Surf industry riding into new tech, collaboration
Trade group director sees opportunities ahead for united efforts on retail and inland wave pools
As a youngster growing up in Southern California, Vipe Desai always found ways to immerse himself in surfing — in and out of the water, he said.
He joined a surf class in high school and worked at the South Coast Surf Shop in Ocean Beach as a teen. After graduating from college, he and friend Tom Cozad bought H2O Surf and Snowboard Shop in Sunset Beach.
“My passion was always about the business of surfing, and I was drawn to the leaders in the industry,” said Desai, now 54 and a Torrance resident.
Those early days would set Desai on a journey that now has him seated in a new role: executive director of the nonprofit and recently renamed Surf Industry Members Association. For years, the trade group was known as the Surf Industry Manufacturers Association and still is SIMA for short.
“This long, almost 40-year journey focused on the business side of action sports has prepared me for this role I'm embarking on and the best part is that I get to work alongside the people who have allowed me to live a dream life and travel down a fulfilling career path,” Desai said.
Desai recently answered a few questions via email about his new role, the state of the surf industry and where he sees the sport's future heading as a new wave of enthusiasts join the lineup in the ocean and, with advancements in wave pools, inland far from the coast.
Q What is the main goal of SIMA? And give a bit of background on the Aliso Viejobased organization.
A We're in the middle of charting a new and exciting course, and to kick things off we're starting with a name change. We're now the Surf Industry Members Association, and by dropping “manufacturers” we're ready to welcome a wider group of folks that make up the ecosystem of the surf industry.
Why we started is different from what our industry needs now and will need in the future.
Our origins started with a passionate group of industry leaders who formed SIMA to help foster relations with trade show partners. Since then, it has grown to also support environmental and humanitarian organizations within surf zones, board builders, educational programs and sustainability initiatives, and we will continue to expand our efforts however they will support our members.
Q What goals do you have for SIMA in the near and far future?
A My three pillars are unification, advocacy and philanthropy. Unification of the different sectors that make up
our industry, advocacy efforts to help our members thrive and philanthropy for the ocean through the SIMA Environmental Fund and SIMA Humanitarian Fund.
With that said, sustainability is at the top of the list of what we want to lead on, and a united industry is vital to this effort. It is a responsibility our members take very seriously, and I aim to help deliver on it.
Long term, the future is looking good for our sport, and we have to get ready for an exciting decade ahead with the Olympics — Paris 2024, Los Angeles 2028 and Brisbane 2032.
Q There was an unexpected surge in business for surf products during the pandemic. What does this say about the sport?
A As unfortunate as the pandemic has been for society, surfing experienced a surge. This was due to many reasons, but being outdoors, socially distanced, the Olympics, incredible product from our member companies and great content from the team at the World Surf League all played critical roles in this surge.
What it says about the sport is that our industry was ready to welcome more than a million new enthusiasts and has shown
a resiliency that we should be proud of. Our contribution to the coastal economy needs to be celebrated, and we recognize that what was once a cottage industry has given way to increased recreation and tourism.
I'll also add that there's been a growing movement with surf therapy, and I really believe that being in the ocean helped people to cope with the pandemic, and we'll continue to see incredible strides in the surf therapy sector.
Q What challenges do surf retailers, brands face in coming years?
A
One of my goals is to put programs in place that foster collaboration while still being independent to build their respective businesses.
I think what we have to look at is the impact facing our ocean — from climate risk, sea level rise, plastic pollution, oil spills, sewage discharge — these are the challenges our industry faces. What I'm seeing is sustainability has been a growing priority within our industry, in addition to supporting environmental groups.
Being a former surf shop owner myself, I have a special place in my heart for this sector — for many surf enthusiasts it's the first stop on their journey, and we have to make sure that these fans continue to visit specialty retailers.
Q How might inland wave pools change the surf market?
A I believe this is one of the most exciting areas of growth I want to tackle for the surf industry.
From what I see, there are a lot of sophisticated teams working on surf parks and through these parks, we have the opportunity to drive growth, create innovative new products and experiences and connect more people to the ocean so they can help us protect it.
Surf parks are still in the early stages, but I am all in on surf parks and what they can do for our sport and the economic impact they will have in every community that puts one in.