Farias Surf & Sport Celebrates its 50th Anniversary
50 summers ago, Vince Farias rented a dirt-floor garage on 5th Street in Surf City from a woman who lived next to the lifeguard barracks he resided in. As a teacher in Edgewater Park, NJ, Vince looked to set up roots and a business on this Island which he fell in love with like most of us still do today. During Summer he was as a lifeguard and bartender while spending mornings working for Public Works picking up trash... But his strength was in his character and interaction w/ people. Smiling Vince was a born hustler and always looked to provide what people needed while trying to make a buck. When Michele came into the picture, she complimented him perfectly and the business continued the evolution into apparel. Things were a lot different back then but it is the generations of families, friends and businesses that make this little sand island so special. Long Beach Island is where myths become legend and friends become family. Vince is just one of the many here, whether born or raised who laid a foundation for his family to make this Island a home.
In the changing consumer world we live in, retail continues to be a tough business. It is extremely hard to continue to be successful. But now at 50 years, we celebrate Vince and Michele and their blood, sweat and tears that went into the organic evolution of the business from a rental and beach shop to an authentic Island mainstay and world class surf shop. Today the store is regarded as one of the premier surf retailers not just on the East Coast but in the entire country.
We are planning a series of events all summer to celebrate the business and continue to show our appreciation to our loyal customers over the years. We are extremely proud of the past events we have produced and the characters and legends of surf we have brought to LBI. From Robert August, Wingnut, Bob McKnight, Tom Curren, Tom Carrol, Rob Machado to Matt Biolos and Ian Walsh, we look to add to the list this summer and in the future. I think the one thing we are most proud of is that everyone of our visiting guests have expressed their pleasant surprise of how beautiful our little island is and the comaraderie of our surfing community.
In the changing consumer world we live in, retail continues to be a tough business. It is extremely hard to continue to be successful. But now at 50 years, we celebrate Vince and Michele and their blood, sweat and tears that went into the organic evolution of the business from a rental and beach shop to an authentic Island mainstay and world class surf shop. Today the store is regarded as one of the premier surf retailers not just on the East Coast but in the entire country.
We are planning a series of events all summer to celebrate the business and continue to show our appreciation to our loyal customers over the years. We are extremely proud of the past events we have produced and the characters and legends of surf we have brought to LBI. From Robert August, Wingnut, Bob McKnight, Tom Curren, Tom Carrol, Rob Machado to Matt Biolos and Ian Walsh, we look to add to the list this summer and in the future. I think the one thing we are most proud of is that everyone of our visiting guests have expressed their pleasant surprise of how beautiful our little island is and the comaraderie of our surfing community.
