A massive conference center, a labyrinth of booths guaranteed to get you lost (in a good way), and thousands of surf and coastal brands: the 2024 Surf Expo, held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando September 5-7, will go down as one of our favorite events of the year.
All photos by American Surf Magazine
From the atmosphere (music blasting and TVs focused on the WSL Finals) to the sheer size (if you haven’t been to Surf Expo, imagine attendees skateboarding to get from one end of the conference center to the other) and especially the booths.
The booths — where brands displayed their products and services — were all time. The colors, signs, shapes, and interactive elements on display booth after booth kept us and all attendees busy for all three days. It was both shocking and inspiring to see what brands could construct within a specific timeframe and a specific amount of space.
If you weren’t able to make it to September's Surf Expo (mark your calendars: the upcoming one is January 8-10th), here are some of our favorite booths from the event.
Psycho Tuna
One of the most eye catching booths at Surf Expo, Pyscho Tuna's setup made you feel like you were hovering over a pumping lineup, watching with awe as waves crashed beneath you.
Inside this booth with an expansive oceanic backdrop was Founder Patricia Thornton, who talked about how Psycho Tuna is more than just a clothing brand; It's a way of life for those of us who love the water, whether it's surfing, fishing, or just cruising.
RYD Brand
From leashes to shortboards and longboards, swim fins, and everything else you could ever need in or near the water, the RYD Brand booth, manned by our friends, Barend Buys and Chip McGraw, have you covered.
What we loved most about the booth was its design, yes, also its organization. With so much gear to display, it's easy for booths to turn into a hodgepodge where you can't locate specific items. It was obvious Barend and the RYD team went to painstaking detail to keep everything in the RYD Brand booth meticulously organized and well displayed.
HyperFlex
The epicenter for all things wetsuits at Surf Expo was the Hyperflex Wetsuits booth, manned by our friend and Digital Media Coordinator Anthony Casazza. Hyperflex had not only wetsuits on display, but also their booties and other wetsuit accessories built to keep you warm.
We loved the booth, and we also love the ethos of the company: not only do they have 45+ years of patterning and neoprene materials experience; their main goal isn't a profit. Instead, it's price oriented wetsuits so that the everyday surfer and waterman can enjoy chilly temperatures in the sea.
IPD
IPD isn't just a surf brand that builds premium products at the peak of style and functionality — it's a community, which is why the booth was crowded the entire show; this was the only photo we could get without other people crowding it and covering up their surf imagery.
Aside from being a place to hang out, the IPD booth had tons of boardies and tshirts that we wanted to take home ourselves.
Ballast
If you're tired of using a folded-up towel or a hydroflask to cradle your neck when you're laying at the beach, Brian Kirk, the Co-Founder and CEO of Ballast, is here to tell you there's a beach pillow for that.
We've tested the Ballast beach pillows ourselves, and gave them rave reviews, which is why it landed on the top of our Beach Pillow guide.
Not only did the Ballast booth showcase showcasing all their products and how they can improve your posture on the beach; Brian gave us a sneak peak at new designs for next year's line of beach pillows, and we couldn't be more stoked.
Aloha Collection
If you were looked for Aloha at Surf Expo, it could be found in the Aloha Collection booth, manned by their kind staff and our friend Uncle Lew.
It's been incredible to see this brand, fueled by entrepreneurial spirit and aloha, grow into what it is today: a worldwide company that sells the ultimate carrying bag, whether you're at the beach or on the go, that provides a ton of style too.
SkullCandy
"We don't want you to just listen to music, we want you to feel it."
This is Skullcandy's motto, and we felt nothing but good vibes in their booth, manned by Travis Jayner, Griffin Ferrigno and Luis Serna.
Not only did they have some of the best headphone and speaker options at Surf Expo; they had one of the most fun booths to cruise in.
Sun Bum
Pumping music, DJ Lance-O, park benches atop astroturf, and a "Whack a Mole" game that was not only fun, but educated about skin cancer: the Sun Bum area was the life of the party for all three days.
Binky Bro
If you're a father like me, you're always looking for clothes for your kids. But not just any clothes; ones that have some surf style. That's where Binky Bro comes in.
They had some of the coolest toddler clothes I had ever seen, and I can't wait to get my own children in some of Binky Bro's clothes.
Niki Wax
The slogan "No More Stinky Wetsuits" got us.
Why? Because we've all been there ... we've all had a stinky wetsuit. But that's where Nikiwax comes in.
As leaders of aftercare for outdoor materials, they have concocted a deodorizer guaranteed to remove that stink from your wetsuit.
Jetty
Not only did Jetty have an expansive booth with eco-minded, durable apparel that embodies the fickle conditions of northeast surf; they proudly showcased their "Surfer Owned. Surfer Operated" logo for all at the show.
Earthpack
The award for the best artwork goes to Earthpack, a brand who has been making customized, eco-friendly retail packaging since 1989. They are on a mission to create a more sustainable world, one bag at a time (you can read more about our friend and Founder Dave Bock here).
Walking down the row at Surf Expo, the image of a pumping lineup with an orange glow from a setting sun beckoned not just us, but many others at the show; there didn't seem to be a time when the booth sat empty.
Kanga
Walking around the floor, you couldn't miss the giant, inflatable kangaroo.
That's how Kanga started conversations about it's line of coolers that will keep your drinks cool at an affordable price.
Best of all, they offer a refund up to 45 days. But take it from us: you won't need to refund your purchase, because you'll love your Kanga cooler.
Bucket Golf
The most interactive area of Surf Expo was certainly Bucket Golf, a portable golf course that allows you to play golf anytime the impulse strikes you – including the beach.
They had an entire mini-putt section set up for you to not only hear about the product, but try it out yourself.
Kala
Kala made our list because it looked as if they imported an entire store to the floor show with dozens of well-built ukuleles to choose from. But not only that; because they were near the entrance to the Surf Expo, their live jam sessions were one of the first things you heard when you walked into the doors.
BFresh
BFresh, a brand that has you covered from the boats to the slopes, had an impressive and colorful display at Surf Expo.
Best of all, they had an N64 for you to play on to pass the time. It doesn't get any better than that.
We'd like to say a huge thank you to the Surf Expo team for putting on an incredible show as always, and we're looking forward to the upcoming Surf Expo January 8-10, 2025!
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