High Visibility features companies, products and collections that are raising brand awareness through strategic partnerships, sponsorships, consumer advertising campaigns and tie-ins to prominent events, etc. To be considered for inclusion please contact senior editors, Deirdre Carroll or John Sailer.


While the summer season has cooled off into fall, surfing season is heating up as the ten events in the Association of Surfing Professionals’ World Championship Tour approaches its climax. With sun as ubiquitous as water at these events, sunglasses companies are the perfect sponsors of professional surfers in this edition of Hi Vis…

The surfing competition considered one of the favorites by both surfers and fans alike, the 2012 Hurley Surfing Pro at Lower Trestles, Calif., concluded last week. SPY, a sunglasses brand founded on the sport in 1994, served as co-sponsor of the event, one of the most watched professional surfing webcasts of the season. While SPY team rider, John John Florence, remained in the top five after the conclusion of the competition, the sixth stop of the Association of Surfing Professionals’ ten different World Championship Tour venues, it was Kelly Slater who emerged the winner of this event. Still, John John Florence keeps his cool in his signature sunwear, SPY’s Kubrik, described as “Rock on the Rock, inspired by classic rock and life on The Rock.”

 

Also last week, Zeal Optics welcomed Canadian surfer Pete Devries to its professional team. Born and raised in Tofino, British Columbia, he recently won the Coldwater Classic in his hometown. “ Zeal is stoked to have Pete as part of the family,” said director of marketing, Joe Prebich. “He is an unstoppable surfer, not even the frigid waters of BC hold him up. His passion for his sport and lifestyle fit perfectly into the Zeal brand.” Devries added, “I’m excited to be part of a team that is creative and passionate in what they do.”

 

Sunglasses-sponsored surfing is not limited to the guys. Top women’s surfer Courtney Conlogue is sponsored by Kaenon. In addition to being a top-ranked professional surfer, during long days at the beach she wears 401 sunglasses, a hybrid of performance and style with lightweight comfort in a subtle cat-eye design featuring the SR-91 polarized lens.