Beloved surf shop waves goodbye after six decades on Long Beach Island
LONG BEACH ISLAND, New Jersey (WPVI) -- "I started surfing when I was 9 or 10 with my dad taking me out and just kind of introducing me to it," said Mike Lisiewski. "My father was a manufacturer going back to 1961, which is when he started the Matador brand."
Lisiewski has kept the tradition of surfboard crafting, repairing, and instruction alive at Brighton Beach Surf Shop.
"If somebody had a problem, broke something, damaged something, we became, like, the go-to place for that for a lot of years."
But this year marks the store's final summer.
"The building was part of an estate you know, so the building's sold," he said. "We need to be out of here, you know, end of October, beginning of November."
Over the years, Brighton Beach Surf Shop served as a beacon where surfers could hang out before and after hanging ten. But the tradition is sure to not be the same after its doors close.
Mark Kaminer has been visiting since the 1980s, when Lisiewski's parents would invite him inside for a warm meal after surfing.
"We are all strangers from different parts, but we all meet here," said Kaminer. "It's been a great focal point. I don't know what's going to be like without that."
What Lisiewski and friends do know is that their passion for surfing will not stop.
In fact, some of the products and services offered at Brighton Beach Surf Shop will translate to a sister store, WaveHog Surf Shop, which is just a few minutes up the road in Ship Bottom, New Jersey.
And though Lisiewski is waving goodbye for now, he says the story is certainly not over.
"I'm very open minded to another location, but for now, I got to take a step back and figure it out," he said. "I mean, I'm by far not ready to retire or give it up or stop surfing. None of that's on the table. It'll come back in some way, shape, or form."
To learn more about Brighton Beach Surf Shop or WaveHog Surf Shop, visit their websites.
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