KILLER DANA SURF SHOP ROCKS 4/23/08
BY CORKY CARROLL

This is a surf success story. It’s about a few local dudes who love to surf and had the will to make a career following the dream. It’s about the Killer Dana Surf Shop and its surfing crew. I became aware of this story through my skateboarding maniac son Tanner. T boy gets most of his skate gear at their Lake Forest store and told me that I was a geek if I didn’t do a column on these guys. Actually I had been thinking about it for some time, as I love to write about real surfers who are in the surf industry when most of it is filled with dudes who would not know the difference between a rail fin and a tail fin.

Dana Point was home to one of the best breaks in Southern California until the marina was built in the mid sixties. I used to love that place. It was a great surf spot by day and a really romantic place to “park” with your date at night. I personally learned a lot in that little cove. On regular swells the break was known as Dana Cove, but on the biggest days, with wave faces up to twenty feet and a boulder-strewn lineup, it became known as ‘Killer Dana.’ As such, it became the preferred break and big wave training ground to such luminaries as Phil Edwards, Lorren Harrison and Mickey Munoz.

Lifelong Dana Point surfer Gary Wright was working as a waiter at the Chart House in the early 1990’s, but had a dream to open his own surf shop. Nearly everyone told him not to try it, but he 'dropped in' anyway. He named it Killer Dana in honor of the great break and surfers of that era. Killer Dana Surf Shop opened its doors in June of 1991. The original store was 800 square feet, with about twenty new surfboards, one case of surf wax, and a handful of t-shirts, sweatshirts, and boardshorts placed strategically at about ten inches apart on racks to give the appearance of having more inventory. The opening budget was about $11,500 obtained through savings, selling a car, and a small bank loan. The cash register was GW's converted fishing tackle box placed on the counter.

About a year later Chris Andrews (aka Ralphie) came aboard. He, too, had been surfing all his life and wanted to pursue the same dream. Together, the two partners, while both still working night shifts at Chart House, slowly built the business. The store doubled in size in 1993, and the boys finally were able to quit their night jobs and work the shop full time. In those days, customers were treated to a visit from Gary's dog Fiji, who lived at the shop and liked to patrol the countertops. Later, as the store grew and doubled in size yet again, the idea was hatched to pursue mail-order as an avenue of business.

In 1996 a new partner, Steven Price, aka Lounge, (they call him Lounge because he never rests), came aboard to help with mail order and also a budding phenomenon no one was quite familiar with called 'the Internet.' They purchased the mailing lists of several now defunct mail order houses, launched one of the first Web Sites in the industry, www.killerdana.com, and began putting resources into becoming an online retailer, a concept that was unheard of back in those days. As many competitors opened and closed, the boys continued to focus on branding their mail-order business, mailing Killer Dana catalogs to an ever expanding customer base nationwide and internationally.

Today, Killer Dana has three retail stores, the original Dana Point PCH location, Killer Dana San Clemente on Del Mar street, and the newest location, Killer Dana Lake Forest, a beautiful brand new five thousand square foot Surf and Skate shop at The Arbor shopping center, off El Toro road. The focus on e-commerce has helped too, as they have built www.killerdana.com into 'The Boardshort Superstore,' the surf industry's number one seller of brand-name boardshorts worldwide. Killer Dana employs over ninety surf and skate stoked Californians, and operates a twelve thousand square foot warehouse in San Juan Capistrano just down from Surfer Magazine, where the crew packages and ships everything from wetsuits, surfboards, skateboards and shoes, and of course boardshorts, all over the world, every day.

Seventeen years after chasing a crazy dream, GW, Ralphie, and Lounge are just as stoked as ever about surfing and about Killer Dana Surf Shop. They strive to continue to offer great products at fair prices, and above all, in GW’s own words, “to give what we hope is the best customer service anywhere.”

These dudes are still gremmies at heart, with GW down in Baja plenty, Ralphie about to launch on his first Metawai boat trip, and Lounge sneaking down to his secret Mainland tube spots when the right swell starts to fill in. I like it when real surfers find a way to turn their love of the life into a career and make it work. These dudes are perfect examples of that. Not corporate types from NYC who have never set foot on a board in their lives yet are making zillions off of a made up surf brand name.

SURF CITY MOM ~ The Wave 4-23-08
By Corky Carroll

The other day an email came in from a girl named Jenny Angelici who was telling me how much she loves being a “Surf City Mom.” I thought what she sent me was pretty cool so I am sharing it with you here now:

“Not only does Corky Carroll’s column make me laugh, it reminds me of why I love living in Huntington Beach. I’m inspired by his lifestyle and the evolving surf culture he writes about. And as a mom, I love the fact that I’m raising my two young sons in the middle of it all - Huntington Beach.

As a Huntington Beach mom I love hanging out at the beach. My boys worship the water and my youngest refers to himself as Shark Boy. We can’t resist sneaking down to the waves during the week when the beach is at its best – no crowds and perfect weather. The Huntington Beach surfers are the coolest, we love watching them “walk on waves” as my 5-year-old describes it. When the “wave walkers” emerge from the ocean they are always so friendly to us, and always give Nick 3, and Gino 5, a special “What’s up dude” greeting.

We even had one surfer stop on his way out of the water and invite the boys to try out his board. He was kind enough to give them a mini surf lesson. That experience has already left a lasting impression in their young minds - surfers are cool. And I really appreciate the fact that someone so passionate about surfing would take the time to introduce this awesome sport to my little guys.

If we aren’t watching the surfers, then you can usually catch us at one of the skateboarding events. The boys dig climbing those sky-high stands to watch the fearless skateboarders. As a mom, I cringe as I watch those skateboards do those amazingly dangerous maneuvers. I’m already starting to see lots of skinned elbows and knees from my two. At this point, I’m hoping that my sons will eventually prefer ocean waves over cement waves.

There is always something fun to do in Huntington Beach. After a day at the beach we like to take a walk downtown. Nick, my youngest, has fallen in love with the brunette mannequin in the window of Diane’s Swimwear shop. We always have to stop and take him inside to say hi to her. Although, she gives him the silent treatment, he is still smitten. He just stands there admiring her. This gives me a chance to look for some cute beachwear, before being pulled back out onto Main Street.

I have to tell you that one early morning I brought my two gorgeous nieces (who were visiting from Fresno) down to the beach. I thought my rambunctious boys attracted a lot of attention, but these two 20-something Valley girls, frolicking in the cold waves, turned more than a few surfer’s heads. Needless to say, we got a few more free surf lessons during their visit.

In retrospect, I’ve always loved Huntington Beach. Having grown-up outside of Fresno, Huntington Beach was my Mecca. I was the envy of my friends as I spent my summers here at the beach. In fact, my first boyfriend was a Huntington Beach surfer whose parents relocated to the Fresno area. The poor guy was miserable, but I was in love. Eventually he moved back to the beach and we lost touch. Would you believe, one day I saw him down at the beach between Magnolia and Newland? He was drying off next to his VW van, looking as cute as he did when we were teens. I on the other hand, was seven months pregnant and pushing a stroller carrying my toddler son. I was too freaked to approach him. He looked so happy, having just finished surfing. I was glad to see he was still surfing and hopefully still living in Huntington Beach.

Ironically, years later I eventually married my husband Gino, who is (you guessed it) from Huntington Beach. I didn’t plan it that way – really I didn’t. There is just something about these Huntington Beach guys I find irresistible. And now, as luck would have it, I’m raising two Huntington Beach boys! I’m one happy mom.

I just want to say to Corky, thank you so much for writing such a great column. I truly share in your passion for Huntington Beach and the surfing lifestyle it offers. It’s good to be a Surf City Mom.”

Thanks Jenny, and I appreciate you letting me use your letter.