Regional name creates global brand for spearfishing communities

HONOLULU, Hawaii (January 2009)— In 1999, owners Sterling Kaya and Clifford Cheng published the first issue of Hawaii Skin Diver (HSD) Magazine. The goal at the time was to create a vehicle to introduce new people into the sport of freedive/spearfishing, while increasing an awareness and respect for the ocean.
Through their simple beginnings the HSD brand now stretches across many continents as a
communication vehicle for spearfishermen.

Currently, the HSD brand includes a television show, website, spearfishing gear including apparel, DVD collection and magazine. The magazine retains contributing writers from Australia, Guam, New Zealand, South Africa, South America and United States (East & West Coasts). Circulation is now distributed throughout the world with the help of its U.S. mainland, international and Hawaii distributors.

“I remember working on the first issue of HSD and right before sending the files to our printers the computer crashed,” said Kaya. “It took a while to salvage, but we got it out and it’s been pretty smooth ever since.”

Hawaii Skin Diver is known globally for their award-winning graphic design that bonds communities communication spearfishermen around the world. In 2006, the American Advertising Federation awarded HSD with a prestigious National Silver Addy Award for its editorial spread named “Squid Eye.” Over the 10 years, HSD accumulated 15 Pele Awards that recognizes best advertising and graphic design created in Hawaii. Other design awards include two American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) Honolulu Best in Show and six Society of Publication Designers (SPD) Awards.

“Awards are a nice by-product of the work we do,” says Cheng, who also owns VOICE, a graphic design studio based in Honolulu. “HSD is not your typical magazine.
Our readers are our contributing writers and photographers, that’s part of the appeal.
My job is telling their story in a visually interesting way.”

In celebrating its 10-year Anniversary, HSD has created a 10-year logo that will
be placed in the magazine, website, apparel and events. Notable HSD events for 2009 are
the Hawaii Skin Diver Expo in July and The Primo Gene Higa Memorial Tournament in
May. Cheng created the 10-year logo design. Samples of the logo can be found on the
next page.

Hawaii Skin Diver magazine is the global journal of spearfishing and freediving.
Celebrating 10 years of publishing excellence, HSD magazine is a quarterly publication
based in Hawaii and circulated throughout the world. Featuring award-winning
photography and design, provocative stories and trusted research, HSD is a sleek high-
quality read un-matched in the freediving/spearfishing industry. HSD is associated with
the OC16 Hawaii Skin Diver TV Show, Hana Pa’a Fishing Hawaii, HSD Dive Shop &
Gear and www.hawaiiskindiver.com

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