Santa Cruz Vibes Magazine

What Santa Cruz Vibes Magazine does

Santa Cruz Vibes Magazine is an independently owned, hyperlocal quarterly print and digital publication serving the Santa Cruz, California community. Founded in Summer 2023, the magazine publishes seasonal issues covering local news, surf culture, environmental issues, entertainment, travel, food and drink, health, non-profit organizations, and local art. Distribution is multi-channel, including annual print subscriptions, single-copy sales, a website (scvibesmagazine.com), an email newsletter, and active social profiles on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter/X.

The publication is produced by a small named editorial team led by Brian Upton (Editor), Neal Kearney (Managing Editor), and Ryan 'Chachi' Craig (Photo Editor), with photography and writing contributed by additional local contributors. The editorial product combines long-form local features, photo essays, and event coverage organized into categories — Local (Art, Food & Drink, Health, Non-Profit, Surf), Entertainment, Environment, and Travel — with the Travel vertical extending coverage to surf destinations outside Santa Cruz.

The business model is primarily consumer-direct via annual print subscriptions and newsletter sign-ups, augmented by advertising and sponsorship sales through a 2026 Media Kit, and ancillary podcast management services offered to third parties. The company is privately held with no disclosed institutional funding, no parent company, and no enterprise customers, operating as a founder-led local media business serving a single regional market in California, USA.

Name

Santa Cruz Vibes Magazine

Legal name

Santa Cruz Vibes Magazine

Website

https://scvibesmagazine.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Santa Cruz Vibes Magazine is an independently owned quarterly print and digital publication serving the Santa Cruz, California community with local news, surf culture, environmental coverage, and community features, distributed via subscription, newsletter, website, and social channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local Print & Digital Media

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (513120), Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131), Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (5418)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

Consumer Lifestyle & Fashion Magazines (MPAJAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sports & Recreation Magazines (MPAJAEAJ), Food, Cooking & Beverage Magazines (MPAJAEAF), Travel & Outdoors Magazines (MPAJAEAH)

Keywords

• Local print magazine
• Community journalism
• Surf culture content
• Quarterly publication
• Hyperlocal media

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Cruz

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Santa Cruz Vibes Magazine is a quarterly print and digital publication serving the Santa Cruz, California community with local news, surf culture, environmental coverage, entertainment, travel, food and drink, health, non-profit, and art content. The publication distributes content via seasonal print issues (subscription and single copy), a website with digital articles, an email newsletter, social media channels, and offers a podcast management service and a Media Kit for advertisers.

Product overview

Santa Cruz Vibes Magazine is a quarterly print and digital publication serving the Santa Cruz, California community. The publication covers local news, events, surf culture, environmental issues, travel, entertainment, food and drink, health, non-profit organizations, and art. The core offering consists of seasonal magazine issues (print and digital), a podcast management service, and a newsletter subscription. The publication features content organized into main categories: Local (including Art, Food & Drink, Health, Non Profit, Surf subcategories), Entertainment, Environment, and Travel.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Santa Cruz Vibes Magazine A quarterly print and digital publication covering local news, events, surf culture, environment, travel, food, health, non-profit organizations, and entertainment in Santa Cruz, California, for local residents and the broader Santa Cruz community.
• Quarterly Magazine Issues (Print and Digital Editions) Seasonal quarterly magazine issues (Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter) available as print subscriptions and digital PDFs, each featuring local stories, photography, and community coverage.
• Santa Cruz Vibes Newsletter

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Santa Cruz Sentinel: Established Santa Cruz regional newspaper covering broader local news. Comparable as a Santa Cruz-focused media outlet but with a wider news remit rather than a lifestyle/surf niche.
• Surfline: Dominant digital surf content and forecasting platform. Comparable as it serves the same surf-culture audience with editorial content, and competes for advertiser dollars in the surf category.

Direct peers

• Coast Magazine: Orange County-based lifestyle magazine covering coastal California culture, food, travel, and community. Comparable as a regional California coastal lifestyle publication with similar content verticals.
• Surfer Magazine: Iconic surf-focused magazine with deep category authority. Comparable as a surf-culture publication, and the prior employer of SC Vibes' Photo Editor—directly relevant for editorial pedigree benchmarking.
• 7x7: Bay Area lifestyle magazine covering local culture, food, events, and community. Comparable as a hyperlocal California metropolitan lifestyle publication with print + digital distribution.
• Good Times Santa Cruz Weekly: Long-running Santa Cruz-area alt-weekly covering local news, arts, food, and community. Most direct local comparable given shared hyperlocal Santa Cruz coverage and overlapping topic mix (arts, food, events).
• Diablo Magazine: East Bay San Francisco lifestyle magazine covering local culture, food, travel, and community. Comparable business model and editorial mix as a California regional lifestyle publication.
• Edible Monterey Bay: Regional lifestyle magazine focused on food, drink, and coastal California community content. Comparable business model as a quarterly lifestyle publication serving a specific California coastal region.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/SantaCruzVibes
• Facebookfacebook.com/santa.cruz.vibes.magazine
• Instagraminstagram.com/santacruzvibesmagazine
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/santa-cruz-vibes-magazine

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 Santa Cruz Vibes Magazine