The Santa Barbara Maritime Museum is planning an exhibit of the works of George Greenough / Wilderness as part of our local, historic past. Hosted by the City of Santa Barbara, it’s ironic the city wants to knock the Wilderness Surfshop down as well as showcasing it’s work.
The show starts in April after moving up from the Huntington surf museum.
maybe this is the perfect time to showcase the wilderness shop in the paper and press releases and the like …hand outs giving directions to a real surf shop…pictures taken with…a coffee table book to direct proceeds to save…play it to pay off with the survival of…get me?..ambrose…or else let it become doheny
Ambrose — I don’t know about the money raising end of it, but there was an article in the Gold Coast News(I think thats the name of the paper). It’s online and I ran across it through a link. Might have been Proctor Surfboards. Intresting article, history etc. I’ve seen Bob Duncans’ boards in the Beach House, good shaper. The shop sounds like a classic. It would be great to get there and take a few pictures and lend him a little moral support. This sounds similar to the Frye/Warner shop deal in Pacific Beach. Just can’t have that stuff in our cities. McDing
Even though the historic Wilderness Surf Shop is in the O-C Zone (Ocean oriented business / Commercial), it appears that gentrification wins out again. Our city, as beautiful as it is, is more interested in tourists and development dollars. Homeless encampments, and people trying to sleep it off in the bushes, have engulfed the area near the railroad tracks. The City gang invaded with inspectors to shake down building code violations. Duncan’s standing his ground as well as could be expected.
Write to the Mayor of Santa Barbara in support of this historic place. You will be heard. These clowns know nothing of Surfing and don’t surf.
Thanks, ep
MayorMarty Blum
(805) 564-5321
http://www.wildernesssurfboards.com/history2.shtml
Benefit B-B- QUE at Wilderness Surfboards Due to the recent city crackdown on the “blighted” areas in the city, Wilderness has to “rehab” the shop in order to comply with city code regulations. Therefore, Wilderness is planning a benefit rehab bbq to help collect funds to restore the building. SAME PLACE, OLD FRIENDS, GREAT PARTY June 5, 2004 Time 10am
[=1][ 4]1. Mystery band[/][/]
2. Bring your used surfboards to sell
3. Commerative "Save Wilderness T-shirts avaiable
4. Bring your wallet!!!
5. Stay tuned for updated info
SAVE WILDERNESS
Wilderness Surfboards would like to thank everyone who participated in the benefit bbq on june 5, 2004 for their support of the shop. Unfortunately, alot of friends and supporters were not able to make it to the event because of the gaviota fire. our appreciation goes out to the firefighters, both county and hotshot crews for doing such a remarkable job in controlling the fire.
On completion of the rehab and final permitting for the shop, wilderness will throw another party, to catch all the stragglers and usual suspects. stay tuned and many thanks!!!
Skip -
Thanks for the heads up. I visited the museum today and was fascinated by the stuff on display.
I guess it’s the same exhibit that was at the Huntington Surf Museum but this was the first time I’d seen it.
Hand ground stainless fins, carbon edge knee and sail boards, Wilderness/Greenough Design edge and triplane boards, camera housings, balsa “Baby” replica, inflatable mats by Dale Solomonson and Paul Gross, Greenough inspired art work, etc.
Great stuff!
EP-------Thanks for the info and updates on Wilderness. I’m in Cal now and hope to get by the shop in the next few weeks. Where is the shop from Fiberglass Hawaii? Near there? Or over closer to Beattys’? McDing
http://www.wildernesssurfboards.com/history2.shtml
Benefit B-B- QUE at Wilderness Surfboards Due to the recent city crackdown on the “blighted” areas in the city, Wilderness has to “rehab” the shop in order to comply with city code regulations. Therefore, Wilderness is planning a benefit rehab bbq to help collect funds to restore the building. SAME PLACE, OLD FRIENDS, GREAT PARTY June 5, 2004 Time 10am
[=1][ 4]1. Mystery band[/][/]
2. Bring your used surfboards to sell
3. Commerative "Save Wilderness T-shirts avaiable
4. Bring your wallet!!!
5. Stay tuned for updated info
SAVE WILDERNESS
Wilderness Surfboards would like to thank everyone who participated in the benefit bbq on june 5, 2004 for their support of the shop. Unfortunately, alot of friends and supporters were not able to make it to the event because of the gaviota fire. our appreciation goes out to the firefighters, both county and hotshot crews for doing such a remarkable job in controlling the fire.
On completion of the rehab and final permitting for the shop, wilderness will throw another party, to catch all the stragglers and usual suspects. stay tuned and many thanks!!!
http://www.fuel.tv/PoolSnob/blogs/view/2049?type=Blog
A Southern California surf shop haunted by the deepest roots of George Greenough’s genius is shutting its doors for good. Santa Barbara’s Wilderness Surfboards, founded in 1966 by Greenough and Michael Cundith, must make way for the almighty automobile as Caltrans attempts to breakup congestion along Highway 101. The shop sits in the path of a new southbound off-ramp that has been on paper for years.
Wilderness owner Bob Duncan, who bought the business from Greenough and Cundith in 1970, has been fighting with Caltrans over relocation costs. The lengthy legal battle came to close last week as the judge’s gavel sounded the death knell for the gloriously dilapidated surf shanty.
Wilderness shares prestige as one of Santa Barbara’s earliest surf shops with those run by Renny Yater and the late John Bradbury. In some circles, Greenough is considered the spark that ignited the short-board revolution.
Until the bitter end, the shop stayed true to its beginnings as an off-the-radar shaping room and hangout with a reputation for top-of-the-line boards and outrageous holiday blowouts. For the past seven years, another plus has been the eight-foot-deep custom pool tucked away behind the shop. The fast, kidney-shaped bowl was built by hand (and without a permit) by Wilderness locals, who sold surfboards and recycled beer cans to pay for the concrete, tiles, and pool coping. Along with the shop, the Wilderness Bowl will die beneath the bulldozer blade of so-called progress.
Rest in peace, Wilderness.
