If I would have to choose any store in the world to be in, it would be this one. Not only is Shelter located on one of my favorites streets in Long Beach (4th st) it also provides a "realness" that can only come from passionate people willing to share their love for art, fashion, and surfing. Shelter carries the best surf boards that take consideration in: style, function, performance, environment and the economy*. These boards are made for the sole purpose to make you happy on waves. Shelter also carries great clothing(squares), jewelery, and accessories that are carefully selected by Kim. Once a month they participate in the art walk with a surf movie premiere.You will probably find me at one of these events there giving a couple dollars to dink off the pony keg for the whole night. I will let you know when the next event is.
*Let me take a minute to explain why I think Shelter is considering the economy. Shelter carries boards that are hand made by surfers/shapers that have dedicated their lives into innovating and improving surfboard designs. So what happens when a shaper, like Al Merrick, gets all his boards computer cut with cheap labor overseas? It will put these small operations out of business and ultimately kill the spirit of surfing. I am no economist and I do have too strong of an opinion on foreign labor. But in this case I will not support these boards because of my understanding of what should go into a surfboard.
