For the 28th year running, San Diego will host the action sports industry’s leading trade show at the Convention Center, drawing approximately 18,000 business professionals from 60 countries to the downtown area Feb. 3 and 4. Action Sports Retailer (ASR) takes place bi-annually, showcasing upcoming apparel and product trends for skateboarding, surfing and the snowboarding markets. This year, ASR Access will combine three unique environments: the main ASR trade floor; Class@ASR, a higher fashion, boutique show; and Crossroads, a more relaxed, core skateboard event held in the Petco Park parking lot. In previous years, the main floor’s mini-ramp demonstrations have been skated by pro-boarders from Steve Caballero to Shaun White to Tony Hawk. With the addition of “best street” and “best trick” demonstrations at Crossroads in February, organizers anticipate the highest level of skating yet. (ASR events are not open to the public.) As the epicenter of action sports, Southern California attracts retailers from across the country and around the world. Seeking an authentic connection to the industry’s roots, they generate an estimated $30 million in local revenue per year. ASR’s vice president Andy Tomkins calls the convention the “flagship” of action sports industry trade shows. Having expanded beyond specialty shops in the mid-’90s to department stores and sporting good chains, the industry has come to represent a culture rather than just an activity. So while ASR is not the Convention Center’s biggest event, in the world of action sports it is the prime occasion for retailers to plug into the lifestyle that they promote. “It’s a unique opportunity to see what’s happening in the marketplace,” Tompkins said. “When you touch down at the airport, you immediately feel the surf/skate culture.” Despite the recession, major players are reporting positive sales, and in 2008 the market boasted $7.2 billion in sales, down just 4 percent from 2006. With 500 vendors exhibiting and 5,500 retailers expected, attendance is on par with last January’s show. However, this year’s lagging economy has squeezed out many smaller start-ups. Although many companies operate out of Los Angeles and Orange County, Tompkins considers San Diego ASR’s “perfect” host city for its balance of the urban and beach communities, which embodies the lifestyle. “San Diego is a great place to show the culture, and action sports is one of its true endemic industries,” he said.
