A Surfing Revival in the Rockaways

Black-clad figures skitter across Shore Front Parkway and Beach 90th Street in Rockaway, Queens at 7 a.m. on a bitter cold November morning, their surfboards in hand. They are like kids in a candy store as they scale the stairway two steps at a time up to the boardwalk. They are met with an icy breeze on this cloudless morning, the fresh sunlight streaming through the gaps in the nearby high-rise apartments. But the waves are a sight that was worth their early-morning detour.

The ocean is sending perfectly formed waves toward the deserted shore, pounding against the jetty and shooting spray up into the rose-colored sky. For once, these wet-suited enthusiasts have their playground all to themselves. Without a word, they head into the water to play among the waves. After just an hour in the water they rush back onshore, scrambling to get to work in Manhattan. The joy of their surf session is often muddled by the long commute, frigid conditions and the hassle of carrying their heavy equipment home before starting their day. But changes are in the air at Beach 90th street in Rockaway, and they begin with the name Stathis.

For years Beach 90th Street in Rockaway, Queens sported an infamous reputation among commuting surfers. Though it is the closest surfing beach to Manhattan, it is difficult get to and situated in a less than friendly part of town. However, since 2004 interest in the sport has risen dramatically. The number of surfers commuting to the area has skyrocketed and Boarders of Rockaway, the area’s only surf shop, has led the charge by offering lockers for commuters to store their equipment. Steve Stathis, 56, and his son Christian, 33, run the tiny shop by themselves all while juggling other full-time careers and families.

Boarders is tucked away in the residential sprawl of Beach 92nd street, once the no-man’s land between the predominantly Irish community of Rockaway Park to the west and the newer housing projects from Beach 90th street to Far Rockaway in the east. The shop is the epicenter of a new wave of city surfers, providing lockers for commuters who ride the A Train to catch waves. What’s more, the area’s recent popularity has created a tantalizing scene by drawing city-bound surfers out of Manhattan and other boroughs to rent apartments closer to the waves in Rockaway.

Inside Boarders, the walls are a collage of local postings, amateur photos, and notes from friends. There are so many boards packed into the tiny shop, made by local shapers from New York and New Jersey and as far away as Ireland, that several hang from the ceiling. They carry locally made wetsuits and apparel as well. The St. James brand board shorts are sold by Jimmy Dowd, a local retailer who lives nearby on Beach 88th street.

“We quickly realized that we didn’t want to deal with the larger companies and we wanted to have a local feel anyway.” says Christian. He wears a loose t-shirt and jeans, lazily fielding phone calls behind the counter.

But its not only what’s going on inside the surf shop that is changing the New York City surfing scene; its what goes on behind the surf shop. Out back, an area roughly the size of a small garage has a large bank of 56 wooden lockers that house virtually any size surfboard, wetsuits, and other equipment. Nearby is a small shower, complete with hot water. The area is fenced in and accessible through a padlocked gate. For 60 dollars a month customers can have access to these facilities even when the surf shop is closed. It is an open door for commuting surfers to store their equipment and clothes instead of carrying it with them.

“It helps people who commute,” says Steve. “They have to get to work at 9, which means they have to get here at 6 to surf. Then they have to bring all their stuff back to their apartment, and then head off to work. It cuts down on their surfing time.” According to Steve, the lockers help commuting surfers to maximize their time in the water. His customers hail from all parts of the city: Williamsburg, Greenpoint, and Manhattan, to name a few places. He even has a renter from Westchester County.

The locker rental program is so successful, in fact, that it forms the foundation of Boarders’ income, exceeding sales of surfboards and equipment. After opening in the winter of 2004, Steve and Christian realized that their new business was in danger of sinking right away. “We knew we couldn’t survive selling retail alone,” says Steve, referring to the tremendous amount of money needed to keep even his small shop stocked with surfboards and apparel. The two men had quickly maxed out their new business credit cards and were sunk $80,000 in debt. In the spring of 2005, Steve began to cultivate an idea that had germinated long before Boarders even opened.

According to Christian, the original owner William Kosty built a shower in his basement and let surfers store their boards and equipment inside the store. Those customers’ boards were still hanging around when the Stathises took over in 2004. It was then that Steve came up with the idea of creating a massive storage space in the area behind the surf shop.

As winter nears, many commuting surfers who ride the subways to Rockaway call it quits; the water and weather are too unforgiving, as a few hours surfing might lead to hypothermia or worse. Even now, as the fall marches into winter, the water temperature drops from a balmy 70 degrees to a sobering 50, and in winter ocean temperatures can plunge into the high 30’s. Add a punishing December wind and you have an idea of what the typical commuting surfer faces when he gets off the A Shuttle at Beach 90th Street in Rockaway.

“The hardest part is getting back out,” says Christian. “In the water you’re relatively ok, but the dash back to the car or the shower, that’s when it’s cold!”