What should the role of your local surf shop be?

to me, a good shop should have a team, take care of its core customers with free wax and discounts, and educate newbies on etiquette.

 

I'd love it if a local shop had this. I'm sure it would help board sales too. I'm not so sure the shapers would like it at first but the increase in sales would likely make that go away soon. Cooks probably hated it when open air kitchens became all the rage. But, cooks don't get paid by the plate, most shapers do.

 

You guys need to check out Greenlight in Manasquan if you haven't already, they got something that is unique for sure and many of these requests are fulfilled...

 

Heard lots of good stuff about them. They seem to be on to something and have a good thing going. I think most of us who are requesting this type of business don't have them anywhere nearby. I'd love to have a place like that in the somewhere in the Tampa Bay area or somewhere around the Space Coast (Daytona / Cocoa) for easy access.

 

That's unfortunate. They did have one about 5 yrs ago. Obviously, they've must of shut down since then. The guys working there were very nice and helpful to me. Plus, they even shaped a bunch of the boards they carried.

I guess you'll have to start a new one

 

love the shaping room idea. ashton used to have a surf shop that had that glass shaping room loved it.

to the op...to paraphrase lee the stud...nobody owes the community anything.

 

Why is this turning into a pissing contest? go local when it's reasonable and prudent. Don't buy "mainstream" stuff that's way over priced. That's all most working guys/students can do. I am getting my first WRV board here soon. Local shaper, local deal. Getting a brand new board for $400-$150=$250 for a trade in added on. If that's not a good example of staying local, i don't know what is. Stoked to get to try WRV boards. 6'2 Yinger Chronic, Triple Stringer with carbon fiber tail and nose. Apparently it is a prototype and nobody bought so they put a discount on it for me.

 

In Trader Lee's shops right? Man....I remember the gas station back there with the chicks in bikinis who pumped your gas.

 

the local surf shop should be a place to go to get surf wax and possibly score some herb. everything is is way too deep. my local surf shops rock. i get medicinal there. and also the local surf shop should make a profit so they can keep being the local shop.

 

hmm,Scott and Carol,Hyatt,Curtis,Matt all local,surfing,shaping,glassing,repairing,making clothing,supporting the Hatteras community neighborhood lifestyle...since 1977. I noticed that the vast majority of surfboards ridden in the local area are In The Eye, shaped by Scott.that's over 35 years,and they ask for nothing in return

 

Scott also has some really fair prices - I don't think he makes much $ at all on his boards, he just loves shaping. BTW Beachbreak, did you see Scott won the "shape off" at the Florida Expo/Tradeshow whatever it was called last month ? Shows his shaping is up there with the best.

 

Fun, quick read...
http://www.myvirtualpaper.com/doc/Surf-Expo/surf_expo_mag_aug_2009/2009072301/41.html#40

 

Yep. I think he was about 5 years too early. Can you imagine how big that shop would be if he started up later?

 

If a shop doesn't have a solid team in a wide age range, doesn't sponsor local surfing/environmental/music/art events and doesn't hook locals up with a discount and/or free wax--it is definitely NOT a surf shop.

We have 4 main players here: Surf City, Sweetwater, Hotwax and Aussie Island--all been here for decades now... Surf City about 36 years now or something. I've never been a fan of Aussie since they sponsored all the preppy rich kid surfers when I was a grom--just couldn't identify with them. But they were still a core shop.

Michael Paul owns Hotwax and has a shaping bay in the back--he shapes Proline boards. I don't go there much 'cause it's a little more geared to the UNCW kids since they are so close to campus. Definitely more diluted than they used to be though.

Surf City is our oldest surf shop, been going there my entire life. They have one of the best board selection in town but could definitely carry more local shapers.

Sweetwater is a great shop, just hard to maneuver around when there are more than 6 customers in there, but they are a testament to creative packing efficiency. They seem to keep a decent balance of major shapers and locals, but carry too many Firewires IMO. Still pretty close to ideal as is Surf City for what I'm trying to get.

I haven't been in the new shop down at my local--near Crystal. I don't think I will, either. I hear the owner is "a really nice guy" etc, etc, etc... But the people telling me this did not grow up, go to school and sometimes surf with/around the guy--I did. At least he's carrying Jimmy Keith shapes--love those boards.

I can never keep a handle on CB's rotating roster of various shops. It's not like the old days with The Cove--RIP.

 

I can never keep a handle on CB's rotating roster of various shops. It's not like the old days with The Cove--RIP.[/QUOTE]

I like Sandstone Surf Shop on CB. Not open in the winter, but they do carry a lot of local shapers boards. It's also great to by wax and beer within biking/skateboarding distance from good breaks. Always pleasant people in and around there too.

 

Totally agree. Atlantic Shoals does this on CI and we all support and promote the store as a result. And now has a great reputation along the east coast. Friendly, helpful, mix of good boards and of course everything a tourist needs to get going. They take care of their core customers and do everything possible to educate the newbies. We're all in this together kind of phylosophy. And everyone that works in the store surf.

 

I like shops that are more like core shops. Boards, fins, accessories, wetsuits, trunks, and cool people who really know what they are talking about. I don't want tshirts, flip flops, skateboards and **** like that.

 

If you are serious about exploring a "local surf shop" business model I would suggest taking a trip down to the Space Coast where within a 20 mile stretch you can explore about 10 different shops that express just about the entire range of shop types. On one end you have the WalMart of surf shops, Ron Jon's (not one of my favorite shops but some of the hired hands are informed and can point you in the right direction). Down the road in south Cocoa Beach is the Neilson Surf Shop, a throwback to the days that a surf shop was really a board shop that carried their home brand, in this case, Neilson Surfboards. The workers are well informed, service is great and you have access to an excellent board builder, Tom Neilson. However, you won't find everything you might want in this small shop.

Nearby is another good local shop, Ocean Sports World, owned by Roy and Pam Scafidi. Two accomplished shapers work in the shaper's bay, one in the morning, other in the afternoon, and I believe one works with poly and the other EPS. Great people, a wide selection of stuff, and they can help you get what you need.

Down the road about 10 miles in Indiatlantic is a cluster of three shops: Longboard House, Skim City and the Kite and Bodyboarding HQ. The Longboard House is a must visit location, has a wide and deep inventory, and a range of imported and domestic boards. Books, clothes, fins, board bags.... wide and deep. And expensive. Up the street is Skim City, an excellent skimboarding supply house that does a combination of on-line and walk-up sales. Great guys in the shop--no bikini bimbos. Up and across the street is about the only place to find bodyboarding/prone rider's equipment such as bodyboards, swim fins, etc. Iconic shop that makes most of their income off of kite sales. The owner is a former bodyboarding tour rider, really excited about the sport, full of enthusiasm. Her boyfriend is a Borinquen so I usually stop by when in the area to shoot the sh*t and talk Boricua.

In between Ron Jon's on the north end of Cocoa Beach and the shops in Indiatlantic are a number of in-betweener shops. Some I have done business with in the past and others never depending upon my needs at the moment or what they might have in inventory.

Whoops, almost forgot Balsa Bill's (south end of Satellite Beach), probably the closest thing to an aloha surf shop. The last I heard he was still shaping some balsa surfboards out back (oceanside is outback).

Another throw back to yesteryears is the Austin Surf Shop/Board House in Virginia Beach, stocked with Austin's own boards, his own t-shirts/hats, resin jewelery, board bags, wax, fins.

 

All the custom made by Local shapers I've ever owned were way less than brand name boards.......Is Ben Aipa makin your boards or what??? Even local shapes sold by shops are less than CI, Firewire etc....