The flagship enterprise

Deepa Bharath

Gil Lukosky has seen a few creative flags fluttering over boats in

his time.

The owner of Nikki’s Flag Shop in Newport Beach specializes in

making custom flags for local boat owners and yacht clubs.

“I’ve seen many fun flags,” Lukosky said.

There was the one with the picture of a cigar with a red circle

around it, but without the red bar across it. Just as well, because

the man who ordered that flag was running a cigar club on his boat.

Then there was this other flag with a rubber chicken in a bun --

head sticking out of one end and legs out the other.

People also like to put their pets on flags, like their mascots.

“I even did one with a picture of this pet poodle,” Lukosky said.

Lukosky has owned Nikki’s Flag Shop for the last 11 years. The

store itself has been in Newport for about 38 years.

Flags are not merely for decoration, Lukosky explained. They are

an integral part of the boating culture and tradition.

“Flags are almost like a means to communicate for boaters all over

the world,” he said.

Lukosky also makes what are known as signal flags, which are flags

with letters on them that stand for moves boaters are going to make

on the water.

Boats from the United States traveling on international waters

also display flags of the countries they visit as a courtesy. For

example, a boat going to Mexico would bear a United States flag and a

Mexican flag.

Fishermen also proudly bear flags of the type of fish they catch,

Lukosky said.

“They have marlin, tuna, albacore or dolphin flags depending on

what they’ve caught, just to let everyone know they’ve been

successful,” he said.

All of these flags are handmade. The designs are traced on to the

flags, cut and stitched. The cost of each flag runs from $35 to $200

or more depending on how much detail is involved.