No more surf stores - Stand Up Magazin

ONLY WHEN THE LAST SURF STORE CLOSES …

… we will realize that you can’t surf the Internet at all.

A column by Andy Wirtz – owner of the norden-surfboards brand

It’s a sunny day in California. The wind is warm, the water turquoise – but we’re not in the USA, we’re in Schleswig-Holstein. California with a “K”. On the water? Nobody. Just bathers basking in the sun. My foil is mounted, the wing inflated – we’re ready to go.
Oh shit. Forgot the wetsuit. You can’t be serious. Where can I get one in a hurry?

The golden years

My introduction to water sports began in the mid-90s when my father gave me a windsurfing course on the local quarry pond. I hadn’t thought about it at the time, even though almost everyone had a surfboard in the 80s. Windsurfing was just the thing.

The surf school belonged to a local sports store that had a section for windsurfing equipment as well as skis and tennis rackets. Our surf instructor – a sports student, hydrogen blonde, tanned, a cool guy – spent his semester breaks in Hawaii, Fuerteventura or other magical places. I was completely captivated by his stories and photo albums. From then on, I didn’t want to do anything else. He was my hero.

Back then, there was a surf store or at least a sports store with a windsurfing department in almost every small town. There was a surf school at every lake, at every waterhole, no matter how small. We would press our noses against the shop windows when new boards or sails were on display. Hanging out in the surf store wasn’t just shopping – it was part of surfing itself.

Changing disciplines – and stores

The glory of windsurfing did not last forever. In the mid-90s, kitesurfing conquered the stage and displaced the windsurfing boom. The stores remained, but with an adapted range. In the 2000s, SUP was added, which also brought back those for whom kitesurfing was too demanding. With the inflatable ISUP, DIY stores and supermarkets suddenly discovered the business.

Surfing, which has always been a symbol of summer, sun and freedom, also gained visibility – even in places with no waves to speak of.

Nevertheless, the number of participants in water sports did not grow dramatically. Instead, everyone did a bit of everything. The stores responded with ever broader product mixes – and faced financial and logistical challenges as a result.

Online retail – blessing and curse

Then came online retail. If a part was missing from the store, it was simply ordered online – at the best price, of course. Even local retailers were brought to their knees with smartphone price comparisons. The large online stores advertised thousands of items without ever having everything in stock: Orders were placed directly via the suppliers. The only thing that mattered was the price.

And even these stores faced competition – from direct suppliers who sell their products without middlemen, often at a third of the price. Even the sustainability community, which is otherwise critical of mass-produced goods, proudly wears its Olaian ponchos and gong boards to the beach. Because yes – surf equipment is expensive, and price beats morality.

What we lose

The industry is under pressure: ever more high-tech, ever lower margins. Do we still need stores? The heroes are now on Instagram, instructions on YouTube.

But then here I am, on a Saturday afternoon, without a wetsuit. No colleague nearby, underpants too cold, return journey 30 kilometers? Even the internet doesn’t help now. Luckily, there’s a surf school on the beach in California where I can hire a wetsuit. 15 euros later, I’m flying over the water.

Last year, another five stores disappeared from my customer list – some after more than 30 years. No more blonde heroes behind the counter, no more stories, no more goods to touch.

Conclusion

There are still many water sports enthusiasts. Surfing still takes place on the water – not online. And a surf store is as relevant as the surf spot near you. A friend, decades in the industry himself, recently said to me:

“If the surf store dies, surfing dies too.”

Do you still have a surf store near you?

Maybe you’ll remember this the next time you put something in your online shopping cart.

About the author
Andy Wirtz is the owner of the norden-surfboardsbrand , has been an integral part of the German surf scene for decades and is a permanent fixture in the international surf industry. From the golden days of windsurfing to the rise of kitesurfing and today’s boom in SUP and foiling – he has witnessed, helped shape and critically followed all the trends. His perspective combines personal passion with decades of industry experience

Editor’s note.

Just like surf stores, water sports media is also needed. After scrolling through Instagram, you may have read this article and realized that the work of enthusiasts like Andy von Norden or Stand Up Magazine is needed. Who knows, maybe one or two readers will even realize that a small annual subscription to maintain core media isn’t such a bad idea.