HOLMES BEACH – Jim Brady’s West Coast Surf Shop is in third place at age 60, with two other Anna Maria Island businesses having been here longer – Irene’s Resort Wear (1956) and Duffy’s Tavern, Bar and Grill (1958) – but the heat ain’t over ’til it’s over.
It was 1964, and Ride the Wild Surf was the big surf movie. Brady’s pals from Manatee High were dancing to the sounds of Jan and Dean and the Beach Boys on the roof of the Manatee Beach pavilion, sizing up suntans, swimsuits and steps.
But Brady’s mind was on a rescue surfboard that lifeguards Dave Miller and Phil Sims were letting him mess around on.
It’s the same old story, ever since the first wave rider caught the first wave. First, it nudges you from behind, catching you just right, then it picks you up and hurtles you forward until you’re walking on the water.
And another surfer is born.
At 16, Brady took surfing so seriously he opened the West Coast Surf Shop where the Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce is now, selling surfboards, wax and T-shirts.
His grandmother, Aida Brady, and his aunt, Carol Stevens, filled in for him while he went to class. When the surf was up and they weren’t around, he’d hang a sign on the door saying, “Gone surfing.” He remembers guys tracking him down in the water, wanting him to open up the store so they could buy some wax.
He moved to the current shop at 3902 Gulf Drive in 1979, just south of Manatee Beach and across Gulf Drive from Duffy’s original location.
It’s a family business. His wife, Ronee, is usually behind the counter, trademark pencil behind her ear. Their daughter, Brandi, also works there, and has been holding summer surf camp on the beach outside the shop for years. Her kids, Georgio Gomez and Izzi Gomez, are professional surfers based in California.
In 2011, the Bradys put the shop up for sale to spend more time on the surfing circuit with their grandkids. They never sold.
Brady says his surf shop is the oldest in Florida. Ron Jon’s in Cocoa Beach celebrated their 60th anniversary last year, but who can really remember what happened in the ‘60s?
“It’s been 60 years and we’re starting to get a little tired, but I don’t know if we’ll ever retire,” Brady said, adding that his daughter might take over the shop. “There’s nothing I like to do better. It’s what I’ve always done and what Ronee’s always done. We’re happy doing it, and as long as our health permits, hopefully we’ll hang in there.”
