Tuesday, Dec 14, 2010
Watersport brand Body Glove specialises in wetsuits, floatation devices and accessories
Dubai A shared passion for the open seas was the perfect springboard for Hesham Hassan and Avinash Advani to hone in on what they wanted to do as businessmen.
The two are the backers of Tiki Style, which holds the exclusive licence for Body Glove, a watersport brand from the United States.
Body Glove’s repertoire attempts to cover all possible product categories that revolve around watersports in some way.
Catering to different age groups, the brand specialises in wetsuits, clothing, swimwear, footwear, personal floatation devices and accessories such as snorkels, fins and masks.
First orders
“In early 2008, we became a registered company in Dubai — our first orders were placed in March,” said Hassan, vice-president at Tiki Style.
“Since then we have signed an exclusive sports retailer agreement with Sun and Sand Sports, which is retailing Body Glove products across 12 of the stores in its network in the UAE, Oman and Saudi Arabia.” he said.
“Also, we are either already tied up, or are in the process of tying up, with various partners such as dive centres, surfing schools [and] wake-boarding clubs.”
Tiki Style’s plunge into the deep end of business is timed to perfection.
Across the region, the water sports industry is growing at a significant rate. The UAE alone is home to about 3,000 to 5,000 water sports enthusiasts and professionals. The number, of course, does not include the tourists that are drawn to Dubai’s beaches and the year-round sunshine.
Advani, also Tiki Style a vice-president, said the absence of a brand that catered to watersport enthusiasts in the region was another motivating factor.
“Having seen the gap in the market for a brand that has almost everything to do with watersports was what drew our attention to establishing Body Glove in the GCC,” he said.
HADRIAN HERNANDEZ/Gulf News
Profiting from passion
Hesham Hassan and Avinash Advani said the absence of a dedicated brand catering to sea enthusiasts motivated them to start Tiki Style.
By Cleofe Maceda ?Staff Reporter
Gulf News 2010. All rights reserved.
