As far as surfing goes, Virginia Beach may not be totally tubular. But that doesn’t mean its two leading surf shops can’t sell far beyond Atlantic Avenue.

Surf’s up for Wave Riding Vehicles, a Virginia Beach landmark since 1967. Not only does it sell wholesale gear to other retailers in 23 states and 10 countries, WRV has opened a retail store in Waikiki, Hawaii, the Mecca of the surfing world.

A few blocks away, WRV’s main competitor, 17th Street Surf Shop, is making waves of its own. The 31-year-old surf shop has long operated retail stores in Hampton Roads, Richmond, and the Outer Banks. This year it opened its ninth store in Wilmington, N.C. Tom Brown, president of the 145-employee company, says that 17th Street plans on expanding even farther south, to Florida. Both shops have found, however, that the real money isn’t in boards, but in casual clothing, sunglasses and sandals as well as skateboards, snowboards, and their related paraphernalia.

True, the waves along the Virginia shore may not be all that awesome. But Old Dominion surfing is as much a head thing as anything else. The Surf Industry Manufacturer’s Association estimates that there are only 1.4 million surfers but more than 18 million people riding other kinds of boards. "Our typical customer is 12 to 25, although we do have older customers who stay in the California lifestyle all their lives," Brown says.

Among trend-conscious youths, both the 17th Street and WRV logos on sweatshirts and T-shirts remain perennially cool. To keep customers coming back, 17th Street and WRV challenge their graphic designers to crank out innovative logos. The stores also are grooming a new generation of casual dressers. 17th Street added children’s departments three years ago and December is now the store’s biggest sales month followed by its back-to-school clothing boom. "Although we sell fun stuff that goes to the beach, we are definitely not a tourist shop," says WRV’s David Lewis.