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The Best Bus (Safely) Leaves for the Surf Expo in Orlando
Posted Thursday 13th September
This morning, we waved goodbye to Bucky Ashcraft, Team Rider and RV Driver Extraordinaire ...
... along with most of the Sales and Customer Service teams, some of the R&D team, and a fraction of the Marketing team ... who loaded up the RV with 2008 product and headed up to Orlando, to get ready for the Surf Expo, where they'll be from Friday September 14th through Sunday September 16th, before heading over to Clearwater for 2 days of product demos.
There is now a mere a skeleton crew left in the office to deal with customer service issues ... so beware. We're not as friendly as the guys who just left. Here's a quick shot of us "taking care" of our last customer, a local kiter from Delray.
The Surf Expo, held at the Convention Center in Orlando, starts Friday, September 14th, and runs through Sunday the 16th, and is a chance for "manufacturers and retailers in the surf, skate, water sports, swim and resort industries to get together in a business-first buying and selling environment." Business first, says the Surf Expo website, but in addition to all the work that goes into organizing such a huge event, it can also be a bit of a three-day party with lots of socializing amidst the new product line-ups for 2008, once you're finally there.
So if you'll be there, stop by and see us at Booth 1122 in the "WIND" section ... in additon to the chance to meet our sparkling staff and see our 2008 Product, we'll also have candy!! And a Twister Board! So if nothing else, come and get twisted with a Bikini-Clad Best Girl so we can get some good pictures for the website! Remember: don't HIDE from the camera ... embrace it! Normal photos = bad ... embarrassing photos = good!
For more information about the event, click here for the link. According to the website, admission is free for qualified buyers. Buyers' guest fee is $30 and all buyer guests must register onsite. Industry guests, including non-exhibiting manufacturers and other industry -affiliates, may register onsite as an Industry Guest for $100, and you need to be 16 to attend.
After the show, the Bus will head over to Clearwater for the AWSI/SurfExpo Retailer Symposium and product demo held at the Sheraton Sand Key Resort on Clearwater Beach on Monday September 17th and Tuesday the 18th. Unfortunately, the demo is not open to the public, but if you're a dealer and are part of the Surf Expo, stop by and see us. We'll have an 08 9m Waroo, and a 9m, 10m, and 12m Nemesis HP available for demoing, and also a 13 and 16m Bularoo (since the forecast is looking a little on the light side at the moment). (But stay tuned for information on some public demos ... we will put something together shortly.)
If you can't find us, look for a big RV ... it's blue and white ... has lots of fish on it ... you can't miss it.
Before sending them off on the road, however, we INSISTED that Bucky ... an irreplaceable commodity to the company ... wear bright pink protective headgear, while making his way to Orlando and back. There are a LOT of bad drivers in Florida, and we can't take ANY chances. We also made sure he had a razor-sharp fin to ward off any predators or would-be hi-jackers, and also to keep Brandon Briggs, the co-pilot, in line.
Brandon recently made his debut as a male model at the Lynn University Fashion Show ...
... after a brief stint as a female model at the Tampa Bay Kitemasters Pre-Party, and we constantly need to keep an eye on him. Bucky, armed with his 1.5 fin and helmet, is the perfect man for the job, should Brandon attempt to "act out."
By the way, Buck, a pioneer in the strapless revolution, is one heck of ripper, and we're just lucky that he happens to be a really good sport about posing for pictures wearing pink helmets. So, if you're in the area on Monday or Tuesday, but don't really feel like riding that day, Bucky will demo the gear FOR you and all you have to do is watch!
