In 1984 Carlsbad had more local surfers than it did tourists. The road from Terra Mar south to Ponto was uncluttered by streetlights, hotels or housing developments.
Boogie Board inventor Tom Morey lived a few blocks from the beach. I don’t recall if famed photographer Leroy Grannis was in town yet, but he lived a little further up the road. The flower fields were in full bloom all the way to the horizon. Led by Joey Buran and his mirror image, future Surfing Hall of Famer David Barr, Carlsbad surfers were gaining recognition as some of the best on the Coast.
To my recollection there was only one surf shop in town prior to ‘84, and that was Barbie Baron’s “Offshore.” Barbie, who was already well known for her advanced surfing skills, began Offshore Surf Shop in a tiny building on Carlsbad’s Coast Highway. When she outgrew that location, she moved to her current space, further north. Brother Mike Baron, who was on the rise as a surfer and the shaper of the now iconic MB Surfboards kept the little storefront stocked with sharp wave riding tools.
Among those who regularly appeared in Surfer or Surfing magazines at the time was a kid with the unforgettable name of Witt. Witt Rowlett. One photo I recall is of Witt surfing the then-recently discovered Puerto Escondido. He was in deep, trying to smile under the heaviest lip I had ever seem. I never did ask him if he made that wave, but having seen him surf in his prime, I would bet he did.
Surfing long and hard can work up quite an appetite, and I believe it was that hunger combined with Witt’s love of all things surf that led him to open Witt’s Carlsbad Pipelines in 1984. That was the same year I began as editor of the Carlsbad based surf magazine Breakout. The workers at Breakout were all hardcore surfers, and we sometimes walked the few blocks to Witt’s shop to discuss the latest board designs.
From the first time I saw it, Witt’s logo was unforgettable—a city water pipe churning out a perfect wave. What the logo didn’t convey, however, was that Witt’s would also become a legendary skate shop.
Many surf shops in our time are corporately owned and operated by pretty people who have no idea what the difference is between a Thruster and a single fin. (I once proved that point by walking into one such establishment and asking who glassed the $850 Channel Islands Surfboard in the window. After inquiring of several managers, the kid still had no clue.)
The point is, that if you are looking for the best surfboard or skateboard for your abilities, it’s best to ask someone actively surfing or skating. I learned that lesson the hard way after purchasing a board in a surf shop from a non-surfer. He said the board would be perfect for my first trip to Oahu’s Sunset Beach in 1967. Trusting him nearly caused me to drown.
While there are other soft goods and fun take-home items for tourists at Witt’s, what attracts me most are their selection of surfboards made by surfers for surfers. The aforementioned ripper David Barr holds a prominent place on the showroom floor with his state-of-the-art boards that are designed primarily for local waves. If you are new to surfing, you wouldn’t know that.
Thankfully, the surf/skaters at Witt’s Carlsbad Pipelines understand what will best move you over water. They are never reprimanded but encouraged to show up wet to work after a morning surf.
Witt’s Carlsbad Pipelines recently celebrated 40 years on Coast Highway. Drop in and you’ll understand why.
