Good Times to Roll Again for Skate Boutique
First-time retailer Brad Block hopes to make some surf shop history in one of the cradles of the surf industry. In 2004, he took over 17-year-old Good Times Surf and Sport, located a few miles away from one of the world’s first surf shops, Hobie Surfboards, which opened in 1954 in Dana Point, Calif. Block said he was well aware of the challenges of taking over the 3,400-square-foot store—the south Orange County area already is home to more than 10 skate and surf shops.
“I would not start a new skate shop in this area,” Block said of the saturated market. “But it has a good core clientele, and with new blood, we’re going to have growth that’s going to make this store a bigger option.”
Block is adding up-to-date surf and skate brands such as Jedidiah, Element and Alpine Star and women’s swimwear lines such as Love Surf Love. Block said he will spend the next six months renovating the shop, adding new flooring and lighting, artwork from surf-inspired artists, and a possible museum-style display of classic skateboards. Block and his buyer, Jovan Giles, a student at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, said they hope the transformation will turn the store into a classic surf hangout.
“We’ll have an artsy feel, and people will be able to chill out here and watch skate and surf videos,” Giles said. “We’re about good times here.” —Andrew Asch
