Surf Expo Orlando 2018: Recap From A River Surfer’s Perspective

Surf Expo is the largest and longest-running board sports trade show in the world. The expo happens twice a year in Orlando, it is a beach lifestyle show where surf shops come to view and purchase, and manufacturers try to get their lines picked up. Surf boards, water toys, and athletes are everywhere. The clothing lines are the most plentiful items there and seem to be the cornerstone of this industry.

Body gloves takes center stage. When you walk in they have tables for buyers to view beach bunnies pace the catwalk in beach attire. A few isles down a nice half pipe and couple of skate board manufacturers booths. Costa Del Mar, Mau Jim, Reef, and about 300 others fill the conventions center. Occasional kids zip through the crowed on the latest electric skateboard or a beach bunny on a $5k electric Mountain bike that’s cooler than my motorcycle. Just a real chill atmosphere.

Buell, Scott Burke, California Board Company & Phase 5

With my newfound love of river surfing I set out in search of equipment. The show was dominated by ocean surf equipment, but the inflatables and foamie varieties had plenty of gear that would work. The standouts to me were Buell, Scott Burke, California Board Company, and Phase 5.

Scott Burke and California Board Company had more color and style in their equipment that gave it a nice curb appeal. Without the ability to try any of it out I’m not sure if it would only make me look better in the parking lot or if it would perform better on the wave. For the more advanced rider Phase 5 and California board company had wake surf and skim boards that look like they would fly across a nice steep green face.

Wetsuits and Foamies

Buell stood out because they had a river surfer on their staff. Mike Mckay from Missoula Montana. It was nice to get river surfing feed back about their wetsuits and foamies. He gave me a quick lesson about wetsuits. Living in the south I had no idea how much rubber had to be worn in the dead of winter and how many different suits for different temperature seasons are needed that far north.

Surf Is Where You Find It …

Little surprising, river surfing wasn’t the star of the show at Surf Expo, but like any good river surfer knows; surf (and surf equipment) is where you find it.

More about: Event Events Expo Orlando

Brought to you by

Tanner Davis is the founder of River Surf Systems, a company using their unique Reef Pass technology to mold flowing rivers into surfing waves shaped as good as the best ocean waves. Tanner is looking back at 30 years ocean surfing, 3 years of wake surfing, 25 years in construction, 7 years construction project management, 3 years of physics in college and a functioning river wave prototype.