When Ryan Gerard first launched Third Coast Surf Shop in Harbor Country a dozen years ago, he was just happy to have surfboards in the house and ready to sell. Now, as his 12th anniversary in business draws near, the amazing young entrepreneur will debut his very own surfboard line — 3rd Coast Surfboards — during the huge anniversary showcase and sale coming up in two weeks.
Built exclusively for the store by Bing Surfboards of Encinitas, California, the new 3rd Coast Surfboards will take a bow on Saturday, April 29, when the crew at Third Coast Surf Shop will mark those 12 years in business with their anniversary party at 212 State Street in downtown St. Joseph. their flagship, headquarters store.
The festivities will include the opening of a new exhibition by St. Joseph-based photographer and surfer Rusty Malkemes, who took the image of shop owner Ryan Gerard off of Silver Beach that accompanies this story on Moody on the Market.com. You can see his work online at www.rustymalkemes.com. Rusty’s images of Great Lakes surfers in their local environment will be on display and for sale in the shop’s surf art gallery area.
At 7pm on the night of the party, the shop will host the premiere of “Southend,” the latest project from Chicago-based filmmaker and surfer Pat Noyes. The film features unique footage of surfing on Lake Michigan’s “south end” (the stretch of coastline from Chicago to southwest Michigan), along with interviews with some of the memorable characters who make up the region’s surf scene. You can watch a trailer from the film by clicking this link: https://vimeo.com/201967831
The anniversary weekend will also showcase Third Coast Surf Shop’s newly-expanded surfboard selection, the largest collection of premium boards in the Great Lakes, with new boards on hand from Bing Surfboards and Rusty Surfboards, in addition to the debut of the shop’s own line of 3rd Coast Surfboards. Select surfboard styles will be on sale for the event.
Craft beer from The Livery and refreshments will be available, and select items in the store will be marked down during the weekend.
Ryan started Third Coast Surf Shop in 2005 with a simple mission: to spread the joy of the surfing lifestyle through the Great Lakes and beyond. The first shop opened in New Buffalo in April 2005, followed in April 2011 by the addition of the St Joseph store, which is now his flagship location. The first surf shop of its kind in the Midwest, Third Coast Surf Shop has been featured in national media, including The CBS Early Show, NBC’s The Today Show, The Weather Channel, Newsweek, The New York Times, and National Public Radio.
Third Coast Surf Shop serves the Great Lakes surfing community with more than 60 in-stock surfboards, wetsuits designed for year-round lake surfing, and accessories, plus services such as surfing lessons, board rentals, and kids’ beach day camps. Customers can also find gear for skateboarding, skimboarding, stand-up paddleboarding, and sandboarding. Along with hard goods, the shops carry clothing and accessories from brands such as Patagonia, Quiksilver, Roxy, TOMS, Vans, Ray-Ban, and Oakley, plus surfing- and Great Lakes-themed merchandise.
Southwest Michigan residents and visitors may also be familiar with Third Coast Paddling, an extension of the Third Coast brand that includes hourly kayak and stand-up paddleboard rentals and group outings at four sites in New Buffalo and St. Joseph/Benton Harbor. The Third Coast Paddling retail store, located at 241 E. Main Street in Benton Harbor, opened in April 2016 and is dedicated exclusively to sales of stand-up paddleboards, kayaks, canoes, and related accessories.
For more information about the 12th anniversary party or about Third Coast Surf Shop, visit www.thirdcoastsurfshop.com or call 269-932-4575.
