Good Vibrations: Stoked

BY Marimar McNaughton and Emmy Errante

Published May 27, 2015

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!


 1. Aussie Island



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