SURF SHOPS: SURF N' WEAR'S BEACH HOUSE

Registered or Premium Member? LOG IN | Become a Member: TRY PREMIUM FREE

SURF NEWS SURF SHOPS: SURF N' WEAR'S BEACH HOUSE

February 19, 2009

25928 views | 48 comments

What if you stared out your storefront and faced an army of Channel Islands Surfboards every day? Most retailers would retreat with fear but not Surf N' Wear's Beach House owner Roger Nance. His Santa Barbara surf shop has flourished on State Street well before and long after Al Merrick's eighteen-year run across the street.

"People would go there to look at surfboards and then come across the street to see what I had," Nance remembers, as the C.I. shop has recently relocated a few blocks away. "We complemented each other well. I did more of the longboards, they did the shortboards and we both did everything else. We competed but it was more like a destination area people would come to."

And when Sand Spit awakes and begins funneling along right in front of the Beach House, both shops are laughing. Santa Barbara is entrenched in surf history with the Beach House and C.I. contributing to the growth of the sport.

Al Merrick confirms, "Roger and I have been friends for a long time. There's been a healthy competition between the Beach House and Channel Islands over the years and I feel the two shops complemented each other very well."

"I like to think back to the '70s because of the sport's simplicity. It was an interesting era to surf through. We weren't making a lot of money but it was fun.

-- Surf N' Wear's Beach House owner Roger Nance

But Nance's long-standing Santa Barbara fixture has morphed and changed since Jeff White opened the original shop (Owl Surfboards) in Summerland back in 1961. Nance started out as an employee in 1975 then bought in as a partner in 1979. Soon Surf N' Wear had stores in San Luis Obispo, Carpinteria, Thousand Oaks, Santa Maria and Goleta in addition to the Beach House, which has been at its current location since 1986. While it's rare that Sand Spit even breaks, quality spots like Rincon, Hammond's and Campus Point are all within striking distance.

"I like to think back to the '70s because of the sport's simplicity," Nance recalls. "It was an interesting era to surf through. We weren't making a lot of money but it was fun. But as far as numbers go, things have been best over the last five years... until the last six months."

And while it's too early to forecast how boardshorts and bikinis will perform during the summer months of this so-called recession, Nance noticed the decline of surfboard sales dating as far back as Clark Foam's closure.

"After Clark closed, there was some awakening in the surfer's mind that they don't need five boards," he notes. "Surfboard sales have almost come to a screeching halt. But, slower times have me back down on the floor again. I'm having fun selling surfboards instead of hiding in the office."

The Beach House is an 11,000 square-foot retail space located on State Street in the heart of Santa Barbara. Nance has repeatedly tried to purchase the building (a former paper factory), but the family who's owned it since the '40s won't let go. Nance stocks over 150 surfboards, with Renny Yater's shapes holding a majority of the floor's real estate. Beach House also carries Fineline, Anderson's, Andreini's, Hobie, G&S, Firewire and other reputable brands.

"We try and make it an experience coming in here," Nance says of his shop's vibe. "It's not just metal racks, everything we have in here is done by myself or the manufacturers. We have all the vintage surfboards hanging from the ceiling, my ukulele collection as well as artwork. It's more than just coming into a shop; it's an experience coming in and seeing a little history."

List your store in Surfline's Surf Shop Directory.

Surfline Premium Members get discounts at local shops and online, sign-up today and start saving.

MORE SURF SHOP STORIES
SURF SHOP DIRECTORY
MORE SURF NEWS
SURFLINE HOME PAGE

RELATED FEATURES

HAUT SURFBOARDS
(11/30) Santa Cruz legend Doug Haut has been shaping 'em out back/selling 'em out front since 1965

SURF SHOPS: AQUA EAST SURF SHOP
(08/25) Family tradition lives on in North Florida's surf community

SURF SHOPS: HANSEN SURFBOARDS
(07/12) Hansen clan owns and operates one of San Diego's longest-running surf shops

SURF SHOPS: CINNAMON RAINBOWS
(05/23) Dave Cropper and crew keep New Hampshire surfing year round

SURF SHOPS: VAL SURF
(05/08) Mark Richards and family have kept inlanders wet for over four decades

SURF SHOPS: HERITAGE SURF AND SPORT
(04/24) Heritage family's surfing legacy is alive and thriving in New Jersey

Comments: (48) Add Your Comment

Michael Kew 04/03/2009 07:37 PM

One of the best surf shops in California, for sure.

Nobuyuki Miwa and Michiyo Miwa 03/31/2009 10:35 AM

We should visit Beach House and see Roger! We will bring some Japanese candies with us! We like Santa Barbara very much! See you all then!

david pu'u 03/06/2009 11:33 AM

Great seeing so many familiar names in this post. Yep may Surf N Wear last forever. A great shop.

mh 03/05/2009 12:24 PM

i ordered the first custom board from the thousand oaks shop and roger gave me a free airbrush deck.Board was shaped by Bruce fowler under the OWL label.Great shop,many memories thanks...still have the board...

david kuzen 03/04/2009 06:04 PM

this is a really cool site!! makes me wanna go surfing!

Kenny Jorgensen 02/27/2009 08:00 PM

Surf N Wear has always been my surf shop since the late 60's........and I'm proud to call Rodger my good friend.

Matt in HB 02/24/2009 04:32 PM

I bought my first used 5'-11" twin fin pintail Wahlboard there when I was 14 at the Santa Maria shop. They let me do lay-a-way on a board that cost $150 bucks, and it took me 4 months to pay it. I'm 39 now and I still have that board in my quiver. Hail to the core shops!

Richard"Dickie" Fisher 02/24/2009 03:29 PM

Awesome memories surfer dudes I was out at Rincon this week someone hooked me up to this site.....

kt805 02/24/2009 01:55 PM

Having lived across the street in the Ci factory for the last 19 years, since I was born, Beach House has always been down to earth

marc andreini 02/23/2009 02:09 PM

Jeff white and Roger Nance are 2 of the finest people I have known. I pledged to never ride any board except a White Owl when I was a loyal grom on the team.(sorry Rennie!)Now I have to make them so I can keep true to my pledge!

Bri 02/22/2009 03:11 PM

Ya Rog-dog!! Best shop owner/dad ever!

Bri 02/22/2009 03:08 PM

Ya Rog-dog!!

jason baffa 02/22/2009 10:55 AM * PREMIUM MEMBER - Real Name

from beautiful boards to great movies, books and gear - the beach house consistently delivers SB surf stoke... thanks guys for always being on it !

Chris Dixon 02/22/2009 05:12 AM * PREMIUM MEMBER - Real Name

Roger is one of the nicest guys around - couple his shop/museum - plus James O'Mahoney's surf museum right out the back door.

Dave Klinger 02/21/2009 05:16 PM

I had a beach house in La Conchita near Carp before it was destroyed in a landslide... it was filled with lots of give away posters from CI and the Beach House as well as lots of other surf goodies and hanging boards. I still love going through both establoshments!!!! Long live both shops!!!

View All Comments (48 comments)

Add Your Comment:

ABOUT SURFLINE'S COMMENTS: Surfline comments are intended to foster and continue a community discussion and/or debate on the topic brought up by the feature above. We encourage you to comment and express your opinion. Before commenting, you should know that Surfline Comments are moderated, which means that comments containing personal attacks, excessive profanity, or off-topic remarks may not be posted. Also, 'EDITOR'S PICKS' are comments that we feel capture points-of-view from all sides of the issue at hand, not necessarily the comments Surfline most agrees with. Thanks. --the editors