PINE, as it will be remembered. Photo courtesy PINE
It was only about eight months ago that the PINE Surf Shop and Gallery (Julie Goldstein, husband Mark Tesi and the Farias family of Farias Surf and Sport) opened it’s doors to the Long Beach Island surf community and art admirers alike. Much to the dismay of Julie, Mark, the Farias family, and the entire surf community of Long Beach Island and South Jersey, an unexpected fire ripped through the shop on the night of December 30, 2008.
The inside of PINE, pre-fire. Photo courtesy PINE
They lost just about everything inside, including their original PINE clothing inventory, woodcuts and artwork by Julie and other contributing artists, as well as some high end retro surfboards and wetsuits.
“I lost everything for my clothing line ‘Perfect’, including all of the woodcuts, blanks, supplies, patches, and collected vintage fabrics. If items weren’t completely lost, they were severely damaged,” says Goldstein.
The scene on the eerie night of December 30th. Photo courtesy PINE
The shop opened up with the motive to create an atmosphere where surfers, artists and families could gather to look at art and have a comfortable place to hang out, and that’s exactly what PINE offered. When you walked through the sliding glass door you were immediately greeted by a huge, furry beast of a dog named Davey as well as whatever local surfers/artists were already hanging out, having a beer and talking about their most recent surf session. The life sized art on display grabbed your attention no matter where you stood and some of the finest local surf photography left you drooling for empty barrels. The place had a vibe that made you feel at home it and really did bring the surf community together.
As of right now, it’s too early to tell if Goldstein, Tesi, and Farias will pursue PINE in the future.
Inside damage. Photo courtesy PINE
“As for PINE, we hope to come back, and with the support and encouragement from our community, friends, and family we believe it can happen.” Goldstein said. As for her ‘Perfect’ clothing line, “I am still dealing with the loss and in shock. Everything that I ever created for Perfect was about something real, an experience, a memory, a story. If I start over, Perfect will be about something else. Something new.”
TransWorld sends its deepest regrets to Julie and Mark and wish the two the best of luck in the future. For more information on fundraisers check in periodically with pinesurfshop.com. -Tim Goldstein
