Santa Cruz, CA. (October 5, 2009) – The Psychofreak wetsuit by O’Neill received the Surf Industry Manufacturers’ Image Award for the Wetsuit of the Year this past weekend at SIMA Surf Summit 12 in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. The SIMA Image Awards identify the surf industry’s most influential companies and recognize them for their efforts to advance and grow the industry.
Determined to make the warmest high performance cold water wetsuit, O’Neill introduced the revolutionary Psychofreak with XDS-Air neoprene in fall 2008. "As the original wetsuit manufacturer, it is in our blood to push the evolution of the wetsuit," stated John Hunter, Senior Product Designer at O’Neill Wetsuits. Unlike traditional cold water wetsuits that utilize thicker neoprene, the Psychofreak with O’Neill’s unique XDS-Air neoprene, a complex 3D structure of rubber and trapped air components, provides increased insulation similar to a double paned window, without additional thickness or restriction. "The ultimate goal in designing wetsuits is to make them as warm and flexible as possible; we obviously achieved that with the Psychofreak."
Chosen by fellow surf industry companies and retailers, the SIMA Image Awards are a reflection of how brands and their products are viewed within the industry, but more importantly by those selling the product to the customer. "I really want to thank all of our dealers for supporting O'Neill for over fifty-five years and I'm stoked our dealers and customers recognize the difference between a functional innovative wetsuit and all the imitations out there," stated Pat O’Neill, CEO and President of O’Neill Wetsuits. "Our dealers claim O'Neill wetsuits continue to represent seventy to eighty percent of their total wetsuits sales, so I am not surprised the Psychofreak has been recognized as the top wetsuit."
CLICK ON JORDY/PSYCHOFREAK IMAGE BELOW TO WATCH PSYCHOFREAK VIDEO.....