The Fall Action Sports Retailer (ASR) fashion trade show which took place last weekend September 7-9, always tends to be the hottest show for the action sports industry, including surfing, skateboarding, snowboarding (although this is bigger at SIA), BMX, wakeboarding, and freestyle motocross. Over the years, larger buyers such as Macy’s, Nordstrom’s, Fred Segal, Hot Topic, and Villains have discovered that this show is important when it comes to capturing next trends across youth culture—especially in America. It’s here that retailers such as Zumiez and PacSun, even Hollister have created their business models around. With brands such as Volcom, Quiksilver, Billabong, Reef, Hurley, Famous Stars&Straps, DC, Etnies, Osiris, Split, O’Neill, Fox,. DaKine, Adio, Vestal, Zoo York, Firewire, Gravis, Burton, Vans, RVCA, Ripcurl, andElectric Visual, among others, showcasing, ASR has become a must-attend event in the growing market of action sports and streetwear crossover.
New things however that have added heft to the event are the increase in popularity of hardgoods sections, particularly the Board Builders Pavilion, brands such as Firewire, and the IASC associations Create a Skate section. ASR also includes the Es Game of Skate which with a ramp and street course is very popular section, and art areas including the Green Room and Glue Network Mural Project with onsite artists. There are also seminars and events that keep things tight, including Reef’s Board Build-off which drew thousands of attendees in the Board Builders Pavilion to bid on unique collector brands for charity, as well as the ASR Fashion Runway Show sponsored by Foam Magazine featuring latest trends in swimsuits, onsies, jumpers, and board shorts for young women.
Standouts as usual at the show included the Volcom area which each year, plays off of a specific theme. This time, is was the hardcore punk-rocker of their band lead singer from Valiant Thor. Volcom employees, reps, and even the owner Richard Woolcott were all wearing denim jackets, bandanas, stovepipe jeans, and carrying a Valiant Thor aesthetic. Burton’s lifestyle clothing was also on hand, along with their other brands Anon, Analog, andGravis—all surrounding the Volcom scene as though some cool-factor might run over.
What gave Volcom a run for their money this time however, was Famous Stars & Straps and the freestyle motocross brands in general, including SRH, Metal Mulisha, Fox, and of course, Alpinestars. By the end of the first day, Famous had a hip-hop crew in their booth, which attracted hundreds of buyers from the show who stopped in and checked out the latest from this fast-rising brand inspired by Blink 182’s Travis Barker. With it cherry-red lowrider Caddy taking up much space of the booth, Famous is the brand that’s a showstopper in many ways. And as we noted from this summer’s fashion round-up across North America, the brand is the break-out brand of the season.
Because ASR is held at the San Diego Convention Center, it’s always got that convention center feel, unfortunately. However, they put various sections together which helps to create specific themes and subcultures, such as surfing and surfboard hardgoods at one end, morphing through smaller brands and the GoldBox Mission in the middle featuring the freshest from new brands and streetwear crossover such as Affliction, Atwater, and Blue Platypus, moving into Wake, Moto, and Skate. The fashion runway is on one end down by surf, whereas the skating competitions are at the other, down by skate.
Last weekend, ASR claims that 20,000 attendees where on hand, including 7,000 buyers, making it the largest show in 5 years. There were over 160 swimwear lines, and 200 in the skate section, but new exciting things were clearly happening in the GoldBox Mission section where 30 art driven, lifestyle brands exhibited—many for the first time such as the coveted MacBeth Footwear. This was also the location of the popular Hit + Run live silkscreening events each day.
ASR also has a heavy share of non-profits and industry associations that are a part of the show, including SIMA (Surf Industry Manufacturers Association), IASC (International Association of Skateboarding Companies), and BRA—the Board Retailers Association, which continues to expand to now more than 500 retailers as member benefits grow.
Overall, the popularity of ASR last weekend indicates that while streetwear is taking over a large chunk of action sports lifestyle, there’s still a significant number of manufacturers, buyers, distributors, and related associations that believe this show is an important and vibrant platform for doing business.
