San Diego ASR Once Again Proves Business Can Be Fun

Enlarge Photo

Another season, another reason to hit the San Diego Convention Center as the summer leg of the ASR (Action Sports Retailer) expo literally rolled through town the weekend of September 7th through the 9th with a slew of action sports athletes, retailers, celebrities and of course, models, designed to draw the aforementioned attendees to the various booths dotting the convention center floor.

For 26 years, San Diego ASR has been the leading trade event bringing together the top action sports industry manufacturers, buyers and media under one roof. Held twice a year, once in the winter and again in late summer, at the San Diego Convention Center, manufacturers have the opportunity to showcase their brand efficiently and effectively in an energetic, yet professional forum to the leading buyers from around the world.

ASR delivers exposure to the world's leading and emerging brands, retailers, boutiques, department stores, distributors, marketers, athletes, celebrities, designers, media and manufacturing chiefs. Markets served include action sports apparel, footwear, accessories and hard-good products.

For all intents and purposes, the acronym should be changed to A Seasonal Romp, or perhaps something even a bit racier and more conducive to the show's debaucherous nature. Alas, such inventiveness is best left to the imagination.

And really, what better place to let the mind run wild than at a festival not only showcasing, but also wholeheartedly embracing beer, booths, business, and boobs? Alliteration aside, no other event comes closer to melding the aforementioned features so brilliantly as San Diego ASR.

Patrons are just as likely to encounter any number of professional buyers and athletes as they are a gaggle of drunken 20-something females clad as naughty schoolgirls -- all of which were witnessed at the expo on Saturday, September 8th.

Amazingly enough, pro skater Jake Brown, A.K.A. "Mr. 50-foot Fall," made it out for the event. The only reminder of what should have been his final skate session on this earth at last month's X Games was a brace on his right wrist.

This year's show was a veritable who's who of, well. . . everything. From MTV's Big Black (Rob and Big) and Alton Williams (Real World, Las Vegas), to UFC fighter Tito Ortiz, to one of the greatest surfers in the history of the sport, Kelly Slater, cameos were the rule of the weekend. Thrown in one of the pioneers of modern surfing, Rabbit Kekai, and the Deftones Chino Moreno, and you'd be hard-pressed to assemble a more random cast of characters. Not to mention these names represented merely a handful of those in attendance.

Foam Magazine's ASR Spring Runway Show highlighted the Saturday afternoon festivities as myriad gorgeous models strutted about the catwalk, exhibiting both swimwear and apparel for the fashion, ocean, art and music-minded.

In the interest of appealing to the ever-expanding green method of eco-conscious product development, this year's show also featured a separate upstairs room dedicated solely to companies embracing earth-friendly means of production.

Affectionately dubbed the Green Room, the separate, but equal venue showcased a combination of sustainable product lines and related events, giving San Diego ASR September a lower impact, 'green' glow. Green Steps environmental initiatives at ASR included a fully wind-powered event, and expanded recycling efforts sponsored by Volcom. Additionally, the ASR Line Up, show badges, bags and concession ware were all produced on recycled paper.

The incredible story, however, was the momentum of the entire industry toward a greener future. Within the aisles of ASR, over 100 established and emerging surf, skate, snow, swim, lifestyle, and youth culture brands launched expanded lines of sustainable and organic product for spring 2007.

Ocean Minded unveiled a new line of both organic footwear and clothing, sure to not only bring the company up to speed with maintaining an earth-friendly approach, but also keep its finger on the proverbial pulse of the ever-shifting fashion trends of today's action sports aficionados.

To no one's chagrin, in customary San Diego ASR fashion, the beer began to flow liberally at the stroke of 4pm. In short order, responsibility turned revelry as suits and schoolgirls alike rocked out to the sounds of Year Long Disaster at the Volcom booth -- the party continuing well past the show's 6pm close and into the wee hours of the morning at various after-hours ASR parties held at nearly every established venue in the downtown area, such as the REEF / Fieldtrip Entertainment party at the San Diego House of Blues.

Ah yes, sealing deals and stoking decadence. . . the business side of ASR, San Diego.

Discover San Diego ASR for yourself with the all-inclusive ASR photo gallery and REEF / Fieldtrip Entertainment after-party photo gallery.

Photos by: Bradley Schweit