SIMA (originally called the Surf Industry Manufacturers Association) was formed in 1989 at the Surf Expo trade show in Florida, when 150 industry individuals came together to try to sort out a series of industry related issues, particularly setting up a trade show schedule to coordinate between the Surf Expo show on the East Coast and Action Sports Retailer show on the West Coast.

At that time, the innovative surf apparel brands such as Ocean Pacific (Op), Gotcha, Quiksilver, and others were captivating the fashion world with their uniquely coastal inspired sportswear.

The non-surfing masses were buying into the look, helping fuel the growth of those companies and the overall surf industry.

Quiksilver CEO Bob McKnight and Gotcha CEO Michael Tomson became SIMA’s first president and vice president respectively and started us down the path to where we are today.