When I first moved to Cape May, New Jersey 4 years ago one of the first things I noticed was one word, "KONA". No matter where I looked, inside shop windows, on kid's skateboards, on the backs of trucks, there it was. After being down here for a few months and integrating myself with the locals, I finally asked a buddy of mine what it was.
"You never heard'a Kona?" he said while looking at me like I was some uncultured swine.
He pulled up his laptop and went to YouTube and turned it towards me, "Check this out."
Over the next hour or so he showed me videos from over the last 2 decades of surfers all over the world shredding on boards with the same word on them, "KONA".
He started telling me that a guy named Mike who's a local started this brand back in the late 60s and has turned it into the perfect multifaceted business today by owning a prime block of real estate in Wildwood, NJ and splitting the business out into a clothing store, a board store and even their own brewery cause who doesn't love a good beer?
To give you a better idea of how this all started though, I've taken an excerpt from Kona's "About Us" section from their website:
"The year is 1969. Richard Nixon is being sworn in as President of the United States. Neil Armstrong is walking on the moon. 4 days of peace, love, and music are happening in Woodstock, New York. And a young, wet behind the ears surfer named Mike Sciarra is fresh off the plane from the island of Oahu. With a bachelors of economics under one arm and a surfboard under the other, Mike set his sights on the east coast with a mission. To create a brand with a positive vibe that offers premium products at affordable prices for surfers young and old.
Rewind back to May 1970. Mike is crossing the auditorium stage with a mortar board covering his long blonde locks and a bachelors degree in his hand. A loose fitting Graduation gown hangs down to his tanned feet beat up rainbow sandals. As he walked, Mike reflected on some of the greats that inspired him during his time at UH. Legends like Gerry Lopez, Dick Brewer and Eddie Aikau were all regulars out in the lineup, frequently discussing the need for quality surfboard products with superior craftsmanship in Hawaii.
Thinking back, even during Mike's early years at F.I.T a fellow east coast legend by the name of Mike Tabeling was out in the water with him during an epic swell that hit 14th st. in Cocoa Beach. Mike T. made it a point to explain how important it was to have quality goods and materials come together to create a surf brand that would stand the test of time. Along with these conversations, rock solid friendships built upon a common love for the ocean took Mike to places that at the time only seemed like pipe dreams.
Fast forward to 1973, and Mike has begun his journey to learn the ins-and-outs of surfboard and skateboard shaping and manufacturing from some of the best on the North Shore. Mike watched other surfers and shapers in the area and took in every detail of the experience. With this knowledge, he made his way back to his hometown of Wildwood NJ, where he would soon build the foundation for the Kona Surf Company that we know today.
1976 is the year that everything changed for Mike. After renting a tiny storefront next to the Apollo Diner for 6 years and using the stock room in the back to shape boards, Mike made the move to a bigger location. He managed to save enough money to rent the old car dealership that was for sale on the corner of Rio Grande Ave and New Jersey Ave, and reached out to life time friend Tony C. to help run his new digs. At the time, Tony was on a surf trip in Huntington Beach CA, but he took Mike's offer without missing a beat. A retail space like this had ample space to work with, which was perfect for the guys. They now had an environment in which a grass roots east coast surf and skateboard brand could grow. Harking back to his college days, Mike came up with the name that is now synonymous with quality, style and functionality."
From living here for a few years now, I can confidently say I believe that Kona, at least in it's hometown, is much more than a brand, a cool t shirt, a durable surfboard, or a good beer; it's a way of life for the people that live and breathe the South Jersey surf culture and it's one that they proudly display wherever and whenever they can all over the world for the last 40 years.
"We're not looking to re-invent the wheel. We just want to create meaningful apparel that fits well and stands up to the test's of time." - Mike Sciarra
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