Hawai’i Shop Report

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• June 07 1999
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Hawaii Five-O Manager Chris Swink says on the North Shore skateboarding hard- and softgoods lines are definitely becoming a substantial part of her overall sales.

“The skate lines¿which are popular primarily with the younger kids¿have definitely taken off in the last few years,” she says.

However, despite growth in these areas, the shop’s best-selling lines remain Da Hui and North Shore Underground. Both brands do well with tourists and locals alike.

Skate videos have gained popularity and contribute to a substantial part of video sales, but Swink notes the shop’s best-selling video is currently the new surf title, The Bomb.

“Skateboard videos are doing well because they do what other videos won’t,” says Swink. “For example, kids seem to love the new XYZ video because it’s jam-packed with all kinds pyromania.”

On the other side of the island in Honolulu, Headside Board Shop Manager Mike Egan says his shop’s primary concern is accommodating the demands of tourists from Japan.

Egan says Headside actually puts more emphasis on surf products that conform to the demands of the snow and skate subculture. Volcom and Counter Culture share space with Shorty’s and other skate-only products.

“Tourism drives the industry over here, but the ‘core surf industry in Hawai’i will never be entirely overrun by other sports,” says Egan. “You have a longboard contingent that still rules many of the lineups over here. That isn’t going anywhere soon.”

According to Kevin Aviyama, owner of Big Island Surf Company in Hilo on the Big Island, “We’re not so concerned with skateboarding replacing surfing. After all, surfers who skate still surf. Our problem is surfing being replaced by bodyboarding.”

Aviyama notes that Big Island has little demand for skate products, and clothing lines like Quiksilver still dominate shop sales.

“We live in a small community, so our product demand is primarily from locals¿not tourists,” says Aviyama. “Maybe that’s why we’ve had to remain primarily a ‘core surf shop focused more on the specific needs of surfers in the area.”

On the other side of the island in Kona, Micheal McMicheal, longtime owner of Pacific Vibrations Surf Shop, says, “Skateboarding has influenced everything from hats to shoes¿and everything in-between.”

Although kids aren’t necessarily buying actual skate products, he says they’re more interested in products with the “skateboarder” image.

McMicheal, who gets most of his business from locals, says the best-selling clothing¿whether it’s a surf or skate brand¿is stamped with either a beautiful girl or tribal-tattoo image. Brands with all-around appeal such as Dragon, Quiksilver, and Billabong have always sold the best.

Keith Holland, owner of Simmer Hawaii on Maui, says surfing has actually had a bit of a revival in his shop, especially with the younger generations. “We see little need to carry skate products,” he says.

Companies such as MCD and Solitude remain favorites, while skate videos are a nonstarter. However, with Maui being a windsurfing mecca, Holland’s best-selling video is a windsurfing film called Total Insanity.

¿Casey Macker

Hawai’i Shop Report

ADMIN

• April 07 1999
• 91 views
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By Casey Macker

“The collapse of the Asian economy is having a domino effect on business all over Hawai’i, and the surf industry is by no means exempt,” says Janner Asuncion, head of public relations for HIC Surf Shops throughout Hawai’i. Although the shop gets 60 percent of its business from locals, the lack of tourists coming over from places like Japan is hurting business both directly and indirectly. Despite all the hardships, Asuncion does note that HIC’s shop on the North Shore has had a pretty sound year due to the consistent amount of surfers who stay there seasonally. Furthermore, he has actually noticed a steady increase in the sales of HIC’s hardgoods lines and other gear directly related to surfing.

On O’ahu, Russ K Surf Shop Manager Sunny Keaulana also blames the Asian market crash for the recent declines in shop sales. She has also been witness to declining sales in the more popular brands, which she attributes to the opening of large clothing chains capable of underselling the local surf shops. However, she does note that Russ K’s own shop label has done fairly well, and longboard sales, which have always been strong, have continued to contribute to sales. Moreover, she notes, “Business did pick up during the month of January, and things have continued to improve slowly.”

Toni Blanchard, owner of Point Break Surf Shop in Waimanalo, O’ahu, says her surf shop has seen nothing but growth. Although the shop has been open only three months, business from rentals and different clothing lines have helped the shop mature at a rather rapid pace. Blanchard says lines such as Roxy, Stussy, and Hawaiian Style have been doing really well, especially among the tourists. And being situated near some of the island’s best shorebreak, Blanchard says she has also begun to do well with bodyboarding equipment sales.

Right up the road, Local Motion Surf Shop Manager Jeff Oshiro says that the shop receives 90 percent its business from locals: “A lot of the newer lines are really taking off, but the biggest standout has been Hurley due to its broad appeal.” Women’s lines such as Sugar, Sister, 26 Red, and Roxy have also moved really well in the last year. Lately, Oshiro has noticed a growing demand for skateboarding lines among younger surfers, and he’s also seen a growing interest in longboard skateboards.

“Believe it or not, kite surfing has really taken off in the last few years,” says Hi-Tech Surf Sports Manager Mark Sarver on the island of Maui. Although the shop is still very dedicated to traditional surf equipment, the shop also does well with sailboarding and the newly introduced kite surfing. Sarver says there has actually been an increasing demand for snowboards despite the limited amount of terrain. Due to Maui’s windy conditions, Sarver has witnessed an increase in springsuit sales, especially those with features such as zipperless entry.