Good Vibrations: Stoked
BY Marimar McNaughton and Emmy Errante
What is so special about Wrightsville Beach a tiny walk-around surf town that ranks it among Surfer Magazine’s Top Ten US Surf Towns National Geographic’s World’s 20 Best Surf Towns and Thrillist’s 14 Best Small Beach Towns in America? This spring one of five local surf shops found its name on the Surf Collective NYC as one of the world’s top 22 surf shops.
We know it’s not the waves so maybe it’s the clean ocean water or beautiful sandy beaches. Or maybe it’s the vibe.
It has been said the Wrightsville Beach vibe welcomes all surfers to its lineup. It has also been said by surfers in far-off distant places that Wrightsville Beach surfers are known the world over for their aloha spirit.
Whatever the reason we’re pumped!
Founded 1990
Founder Dean Lassiter
Current Owners Dean Lassiter & Chris Jackson business partner.
Surf Team
Keith Boswell
Ryan Bowie
Amanda Evans
Tyler Faulkner
Trevor Francis
Bryce Francis
Preston Frieze
Peter Gloss
Elijah Gloss
Jesse Heter
Jacob Laham
Deonna Murray
Catherine Neff
Airlee Picket
Jo Pickett
Darsha Pigford
Dale Pigford
Daniel Saachi
Johan Sanchez
Colin Shovlin
Kirby Smith
Leah Thompson
Daniel Thompson
Mason Yohe
2. Surf City
Founded 1978
Founder Roy Turner
Current Owners Mike Barden
Surf Team
Evan Barton
zack bland
Jack Brandon
Carly Carter
Nash Conner
Richard gilligan
sean griffin
knox harris
will harris
fisher heverly
jed jeffery
cody leutgens
drew mceachern
jonathon mincher
dillon mincher
gabe morvil
vance morvil
colin peterson
nick rupp
sam svenson
pete viele
3. The Annex Surf Supply
Founded 2013
Founders/current owners Mike Barden & Chris Batten
Surf Team
Mason Barnes
Nick Bland
Chris Curry
4. South End
Founded 2009
Founder/current owner Jeffrey DeGroote
Surf Team
Jason Andre
Sam Baker
Cobi Christiansen
Silas Clemmons
Michael Foard
Sean Herman
Hunter Heverly
AC Hoover
Brandon Mitchell
Alexander Rockrise
Jacob Venditti
Tyler Weeks
5. Sweetwater
Founded 1976
FounderS Jim and Diane Skiba
CURRENT Owners Chuck Bourgeois Danielle Bourgeois and Shana Bourgeois
Surf Team
Todd Bostian
Ben Bourgeois
Dillon Brown
Julia Eckel
Madeline Eckel
Tristen Harbowy
Savannah Huckabee
Madison Huckabee
Dylan Kowalski
Conner Lester
Greg Lew
Owen Moffitt
Owen Moss
Bo Raynor
Jake Raynor
Jesse Raynor
Ross Stevens