South End Surf Shop Cements Itself as a Landmark of Wrightsville Beach
South End Surf Shop
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South End Surf Shop 〰️
If you ask locals, they’ll tell you the South End of Wrightsville Beach has a different vibe than the rest of the island. It is sleepier, more residential, and has fewer businesses than other areas.
However, this wasn’t always the case. In the early 1900’s, the South End was accessible via trolley, which led beachgoers to the renowned Lumina Pavilion - a massive attraction known as “The Fun Spot of the South”.
Crowd on Wrightsville Beach outside Lumina Pavilion. (Photo credit the Bill Creasy Collection via Star News).
The Crystal Pier has also stood as major landmark on the South End since its construction in 1939, originally at 1,000 feet, was once the longest pier on the Eastern Seaboard.
Shortly after the Crystal Pier was built, in 1941, a brick building was built as a part of the Glenn Hotel and Restaurant, across the street from the Pier. In 1954, the ground floor was buried in 8 feet of sand during Hurricane Hazel, which brought a 17 foot storm surge to Wrightsville Beach.
For 41 years, it sat vacant. And the South End would develop its reputation as more residential and laid back than the rest of the the island for years to come.
In 2010, this brick building would finally reopen its doors as South End Surf Shop, bringing surfers, non surfers, locals, tourists, and Wrightsville Beach residents back to a new community hub on the South End, once again.
In 2009, during one of his many bike rides around Wrightsville Beach, South End Surf Shop owner Jeff DeGroote found himself captivated by the overgrown and vacant brick building on Lumina Ave that seemed to be doing absolutely nothing at the time.
One night, it hit him… that building had to be South End Surf Shop.
Enamored by this opportunity, Jeff decided to depart his longtime role in the banking industry to chase the dream.
“It was a true leap of faith. Like most new small business owners I was naive - but more than anything the decision was born from my passion for surfing and the lifelong dream of owning a surf shop. ”
After acquiring the property, he immediately got to work in building out a team, in a very unconventional way.
Steve Phillips was enjoying a standard surf session, filled with knee-high peelers on the South End of Wrightsville Beach when Jeff paddled up to him in the lineup. Within a few minutes of meeting for the first time, Jeff presented Steve with the opportunity to join the team at the shop.
“I paddled up to Steve and said “I am going to open a surf shop in that brick building across the street, do you want to work for me?” And he said “Yeah, let’s go!””
All these years later following that quick conversation, Steve is still the manager of South End Surf Shop. “Before the shop was ready to open, the building was just something you could hardly notice because it was so overgrown. But once I saw the inside and what they were working on, I was all in”, he says.
Bike and board rentals are available at the shop.
The early excitement following the grand opening in the summer of 2010 gradually transitioned into challenging off-seasons in the first few years of business. Long hours, slow days, and an uncertain future weighed heavy on Jeff. The prospect of South End Surf Shop’s long-term success was still to be determined.
However, it was during these tough times South End developed its reputation as a shop where everyone was welcome. Even seasonal tourists quickly became close friends to Steve and Jeff, and locals were always received with top notch customer service and friendly pricing.
“We are so strong on community and family. We truly are just trying to a create fun place for everyone who walks through the doors to visit and shop.”
After about 3 years of building its identity, Jeff realized his shop may be around for the long haul after all. And as South End Surf Shop approaches its 17th summer in business, it is evident that it has become an icon of Wrightsville Beach.
“It has become more than just a shop, it's a meetup spot and a destination for so many people,” he says.
The board room in back of the shop.
South End Surf Shop continues to build its legacy. A proper landmark of Wrightsville Beach, throughout the day many beachgoers can be seen taking photos of the building.
Some know it as the place to get free hot dogs on the 4th of July, or the shop offering incredible deals during their annual 50% off fire-sales. When there is swell in the water, surfers use the tables out front to brag to their buddies about how many waves they caught during their session, over a coffee. If you have been to the south end of Wrightsville Beach, you probably have a story about South End Surf Shop.
A place once buried in 8 feet of sand, overgrown and unseen to the untrained eye, now sits front and center.
“We have a great vibe here, and that is 100 percent a credit to the people we have coming to our shop.”
While the large ballrooms, dancing, and loud music of the Lumina Pavilion may be long gone, South End Surf Shop acts as the new community center on the south end, building memories and cementing its rightful place in Wrightsville Beach history.
As the Lumina Pavilion lived in the photos and minds of previous generations, inevitably South End Surf Shop will hold the same place for many currently spending their days on the south end.
Be sure to follow along with South End on their Instagram, Facebook, and website!