Surfers - Both hot and cool

NEW YORK -- Forget riding the wave, today's surfers are ahead of it when it comes to style. The same goes for skateboarders and snowboarders.

They play by their own rules, often combining function and fashion to satisfy both their needs and image.

Until recently, though, extreme sports was a niche market, largely teenage boys who aren't usually at the top of the tastemakers' go-to list. But then someone realized that these guys are cool. Now, not only are floral board shorts as common on city sidewalks as on Hawaii's beaches, they're a source of inspiration for some of fashion's big names.

How did that happen?

"Tropical idolatry," says pro surfer Laird Hamilton, who's been tapped to represent American Express and Davidoff Cool Water fragrance in advertisements.

"Why do you see board shorts on the street? Because people are seeing an escape. It's the same reason people go to movies and listen to music," Hamilton says.

When the ads featuring Hamilton and his surfboard broke in May, retail sales of Cool Water that month jumped 28 percent from the year before.

The casual chic image associated with surfing has an undeniable appeal.

"The lifestyle of California and the action sports here are so desirable," says Janine Blain, West Coast director of trend-tracking firm the Doneger Group. "They incorporate color, pattern, out-of-the-box prints -- they're all part of the surf-skate lines, which have crossed into fashion."

Patagonia, a name associated with alpine apparel, recently opened its first surf store, and fashion darling Marc Jacobs sometimes puts surfboards in his stores. Chanel created its Black Satin nail polish with the skater chick in mind, and ESQ Swiss makes a watch called Blackfin, with a wave symbol on the dial and a textured rubber strap that's water-resistant.

Jeweler Edward Mirell is making a "twine" surfer-style bracelet in titanium that retails for $925. And, top-tier label Prada, which uses high-tech nylon for its signature backpack, showed a suit on its Milan runways with a sport anorak over it.