SIMA Image Award nominees announced

Press Release:

SURF INDUSTRY MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCES NOMINEES FOR 10th ANNUAL SIMA IMAGE AWARDS

- Winners to Be Announced February 7, 2013, at The Grove in Anaheim, Calif. –

ALISO VIEJO, Calif. (November 14, 2012) -The Surf Industry Manufacturers Association (SIMA) is proud to announce the nominees for the SIMA Image Awards, which will honor the best of the surf industry from 2012. In its tenth year, the SIMA Image Awards is the only awards program that gives the surf industry the opportunity to recognize fellow surf industry companies for their outstanding contributions to the industry.

"On behalf of the SIMA Board of Directors, I would like to congratulate all the nominees for their excellent work and contribution to the progression of our industry," said Doug Palladini, SIMA President and VP of Marketing for Vans. "This year will mark 10 years of the SIMA Image Awards and it's revolutionary to see how the awards program has grown on an international scale of recognition for our industry. We look forward to seeing who the winners will be as they are revealed at the ceremony in February."

The winners will be announced at the SIMA Image Awards ceremony on February 7, 2013, at The Grove in Anaheim, Calif. The ceremony is open to the public and tickets will go on sale in early January.

The goal of the SIMA Image Awards is to identify the surf industry's most influential companies and recognize them for their efforts to advance and grow the industry over the past year. This year, companies will be recognized in the following 16 categories:

SIMA IMAGE AWARDS NOMINEES

OVERALL AWARDS

Breakout Brand of the Year

Criteria: Recognizing the small- to mid-size men’s or women’s brand that experienced break out growth between January 1 and September 1, 2012. 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 $20 million. (Previous winners of this category are no longer eligible for five years.)

Brixton

Lost

RAEN

Sun Bum

VSTR

Breakout Retailer of the Year

Criteria: Recognizing the specialty retailer with 15 U.S. brick and mortar doors or less that experienced success in 2012, between January 1 and September 1. Consider the specialty retailer that had a break out year in terms of sales and increased store recognition and appeal. (Previous winners of this category are no longer eligible for five years.)

Hanger 94, San Diego

Proof Lab, MillValley

The Room Surf Shop, Puerto Rico

Spyder, Hermosa Beach

Surf Ride, San Diego

See Page 2 for the Men's Awards nominees