Retailer Spotlight: South Coast Wahines

A Staple in the San Diego Surf Scene

Since 1974, they've solidified their place on the boardwalks as one of the city's go-to surf shops. With the opening of their Wahines stores in OCean Beach (4500 Ocean BlvdSan Diego, CA) and Pacific Beach (5037 Newport AveSan Diego, CA), they've created a vibrant community hub for SD girls to hang out and shop, join their surf teams, and lead the charge for the next great wave. We're proud to partner with this awesome retailer to bring our products to the San Diego beach community. When did you first experience a desire to open a store like South Coast Wahines? As women became more involved in the surf community, we realized there was a need for a women’s specific surf shop! We had some clothing and gear for the ladies in our South Coast Surf Shop locations, but realized we could do more. Women like to shop and like to have options! What is the mission of South Coast Wahines? To quote our South Coast Surf Shops mission statement: “Historically, South Coast has always been ahead of its time by not only emphasizing on custom surfboards, a huge wetsuit selection, and the latest in surf accessories to meet your in-the-water needs, but its willingness to experiment with selling surf inspired clothing and accessories.” Why do you choose to carry KK Int’l products? Our shops are located at the beach and we were, initially, unsure if we would be able to sell a beanie specific line. I am so glad we tried! Once you learn more about the brand, how could we not be a part of it? Plus, the quality is amazing! It’s also pretty cool to be able to show a customer who actually created the piece they are purchasing. Showing them the tag and explaining that by visiting the KK Int’l website, you can see the woman behind the product. Such an awesome idea! What message would you like to share with the KK Int’l community? Ellen DeGeneres ends each of her shows by saying, “be kind to one another.” The world is chaotic enough, why add to it? Just be kind, it could be that simple! How do you foster community/stay connected with your community? We try to give back whenever we can! Whether it be sponsoring events such as the Grom Fest surf contest in Ocean Beach or giving donations to local charities, we help where we can. We also worked hard to build a strong surf team. We had a solid group of guys, but we wanted to add some girls as well! Currently we have 5 girls on the team, all in their early teens! It has been so awesome to get to know them and to be a part of their adventure! What does a typical day look like for you? If it’s a workday, I either grab a coffee on the way to work or make a cup once I get to the office. I check emails and figure out where to start with daily tasks. I handle our social media sites, so I take a look at what is happening via Hootsuite and create new posts. Most of the day is spent looking at the computer. How do you like to celebrate Fourth of July in San Diego? The beach and BBQ’s are a must! Just good food, good company and fireworks of course! If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be? That is a tough question. There are so many possible answers! If I had to choose one, I wish everyone had access to clean water. I drink water every day and don’t think twice about it. But so many people all over the world can’t do that. In some places it has become a luxury and that is crazy. - - - FIND A LOCAL RETAILER NEAR YOU - - -