INTRODUCING
A new exclusive collaboration with the legendary family-owned Long Island surf shop.
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Est. 1962 | Babylon, New York
“Anyone who knows me knows I’m proud of my Long Island upbringing. I’m thrilled to partner with the Bunger family, who’ve been at the center of the Long Island surfing world since the ’60s. Their ability to survive as an independent family-run shop is a testament to their passion for all things surfing.”
—Brendon Babenzien, J.Crew men’s creative director
Charlie Bunger Sr. was born in Brooklyn and moved to Long Island with his mother when he was 11. At age 20, he started shaping surfboards for friends, and word got out—Charlie was the guy you wanted making your board. It wasn’t long before he was hand-building 1,500 surfboards every season, and Bunger :soleil,sans- Surf Shop® came to be. We spoke to his son, Charlie Bunger Jr., about the family-owned shop’s history and future.
Bunger Surf Shop
Est. 1962 | Babylon, New York
The inside story with Charlie Bunger, Jr.
“Lindenhurst, Long Island is close to the ocean, so as a teenager my dad started hanging out at Gilgo Beach. He was big into free diving and spearfishing. And then he saw a couple of the lifeguards at Gilgo surfing one day, and he said, ‘I’m going to try and make one of those.’ I think he went to a boat dealership and got the materials to do it, and just got creative and started shaping a surfboard.”
“My dad bought a house near Gilgo in 1975, and that’s where we grew up. He was a really handy guy. He told me a story once that he was walking home from school and found a TV in the garbage, and he took it home and spent hours taking it apart and putting it back together, just for something to do.”
“These days, my brother Tommy runs the factory, and my sister Theresa and I handle the retail shop. My mother still comes in almost every day and does paperwork in the back. She’s 82 years old. It’s been a family business nonstop since we opened in 1962.”
“As far as making the boards, it’s really all Tommy now—my dad taught him when he was fresh out of high school. He’ll shape it, then bring it into the glassing room. He puts the fins on, he does the color, he sands the board. He does everything. He’s surfed at all these big-time places, and he’s been doing it for so long that if somebody comes in and says, ‘I’m going to Hawaii for the winter, I need a board,’ Tommy will know exactly what to make.”
“I worked in the shop on weekends and holidays when I was in college. After I graduated, I got a job at an ad agency in New York City and worked my way up to be a producer. Eventually, I just didn’t want to do it anymore and came back home. I was able to take a lot of what I learned and apply it here.”
“My nephew and my 16-year-old son both work in the shop. My younger son will come in and hang out too. He’s got a good personality, so he walks right up to people and says, ‘Can I help you?’”
