The one word SESO heard over and over again from both exhibitors and retailers when describing Surf Expo January, which took place last week in Orlando, was energy.
A strong holiday season, more certainty around the tariff situation compared to earlier in 2025, and a strong turnout of brands and retailers made for a more positive atmosphere on the show floor as 2026 kicked off.
“The show felt really good,” said LG Shaw of WRV, which is both a surfboard manufacturer that exhibits at the show and a retailer that sends buyers. “Last year it felt like people were forcing optimism but this year, people showed up with the pen in their hand and put ink on paper and were ready to go.”
“Most of the brands our stores sell also had great energy at Surf Expo, and it felt like everybody had some clarity to what was coming down the pipe,” Shaw added. “It was a welcome change after the last few years of uncertainty. The energy and attendance also held up throughout multiple days of the show which was different from past years.”
LG Shaw of WRV, Dave Nash of Sun Diego, Domonique Checkwood of Melin, Florida sales legend Scott Bouchard, Thomas Lysengen of IWS. Photo by SESO.
While many of the heritage surf brands were missing, mostly because of their ordering deadlines had passed, it didn’t seem to put a damper on retail attendance or the overall atmosphere as the next crop of brands such as Roark, Rhythm, Seager, Salty Crew, Dark Seas, Katin, Vissla, Florence, Free Fly and many others came out in force.
Surf Expo said retail company attendance jumped 15% this show.
“If you told me 5 years ago that Quiksilver, Billabong, RVCA, Rip Curl, O’Neill and Vans were not going to be there I would have skipped the show,” said Kevin Morris, one of the lead buyers for Heritage Surf Shop. “By contrast, I was completely booked this show, illustrating how the surf marketplace has changed in such a short period of time. The injection of newness and youth is very encouraging.”
Tom Ruiz, the general manager of Seager, said his team was so pleased with the show, they have already signed up for the next two Surf Expo events, including September 2026 and January 2027.
“The buyer’s attendance was very good, and Seager had an excellent show,” he said. “We tripled our appointments over last September, and the quality of buyers was excellent. There is definitely a shift in brands on the floor. The ‘new guard’ was clearly presented at this show. These shows are so important for brands to connect with the retail community.”
The Seager mascot with John John Florence of Florence on the show floor. Photo courtesy of Surf Expo.
Dylan Slater, the CEO of Outerknown, Firewire and Slater Designs, was also pleased with the buyer attendance and with the overall vibe on the show floor.
“Both the quality and quantity of the accounts we met with exceeded expectations, and the general sentiment was positive and future-focused around building stronger partnerships and celebrating better products,” he said. “I was also pleased that despite the absence of the legacy, licensed brands, it had zero impact on the energy of the show. This year’s Surf Expo accelerated the momentum of the new era of brands that will be shaping the future of this industry.”
The Outerknown/Firewire team with 17th Street: Marty Mathiesen, Tyler Brown, Brett Savage, Dylan Slater. Photo by SESO.
Surf Expo’s decision to rearrange the show floor also received good reviews, including from Mark Moffett, the owner of retailer Rooster Bus in Arizona.
“The vendors came ready and definitely bring their A game — the booths, the product, and the overall vibe were on point,” Moffett said. “I really loved the new setup, moving some of the brands around made a big difference and gave them great exposure. We also picked up a couple of new brands, Marsh Wear and Industrie Australia, which was exciting.”
Tyler Mesanko of Shaded Vision, Mac Beu of Katin, Mark Moffett of Rooster Bus and Greg “Grog” Mesanko of Grog’s Surf Palace at the Katin party for key retailers. Photo by SESO.
Melin exhibited at Surf Expo for the second time, and VP of Sales Domonique Checkwood said the show helped reinforce the brand’s dedication to the East Coast retail community.
“Surf Expo was a success for melin,” she said. “This was our second time exhibiting and we are grateful to have time together to connect with partners, share the brand’s vision, meet new customers, and reinforce our commitment to the East Coast market. We connected with top-tier surf and lifestyle retailers across Florida, Northeast, Southeast, and Hawaii. The days were productive, and the high quality of the meetings ensured we met our show goals.”
Surf Expo Show Director Roy Turner with Gunther Schwartz, who won the 50th anniversary board crafted by Savage Surfboards. Photo courtesy of Surf Expo.
Surf Expo Show Director and Emerald SVP Roy Turner told SESO he also was pleased with the January event, including the positive energy, the attendance, and the fact that retailers came ready to buy — all a great way to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Surf Expo.
“Celebrating a 50th anniversary is a milestone for any business, and Surf Expo’s January event put an exclamation point on the achievement,” he said. “The energy on the show floor was undeniably upbeat and positive. Brands elevated their presentations, many bringing athletes and influencers to amplify excitement and engagement.”
“This edition of the show truly demonstrated that face‑to‑face connection remains essential for launching new products and brands,” Turner said. “Even after 50 years, Surf Expo has successfully evolved into a modern marketplace that continues to be a vital part of the community.”
“Our team was especially encouraged by the strong acceptance of our new Shoreline Outdoor section,” he said, which added an outdoor element to the show floor. “Buyer engagement clearly reflected the shifting purchasing habits of today’s consumers — and confirmed that this expansion is an important step forward for the show.”
A meeting at the Katin booth. Photo courtesy of Surf Expo.
