Driving into Los Angeles, it is difficult to imagine that the centre of LA looks like a sleepy little town. On the highway there are eight lanes in every direction and constant exits and access ramps. After an hour drive, we had seen the rise and fall of at least fourteen suburbs in search of a city. When we finally got through to the other side down towards the Pacific Ocean, the traffic slowed down, the roads became more narrow and fewer. The pulse of the city was also quite different than on the highway. Here in downtown Santa Monica, the houses are two to three stories high – and it was like time had stood still. It’s like being in the eye of a hurricane. We cruised down Broadway and turned left onto Ocean Avenue.
Ocean Avenue runs parallel to the beach, and we parked the Mustang just outside Poseidon Paddle & Surf. I did not really intend to go into the store, but all the cool stuff in the window pulled me in. The whole store gave a feeling of being inside a boathouse, with wooden walls and a rustic style. They sold everything you needed for surfing and skating. I spotted a longboard that dragged me further into the store. A fish-shaped Arbor longboard in dark wood hung on the wall. It was love at first sight. This could be a Christmas gift to my daughter. Or I might just keep it for myself.
A cool dude came strolling towards me and asked if I needed any help. I told him I was just looking around. The guy was a seller, so he paid no attention to my answer. He asked where I came from and when I told him, it turned out his grandmother came from around my hometown. He had been there many times in his childhood apparently. The salesman was building trust.
I couldn´t take my eyes off the board and the salesman started commenting on the board’s excellence; “this board has an extended wheelbase, fish tail and a mellow flex. This board is ideal for cruising and lower speed carving”. He continued; “Cruising is what longboarding is all about. Cheaper than a Cadillac, but just about the same feeling. It´s the closest thing to the feeling of catching waves when the coast is a million miles away”. At this time, we were both in love. He really was a good salesman – and I praised my good instinct in picking out the best longboard amongst so many in the shop.
Needless to say; I bought the board. Now I had to find a clever way to get it packed so I could take it home! The longboard was obviously too long to fit in the suitcase.
Back at John Wayne International Airport, it turned out that it would cost a couple of hundred dollars to check the board as extra luggage, but the lady at the counter came up with an idea; “take it with you as hand luggage!” Is that possible I asked? “No problem! They will treat your longboard like a fiiiiine musical instrument!”
As I put the longboard on the conveyor belt for security screening, the lady shouted through the tunnel; “Paco! Don’t steal that longboard – you hear!” With a smile on her face, she went on; “He loves longboards and he just can´t be trusted!”
They did treat the longboard like a fine musical instrument. At least until stopover in New York. They didn’t play longboard, but that is another story.
Photo shows Poseidon Paddle & Surf shop in Santa Monica LA
Billy Bronco is telling you 