VOTED AWARDS
BRAND AWARDS (Voted by Retailers | Eligible for Brands)
2026 Brand Of The Year | Medium (micro to medium-large)
2026 Brand Of The Year | Large (large to major)
2026 Boardshort Brand Of The Year
2026 Swimwear Brand Of The Year
2026 Sunglass Brand Of The Year
2026 Footwear Brand Of The Year
PRODUCT AWARDS (Voted by Retailers | Eligible for Brands)
Wetsuit of the Year
Surfboard of the Year
Surfing Accessory of the Year
The Product Awards recognise standout products across the surf industry, celebrating excellence in design, performance, and innovation. Winners are determined through a vote by ASI Retail Members.
Eligibility:
Nominated products must have been available in the market at the time of nomination.
The Surfing Accessory of the Year category is limited to equipment used on or around the surfboard (excludes apparel and soft goods).
Voting:
Only ASI Retail Members who stock these product categories are invited to vote.
Retailers rank their top three selections (1st, 2nd, 3rd).
Voting is limited to retailers with direct experience ranging and selling these products.
Judging Criteria:
Was the product innovative?
Was the product well designed?
Did the product sell or perform well in-store?
Was the product developed or packaged with environmental impact in mind?
To nominate for these awards please CLICK HERE
SALES & CUSTOMER SERVICE AWARDS (Voted by Retailers | Eligible for Brands)
Sales & Customer Service Office of the Year
Australian Account Manager of the Year
Australian Sales Agency of the Year
The Sales & Customer Service Awards recognise individuals and teams who deliver outstanding support, service, and commercial impact across the surf industry. Winners are determined through a vote by ASI Retail Members.
Eligibility:
Sales & Customer Service Office of the Year must be a specific office location of an ASI brand member (e.g. Brand – Location)
Australian Account Manager of the Year must be a current employee of an ASI brand member
Australian Sales Agency of the Year must be currently engaged by an ASI brand member
Voting:
ASI Retail Members rank their top three selections (1st, 2nd, 3rd).
Voting is based on the level of support and customer service provided.
Finalists (Account Manager & Sales Agency):
Five finalists are selected, one from each territory: QLD, NSW, VIC/TAS, SA/NT, WA
Each finalist represents the highest-voted nominee in their region
Judging Criteria:
Do they understand your business needs?
Do they work with you to achieve a collaborative outcome?
Do they help drive sales through your business?
Do they provide your business with outstanding customer support?
To nominate for these awards please CLICK HERE
JUDGED AWARDS
PRODUCT INNOVATION (Judged by independent panel)
The Product Innovation Award is a judged award that recognises the surf industry’s most outstanding product innovation. This category is open to all products in all categories. Products must have been in the market place during the previous calendar year.
When judging, the judging panel considers the presentation of the initiative and the following criteria:
The product’s concept and design benefits.
The innovation elements and the impact the product has on the marketplace; sustainability, potential, any problem solving initiatives, etc.
The value, need, differentiation and advantage this product has in the marketplace.
How the concept is delivered to the marketplace and it’s competitive advantage.
How you have communicated the initiative and how it elevates and displays leadership within the industry and society.
Questions to answered for submission:
Detail whether the product is a modified version of an existing product, a new model in the existing product range, or a totally new product (0 points – context only)
Explain the product’s concept and design benefits (maximum 10 points available)
Detail the innovation elements and the impact the product has on the marketplace; sustainability, potential, any problem solving initiatives etc (maximum 30 points available)
Explain the value, need, differentiation and advantage this product has in the marketplace (maximum 20 points available)
Detail how the concept is delivered to the marketplace and its competitive advantage (maximum 20 points available)
Detail how you have communicated the initiative and how it elevates and displays leadership within the industry and society (maximum 15 points available)
To nominate for this award, please contact the awards team to have your Dropbox set up admin@australiansurfindustry.com.au
STORE MANAGER OF THE YEAR (Judged by independent panel)
The Store Manager of the Year category shines a spotlight on the exceptional leaders who go above and beyond to create exceptional in-store experiences, drive sales, and foster a positive work environment. These individuals possess a unique blend of management skills, customer service acumen, and a passion for achieving outstanding results.
By introducing this category, we aim to acknowledge the pivotal role that store managers play in the success of businesses, and to honour their unwavering commitment to excellence. Their leadership and ability to motivate their teams directly impact customer satisfaction, brand loyalty, and overall business growth.
The nomination process will be as follows:
A senior representative from your company (e.g. Store Owner, Director, CEO) will be asked to nominate their Store Manager of the Year.
Nominations will be analysed by the ASI Awards Team to ensure validity.
The senior representative of the company will be asked to complete a submission for their Store Manager of the Year.
The submissions will be reviewed and scored by an independent judging panel.
The criteria for this award is as follows:
The Store Manager must have been employed in your business for at least the past 12 months.
The Store Manager must be nominated by a senior representative from your company (e.g Store Owner, Director, CEO or a ASI Brand Manager).
Definition of Store Managers: All individuals in the position of Store Manager of a retail outlet (online or shopfront) operating in the Australian Surf Industry are eligible.
Business owners who are the sole Store Manager do not qualify. Managers of multiple stores or Area Managers also do not qualify. Managers of purely online stores can enter if they could reasonably be defined as a Store Manager.
The business must have been in operation for at least 12 months and continue to be in operation on 19 October 2026. You must notify us via admin@australiansurfindustry.com.au if this changes.
You must nominate one person in your organisation to be the primary contact for your entry.
Questions to answered for submission:
Your Business: Include a brief overview on the nature of your business and what you sell. Briefly outline why you believe your Manager deserves this award. (maximum 200 words) – Value: (10 points)
Retail Leadership: Describe how the Store Manager leads their store with exceptional retail acumen. Give examples of how the Store Manager operates the business daily and shows best practice in all aspects of their role. (maximum 400 words) – Value: 20 points
Customer Experience: Describe how the Store Manager delivers great customer experience. Include measures or examples of how this is delivered and achieved. (maximum 200 words) – Value: 20 points
Culture: Tell us how the Store Manager creates employee satisfaction and culture within the store. Please include examples or measures of how this is achieved. (maximum 200 words) – Value: 20 points
Successful Business Performance: How does the Store Manager deliver successful bottom-line results whilst demonstrating a sound knowledge of the retail sector? (maximum 200 words) – Value: 20 points
Supporting Material: You can choose to attach a maximum of three (3) x A4 pages that provide evidence or support your submission above e.g. charts, images, testimonials, reports. NB: The visual design of the attachment will not factor into judging. Value: 20 points
To nominate for this award, please contact the awards team to have your Dropbox set up admin@australiansurfindustry.com.au
AUSTRALIAN RETAILER OF THE YEAR (Single and Multi Store)
Eligible for Independent Retailers to enter (Judged categories)
We want to take the pressure off our retailers by eliminating the process of preparing a lengthy written submission. This will enable as many independent retailers to participate as possible.
The process will be as follows:
Brands will be asked to nominate up to 10 of their Top Independent Retailers.
Retailers are also encouraged to self-nominate.
Brands will then vote for up to 3 Independent Retailers.
Voting results will determine the Top 5 Retailers.
Retailers will be notified that they are a Top 5 Finalist and they must accept their nomination to progress.
Once finalists are determined, each finalist will be required to sit an interview with our Executive Officer addressing a series of weighted questions for assessment by the independent judging panel (NB: Question set will be provided to finalists prior to interview).
Finalists will also undergo a mystery shopping evaluation. This will involve secret shoppers visiting the finalists’ retail location (1 only for multi doors) who will assess various aspects of their service and operations. The secret shoppers will use a standardised scoring system to evaluate the finalists, and the scores obtained will contribute to the overall results for determining the final winner.
AUSTRALIAN CORE BOARD STORE OF THE YEAR
Eligible for Independent Retailers to enter (Judged category)
This award is limited to retailers that have dedicated hardware, surf accessories and wetsuit areas. The products in this area are used in the sport of surfing, excluding soft goods and clothing.
The process will be as follows:
Hardgoods brands will be asked to nominate their key hardgoods retailers.
Brands will then vote for up to 3 hardgoods retailers.
Voting results will determine the Top 3 who will join the prior year’s award Winner and Runner Up as finalists.
Voting results will determine the Top 5 Retailers.
Retailers will be notified that they are a Top 5 Finalist and they must accept their nomination to progress.
Once finalists are determined, each finalist will be required to sit an interview with our Executive Officer addressing a series of weighted questions for assessment by the independent judging panel. (NB: Question set will be provided to finalists prior to interview).
Finalists will also undergo a mystery shopping evaluation. This will involve secret shoppers visiting the finalists’ retail location (1 only for multi doors) who will assess various aspects of their service and operations. The secret shoppers will use a standardised scoring system to evaluate the finalists, and the scores obtained will contribute to the overall results for determining the final winner.
To nominate for these awards please CLICK HERE
ENVIRONMENT AWARD - Eligible for All Retailers and Brands to enter (Judged category)
The Environment Award recognises the outstanding environmental and sustainability initiative(s) within the business or community. The Environment Award is open to all products, brands/manufacturers and retailers. The initiative(s) must have been active during the previous 12 months. (1 July, 2024 to 7 August, 2025 when entries close).
When judging, the judging panel considers the presentation of the initiative and the following criteria:
The environmental and social issues or responsibilities that were considered and how they were addressed. Does your initiative go beyond what is expected of the law and regulation requirements?
The product or initiative’s originality, innovation and creativity in context to its environmental impact or benefits.
Does the product or initiative lessen the environmental impact, whether through the manufacturing process, materials or usage of the product itself?
How the product or initiative has been communicated or marketed and how it elevates and displays leadership within the industry and society.
Questions to answered for submission:
Please provide an overview of the initiative, product or campaign (0 points – context only).
Explain the environmental issues that were considered and how they were addressed. Does your initiative go beyond what is expected of the law and regulation requirements? (maximum 25 points available).
Describe the product or initiative’s originality, innovation and creativity in context to its environmental impact or benefits. (maximum 25 points available).
How does the product or initiative measure its environmental impact? Whether through the manufacturing process, materials or usage of the product itself (maximum 30 points available).
Detail how the product or initiative has been communicated or marketed, how it elevates and displays leadership within the industry/society, and how this initiative engages people to go further for the environment (maximum 20 points available)
To nominate for this award, please contact the awards team to have your Dropbox set up admin@australiansurfindustry.com.au
SHOP FIT OUT (Judged by independent panel)
The ASI Shop Fit Out of the Year Award recognises the achievements of retailers or brands in the boardsports industry who complete and deliver a new store fit-out or a re-design of an existing store concept over the past 2 years. As visual elements of a retail business are clearly linked to productivity and profitability, the ASI Shop Fit Out of the Year Award recognises the leader in store design, customer experience and delivery of the project.
When judging, the judging panel considers the presentation of the initiative and the following criteria:
The planning process that was undertaken to achieve the final result, including space planning, design process, project delivery and any issues or unique considerations i.e. sustainability, better lighting, technology innovation, creative concepts to improve sales, adaptability for future growth, etc.
The extent of the store fit out and what was involved in the project.
The design intent/aesthetics in your brief, how this aligns with the value proposition and how they enhance the customer experience.
The design elements and materials, including sustainability considerations, technology and innovative aspects highlighting the unique elements that have been included in the approach and how this has enhanced the customer experience.
Questions to answered for submission:
Provide an overview of your business operation and history and your role within the business. Please include details of whether this project has been a refurbishment of an existing location or a completely new location (0 points – context only).
Detail the planning process that was undertaken to achieve the final result including space planning, design process, project delivery and any issues or unique considerations i.e sustainability, better lighting, technology innovation, creative concepts to improve sales, adaptability for future growth etc (maximum 20 points available).
Provide an overview of the extent of the store fit out and what was involved in the project. Please also note in your response, any external contractors who were involved in the project i.e. designer, interior designer, technology specialist etc (maximum 20 points available).
Describe the design intent/aesthetics in your brief. Explain how this aligns with the value proposition, how it reflects your point of difference as a business and how it enhances the customer experience. You may like to include how the design of the store and the product positioning contributed to increased revenue (maximum 30 points available).
Detail the design elements and materials, including sustainability considerations, cutting edge technology and innovative aspects highlighting the unique elements that have been included in the approach and how this has enhanced the customer experience. Please also include whether you were able to integrate Australian made/manufactured materials and any local tradespeople or specialist master tradespeople (maximum 30 points available).
To nominate for this award, please contact the awards team to have your Dropbox set up admin@australiansurfindustry.com.au
MARKETING EXCELLENCE (Ladies and Mens)
The Marketing Excellence awards now celebrate brands that have delivered consistent, impactful, and creative marketing over a sustained period. These updated categories acknowledge the depth and breadth of marketing activity, from print, digital and social to retail execution, storytelling, partnerships, events and everything in between.
This change also allows for broader participation and a more inclusive lens across all styles of marketing, whether big or boutique, global or grassroots. We're looking for brands that have shown strategic clarity, creativity, and results, those who know their audience and know how to move them.
Questions to answered for submission:
Describe your overarching marketing strategy for the past 12 months. Include your target audience, key objectives, and how you positioned the brand throughout the year. (0 points – context only)
Explain your brand’s value proposition and how it was consistently brought to life across marketing touch points. (Maximum 20 points)
Outline the channels and activations used throughout the year (e.g. digital, social, in-store, events, PR) and how they engaged your audience. (Maximum 25 points)
Describe how your marketing efforts were delivered and supported across your retail network (e.g. in-store campaigns, point-of-sale, co-op marketing). (Maximum 15 points)
What elements of creativity or innovation helped your marketing stand out this year?(Maximum 20 points)
Articulate the results. Whether that’s in terms of brand growth, commercial performance, community engagement, or other measurable outcomes. (Maximum 20 points)
To nominate for this award, please contact the awards team to have your Dropbox set up admin@australiansurfindustry.com.au