Street Beat: West Wetsuits

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May 20, 2010

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Photo: West
John Harbin, Brand Manager for WestSurfers generally need few items to do what they love. But ask any ardent surfer their prized possession and they're likely to say one of two things: their board or wetsuit. Bottom line: unless your wettie is keeping you warm and comfortable, you're not going to last long in the water.

Established in 1982, West manufactures top-line neoprene to keep surfers in the ocean. Headquartered in Perth, Australia with US operations in Oceanside, California, West has roughly 85 employees worldwide. My educated guess is that all 85 surf.

I recently saw my friend Andy (who works for West) and ran the idea of a Street Beat by him. He was all for it and connected me to John Harbin, Brand Manager for West. The rest, as they say, is history...enjoy!

-Danny Spyra

Photo: West
The Edge wetsuit by West - perfect for the summer

BNQT - WEST HAS BEEN MANUFACTURING PREMIER WETSUITS SINCE 1982. CAN YOU GIVE US AN OVERVIEW OF THE 2010 COLLECTION?

John - Our range is pretty deep; without going into too much detail we try to offer our retailers three different price points. Starting with our Nitro collection, which is an all GBS (glued, and blind stitched) suit. It has all the bells and whistles but comes in at a very affordable price. Next is our Edge, the perfect summer range, again all GBS but with our West gen-3 Ultraspan, making it the most flexible suit around. Last but not least is our Lotus, available in all thicknesses and cuts. As in all our range our suits are made with limestone based neoprene making a suit that is warmer, softer, stretchier and kinder to mother nature.
Photo: West
Enter the Me Surf, We Surf competition to win a West
wetsuit

BNQT - "ME SURF, WE SURF" IS A WEST CATCHPHRASE AS WELL AS A CONTEST. CAN YOU TELL US A BIT ABOUT THIS MOTTO?

John - Nothing too complicated here; we at West surf and know you do too. It's all about coming together with a common interest. It's not about status or even location for that matter, it's all about enjoying what we do together.

BNQT - HOW DOES THE ME SURF, WE SURF COMPETITION WORK?

John - Just take a picture of yourself and let us know geographically where you're WEST of. Submit your photo to comp@westsurfing.com for your chance to win free wetsuits and there's a chance you might even see your picture in a West advertisement in any of our global mags.

Photo: West
The Lotus wetsuit by West

BNQT - I'VE HEARD AMAZING THINGS ABOUT THE LOTUS WETSUIT. CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE LOTUS AND LOTUS AIR-O?

John - The Lotus has been a staple of our collection in the US since 2007 and has really put us on the map. The Lotus starts with our West Gen 3 Ultraspan neoprene, designed with minimal seams that are all double glued, blind stitched and liquid tape sealed.

Photo: West
Technology behind the Lotus Air-O

The way we've designed this Lotus gives you flexibility where you need it and added warmth in key areas, with seams to assist body movement. This suit comes in a chest and back zip entry system and we also offer it in 8 different styles and thickness from an all 2mm to a 6/5/4.

New for 2010 we introduced the Lotus Air-O. This suit combines three layers of 1mm neoprene; the middle layer is a honey comb construction, which creates small pockets of air that are heated up by the body. It's amazing just how warm this suit is, and our price point at $319.99 is unrivaled.

BNQT - A NEW WEST INITIATIVE FOR 2010 INCLUDES AN ENVIRONMENTALLY-FRIENDLY OPTION OF THE LOTUS, CALLED THE LOTUS-ECO. HOW DOES THIS WETSUIT STACK UP?

John - This suit is crazy; it's insane how raw, completely biodegradable materials can make up this suit. It's fabricated with yarns created from recycled plastic water bottles. Another added feature is it's bonded with a non-solvent based adhesive. Not to mention it's as durable and flexible as any suit it's put next to.

Photo: West
West rider, Warren Smith

BNQT - WEST CERTAINLY HAS A STRONG FOLLOWING AMONG THE CORE SURFERS. WHAT ARE THE KEY RETAIL ACCOUNTS FOR YOU?

John - We've been keeping it real since 1982. We are a family owned core wetsuit brand with our roots set on the west side of Australia. You can find us in core shops in your area; we get behind our shops, and then our accounts get behind us.