About
In the beginning…
Killer Dana was once considered as one of Southern California’s premier point break surf spots. Situated along the coastal communities of Laguna Beach, Dana Point and San Clemente, it rose to popularity as a challenging break for a tight-knit group of surfers who relished the occasional massive rights and treacherous powerful waves that rose from deep water and broke onto the rocks that lined up the beach. Thus produced the Killer Dana namesake and reputation. Unfortunately, the Killer Dana wave went by way of the dinosaur and soon became extinct when the break was officially put to sleep in 1966. That summer, the Army Corps of Engineers closed the area to make room for their marine expansions that would later include the establishment of a recreational harbor.
The favored local spot that thrived playfully with wave seekers laid dormant and eerily still. And it seemed as if the legend of Killer Dana soon became just a scoffing myth.
Fast forward 25 years…
The mastermind of local surfer Gary Wright, Killer Dana Surf Shop came into second-stage fruition when he enlisted the help of buddy and fellow surfer Chris Andrews. Though the two acknowledged that the original Killer Dana was long gone, it didn’t stop them from starting a beach-happy little surf shop using the same moniker to pay homage to a classic break from their own hometown.
Killer Dana opened the doors of its first shop in June of 1991 along historical Pacific Coast Highway in Dana Point, California. The original location was – and still is after 16 years of business – within walking distance from Doheney and Salt Creek State Beaches and has an outrageous ocean view from the store’s roof top. On most days there are two or three wetsuits hanging from the front door of the shop as it’s a well-known fact that the owners and many of the employees at Killer Dana are second and third generation surfers from around the area – making Killer Dana Surf Shop deep and rich in the sport’s heritage and lineage.
And now…
Jumping on board the Killer Dana boat after a stint with Timmy Patterson Surfboards, Stephen Price‘s direction and marketing strategy has brought Killer Dana into the competitive present with a booming online commerce. And with two additional full-service stores located in San Clemente and Lake Forest, Killer Dana caters to professional surfers like Nate Yeomans, Pat O’Connell, Donovan Frankenreiter and super groms Luke Davis and Koa Smith – who may just come in for a bar of wax or to just hang and talk about the surf.
But first and foremost, Killer Dana is here for you; when you come in to any Killer Dana store or buy online at KillerDana.com, you experience the sincere stoke of an old-fashioned “sand on the carpet” California surf shop. It’s an experience that every customer receives whether you’re a world-class surfing pro or just getting ready for your first lesson. We mean it when we say we’re stoked for you.
So if you have any questions about the products we sell, or if you would like to place an order, feel free to contact us. Or maybe you just wanna talk surf.it’s all good. We’d love to talk about how good it was and how good it’s gonna be.
The Killer Dana Surf Team keeps raising the standard for surfers year after year. As a reputable surf shop, Killer Dana is very active in the local surf culture, sponsoring events and supporting local surfers who relentlessly chase the dream. This portion of our site is a significant part of who Killer Dana is. You can live (vicariously) gnarly feral surf adventures, read about international travels, view breathtaking photos, and check the FREE StormSurf Surf Forecast. Make sure to bookmark this page- you’ll want to come back for more. Visit KillerDana.com to start shopping.
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