“Wetsuit of the Year” is a prestigious award to win in the surf industry. Given out by SIMA (Surf Industry Manufacturer’s Association) for the wetsuit that features the most exciting design, appeal, or innovation, Xcel won the award for it’s revolutionary Infiniti Drylock waterproof system, the next evolution of the Infiniti Series wetsuits that won Xcel these same honors last year. The award was announced May 19th at the annual industry conference in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
So what makes the Xcel suit so special? Well it’s basically the most watertight, flexible wetsuit on the market today, and features a 100% waterproof Drylock zipper as part of Xcel’s X-ZIP 2 entry system. Add to that 300% Ultraspan Superlight Neoprene, Ultrastretch composite quadrupled glued(!!!) Fusion Seams, and an Ultralight Thermo Barrier, and you have a suit that deserves another award just for the constant use of “Ultra” in its descriptions! And how does it work? In lamens terms – climb into the suit through the mega-stretchy neck hole, pull the collar over your head, cinch the elastic bungy, zip over the horizontal chest zip and you’re ready to surf.
Xcel managed to beat off competition from industry big-hitters like Rip Curl, Body Glove and Billabong.
The SIMA Image Awards identifies the surf industry’s most influential companies, recognizing them for their efforts to advance and to grow the industry. It is the only awards program that gives the surf industry the opportunity to recognize fellow companies for their outstanding contributions to the industry. Nominees are selected by a panel of industry experts, followed by a formal vote by SIMA members and specialty retailers who determine the ultimate winners.
“We’ve been seeing the Infiniti Drylock system consistently deliver in all aspects of performance,” adds Greg Wade, Xcel vice president of sales and marketing. “Its performance in the water, at retail, and now at SIMA’s award program, are all testaments to Xcel’s position as a leader in wetsuit design and innovation, and an inspiration to us to keep pushing that leading position even farther. I’m especially excited about the expanded Infiniti Drylock line that we’ll be introducing later this year!”
So there you have it, expect to see this award-winning wetsuit design pushed out through the Xcel line for ‘09.
