Rockaway Surf Scene is Growing

Photo via JGNY's flickr

Is Rockaway the new Santa Cruz? While it already has a surf community, the NY Times thinks it's got the right stuff to become the East Coast surf hub now that an SC native, Bobby Vaughn, has opened his shop FTW in Rockaway Park. The paper notes that the area has "good waves, public housing projects and a growing surf culture," and Vaughn (who was a founder of the Von Dutch clothing line) thinks the "main problem with the Rockaway surf scene is that it has not embraced its inner gangster." He thinks that the model surfer "is fearless, tattooed and rides an expensive top-of-the-line surfboard decorated with gang tags." He discovered the area in 2005, after moving here following an incident where he fatally shot his friend (he claimed self defense and was found not guilty). While some locals take issue with his image, he says it's "strictly positive," and that he turned his life around and was reborn after surfing for the first time in NYC. He now wants to "show the street kids here — whether they’re surfers or kids from the projects — that they can do it too.” He'll be conducting anti-gang initiatives through surfing and skateboarding in the area.

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By Jen Carlson in Arts & Entertainment on April 6, 2009 4:13 PM

Comments [rss]

The TRUTH

You say that you wanna help the Kids now.... To help keep them out of trouble. So how is the "Gangster Image" being incorperated into their lifestyle gonna help? All that is gonna do is get innocent kids caught up in the crossfire of other peoples problems. That's like representing Alcoholics Anonimous while I am sporting my Jack Daniels shirt & Jim Beam hat. Ain't no one gonna want to listen to me. HYPOCRITE! The Rockaways gots a Cancer & that Cancer is Bobby Vaughn. A Cancer, if it is not stopped, as we all know, gradually grows 'til pretty soon the whole Body is destroyed from the inside out. Until that Life is extinguished. Don't let that happen to your Community.

The TRUTH

Read the Newest comment on nymag.com on Bobby Vaughn if you want the TRUTH

myinnernyc

I agree with most that this is not a healthy addition to the long-standing surf culture in Rockaway. And it's definitely not the message I want my kids to get. Surfing and "inner gangster" have NOTHING in common. And do you know that FTW stands for "F**k the World?" ...Very nice.

Snoopy

I'd love to see how long he could keep his inventory with the "inner gangsters" "shopping" his venue.

invisibleman

with friends like that....

Snoopy

"He'll be conducting anti-gang initiatives through surfing and skateboarding in the area." But he is going to do this by means of? "main problem with the Rockaway surf scene is that it has not embraced its inner gangster."

That will be a hard act to follow if he is successful.

Jen S

This guy is a putz. The surfers in Rockaway are not concerned with their image - they just want some waves!

Brooklynbobby

He now wants to "show the street kids here — whether they’re surfers or kids from the projects — that they can do it too.” He'll be conducting anti-gang initiatives through surfing and skateboarding in the area.

How touching . . . and profitable.

Manitoba

Anyone who wears anything Von Dutch is a complete and utter idiot. $200 for a hat? I never thought a clothing company could be more d-baggy than Abercrombie and Fitch until I saw K-Fed and Lohan wearing Von Dutch clothing.

The saddest part is that Von Dutch himself was the definition of cool, but his memory has been tarnished by morons like this guy. I suggest he watch Troma's "Surf Nazis Must Die" to see some real surf gangs.

widefive

He thinks gang tags on surfboards are cool, but wants to lead anti-gang initiatives in surfing. What is wrong with this picture?

lucyvanpelt

The surfing at Rockaway is crappy and crowded. Why bother?

Think2wice

"You've got that kamikaze look Johnny."

drewmaster

Teaching thugs how to surf, hmm. I look forward to dodging bullets from surf-by shootings. The Rockaways has a while to go before it lifts itself up from the dump it currently is...

Brooklynbobby

Surf by shootings? Ha! I can't stop laughing! Hysterical!

edward_g_robincat

Surfers with guns, been there, done that. Doesn't anybody else remember the Skeet Surfin' craze?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nf7_v9d2Ghw

Beach97th

rockaway is incredible. where else in this world is beach front property considered crap? this is the same sand, same ocean as the hamptons. but 1/5th the distance, 1/1000th the price. its a beach town , inside of the city. anywhere else in the entire world waterfront property is GOLD. people get so excited about going to a crumby floating makeshift pool, or a beach created on the bank of the river. both places give you rashs on your knees and elbows. rockaway is the real thing. it will succeed bc of its real value, the sand, not the hype as other areas have bought into. the area isnt looking to become greenpoint, or wburg. it wants to be what it is supposed to be.

rlhbomb

The article makes it sound like this guy has had enough drama in his life to warrant his move from Santa Cruz to Rockaway Beach.

It just makes him look like he is trying to exploit(cash in, make a buck)gang culture and surf culture at the same time.

Unfortunately the small, core group of Rockaway Beach surfers are not going to be enough to support his new surf shop, regardless of his gangsta vision.

Huffy6241

All he's trying to do is re-create the douchey magic he did with Von Dutch by inventing some sort of hardcore east coast surf scene "brand" he can then re-package and market globally to douches dumb enough to buy into it.

Ron Jon 2009 - but "fearless, tattooed and in a gang"

There's always been a "NYC" surf scene here - and with the right manipulation of the image - it can become marketable.

You heard it here first...

Huffy6241

All he's trying to do is re-create the douchey magic he did with Von Dutch by inventing some sort of hardcore east coast surf scene "brand" he can then re-package and market globally to douches dumb enough to buy into it.

Ron Jon 2009 - but "fearless, tattooed and in a gang"

There's always been a "NYC" surf scene here - and with the right manipulation of the image - it can become marketable.

You heard it here first...