Val Surf

When traffic is a grind and the sun is scorching, the Valley can seem a long way from the beach. Still, there's a thriving surf culture here, and Val Surf in Valley Village is a pioneering surf and skate mecca, and a testament to this culture. The first Val Surf opened in North Hollywood in 1962, and today there are four locations—Valley Village, Woodland Hills, Thousand Oaks and Valencia. Family-owned, the shop is known for innovation in and out of the water—it started the first mail order service in the surf/skate industry and sponsored Willy Morris, the first surfer from the San Fernando Valley to compete on the pro surf tour.