Slyde Handboards Year in Review: The State of Bodysurfing & Handboarding in 2018

MANY THANKS TO ALL OUR FOLLOWERS AND FANS!

As the year draws to a close, Steve and I want to send a huge thank you to all our customers and supporters. We want to thank you for taking the time to send us photos and videos of you Slyd-in, giving us amazing online reviews, recommending us to your friends and family, and of course explaining to fellow beach-goers what the heck is on your hand, then even letting them borrow your Slyde to try it out. 

YOUR SUPPORT MAKES OUR BUSINESS SO MUCH FUN AND WORTH ALL THE EFFORT WE HAVE PUT INTO SLYDE OVER THE PAST 8 YEARS.

SOME EPIC 2018 HIGHLIGHTS:

January:  

• Surf Expo 2018 Kickoff Orlando, Florida 
• Unveiled at Surf Expo: Hawaiian Bodysurfer Keali'i Punley joins Slyde Team
• The Surfers View Calls Slyde "5 Best Boards For Small Waves"
• Kick off of monthly Best Bodysurfing accounts on Instagram
• Launch of Facebook Live Interviews: Featuring Keali'i 
• 2017 Body Surf & HandboardContest Video Compilation 
• Slyde Handsboards Special Amazon Brand Page Feature 
• Fun Facts Blog Launch with Makena Magro 
• Customers Share with us their surfing experience, pre- handboarding

February:

• Epic Vday Giveaway to Kick off the month of love 
• Surf Expo Booth ChecksBlog goes Viral 
• Formed Brand Alliances with Zinka, United by Blue, Salt Life, Slowtide
• Slyde Fireside Chat with Manscaped  of San Diego
• OK Magazine list Slyde a  Top Valentines Day Gift 
• Slyde Live Interview with Bodysurfing Legend Wedge Mel

March:

• Slyde Brand Expansion into a Community designed clothing line
• Awesome Spring Break Gear Guide
• 7 Best Handboarding Destinations for Spring Break
• Daniel Carr at Noosa Festival in Australia 
• CA Bodysurf Zachariah Zeiger Interview
• Bodysurfing Video Complications launched 
• The New York Times features Slyde Handboards Life Edited.
• 10 Best Beaches for Handboarding & Bodysurfing in the USA
• SlydeFest 2018 date and location unveiled 
• March Madness in Mexico Big Wave Bodysurfing with Mark Drewelow 
• Pipeline BodysurfingVideo Compilation 
• Mark Cuban features Slyde on his Facebook Watch Series

April:

• Instagram Giveaways premiere with The Surfing Expert
• Slyde Venice teaches her baby to bodysurf off San Clemente Pier
• Bodysurfing Children's Clinics formed in Chile
• Slyde Hits 10 Top Pages on Instagram Explore
• Bodysurfing Black Cat goes viral 
• Slyde Forms Epic Partnership with Travis forming Slyde Handboards Australia
• Goodtimes Giveaway with Romphim, 7til8wetsuits, & Everyday California
• NPI Productions FB Live interview from Florida 

May:

• Blackball season at The Wedge
• Japan Handboard & Handplane Meetup
• Film "Part Water"Documentary on Fallen Lifeguard Ben Carlson 
• Westside Boards designs Handmade Slydefest Contest Trophies
• 1st Big Summer Swell hits California May 22/23rd
• NowthisisSports Features Slyde Handboard "You can Surf with Your Hands"
• First Ever Man Made Wave Surf Contest at Kelly Slater's Surf Ranch
• Exclusive Feature with Great Lake Surfers 
• Hawaii 1st State to Ban Sunscreen containing oxybenzon & octinoxate
• EPIC @SeasideBodysurfer Bodysurfing Flyby in Puerto Escondido
• IGTV launches channels for long form bodysurfing vertical videos
• Kick Off Summer with Leblon Fin Giveaway
• Celebrating the Surf Industry at Board Room Del Mar 2018
• Viral Video of chicken bodysurfing 
• Slyde joins Santa Monica Summer Solstice Street Festival

June:

• Kicking off International Surfing Day with Surf Rider Huntington Beach
• Fun Interview with "A Walk on Water" Sean Swentek
• Slyde Fest 2018: Kicks of South San Clemente Pier with 50+ Competitors
• HOT 🔥 NEW Product: Keali'i's Signature Bula Board
• The Inertia"This Charity Contest in San Clemente Looked like a hellva good time."
• Shopifycalls Slyde "One of the 100 most creative & beautiful e-commerce sites of 2018"

July:

• Slyde Team Rider Dylan Biggerstaff featured on Fox News LA
• Famous YouTuber Cody Strong rocks a Slyde Tee
• Slyde Handboards arrive in Australia for public purchase
• Slyde Handboards for sale on Amazon Japan
• Exclusive interview with Surf Ranch Street Artist BERT
• Slyde supported California Lifesaving Championships in Coronado 
• Dicks Sporting Goods adds Slyde Handboards to select stores
• Gromboard 2nd Edition Colorways decided

August:

• Slyde Hosts Giveaway Contest with Ho Stevie
• Chubascos BodysurfingChampionships includes Slyde in the winners circle 
• Huge Announcement: Surfing Official Sport of California
• San Clemente Times features Devlin Rowe as Junior Guards 2018 & his custom Slydehandboard
• People share the most important things they've lost bodysurfing
• World Bodysurfing Championships includes stellar roster w Team Slyde 
• Founder spotlight on Adam of Westside BoardsVentura
• Dallas Business Journal "How Slyde is riding the wave of bodysurfing"
• Bodysurfer Mark Cunningham's art featured in Encinitas CA
• Slyde an active part of the awesome Huntington State Beach Junior Guards 

September:

• Mark Cunningham Bodysurfs Wave Pool at Surf Ranch
• Historic Times for Women: Equal Pay in WSL Contest in 2019 & Maya Gabeira broke record for biggest wave surfed, 68feet.
• Whomp Off Australia: Team Bodysurfing Competitionwith special appearance & performances by DaFinHI crew
• URT Womp massive swell at Coronado Beach, California
• Fun Ama Bikinis Photoshoot in Hawaii
• Summer Vacation extenders to keep the endless summer momentum 
• Mega Influencer Gabriela Gonzalez from Florida seen with Slyde Gromboard
• Exclusive interview with AUS mystery man Belly Slater
• UK Bodysurfing Championships Fistral Beach 
• Team Rider Sunny Chamblee bodysurfs river in Germany & Nazare Portugal
• MEGA Announcement: Slyde to be featured on a Shark Tank Update in Oct
• Slyde expands into the Monkey Business: with special Giveback project  Shelia & Venice

October: 

• Ashton Kutcher Slyde Handboard Giveaway
• Slyde Announces they're hosting Shark Tank Viewing Party in San Clemente
• Slyde celebrates 8year Anniversary of being in business
• Slyde Handboards Featured in Epic Shark Tank Season 10Update 
• An open letter to Mark Cuban Company "Sanaia Apple Sauce"
• New Gromboard colorways arrive in the States
• HOT 🔥 NEW Partnership DaFinx Slyde Collaborative Fin

November:

• Shopify Features Slyde Handboards & the art of Customer Service
• Business Insider's "20 gift ideas from Shark Tank & available on Amazon"
• Slyde Handboards Facebook Community  reaches 9000+ people
• 8th AnniversaryCommunity Designed T-shirt released 
• Jacuzzi Surfer moves to Nazare'Portugal, for court-side seats to epic waves.
• Epic Giveaway with Cor Surf to launch new backpack series.
• Australia debuts 1st Wave Pool on a Lake
• Amazon Launches "As Seen on Shark Tank Collection"
• CNBC front page Slyde feature "This Shark Tank husband and wife team used their wedding money to start a company."

December:

• Gear Gift Guide 2018 from 11 Southern California Brands 
• Ventura Bodysurfing Classic: Makena- Women's Grand Champ, Spencer 2nd Men's division, Sunny 3rd Women's division 
• Irvine Weekly entrepreneur feature "Irvine takes a bite out of Shark Tank"
• Slyde Fest 2019 locked down for Saturday June 22nd San Clemente, CA
• Pod of Killer Whales  & swimmer go viral on Instagram & in real life 
• Gabriel Medina  claims his 2nd World Title & 1st Pipemaster title, with a perfect 10 and some epic bodysurfing action
• Top Secret Big Wave Surfer announcement for Slyde Team in 2019.

Be A Part of our 2019 Adventures →