February 26, 2017

Meet Jeff Glass of Rider Shack Surf Shop in Venice Beach

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeff Glass.

Jeff, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Rider Shack is a Family owned business that began with a big dream and a small humble beginning. We began with a dream to pursue something we love and wanted to share our passion. In November of 2006, we opened Rider Shack. With a limited budget and an endless list of goals, we rented a small 500sq foot garage tucked behind a Foster Freeze near Venice and Marina Del Rey, CA. Through our enthusiasm and love for the beach lifestyle, we quickly became a local favorite. With a year under our belt, we realized our dream of owning a surf shop was becoming a reality and we needed a bigger space with a more prominent location. After a few months of searching, we moved 1 mile east on West Washington Blvd. The new location was a little more than double the size and needed some TLC. The Style Network from E! Entertainment decided that they wanted to help and featured RIDER SHACK on “Peter Perfect” in a full 1-hour segment documenting struggles and the excitement of the store makeover. We stayed at this location for 2 1/2 years and realized we were outgrowing our space and began keeping our eyes open for a larger location. In May of 2010, we opened at our new 5000 sq foot location in the heart of Venice, Marina Del Rey & Culver City. We continually strive to keep our dream alive, and always work at creating an amazing family and friend oriented shop.

Jeff’s Story
Although born and raised in Phoenix, AZ, Jeff’s family would take off for two weeks every summer to escape the Arizona heat and head for the beautiful weather of San Diego. This is where Jeff’s surfing all began. Who knew that a trip to the Oceanside swap meet and $75 worth of lawn mowing money would lead to Jeff purchasing his first surfboard? The board was aSurfboards Hawaii and was neon green with glassed on thrusters and channels. From the very first wave at Oceanside pier, Jeff knew he was hooked. Jeff spent his time away from the ocean riding skateboards and surfing behind the boat at the local lakes on his surfboard and then the original Skurfer wakeboard. Jeff knew from an early age that he loved the water and that the ocean was his calling, so from the moment he graduated college he packed his bags and moved to Los Angeles.

Lacey’s Story
Lacey was born and raised in Santa Barbara, CA. She grew up spending countless hours camping and hanging out on the beautiful undeveloped Southern California coastline. Gaviota, Refugio, El Cap and Pismo are still her favorite places; the smell of sunscreen takes her back to those days spent on the beach. When Lacey was in high school, a family move relocated her to Nevada. Being a true California Girl, Lacey returned to Southern California the moment she turned 18.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
When we opened Rider Shack in 2006 we were the new shop and couldn’t get any major brands to sell us merchandise, we also really underestimated the amount of finances needed to keep the shop afloat while getting established. I remember taking about 10K in merchandise to the local swap meet and walking away with less than 1k just to clear up some cash flow. Thank god we had good credit and credit cards to survive during the lean times.

Rider Shack Surf Shop – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Rider Shack is a true family owned surf shop. We specialize in being a true surf shop. Surfboards and surf gear comes first, it is our specialty, clothing is a secondary focus. The thing that sets us apart from other shops is our friendly staff. Everyone is knowledgeable and will treat you great whether you are a seasoned pro or a fresh newbie to the water.

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
I am proud that my wife Lacey and I have been able to create one of the best surf shops in Los Angeles. We didn’t grow up in the surf industry and worked really hard against most odds to achieve where we are. I am stoked that we have a great staff that is like family and making a living along with us while pursuing this dream.

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