Scott Bass on upcoming Sacred Craft

Sacred Craft heads to the Del Mar Fairgrounds on Oct. 8-9. Today, founder Scott Bass tells us about new brands that are getting involved with the show, new show features and why a consumer trade show focused on the art of the surfboard is important for the industry.

How long has Sacred Craft been around and why did you choose Del Mar as your venue?

I produced the first Sacred Craft Surfboard Expo in 2007. Since then I’ve produced eight others. The Del Mar Fairgrounds is an ideal venue for a number of reasons. First and foremost, it is affordable. The surfboard industry can’t afford large convention centers. We get priced out of the market. As a general rule they’re not motivated by market share or IPOs. They want to make you a surfboard you’ll remember forever.

These smaller venues, like Del Mar, allow for the industry to get together on the cheap, relatively speaking.

What’s new this year?

I’m pretty stoked on the longboard skate zone. Longboard skating is an integral part of the California surf existence. It remains the numero uno form of grom transportation. We’ve got a cool little area to try out the latest longboard skates.

Matt Biolos and his crew at …LOST Skates stepped up with a slalom course challenge for the groms. …LOST is giving away six boards to the groms with the fastest times. There will be quite a few brands there with boards in the demo area for everyone to try out.

Another fresh item is the Board Art Benefit in the Art Grotto. Artist Matt Beard helped me organize a crew of artists that will be creating art on surfboards during the show, with Surf Aid International as the benefactor. Attendees will see incredible artists in their element. Guys like Ron Croci, Phil Roberts, Tyler Warren, Damon Fulton and more.

The aim of the Board Art Benefit is to provide a great venue for the participating artists to showcase their work, to provide the public with a great chance to witness some of their favorite artists at work, and to support SurfAid International.

And speaking of… the Billabong Art of Shaping Auction LA County Edition takes place Saturday evening at Sacred Craft and is open to the public! Royce Cansler and his crew at Billabong have really stepped up. Billabong truly understands the power of the surfboard. Royce has amassed a stable of Los Angeles County’s finest shapers for their auction.

Shapers or designers like Scott Anderson, Joe Bark, Clyde Beatty, Matt Calvani, Lance Carson, Bruce Grant, Bing Copeland, Robbie Dick, Tyler Hatzikian, Brian Hilbers, Jeff Ho, Hap Jacobs, Dennis Jarvis, Don Kadawaki, Glen Kennedy, Greg Liddle, Casey McCrystal, Greg Noll (Jed Noll), Pat Ryan, Mike Starvos, Rick Stoner (Jeff Stoner), Dewey Weber (Jerry O’Keefe) and Michael Zippi.

All the proceeds, 100% of the money from those auctioned boards goes to the SIMA Humanitarian Fund.

See Page 2 for more about new brands getting involved with Sacred Craft

How much to get in? How many people are you expecting?

Sacred Craft is a consumer expo. We are expecting over 5,000 people in attendance. It is $10 to get in, under 12 is free and you receive a free subscription to SURFER magazine and a chance at one of the four random freebie surfboard offerings from SURFER.

Plus there is a Gourmet Food Expo right next to us at the fairgrounds. I see a great opportunity for the “significant other” to walk the Gourmet Expo and sample wines and cheese while the “insignificant other” checks out all the surfboards and action at Sacred Craft.

I heard there will be a growing number of action sports labels that are utilizing Sacred Craft as a marketing and sales platform. Who will be there?

We’re excited to have Billabong, Hansen’s, Vans, and new companies like The Soul Project, and of course PRIMO beer will be flowing.

Why the move to add brands outside of pure manufacturing and board shaping?

Smart brands understand that the surfboard industry is not only important, it is the genesis of our surf culture. It is quite basic, yet is sometime overlooked. Let’s put it this way, when you see a surfer the first thing you look at is his surfboard and it is generally a point of conversation, it determines how a surfer rides a wave, what types of waves he rides, where he surfs. They grasp the significance.

Anything else we should know?

Korduory.TV will have a program of video shorts on loop for attendees to enjoy. Or you can chill in the Quivers Lounge presented by The Soul Project. We’ll have music outside presented by SurfersVillage featuring surfers playing music for surfers: Seth Pettersen, Boo Stubbs & One Shot Wonder, Kevin White & Pacific Jazz Guitar featuring Bridget Eliza on vocals, Boaz Roberts Jazz and others tba.

Each Sacred Craft Expo honors a shaper, and the fall 2011 expo honors one of the nicest guys in the world, Carl Ekstrom. The Tribute to the Masters Shape-off honoring Carl Ekstrom presented by US Blanks brings together six shapers who ‘compete’ during a live shape-off.

At Ekstrom’s suggestion this year’s shape-off will not be exact replications but rather new variations of the asymmetrical design. Anything goes!

The only parameters are that 1) the finished blanks be asymmetrical and that 2) the fin placement be drawn onto the finished blank. A trio of design legends will judge the finished blanks: Stanley Pleskunas, Rusty Preisendorfer and honoree Carl Ekstrom. The trio anticipates having each shaper discuss with them the ‘proof of design concept’ during the judging process.

Sacred Craft is all about the surfboard; has always been about the surfboard. We feel it is time to put the surfboard-and those who craft and design them-back at the forefront of surf culture.