Surf Expo 2007 - Orlando Florida

     The surf expo is always a highlight in September for Florida surfers who are involved in the industry. It is a time for all to get together network, new companies revealing themselves and the old ones showing off. The past years there were waves that fell on the same weekend so people couldn't really focus on hanging out and having a good time. That was not the case this year. I think everyone had real good times.

Getting in for most people is the question. This is not a public event and it is held by all companies looking to do business over the weekend with venders. The partying and crazy things that go on is just the companies showing the appreciation to the industry. So if you haven't been and cant get in all you need to do is get in the industry. Working for a company or trying to start your own. The industry is booming right now and heading in the right direction. With companies going public stock and team riders making a good living through their sponsors. It's a great time to be in the surf industry.

On to this years event. Volcom's booth was 80's Rock and Roll theme and was RAD. That word should be appropriate, right? It was awesome they had Pantara shirts on and teezed out hair with bandanas and jean jackets. Valient Thorr seems to be a big influence. The LOST... Booth was displaying its awesome board artwork as usual. Reef girls were signing autographs to all the drooling guys and Oakley just shows off how big they really are with their booth looking like a full on sound stage. All the companies really do put on a great display.

Volcom also puts on a skate jam with all the local AM's and PROs. They always have some of the best talent. All the amatures that skate these events really push so hard and you can see it. This is their chance to get noticed by the industry. Monster Energy Drink held a wake skate jam session out back but standing there in that heat while watching these guys play in a pool is just torture to me. Otherwise it is an nice set up.

When the sun sets on the Magic Kingdom, the fun really begins. The
companies throw parties at the nearby clubs. These parties are for anyone. Sometimes they give out tickets and other times it's general admission. Friday night at Club FLO they had old school hip hop playing with no one even knowing who was performing. Then before you knew it a beatnuts song comes on and it sounds like the DJ just mixed it, you look up on a 3 foot stage right there with everyone and it is them live. Very impressive! So the night went good from what I can remember after that.

By the time the morning comes around everyone at the expo looks like a train wreck. Saturday night they had this awesome 80's rock band over at Lu- Lu's, but that wasn't the highlight of the night. I guess the weekend was a really hip-hop influenced event. T--Pain was Oakley's guest at the Club FLO and from what I hear it was real good with him buying bottles of liquor and sharing with the audience. Come on Oakley now your just showing off! But really that is what the Expo is all about, just seeing the whole Indsutry come together!