Cowboy Surf Shop has been a leading force in Northern California since the early 70's.
Founded by
Craig"Cowboy"Mac Arthur as Miramar Surf Boards
in 1971 in it's original location, the shop was mainly a showroom for the
surfboards that Craig shaped and glassed, as well as serving as Half Moon
Bay's first surf shop. 
Many years have been spent learning and perfecting the
trade of surfboard production, as well as other ventures including the opening
of the retail store Cowboy Surf Shop
in 1982.
Craig
also teamed with friend Chip Rowland,
and Bob Hurley in 1984 to
work as Northern California Sales Rep for the then start up surf line Billabong.
His duties consisted of building the Northwestern territory for Billabong,
and managing the Northern California Billabong Surf Team.
Craig recruited local talent from his territory which consisted of surfers
like Daryl "Flea"
Virotsgo, brother Troy,
Nate & Zach Acker, Richard
& Dave Schmidt, Vince
Collier, Adam Repogle,
and many more.
Other duties stemmed from teaming up with Billabong's
pro surfers like "Sunny Garcia"
and
"Doogle Walker"when
surfing in local contests like the O'Neill Coldwater Classic, or going on
photo shoots to distant locations for surfing magazines with other pro surfers.
Craig's sales reputation soon earned him jobs with other
prominent companies like Rusty Presendorfer
who was just getting his clothing line going, and soon hired Craig as his
Northern California Sales Rep.
Utilizing Craigs relationship with stores & shops,
Rusty was a shoe-in with his
line of T 'Shirts and Stickers, and was soon on his way to liable recognition
in Northern California .
Craig was also hired as Sales Rep for Billabongs sister
like company Peak Wetsuits, headed out by
John "The Butcher" Howitt, the Aussie wetsuit entrepreneur
who later went on to start Quiksilver Wetsuits.
It was about four and a half years into his sale repping
career when Craig was recruited by the local Surf / Rock Band Bug.
Led by Singer Web
Fingers, and Bassist Bubba
Luv, Craig was the newest member playing Lead Guitar.
(Stage Name "Dude Broman").
See Bug click on image below
After several years of hard work, recording, rehearsing,
playing gigs, and Frat Parties, Bug
had worked it's way up the local circuit to the point of being a major player
on the Bay Area music scene.
Bug had found a home at the Cactus
Club in San Jose where their hard core followers packed
the venue night after night, headlining, and also playing support for acts
like Primus. Mary's
Danish, The Vandals,
Urban Dance Squad, and
Mojo Nixon, (just to name a few).
Bug also won the the"
Bay Area Battle of the Bands" contest, and played
to thousands of people at the Oakland Collesieum,
as well as plying every major venue in the San
Francisco Bay Area.
Bug was well on their way to stardom, local
rock magazines were revue them almost weekly, and one went as far as saying
that "Bug was going to be the next bay area rock band after Primus
to go over the top".
The press did not go
unnoticed, and local recording studio mogul Joel
Jaffe from Studio D
in Sausalito had picked up on the buzz, and invited the band to come down
to the lavish studio to record a 3 song demo that he would shop to some of
his record label connections.
Things were
going great with repping, and playing in the band. Craig started to date one
of the Bug dancers, Lucy Turner, who soon became
a cult fav as Hippi Bitch,
a character in one of the bands popular songs.
It was immediately after the final mix of the demo that tragedy struck down
one of the members of the band, ending the hopes and future of Craig and his
fellow band members.
After a six year run, things with
Billabong had become more corporate, and many, if not all
the sales reps for Billabong, (including Craig), had been dismissed.
The demise of the band, and Craig's need to get back to the basics led him
back to his Surf Shop.
Surfing, shaping surfboards, and playing guitar, all became the new "Prime
Directive", and have been so ever since.
Something about the phony way he had to conduct himself being in sales never
truly agreed with him.
A lyric in a "Midnight Oil" song had always
struck him...."I'd rather die on my feet, than live on my
knees"......
and so it goes.
Serving
the Half Moon Bay, and Bay Area Surfing Community for over 30yrs., Cowboy
Surf Shop has remained a steady contender in the retail surf
market, and has remained a grass roots, full service business, offering the
best in products and services.
"With all the options that surfing customers have to choose from in today's
market, Cowboy Surf Shop would like to sincerely
offer our deepest appreciation for everyone that has stood by, and supported
us all these years, and would like you to know how much they value your support".
Drop
by or give Craig & Lucy a call.....
Call
Sales (650) 726-6968