How One Surf Shop Brought Surfing Culture to Unexpected Places | SURFER Magazine

In our video series, “Surf Shop Chronicles”, made in partnership with O’Neill, we celebrate America’s most iconic surf shops. Val Surf is one such shop, having first opened in 1962 in an unexpected place: the San Fernando Valley. Founder Bill Richards got the idea to open an inland surf shop from shuttling his then-teenage son Mark from their home in North Hollywood to Malibu’s classic peelers. Mark couldn’t be the only inland surfer, of course, and Bill seized the opportunity to open a surf shop far from the beach. Fast forward to present and Val Surf boasts five locations throughout the Los Angeles area and continues bringing the stoke well beyond the coast.

[@Strawman333]

Surfing and skating kept me out of trouble. It was guys at my local surf shop, skate parks, and shapers that kept me straight. To this day i appreciate the love, that I've received from the surf and skate community. #4everloyal.

[@ryanbeppu]

I managed a shop in another valley in the 90's and early 2k's, and there was always respect for the "Val Surf" name/brand. Willy was a class act, the most personable rep I dealt with. And Dale was no slouch either, stoked, energetic, motivated guy...

[@ysanchez7292]

my brother introduce me to surfing , have to say it has been one the most powerful ingredients to my life and also a pivotal point as well ....Thank God for surfing...

[@hunterdavis3003]

Wow! Great content Surfer! Thank you

[@ezproductions2685]

Great video! I absolutely love it. I recently just did a related video for one of my clients that wrote a book all about California surf culture. I didn’t see this beforehand - but what great inspiration! Thanks for sharing.

[@bradjennings8714]

The Duffsters getting grey!

[@c.b.bodyboarding245]

Sick

[@HoppingAbout]

Is Agoura the valley?

[@maconbauer9666]

"putting their decks together" .....

[@ronnie8489]

Lmao some people are just bad on camera he prob didn't mean to say that

[@maconbauer9666]

@@ronnie8489haha ya I just thought it was funny

[@matthewwillis4892]

VALLEY KOOKS, GO HOME!

[@bradjennings8714]

Malibu is our home