Four hundred people, including business leaders, celebrities and surfing legends, attended the annual Waterman's Ball organized on Oct. 6 by EuroSIMA, the European boardsports industry manufacturers' group. Held at the Hossegor Casino in France, the gala dinner had a “60s Rockabilly” dress code and raised money for EuroSIMA's sustainability projects. The EuroSIMA Industry Awards honoring companies, athletes and personality for contributions to the industry were also held at the ball, with Notox winning the €10,000 Innovation Prize for its greenOne project, a range of eco-friendly surfboards. Vans won as performance brand of the year based on its results from the 2010-11 season. Billabong's “I surf because …” campaign won the title of European surf ad campaign of the year, and Jérémy Flores of the World Championship Tour was named European athlete of the year. The late Bruno Débauché won a posthumous lifetime achievement award for his contributions to the boardsports industry in France and Europe. He was the co-founder of the company Brotherhood. He also launched the magazine Beach Brother.

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