Hello Back Bay Belvederes, happy Monday.

We apologize for the delayed newsletter. Our email providers servers were down, and we also had to give our editor the day off yesterday for religious reasons (May the 4th, Star Wars Day). For those of us that did not pick the right horse at the Kentucky Derby, the week ahead offers some chance at absolution as May kicks into high gear, and we get ready to celebrate mamas of every stripe.

To our new readers—welcome! The Back Bay Buzz delivers just the right amount of news and events for locals in Newport Beach and Costa Mesa. No crime, no politics, no spam—just the good stuff. We scan newspapers, blogs, social media, business journals, and Google alerts so you don’t have to.

In today’s Buzz:

— Jon Dougher, Publisher, Back Bay Buzz

After nearly 60 years as the heartbeat of the Newport Beach surfing community, Russell Surfboards has officially moved out of its iconic Balboa Boulevard home. Since 1967, the shop served as far more than a retail space. It was an organic surf museum and a sanctuary where generations of locals gathered to trade stories. Founded by the late Robert “Russell” Brown and led for the last 15 years by JP Roberts, the shop was a breeding ground for legendary shapers like Shawn Stussy and a place where the community celebrated life milestones together.

For Roberts and many regulars, the shop was a lifeline. It was here that Brown mentored Roberts, helping him find a career and sobriety. After Brown died in 2011, the shop got many offers for branding rights, but the family declined, choosing instead to keep the original Russell dream alive without outside capital. Despite this deep history, the shop fell victim to a staggering financial blow from the new property managers, Redwood West. While the company claimed to value the shop’s history, they effectively priced the business out of the area by nearly doubling its monthly financial obligation.

Many businesses close due to “rising rents”, but few actually explain what that looks like. Redwood West managed to bypass the protections of the California Commercial Tenant Protection Act by leaving the base rent untouched while increasing the “triple net” fees from $600 to $2,900. Because these fees for maintenance and taxes are not technically classified as rent, Redwood West skirted the 90 day notice requirement for increases over 10 percent. They further pressured the shop by sending a retroactive bill for $17,500.

While the Peninsula loses its last original 1960s single label surf shop, the history is not disappearing. Roberts is consolidating operations at the Costa Mesa factory and converting a space there into a storefront to display the vintage boards and old photos that defined the shop’s legacy. The Russell Surfboards family remains dedicated to keeping that local nostalgia alive, even as they move on from the corner they called home for over half a century.

🌊 Water temp = 65º
Suit Rec: Spring suit/Full suit 3/2

Thanks! Please ignore any typos, our editor picked Renegade for the Kentucky Derby, and can you really blame him?

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