"I’m pretty sure our battered soul still exists, stuck to us like the last chunk of wax at the bottom of the box."
Lovers of authentic surf culture were shocked several months back when Dane Reynolds, the former world number four surfer, daddy to six children and neighbour of Travis Barker and the homeliest of the Kardashians, curvy ol mama Kourtney, was forced to shutter his iconic Ventura surf shop shortly before it was bulldozed by developers.
The green shack was called Chapter 11 and lived at 365 East Santa Clara Street in Ventura. It was a place where its famous owner would greet customers and offer screen-printed t-shirts, still warm from the freshly applied inks. It quickly became the hub around which that surf community revolved.
It’s easy to feel like surfing’s soul has drowned in a sea of soft tops and Sprinter vans. The latest private equity firm to come along buys and sells the empty shell that’s left. Pull the shrinkwrap off another one.
Did it ever exist at all? Did surfing ever have a soul? Seduced by magic images and exuberant story-telling, did we imagine the whole thing?
I’m pretty sure our battered soul still exists, stuck to us like the last chunk of wax at the bottom of the box.
It might be the guy screening t-shirts in the back of his shop and making cheerful small talk about the waves and the forecast.
It might be the next generation of groms falling asleep on movie night. It might be the women hanging out in the parking lot, talking about board designs.
Never one to miss an opportunity for a little comedy, Reynolds, who is thirty-nine, used the misfortune to have some fun.
“Well, shit, the time has come that you’ve been waiting for, we’re finally closing our doors for the last time,” said Dane Reynolds in classic huckster mode, straw panama hat balanced on head.
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All is not lost, howevs.
The gods have breathed a little life into the dying embers of surf culture with the new Chapter 11 store opening up just one hundred yards from the old place at 83 Palm St, Ventura, and next to Indoek, an art gallery famous for its brightly coloured books on interesting surfers and their “surf shacks.
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Keep surf culture alive!
Remember when Dane needed an IV after surfing a heat at Lowers?
Puts what he’s been filming in Oaxaca in perspective, dudn’t it?
No one will miss that building blocking the parking lot anyway.
Only wishing the best for Dane.
One of the best surfers ever.
Good for them. They’re still right in the mix.
Dane Llyod Wright
Free shipping?
Negatron how was your surf trip? No need to name names, just curious how the waves were. I went last year.
Soo the current spot is also the Former spot?
So is the last spot
What about a Dane mug and ashtray…chunky robust and will never sell out to sluts like the wsl
On topic what are they Building there? Condo’s?
can I buy off the plan?
Surf culture is on sale at temu.
100% off and
6 kids?
He hides 2 in his gut.
He needs to put a wad of wax in that piss pipe of his .
Thank heavens for the new location! Wasn’t sure I could go on living without a T-shirt that says Former on it…. close call fur sure…
Romantically I surfed an out of the way left slab point and a shit reform right beachie that no one looked at to garner surfing skills that would stop me from being yelled out of the water in my home town. No good. So off to Indo for two sixty day trips. Returned a competent surfer only to realise all of those cunts were absolute fuckheads and I didn’t give a shit what they thought.
Xox
that’s right Do not under any circumstance give a fuck what people think of you
I miss old time surf shops and the thrill of choosing your next board gleaming on the racks. At age twelve, after working all summer picking fruit at an uncles ranch near Soquel, my father (for my birthday) allowed me to spend my own money on a new board. We went to my neighborhood shop, Bruce Jones, but he was closed for the week on vacation. Ended up on Main St. in Huntington walking through every shop multiple times, overwhelmed with choices. Settled on a G&S from Georges shaped by Hank Warner. Dad was sipping on a hip flask between shops and had a pretty solid buzz going by the time I had made up my mind. Back then it was all gloss and polish and pinlines and boards looked like gemstones sitting in the racks.
Thanks for sharing your mapski of old time memories. No cell phones back then, too. Hope your pops was sipping on something laced with something a little extra, to make those gemstones shine a little brighter.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWGE9Gi0bB0
I used to stair at fins for hours
He was fond of Jameson’s and it was always within arms reach. He surfed on a redwood plank in the 30’s/40’s until WW2 came along and obliterated his youth. Hard to relate to. My generational war would have been Grenada, but I was busy fighting at Black Flag and X concerts.
There are always trenches to inhabit here on BG. You know the sides, and based on the clickbait, so do Chas and DR.
Me too! Got home from school one day.. My old man was home early and way up my ass for not making my bed. Almost in tears telling him I had; as he forces me to go up there to get it done. Laying on top the made bed was a new polished double winger pin twin fin with channels. In tears now listening to DHMF’s soundtrack below and typing. Years before he was a cop in South Florida scraping by. He gave me a “DG” bmx after spending two years racing a used Schwinn we modified and hose clamped the stripped cushion seat to the frame. Busted my young nuts on that Schwinn more than one occasion.
Did your twin have Star Fin boxes that screwed in from the deck? Those damn things used too tear off bits of my toes like a cheese grater.
I bought a Doug Haute twin fin in Santa Cruz in 1980 with those boxes. Sick board but yea jacked my toes in those slots.
No deck screws,, Just remember one or both fins splitting! Being the industrious young Llama I fixed myself with C clamps and sanding disk on electric drill.
It was a “FOX” pretty sure Greg Loeher shaped but could be completely wrong on that..
the surf shop that used to be down the street from North Jetty in Ft Pierce is the one I always remember – old guy who taught me to surf used to tell us groms it was one of the only legit places still around that sold legit boards and didn’t just try to move tee shirts (this was mid-80s, ha). Remember just wandering around in that little place every time we took the short drive north from Stuart to hit the jetty. Epic.
Though we all know the move is temporary while his new HQ including rooftop wavepool and restaurant bars (with casino) is built.
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