17th Street Surf Shop

What 17th Street Surf Shop does

17th Street Surf Shop is a privately held, independent surf and skate specialty retailer founded in 1970 in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The company operates four brick-and-mortar retail locations across the Mid-Atlantic coast — Virginia Beach (flagship), Chesapeake/Greenbrier VA, Wilmington NC, and Kill Devil Hills NC (Outer Banks) — alongside a Shopify-powered e-commerce storefront that ships throughout the United States. Its product portfolio centers on in-house designed apparel (t-shirts, hoodies, fleece, shorts, and swimwear featuring original surf and skate-themed artwork) curated alongside third-party brands including O'Neill, Rip Curl, Vans, Olukai, Reef, and Sanuk across footwear, skateboards, wetsuits, surf accessories, sunglasses, and headwear. The company also runs exclusive collaboration lines with Distant Local (map-graphic apparel), Sunkissed Coconut (women's fleece), and MOBE Audio (drinkware), and operates a 17th Street Surf Camp program in partnership with Billabong and Seth Broudy School of Surf.

The business model is straightforward direct-to-consumer retail: one-time product sales across physical and online channels with no subscription or recurring component, plus a small ancillary revenue stream from surf camp registrations priced at $99 (1-day), $175 (2-day), and $299 (4-day). GTM is omnichannel — physical retail shows in regional coastal surf markets, supplemented by organic social (Instagram, Facebook per store), email/newsletter marketing with a 10% first-order incentive, and SEO-driven e-commerce. Customer base is highly fragmented and consumer-only, spanning active surfers, skateboarders, coastal lifestyle buyers, tourists, and a multi-generational local following anchored by the company's 55-year heritage. All revenue is transaction-based, free shipping kicks in at $75+, and a 30-day return policy applies. No institutional investors, parent company, M&A activity, funding rounds, or international operations are disclosed.

Name

17th Street Surf Shop

Legal name

17th Street Surf Shop

Website

https://17thst.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

17th Street Surf Shop is a privately held, independent surf and skate lifestyle retailer founded in 1970, operating four Mid-Atlantic coastal stores and a US e-commerce site selling in-house designed apparel, skateboards, wetsuits, and branded footwear and accessories to surfers, skateboarders, and coastal lifestyle consumers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Surf and Skate Retail

NAICS

Sporting Goods Retailers (45911)

SIC

Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600)

akta.pro primary industry

Surf & Beach Sports Retail (Surfboards, Bodyboards, Skimboards) (CRAMAIAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water Sports & Marine Recreation Retail (Paddle/Surf/Dive/Boat Accessories) (CRAMABAI), Swim & Surf Performance Wear (CRAAAEAG), Marine Apparel & Footwear Retail (Wetsuits, Rash Guards, Deck Shoes) (CRAMAIAJ), Surfing & Kitesurfing Experiences (Lessons, Camps) (THAJAJAJ)

Keywords

• Surf apparel retail
• Skate equipment retail
• Beach lifestyle merchandise
• Surf camp instruction
• Action sports retail

Headquarters

HQ city

Virginia Beach

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Retail Merchandise Sales: One-time product sales through 4 physical retail stores and e-commerce platform. Product categories include surf/skate apparel (t-shirts, hoodies, shorts, jackets), skateboards, footwear, sunglasses, accessories, and surf gear (wetsuits, leashes, wax). Revenue is transaction-based with no subscription component.
2. Surf Camp Programs: Revenue from surf camp registrations offered in 1-day ($99), 2-day ($175), and 4-day ($299) formats. Camps are operated in partnership with Seth Broudy School of Surf and sponsored by Billabong.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

17th Street Surf Shop is an independent surf and skate lifestyle retailer that sells in-house designed apparel (t-shirts, hoodies, fleece, hybrid shorts, boardshorts) featuring original surf-themed artwork, along with curated third-party brands of skateboards, skate shoes, wetsuits, surf accessories, sunglasses, sandals, and headwear. The company operates four brick-and-mortar stores in Virginia and North Carolina plus a Shopify-powered e-commerce site shipping throughout the US. It also runs a surf camp program in partnership with Billabong and the Seth Broudy School of Surf.

Product overview

17th Street Surf Shop is a surf and skate lifestyle retailer founded in 1970, operating as a single unified brand with a brick-and-mortar and e-commerce presence. The product portfolio centers on in-house designed apparel (t-shirts, hoodies, fleece, shorts, swimwear) featuring surf and skate-themed graphics, complemented by curated third-party brands in footwear (sandals, skate shoes), skateboards and accessories, wetsuits, surf accessories, sunglasses, and headwear. The company also operates a surf camp program in partnership with Billabong and the Seth Broudy School of Surf, and offers gift cards in digital and physical formats. Core differentiators include in-house artistic design capabilities, exclusive collaboration products (Distant Local maps, Sunkissed Coconut), and a 50+-year heritage in East Coast surf culture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 17th Street Surf Shop Tees: In-house branded t-shirt collection featuring original artwork designed in Virginia Beach, sold exclusively at the shop.
• 17th Street X MOBE Audio Drinkware
• Sunkissed Coconut x 17th Street
• Distant Local X 17th Street
• 17th Street X Billabong Surf Camp

Products and services

• 17th Street Surf Shop T-Shirts In-house designed short-sleeve and long-sleeve t-shirts featuring original surf and skate-themed artwork, offered in men's, women's, and youth cuts including Classic, Modern, For Her, and Comfort Colors fits.
• 17th Street Surf Shop Hoodies and Fleece Pullover hooded sweatshirts and crew neck fleece garments designed in-house with signature surf and skate graphics.
• 17th Street Surf Shop Shorts Men's hybrid shorts and walkshorts combining boardshort functionality with everyday wearability, including 20-inch and 18-inch hybrid shorts.
• 17th Street Surf Shop Swimwear Men's boardshorts and swimwear in various colors and camo patterns, designed for active surfing and beach use.
• Distant Local x 17th Street Collaboration Apparel Co-branded t-shirts and hooded fleece featuring Distant Local's signature map artwork of Virginia Beach and the Outer Banks, available in unisex and women's cuts.
• Sunkissed Coconut x 17th Street Collaboration Apparel Women's fleece sweatshirts, crew necks, and sweatpants combining Sunkissed Coconut branding with 17th Street's surf culture aesthetic.
• 17th Street Surf Shop Skateboards Skate decks, wheels, bearings, and accessories including branded decks with the company's logo and graphics, plus hardware from brands like Bones, Olympia, and Shorty's.
• 17th Street Skate Shoes Skateboarding footwear featuring Vans collaboration styles and pro-model designs including Kyle Walker, Curren Caples, and Atiba.
• Sandals and Beach Footwear Men's and women's sandals from brands including Olukai, Reef, and Sanuk, featuring styles like Hiapo and Donna Hemp.
• 17th Street Surf Shop Wetsuits Wetsuits from brands including O'Neill and Rip Curl, including back-zip and chest-zip styles for various water temperatures.
• 17th Street Surf Shop Surf Accessories Surf wax, wax combs, surfboard leashes, changing robes, ponchos, and sun shades from brands like Fu Wax, Creatures of Leisure, Shibumi, and Slowtide.
• 17th Street Surf Shop Sunglasses Sunglasses for men and women from brands including I-SEA, featuring polarized and non-polarized styles in various frame colors.
• 17th Street Surf Shop Hats and Beanies Headwear including low crown hats, athletic hats, and beanies in various colors and patterns, featuring the brand's surf and skate graphics.
• 17th Street Surf Camp Surf instruction program for all skill levels offered in 1-day ($99), 2-day ($175), and 4-day ($299) formats, run in partnership with Billabong and the Seth Broudy School of Surf in Virginia Beach, with certified instructors, surfboards, rash guards, and daily surf photos included.
• 17th Street Surf Shop Gift Cards Digital online gift cards and physical in-store gift cards redeemable across the product assortment, available in any denomination.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BillabongcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial sponsor of 17th Street Surf Camp 2026 program. Billabong has been part of surf culture for decades and supports surf progression, ocean time, and next generation of surfers.
• Seth Broudy School of SurfcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOperates 17th Street Surf Camp in partnership with Seth Broudy School of Surf. Led by professional surf instructor Seth Broudy and certified coaching team. Provides professional certified surf instruction, CPR/lifeguard certified staff, surfboards, rash guards, and daily surf photos.
• Distant LocalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDesign collaboration featuring Distant Local's signature map artwork of Virginia Beach and Outer Banks on t-shirts and hooded fleece. Exclusive co-branded products sold at 17th Street Surf Shop.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Vans: Iconic skate/surf footwear and apparel brand that 17th Street both resells and competes with via DTC; dominant player in skate shoes—a core product line for 17th Street.
• Quiksilver: Global surf and skate lifestyle brand selling apparel, wetsuits, and footwear through its own DTC channels and wholesale, overlapping with 17th Street's surf apparel and footwear assortment.
• REI Co-op: Large U.S. outdoor/sporting goods retailer carrying surf, skate, wetsuits, and apparel at scale; overlaps significantly with 17th Street's broader categories and competes for the same active-lifestyle consumer.
• Billabong: Global surf brand and 17th Street's surf-camp sponsor; competes via its own DTC site and wholesale accounts and shares the same target customer, surf apparel, and wetsuit categories.
• Rip Curl: Major surf brand sold at 17th Street (wetsuits, apparel); competes as a global incumbent with its own DTC site, wholesale network, and search presence in core surf categories.
• Ron Jon Surf Shop: One of the largest U.S. surf lifestyle retailers with multiple flagship stores and e-commerce; overlaps with 17th Street's surf apparel, wetsuit, and skate product mix at a much larger scale.

Direct peers

• Coastal Edge: Multi-location East Coast surf and skate retailer headquartered in Virginia Beach, directly comparable as a regional surf/skate chain operating physical stores plus e-commerce in the same Mid-Atlantic geography as 17th Street.
• Hawaiian Island Surf & Sport: Multi-location surf and lifestyle retailer operating both brick-and-mortar stores and a robust online storefront, comparable in product mix (apparel, footwear, wetsuits, surf accessories) and omnichannel DTC model.
• Surfside Sports: East Coast surf retailer with multiple physical stores and a strong e-commerce presence offering apparel, wetsuits, surfboards, and skate gear—closely aligned with 17th Street's product and channel mix.

Regional players

• Carolina Surf Co. North Carolina-based surf shop and apparel brand with retail locations and online store, operating in an overlapping geography and similar East Coast surf/skate lifestyle category.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/17thstreetsurf
• Facebookfacebook.com/17thStreetSurf
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/17th-street-surf-shop
• Instagraminstagram.com/17thstreetsurf

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about 17th Street Surf Shop