Surfing Laguna: A great new shop

Sitting at the Brooks Street contest recently, I found myself engaged in a great conversation with Mike Voegtlin, manager of the new shop called 225 Forest. Mike had some great things to say about the vision at 225 Forest and then put me in touch with Nate Tobecksen at Nike (who owns Hurley) to shed even more light on what’s going on over there.

Q: What is the mission for the Laguna store and how might this shop be different from other surf shops?

NT: 225 Forest is a retail environment that celebrates youth culture through art, design and music. It is the first time that footwear and apparel from all of the Nike, Inc. action sports brands — Nike 6.0, Hurley, Converse and Nike SB — are offered in a dedicated space. The most unique feature of the space is the “Workshop,” where three customization stations allow consumers to add their personal creativity to our sneakers, board shorts and Ts.

Q: When did the shop open and how’s the local response been?

NT: The store opened on July 3. The response thus far has been really positive. Since much of the experience at 225 Forest is about celebrating creativity, Laguna seemed like the logical destination with its thriving arts community and it’s proximity to the heart of action sports and youth culture. Some of the designs in the “Workshops” were designed by Laguna Beach High School students and we will also be donating $1 from each item sold in the Workshop to the Laguna Beach High School Arts Program.

Q: Rumor has it that young shredder Eli Viszolay is working in the shop. What has been your experience working with and around Laguna’s young folks?

NT: Yes, Eli is working at 225 Forest! In fact, most of the 225 Forest employees are from Laguna Beach High School. Working with and around the young people in Laguna has been a rewarding experience for everyone.

Q: Talk about the customers you’re seeing in the shop. Is it mostly younger folks? Are old geezers (30 and up) frequenting the shop? Any surprises there?

NT: We are definitely seeing a lot of young people come through our doors, and many of them have become frequent customers. There are few groups of local kids that come in every week to make fresh gear in the Workshop. The unique thing about 225 Forest is its ability to capture the interest of anyone.

225 Forest is definitely unlike any “shop” I’ve experienced before.

225 Forest is at 225 Forest Ave.

The Workshops are by appointment, so visit www.225Forest.com to make an appointment or call (949) 494-7907

CHRIS WILLIAMS is a surfing coach and Laguna Beach resident, and father of four surf-crazy sons. He can be reached at chris@soulsurfingschool.com or (949) 497-5918.