Until the snow falls

The first week in September holds a special place in many hearts as the best time to find the Gaslamp Quarter in San Diego filled to the brim with skateboarding and quasi-debauchery as industry-types head to the Action Sports Retailer Trade Show.

 At the show, better known as ASR, surf and skate retailers meet with over 500 manufacturers to order-up next spring's line of bikinis, surfboards, skateboards, and apparel.
 
For the snowboard industry however, ASR is the place to slap high-fives, catch the best snowboard video premieres and parties, and reconnect with friends back from summer surf trips and southern-hemi snow sessions.
 

Powderroom.net was on location at the San Diego Convention Center September 4 to 6, 2008 to sneak a peek at new product and snap a few photos along the way.

Dragon Alliance was the first stop of the show. After leaving parent company Oakley last June and re-privatizing, Dragon now has a bigger focus on differentiation for the upcoming season.

Look for more collaboration with artists and riders like snowboarding legend Jamie Lynn, who has his own Limited Signature Series in Dragon's newest goggle style – Rogue. Rogue is a unisex frame and comes in multiple color ways including the Victorian print.

The Rogue Jamie and Rogue Victorian goggles

Dragon has also collaborated with Skullcandy in bringing music to your goggles with the limited Dragon/Skullcandy CO-OP DX. For a more mellow look, check out Skullcandy's Holua ear buds with nature-inspired wood housings and gold accents.

You can see Skullcandy product on female team riders Jacqui Berg, Kimmy Fasani, and Molly Aguirre.
 

Skullcandy Co-op goggles and Holula gold earbuds

Keeping with next season's freshest eyewear we stopped by Sabre, who shared rad-inspired styles like the new Bikini Kill.

The Sabre Booth and the Sabre Bikini Kill shades

Arbor snow and skateboards were on display in the Action Sports Environmental Coalition (ASEC) Green Room, which showcased the action sports industry's eye toward environmental goodness.

Also on the environmental front, Project Blue displayed special product from Billabong, DaKine, O'Neill, Reef, Electric, and Nixon with a portion of proceeds from Project Blue retail sales supporting the Surfrider Foundation.

Other retailers included the Vans crew who was cooking up signature waffles-on-a-stick to match their classic waffle sole shoes, the infamous Volcom spectacle with their party-on-a-stick booth, and a line-up of neon awesomeness (having nothing to do with sticks) from Nike 6.0.

The Volcom party-on-a-stick and neon awesomeness at the Nike 6.0 stand

Checking out fresh product and watching new snowboard videos in the warmth of sunny San Diego will definitely have you longing for winter, so until the snow falls… xoxo.