Ventura Surf Shop

What Ventura Surf Shop does

Ventura Surf Shop is a privately held, family-owned brick-and-mortar surf retailer founded in 1962 in Ventura, California, and currently operating from its single storefront at 88 E. Thompson Blvd. The business is owned and operated by Bill 'Blinky' Hubina, a master shaper who co-founded William Dennis Surfboards in 1967, along with his wife Mignonne and son Robert Hubina, who acquired the shop in 2012. The shop aggregates boards from more than eight independent shapers — William Dennis, Campbell Bros., Roberts, Klaus Jones, Wayne Rich, Dennis Ryder, Spencer Kellogg, and Milton Kelly — and carries an inventory of more than 300 new and 200 used boards, making it a multi-shaper gallery rather than a single-brand store.

Revenue is generated through three streams: one-time sales of new and used surfboards (custom boards priced $595–$1,395 by specification, used boards from $100), usage-based rentals of surfboards, bodyboards, and soft racks ($15 half-day, $30 full day, with deposits), and one-time sales of accessories and apparel including wetsuits (Quiksilver, O'Neill, Buell, Rip Curl, from $144.95), Arbor skateboards (from $129), hoodies, shirts, stickers, posters, books, and sandals. Distribution is a hybrid of walk-in retail at the Ventura storefront (open daily 9am–5pm) and a Shopify-hosted e-commerce site that ships globally; marketing is primarily organic via a blog covering surf history, shaper interviews, and Surfline forecast integration.

The customer base spans three persona segments — surf enthusiasts seeking custom or used boards, competitive and professional surfers ordering high-performance shapes (e.g., the Ben Samuel Model, Josh Samuel Nose Rider), and Ventura tourists and beginners renting equipment. The business has no institutional investors, no parent company, no disclosed revenue, no certifications or patents, and no AI or proprietary technology beyond handcrafted shaping and finishing; it operates as a mature, locally rooted specialty retailer with a small management footprint.

Name

Ventura Surf Shop

Legal name

Ventura Surf Shop

Website

https://shopvss.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1962

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Ventura Surf Shop is a family-owned surf shop and Shopify retailer founded in 1962 in Ventura, California. It sells custom and used surfboards from eight-plus shapers, plus rentals, wetsuits, skateboards, and apparel to surf enthusiasts, competitive surfers, and visitors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sporting Goods Retail

NAICS

Sporting Goods Retailers (45911)

SIC

Retail-Miscellaneous Shopping Goods Stores (5940)

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)

Keywords

• Custom surfboards retail
• Used surfboard sales
• Surfboard rentals
• Surf apparel accessories
• Wetsuits and skateboards

Headquarters

HQ city

Ventura

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Surfboard Sales: New and used surfboard retail sales. They carry over 300 new boards and 200 used boards from various shapers including William Dennis, Campbell Bros., Roberts, Klaus Jones, and others. Sales via both physical store and e-commerce.
2. Surfboard Rentals: Daily and half-day surfboard, bodyboard, and soft rack rentals with deposits. Half-day surfboard rental is $15, full day is $30.
3. Accessories and Apparel: Sales of wetsuits, skateboards, apparel (hoodies, shirts, sweat pants), stickers, posters, books, greeting cards, and sandals.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Ventura Surf Shop is a brick-and-mortar and online surf retail store selling custom handcrafted surfboards from multiple shapers (William Dennis, Campbell Bros., Roberts, Klaus Jones, Wayne Rich, Dennis Ryder, Spencer Kellogg, Milton Kelly), plus pre-owned surfboards, wetsuits, skateboards, apparel, and accessories. The shop also provides surfboard, bodyboard, and soft rack rentals from its Ventura, California location.

Product overview

Ventura Surf Shop is a brick-and-mortar surf retail store offering custom handcrafted surfboards from multiple shapers (William Dennis, Campbell Bros., Roberts, Klaus Jones, Spencer Kellogg, Milton Kelly, Dennis Ryder, Wayne Rich) plus pre-owned boards, wetsuits, skateboards, and surfboard rentals. The shop maintains over 300 new boards and 200 used boards in stock. Founded in 1962, the store specializes in custom surfboard orders priced by specifications and offers daily surfboard rental services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• William Dennis Custom Surfboards Handcrafted custom surfboards shaped by Bill "Blinky" Hubina, featuring 20+ models including longboards, shortboards, and nose riders in shapes such as Fish, Pintail, Swallow Tail, Quad, and Retro Comp.
• Campbell Bros. Surfboards
• Roberts Surfboards
• Klaus Jones Surfboards
• Used Surfboards
• Wetsuits

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Emerging players

• Channel Islands Surfboards: Iconic Santa Barbara surfboard brand and shaper (Al Merrick) selling performance custom surfboards direct and through select retailers. Comparable as a high-end custom surfboard maker whose products VSS retails alongside its own shaper offerings.

Direct peers

• ZJ Boarding House: Boutique surf retailer in Santa Monica, CA known for curated surfboard selection, custom orders, and high-end apparel. Closely comparable as a curated multi-shaper surf retailer emphasizing custom craftsmanship and authenticity.
• Ron Jon Surf Shop: One of the largest surf retail chains in the U.S., operating flagship superstores in Cocoa Beach, Florida and Ship Bottom, NJ with extensive surfboard, wetsuit, and apparel selection. Directly comparable as a multi-category surf retailer, though at much larger scale.
• Surfside Sports: Southern California surf shop based in Oceanside carrying surfboards, wetsuits, skateboards, and accessories. Comparable product mix and target customer (California surfers and tourists), serving a similar geography.
• Huntington Surf & Sport: Heritage surf retailer in Huntington Beach, CA, carrying surfboards, wetsuits, skateboards, and apparel across multiple store locations. Comparable as a long-running California surf shop with overlapping product categories and customer base.
• Jack's Surfboards: Long-established Southern California surf retailer (founded 1957) with multiple store locations carrying surfboards, apparel, and accessories from leading brands. Directly comparable as a heritage Southern California surf shop with a similar product mix.

Broad incumbents

• Boardriders Inc. Parent company of Quiksilver, Roxy, and DC Shoes — major surf brands that VSS carries and competes against via direct-to-consumer online sales. Comparable as the dominant surf-brand conglomerate whose products VSS resells.
• Patagonia: Large outdoor and surf-apparel brand with retail stores, wetsuits, and accessories overlapping VSS's accessory categories. Comparable as a broader surf/outdoor brand competing for the same customer wallet, though not a surfboard specialist.

Regional players

• Wax and various surf schools in Ventura: Local Ventura surf schools and rental operations (e.g., Ventura Surf School) offer beginner lessons and rentals. Comparable as regional surf-experience providers serving the same Ventura tourism and beginner customer base that VSS targets with rentals.

Others

• Surfline: Surf forecasting and cam platform already integrated into Ventura Surf Shop's website as a content partner. Comparable as an adjacent ecosystem player that drives surfer intent traffic and is co-marketed with surf retailers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/venturasurfshop

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

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 Ventura Surf Shop