Blue Coast

When did you start your business?

April 1, 1981. We are the oldest surf shop in San Clemente.

Do you consider the location of your shop a key factor to the business’s success?

Yes absolutely, we've been in the same location for 28 years to date.

Who is your average buyer?

We don't have an average buyer. It could be anyone from a Mom looking for the newest Volcom jeans for Johnny to the kid from Kansas who's never surfed before but is fully decked out in the latest apparel from Swell.com.

If a total Barney walks in do you treat him with the same respect as a full on loc?

Respect yes, but our local customers always get something a little extra whether it's a free bar of wax, a sticker, a discount or giving their kids summer jobs.

What is the dumbest question a customer has ever asked?

Do you sell wetsuits that are big enough to hold my giant balls in while getting barreled at San-O?

Do you have a mascot (ex. - An animal that roams freely throughout the building)?

Yes, first it was Maya, the black lab for 10 years, now it's Max the white Lab. We've always been dog friendly and several employees have brought their dogs to work over the years.

What is the craziest return a customer has ever tried to make?

A pair of worn trunks with a questionable stain on the crotch and sand that fell out of the pockets when the guy put them on the counter. He insisted they had never been worn though!

Does your store support any local surfers or have a surf team?

Yes, too many to name over the years.

What is your most annoying grom story?

One summer for 45 days straight this group of groms came in. They always rode their bikes and they would pile them right in front of the door. After us all telling them not to do it and getting nowhere we decided to teach them a lesson. We rode the bikes around to the back of the shop to load them into the back of my truck. The plan was to briefly make them think they'd been stolen. Going down the hill on the groms bike I tried to jump the bike and crashed herniating two disks in my neck. That was pretty annoying.

Have you ever had any type of celeb roll in and make a purchase?

Several, but the best was Taj Burrow, late at night after we were already closed. He'd just had dinner at the Pizza Port and we'd just polished off a growler of beer. He actually came in for Solar Rez and we'd literally sold our last tube an hour before. Talk about bummed!

Have you ever pulled a hot chick/guy solely due to the fact that you own/manage a surf shop?

I've been engaged since I started working at BC so no, but I've seen many of the other employees use it to their advantage.

How many days a week do you surf now compared to before you owned/managed a surf shop?

1 if I'm lucky compared to 4 or 5 before. Surfing always goes in cycles for me and right now we are in a recession so I'm working a lot.

Who is your favorite surfer and why?

Max the shop dog, cause he never gives up. He's trying to go pro. Will you guys sponsor him?

Has a customer trying on clothes ever walked out completely naked?

No, but our employee Katie has been known to take her clothes off at work.

Has a person ever walked in totally blitzkrieged (really intoxicated) and tried to make a purchase?

If so elaborate. Yes, all the time. We are across from the Pizza Port and up the street from Mainstream (the drug treatment facility).

Every store has to deal with shoplifting. What is your most memorable experience and what is your shoplifting policy?

The time Brian tackled a guy and wrestled him to the ground and restrained him until the cops came. We have a no tolerance shoplifting policy. We are a small business so we count on every penny.

And last but not least tell us one of the craziest shop stories you can remember?

Once an employee drank too much and needed some massage cream to score a chick so he went to B.C. after hours and left an IOU for a bottle of "Headhunters" (the brown sunscreen). While he was there he pooped his pants. Since he pooped his pants he grabbed a pair of boardshorts off of the rack, but 3 sizes too small. He then rode his bike home. The boardshorts were so small they didn't even close properly. The next day he didn't remember any of this, but the evidence was there. After that day we removed the carpet in the bathroom and replaced it with tile. After that incident that particular employee was no longer employed at B.C.