“Every other garage in Long Beach has a surfboard in it,” observes Graham Day, who cites this as one of his reasons for opening Shelter surf shop on Fourth St. in 2007. “People are surprised when they come in to the store; they are always saying, ‘This is how a surf shop should be’ or ‘This is how it used to be when I was a kid.’
“The other reason we opened Shelter was Long Beach’s rich surf history,” Day continues. “Historically, Long Beach was one of the best waves around. In fact, one of the surfing legends, Duke Kahanamoku, always made sure to surf Long Beach when he was in Southern California.”
Having grown up in the South Bay, Day moved to Huntington Beach as a teenager. With a father and uncle who grew up surfing, the sport was in his veins; it was only natural for him to be captivated by its lifestyle. “It’s always been about my time in the ocean—the shared experience with my friends and the inspiration that comes through music and art,” Day explains. After he and his wife Kim moved to Long Beach 18 years ago, he “quickly felt that Long Beach kind of existed on its own. It’s not LA and it’s not OC, and I liked that and fell in love with it.”
Known for the art shows and music events that he holds at the store on the last Saturday of every month, Day looks forward to 2010. He intends to have even more swap meets and events in the coming year, continuing his support for local artists and designers—especially those inspired by the ocean in our decidedly non-surf-oriented town. “I love making things work where they shouldn’t work,” says Day. “It doesn’t get any better than that.” SCOTT JONES
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