The Bing Surf Shop

After nearly two years of planning, Royce Cansler, in conjunction with Matt and Margaret Calvani, has opened the new Bing Surf Shop in Leucadia, CA. Located along the Pacific Coast Highway, a stone’s throw from Beacon’s, the new shop is a surfboard showroom that highlights the wide variety of shapes, shirts and other equipment that Bing has to offer. Inside the shop you'll find all kinds of eye candy, from Pucks and Ravens, to Silver Spoons and the new Mr. Rodgers Model. Clothing, eyewear and apparel is kept to a minimum, allowing the shop to focus on what Bing does best, building beautiful surfing boards. Follow the link for some more photos of their new surf shop.

Almond Surfboards & Designs

Surf shops are a dime a dozen in Southern California. Everything from wholesale warehouses to small boutique businesses. Some are soulless, others are awe inspiring. Surfboards being shaped, shorts being sewn - the essence of 1960s surf culture still alive in some. Authenticity is important. The big brand stores selling shit with swirly logos and crazy colors. Boards built in Bangladesh. Apparel and accessories not made in America. Profit margins being of the utmost importance. Ugh. Almond Surfboards and Designs is a different story, though. Founded in 2008 by Dave Allee and a handful of friends, Almond is "the premier lifestyle brand of the surfer + craftsman, a collaborative effort of friends who enjoy making things the old fashioned way." I can get into that. So when we were in So-Cal a few weeks ago, we took some time to visit their new store in Newport Beach.

Dewey Weber Surfboards

Dewey Weber has been in the surfboard business since 1960. A brand founded by its namesake, Dewey Weber Surfboards is currently located in San Clemente, California and is still family owned, with the day-to-day operations being run by Dewey's son, Shea. We stumbled into the shop on Friday afternoon on our way back to LA. Old school is how I would immediately describe the store. A menagerie of memorabilia from decades of surf contests and such cover the walls when you walk in. Old, single fin logs hang above your head, and there's two floral print bamboo couches in the middle of an adjacent room surrounded by surfboards. Shea was standing behind the counter wearing that classic California kit; bright red board shorts and a black t-shirt.

Like the Little Man on Wheels, Shea is a man of similar size. Stout, but shorter. Strong in the shoulders. His smile was wide and he greeted us with what seemed like endless enthusiasm. Albeit small, the shop is chock full of character. Trophies and framed photos of famous Weber Competition Team members sit on shelves above shirts and sweaters for sale. We talked about boards, namely the infamous Weber Performer, a surfboard that hasn't changed since the sixties. The colors are what'll really catch your eye. Green and red and yellow, with the famous Dewey Weber logo sitting front and center. Beautiful boards and an awesome shop. So if you're in San Clemente, be sure to stop by and see their shop. Follow the link for a few more photos.

The Emporium of Postmodern Activities

The dudes at Deus are doing a damn fine job of cultivating a culture. Lets call it 'surf inspired moto madness.' Inside their operation(s) you'll find assorted apparel, custom surfboards and hand built bikes - and everything in between. They've got three locations: The House of Simple Pleasures in Sydney, Australia, the Temple of Enthusiasm on the Indonesian island of Bali, and the Emporium of Postmodern Activities, located in a brand new building on Venice Blvd. Which is where we went. To watch the Moto GP race and shoot the shit with a few of our friends after eating breakfast near the beach.

The usual suspects were in attendance - my good buddy Grant (creative director turned dual-sport daredevil), a mustached man some people call Stefan (aka Deus USA Dude #1), our mutual mate, Sean (who somehow managed to survive this shit), and Joe and Flora, two CanaNewMerican filmmakers who've decided to live in the desert. It was Sunday, so there were plenty of other people. Some came to see Rossi wreck, others were there to ogle the apparel, drink coffee and stare at screens. An eclectic mix, that's for sure. The store itself is stellar. With all kinds of cool clothing, framed photos and asymmetrical shapes. So if you're in the LA area, I highly recommend you take some time to see their shop.

Bing Surfboards

Bing makes beautiful boards. Everything from purple pigs to sexy single fins. Shaped by hand in sunny Southern California, Bing is a brand that's been around for awhile. Founded by Bing Copeland and Rick Stoner in 1959, the brand has transformed over time, however they've managed to maintain the two most important parts: quality and craftsmanship. Their current facility, an enormous warehouse dedicated to shaping and glassing surfboards, epitomizes my 'Made in America' mantra. Brand new boards line the walls when you walk in, ready to be shipped overseas. People in funny face masks are everywhere. The sound of spinning cylindrical things echoes through the hallways. It's an operation, building boards. One that requires a great deal of effort and enthusiasm.

We arrived around noon on Monday, because the boys at Bing spend their mornings surfing a spot near their house. Adam was the first one I found - limping around outside, bamboo cane keeping him upright (apparently he dropped a big barrel of resin on his foot a few days earlier). A classic California kid, Adam is everything you'd expect to see. Tan, kinda tall, wearing a white t-shirt and jeans, with his hair combed over like someone from the sixties. I introduced myself, shot the shit for a few and then followed Adam upstairs where I came into contact with Kyle, Margaret's right hand man. He showed me around the shop, starting with where Matt (Calvani) shapes surfboards. Honestly, I don't remember which way we went - start to finish or whether we skipped a few steps - but whichever way it was, I got a good idea of how it all happens, and how difficult it is to do.

When we returned to the room where all the boards await their box, Adam arrived with my brand new BN Lightweight. A beautiful board. Everything I'd imagined. We spoke about where to surf, which place had the best burrito, what it's like living across the street from wonderful waves and how hard it is to be a surfer in Seattle. They seemed stoked. And honestly, it wasn't until we pulled outta the parking lot that the significance of our visit really settled in. I mean, not many people get to see where something is shaped, where it comes to life - the process and the people. It was extraordinary. I just hope that the shitty photos I took while walking around will give you a feel for what they've got going on.

Topsea

Surf shops are sort of a Southern California thing. A place to purchase. Boards and board shorts, t-shirts and all kinds of other shit. Our consumer culture at its finest - because I'll be goddamned if you don't dress the part. Elsewhere, though, a surf shop is a lot like an A.A. meeting. A place for someone with a serious case of the stoke to shoot the proverbial shit, seek help or speak with their sponsor. Here in the northwest, however, we've been without such a shop ever since Cheka-Looka shut its doors in December of 2009. Sure, there's other surf shops in Seattle, but not one you'd want to spend the better part of an afternoon in. No offense.

Hemel Board Company

I stopped by the Hemel Board Company in Ballard last week so that Steve could fix the front of Too Blue Stew. Cause I might have dropped a multi-tool on it last May (my bad), and it's the only board short enough to send to Mexico next Monday. I'd heard good things about Hemel. Ding repair done right. So with just a week to waste, I dropped in and dropped off. Steve and Shane were in the shop - Shane polishing some skate decks for an evo event that evening. Steve showed me around the shed. There were some old school sticks waiting on one wall, partly finished projects on another. Everything you'd imagine. We shot the shit for a few, but I could tell they wanted to get back to business. Can't blame'em. Excited to see the Stewart in good shape again. Follow the link for a few photos.

Seaside Surf Shop

The Seaside Surf Shop sits on the west side of Highway 101 toward the south end of Seaside - a small town on the Oregon coast. It's been in business for nearly a decade and is one of the friendliest shops I've wandered into. Like most surf shops, SSS has a full inventory of surfboards, skateboards, SUPs and other shit. They also have plenty of soft tops and rubber outfits you can rent. This weekend, in Oregon to visit a few friends, Karissa and I stopped by the shop for their annual swap meet. There were old boards out front, wetsuits on sale and plate lunches provided by 'The Cleanup Set,' a group of old guys who clean up the cove. It was a lot of fun. Snapped a few photos of the shop before we headed south in search of surf.

Celebrating With Stoke Harvester

In February of 2011, my friend Shawn launched an online surf shop dubbed Stoke Harvester. After surviving a severe case of the brick and mortar blues, Shawn has since built an online community where surfers, skinny dippers and stand up paddle people can spend money and stay stoked. Last weekend, Stoke Harvester celebrated their one year anniversary at the Capitol Club. A good time was had.

West End Surf & Skate

Located just off of Highway 101 in "downtown" Forks, the West End Surf & Skate is a small shop owned and operated by my friend Darren and his wife Leah. The West End is the only shop in the area and stocks a wide variety of surfboards, skateboards, wet suits and casual clothing.

Katin Surf Shop

During a recent trip to Long Beach for the International Motorcycle Show, I managed to stop by the Katin Surf Shop in Surfside. In business since 1959, Walter and Nancy Katin began making board shorts after a local surfer suggested they use their skills sewing canvas boat covers to produce a pair of shorts that he could surf in. According to their website, "Walter went to his sewing machine and with the help of the sturdy boat canvas whipped up the first pair of Kanvas by Katin surf trunks." Word of Nancy and Walter's creation quickly spread and the Katins were suddenly in the surf trunk business.