Paul’s laid-back, open minded approach to life not only made him well suited to a life chasing adventure in sports, but also to running a successful surf shop. The employees were like family and would often surf together or head up to the mountains, with Paul usually leading the charge. Itsy says, “He’d get to the top of the mountain though and he’d be gone. And I wouldn’t see him all day!” She joined Paul one year on an annual trade fair trip to Mammoth to test out snowboard equipment for the upcoming year. Despite it feeling like an inopportune time for both of them, they had grown much closer over the years and realized that their relationship was blossoming further. Eventually they moved in together in Talega and together they ran SoCal Surf Shop.
The two recently married in January of this year, with Taylor and Eli serving as flower girls for the ceremony. Itsy says, “We had our own planting ceremony at the reception, signifying how we are growing new roots in our blended family.” Taylor, a 7th grader at Thurston Middle School in Laguna Beach, is the school’s ASB treasurer and just recently made the surf team. Eli, a GATE student, is the 6th grade representative, acting as a positive role model for the school and giving guided tours to new students. They treasure their time together as a foursome, often indulging Itsy’s love of theater by attending shows at the Orange County Performing Arts Center. They also love to surf, skate and snowboard as a family and every year, on Father’s Day it’s “mandatory family surf day,” says Itsy.
Due to the recession, in 2008 the two decided to close down the store and sell exclusively online, with a warehouse in Huntington Beach. Paul says, “Every Mom and Pop shop that was out there (in South Orange County) is now gone. They’re all owned by corporations, buyers’ groups or a group of realtors.” Though they maintained a successful online business for eight years, Paul missed interacting with the community. Feeling that they were essentially filling orders for faceless customers, Itsy convinced him to open up the store again. Paul credits Itsy with encouraging him to do it. “She said, ‘You were the happiest when I saw you in the store; when you were able to help people.’” Itsy adds that the store was “part of them.” It’s “where we met and what we do best together so we decided to bring it back.”
The new shop carries clothing, eyewear, footwear and accessories for surf, skate, snowboarding and stand up paddle boarding. Itsy says, “Kids can come in, hang out and watch snowboarding, skateboarding and surf videos” just like they used to do in the old store. Paul plans to have his workbench at the back of the store, doing board repair and snowboard tuning. “I've been riding and tuning boards for 32 years,” having hand tuned the snowboards for the Olympic, junior national and USASA teams.
In 2012, Tom Sims passed away unexpectedly. After the company fell off in the 1990’s, today they’re making a comeback and honoring Tom’s legacy by re-launching the brand, building boards handcrafted in the U.S.A. Paul feels a loyalty to Sims and is excited to be carrying their new line, “We have the exclusive in Southern California for these Sims boards,” says Paul.
Passion and purpose are at the foundation of Paul and Itsy’s lives. With years of experience, and a desire to live authentically, they’ve come full circle. Excited to reopen SoCal Surf Shop to share their love and knowledge with others in San Clemente, Paul says, “It’s about much more than selling product and making dollars. It’s about bringing the community together.” “His passion just sort of seeps out of him, and it’s catching,” says Itsy. “We’re not interested in making a million dollars, but a million smiles.”
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