Kelly Sorensen’s original intent for starting On The Beach Surf Shop in 1986 might very well be what has kept him in business for over 30 years.
“The bottom line is good customer service,” he says. “In this day and age, you’ve got to take care of anyone who walks through the door. We feel very personal about that – we treat everyone as part of the family.”
Sorensen says he prefers to be on the floor, behind the register helping customers find everything from their first surfboard to a wide variety of beach apparel, or matching with the right snowboard rental in winter to choosing from an endless selection of skateboard supplies.
Not only is the customer-friendly aspect apparent, but so is the family atmosphere. Sorensen has five children who have all worked in the shop in some capacity.
Sorensen was 20 when he opened the store on Lighthouse Avenue in New Monterey. He has kept the young, timeless vibe alive for himself – surfing when he can and hanging out at the beach – as well as in the store, which is decorated with tikis and vintage surfboards.
“The internet has changed business a bit, but the bottom line in our store is the experience. When people walk in, they are in our tropical village,” he says. “The fantasy of being in the tropics is timeless. It’s like Disneyland’s ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ ride as a kid. Surfing isn’t going to change and waves don’t change.”
Sorensen has countless stories about customers who came in to to tell him they fell in love with the sport after he sold them their first board, sometimes many years earlier.
“Kids get into it and get hyped and I’m the guy to keep the hype going for you,” he says.
In a lot of ways, it reflects his own story: Sorensen grew up in the Central Valley, and spent every weekend he could driving to the Monterey Bay to surf, then moved here at age 18.
Sorensen credits the Monterey Peninsula community, with its beaches and coastal living, for keeping On The Beach going. He estimates 80 percent of his customer base is locals.
On The Beach is also home to the Surfboard Museum – a private collection of about 75 longboards from the 1920s to the ’60s. Peter Noble of Monterey, who owns the collection, has wild stories about each, including a visit to the shop by Robert August, who starred in the influential surfing movie The Endless Summer and mentioned how he shaped one of the very boards hanging from the ceiling.