Surf Zone

When did you start your business?

2005

Do you consider the location of your shop a key factor to the business’s success?

Yes absolutely because we are right near the harbor and a bunch of hotels.

Who is your average buyer?

A little bit of everything. From tourists, to locals, to Marines.

If a total Barney walks in do you treat him with the same respect as a full on loc?

I treat them better actually because that’s our bread n’ butter.

What is the dumbest question a customer has ever asked?

“Do you wax the bottom of the board or the top of the board?”

Do you have a mascot (ex. - An animal that roams freely throughout the building)?

Yes. A herd of giant cockroaches.

What is the craziest return a customer has ever tried to make?

A customer purchased a surfboard in my shop and ran it over with his car. He brought the board in and said “I don’t know what happened to it so I would like to return it.” I could clearly see the tire marks on the board.

What is your most annoying grom story?

For the most part the groms don’t bother me at all except for the lil’ bastard skateboard kids with attitudes that come in and try and steal stuff.

Have you ever had any type of celeb roll in and make a purchase?

Yes. Tiger Woods came in one time and bought a pair of boardshorts. I was blown off my feet when I saw him walk through the front door of the shop. He was an extreme gentleman.

Have you ever pulled a hot chick/guy solely due to the fact that you own/manage a surf shop?

No because I have been married for a long time. The neighboring building has plenty of girls to go around though (Nudey Bar).

How many days a week do you surf now compared to before you owned/managed a surf shop?

I used to surf every day, but don’t get to anymore because owning and running a shop takes a lot of hours out of your day 7 days a week.

Who is your favorite surfer and why?

Skip Frye. He’s still so stoked even after being in the business for 50 years, plus he’s one of the original “old guys” that didn’t sell out.

Has a customer trying on clothes ever walked out completely naked?

No, but I’ve had a girl walk in basically completely naked before. She was wearing just a sarong and said “somebody stole all of my clothes.” I said “what the heck do ya mean somebody stole all of your clothes???” She opened her sarong and was completely naked. I felt sorry for her so gave her a free pair of shorts and tee shirt.

Has a person ever walked in totally blitzkrieged (really intoxicated) and tried to make a purchase? If so elaborate.

Considering the fact that the neighboring building is a strip club yes absolutely. All of the time. For example, sometimes guys come over after they’ve attended the club completely annihilated and buy tee shirts so they don’t smell like stripper perfume before they go home. I have also seen my fair share of exotic dancers come through these doors not exactly “sober.”

Every store has to deal with shoplifting. What is your most memorable experience and what is your shoplifting policy?

Most of the time the shoplifters are just kids that come in and run out with maybe a bar of wax or a hat or something. No big deal really. My general rule is if somebody steals anything significant I just call the cops. One time my buddy rode his bike over to the shop to visit me and parked his bike out by the back door. While we were inside conversing two mysterious looking guys kept walking back and forth by the shop. I thought it was quite strange. Then all of a sudden one of the dudes snatched my buddy’s bike from by the back door and ran off with it. I jumped in my car and was in pursuit. I finally caught him riding across a nearby bridge and told him to put down the bike immediately. I startled him so he dropped the bike and ran off.