented awards included the Australian Retailer of the Year, won by Saltwater Wine/Stormriders, Aloha Manly winning the Core Boardstore award and Strapper Surf and Blunt Skateboarding Co the shop fit-out of the year.

On the brand side, Rip Curl took out product of the year in the boardshort, wetsuit and surf accessories categories, Oakley won sunglass of the year while Billabong were big winners, taking home mend and women’s brand of the year and also men’s and women’s marketing campaigns of the year.

”Winning the four major awards is a massive statement from our retail partners of the commitment and enthusiasm that Billabong brings to the Australian surf market. We’re very thankful and stoked to be recognised in such a way,” said Billabong men’s marketing manager Scott Hargreaves.

The coveted surfboard of the year was won for the second time running by Haydenshapes for its Hypto Krypto Future Flex. Surfing Australia was also recognised for all the work it does at a grass roots level for Australian surfing, winning the Service To Industry award.

SBIA president Anthony Wilson hailed the night as one of the best ever: “The Awards night is not only an opportunity to publicly acknowledge those excelling in our industry, but it’s also a real gathering of the surfing tribe.  It was a hugely successful night, made more so by having Mark Richards, Layne Beachley, Wayne Rabbit Bartholomew and Mark Occhilupo – all world champions and Australian surfing legends – on hand to present the awards.”

The awards were sponsored by Corona, Sense (Product Innovation), Brandscope (Retail Awards), Tyro (Retail Awards), Davidsons Business Advisors (Environment Award), Shop for Shops (Shop fit-out award), Australian Surf Business magazine (service Awards), Coastalwatch, and Surfing World (marketing and brand awards) and Surfing Australia

2015 SURF INDUSTRY AWARDS – Winners and runners up

2015 Boardshort of the Year
WINNER Rip Curl – Mirage MF Driven
RUNNER UP  Hurley – Phantom JJF Elite

2015 Wetsuit of the Year
WINNER Rip Curl – Flash Bomb Zip Free
RUNNER UP O’Neill – Psycho 3

2015 Surfboard of the Year
WINNER Haydenshapes – Hypto Krypto Future Flex
RUNNER UP JS Surf Boards – Blak Box 2

2015 Surfing Accessory of the Year
WINNER Rip Curl – SearchGPS Watch
RUNNER UP FCS – FCSII Essential Fin Series

2015 Sunglass of the Year
WINNER Oakley – Holbrook
RUNNER UP Dragon – The Jam H20 Floatable

2015 Mens Marketing Campaign of the Year
WINNER Billabong – Life’s Better In Boardshorts
RUNNER UP Rip Curl – Surfing is Everything

2015 Ladies Marketing Campaign of the Year
WINNER Billabong – A Bikini Kinda Life
RUNNER UP Rip Curl – My Bikini

2015 Sales Office of the Year
WINNER Billabong – Queensland
RUNNER UP Rip Curl – South Queensland

2015 NSW Sales Representative of the Year
WINNER Ben Starkey – O’Neill
RUNNER UP Jodie Watson – Rip Curl

2015 QLD Sales Representative of the Year
WINNER Simon Bonny – Billabong
RUNNER UP Luke Boman – Oakley

2015 SA/NT Sales Representative of the Year
WINNER Will Mills – Mill Agency
RUNNER UP Ryan Anderson – Instant Agencies

2015 VIC/TAS Sales Representative of the Year
WINNER  Finn Barry – Rusty
RUNNER UP Mark Neilson – Dragon

2015 WA Sales Representative of the Year
WINNER Kerry Whitford – Rip Curl
RUNNER UP  Mel Hall – Roxy

2015 Footwear Brand of the Year
WINNER Havaianas
RUNNER UP Reef

2015 Swimwear Brand of the Year
WINNER Billabong
RUNNER UP Rip Curl

2015 Breakthrough Brand of the Year
WINNER Afends
RUNNER UP Vissla

2015 Ladies Brand of the Year
WINNER Billabong
RUNNER UP Rip Curl

2015 Mens Brand of the Year
WINNER  Billabong
RUNNER UP Rip Curl

2015 NSW Retailer of the Year
WINNER Saltwater Wine | Stormriders
RUNNER UP Surf Culture Bondi

2015 QLD Retailer of the Year
WINNER Beachbeat
RUNNER UP Freetime Surf

2015 SA/NT Retailer of the Year
WINNER JR’s Surf & Ski
RUNNER UP JT Surf

2015 VIC/TAS Retailer of the Year
WINNER  Strapper Surf & Blunt Skateboarding Co
RUNNER UP  Mordy Surf

2015 WA Retailer of the Year
WINNER Vidlers Cottesloe Surf
RUNNER UP Star Surf + Skate

2015 NSW Breakthrough Retailer of the Year
WINNER  Simon Law’s Tsunami Surfer
RUNNER UP  Sanbah Surf Shop

2015 QLD Breakthrough Retailer of the Year
WINNER  Suburban Surf
RUNNER UP Board Culture

2015 SA/NT Breakthrough Retailer of the Year
WINNER  Beaches Apparel
RUNNER UP  The Surf Shop

2015 VIC/TAS Breakthrough Retailer of the Year
WINNER  Peninsula Surf Centre
RUNNER UP  Zaks Surfboards

2015 WA Breakthrough Retailer of the Year
WINNER  Brownies
RUNNER UP Corner Surf Shop

2015 Core Boardstore of the Year
WINNER  Aloha Surf Manly
RUNNER UP  Slimes

2015 Product Innovation of the Year
WINNER  Surf Hardware – FCSII
RUNNER UP  Creatures of Leisure – SurfEars

2015 Environment Award
WINNER  Patagonia – Yulex Wetsuit Program
RUNNER UP Billabong – Recycler Program

2015 Shop Fit Out of the Year
WINNER   Strapper Surf & Blunt Skateboarding Co
RUNNER UP   Stormriders – Port Macquarie NSW

2015 Service to the Industry
Surfing Australia

2015 Australian Retailer of the Year
WINNER Saltwater Wine | Stormriders
RUNNER UP Strapper Surf & Blunt Skateboarding Co