Maritime Surf Shop
Maritime Surf Shop
Mike Flammer, Co-Owner
301 W. Park Ave
Long Beach, NY 11561
516-208-3590
www.maritimesurf.com
When one thinks of the word “surfing,” exotic and tropical locations flash through one’s mind. Cost Rica, Australia, Hawaii… but Long Island? Usually not at the top of the list. You might be surprised to learn that Long Island’s own Long Beach has been a well-kept surf secret for years, and is quickly becoming a top destination for an enthusiastic community of East Coast wave-riders. Nobody knows that better than Mike Flammer, a staple of the Long Beach community, avid surfer, and co-owner of the brand new Maritime Surf Shop.
It all started about a decade ago, when Flammer worked at another local shop with Len Valenti, a surf veteran who’s been chasing local waves since the late ’60s. One summer afternoon, the two began talking about creating their own surf label. Years later they formed their Maritime line, specializing in surf and beach gear and custom boards. Flammer recalls that business started out as a kind of word-of-mouth venture. “We made some boards for some friends and people we knew from town, and it just sort of went from there.”
Before you could say “hang ten,” the duo opened up their own shop, just a few blocks away from the beaches they’d been surfing for years. “It’s kind of our hometown,” Flammer says, noting the close-knit beach community that’s formed over the years. “It’s one of those towns where you can get a good surf in at the beach, then walk down the street and go to a great diner with your friends.”
Staying true to their roots, Maritime maintains a focus on selling and producing top-quality custom boards for their die-hard customers, while keeping their shelves fully stocked with surf and beach essentials for the everyday beach bum. But don’t be fooled—these board heads take their methods of transportation very seriously. “We focus more on the stuff that surfers really need, not just stuff that makes you look like a surfer,” Flammer says. “We can offer boards that are more appropriate for people in this part of the country, because Long Island surf conditions are different than other places.”
Flammer ranks brands like Chris Birch, Ricky Carroll, and their own Maritime line as some of their top-selling items, noting that East Coast-based labels have been selling particularly well. “With our focus on custom boards, it allows me to really improve my surfing by working with the shaper and trying different stuff out,” Flammer says. “Rather than other sports where you go to a huge sporting goods store and they have a hundred of the same product for everybody, surfing is a lot more customized for your needs. It’s a really one-on-one kind of thing.”
Flammer and Valenti have high hopes of bringing the surf community even closer together, and hope to recruit a few more to their clan through events like movie premieres and contests in the near future. “It’s been a great way to get everybody in the neighborhood involved, any maybe somebody would even go home with a trophy.”
