for the south jersey/ocnj crew. george gerlach, founded & original owner of surfer's supplies on 31st & asbury in ocnj passed away today. so many of us learned so much at george's feet & got our first boards from him & hung around his shop when we were groms. what a bummer.
Dude that sucks so sorry to hear about such a loss. Not from that area and didnt know him. Sounds like i missed out. Sucks to hear that.
Very sad... as you said, I did get my very first new board from George. In fact... When I was putting in my time and miles for driver's ed, in that goofy driver's ed car, the instructor pulled up in front of my house in North Cape May, and said, "ok...where do you want to go?" "Well... there's this great surf shop in OC..." Thanks, George, for all you've given to the surf community over literally decades. You'll be missed....
George was a great guy, I always looked up to him as a grom. He was one of those people you would always look forward to seeing and could trust, his greeting and smile were always genuine when you entered Supplies. Next surf is in his memory
Will be missed I worked for George at Surfer Supplies for about 5 years. He was a fun guy to work for and the greatest guy to sit and talk about surfing the stories and experiences he would share were amazing. I'm thankful to have known him and had to chance to learn from him. He will be missed.
Rip Sad news indeed. Bought my first new board at Supplies in '88. Cool guy and a straight shooter in business. He defined stoke for surfers of all ages.
I remember George before the town exploded (cottages torn down to build dual units) His shop was half the size. His wife had Scandinavian Specialties behind his shop. His baggies were hanging behind him on the wall. He sold Bahne,something special, Channin,Gordon & Smith and of course Casters. How things have changed in Ocean City. Very Very sad ....his Death and the changes. Ocean City will never be what it used to be. George you were missed the day you retired from the shop.
Was that the old house... with the lumpy, creaky floors? That's my earliest recollection of Supplies. My first new board, bought from that shop, was a G&S twin fin... the MR model.
Does anyone know how George died? How old was he? How come the shop didn't mention it on their surf report? He was a legend and I can't find his name on google.
i'm not sure of his exact age, but he was around my father's age, so early-mid 60's. george had been sick for a while...cancer. george was a really low-key guy & not someone who liked having a fuss made over him. part of the reason the transfer of supplies to greg & andrew was so silent & smooth was b/c george just wanted to fade into the background. he wasn't a self-promoting guy. stoked to see the out-pouring of respect, aloha, & memories of him. i'm sure he's smiling down on us all wherever he is.
Passing of a South Jersey Surfing Great! George was the greatest. I was sad to hear of his passing. Just like many other New Jersey surfers George sold me my first surfboard back in 1973. That's a special event for any young surfer. I will never forget it. It was a used Hobie Corky Carrol Super-Mini. Going to Supplies was always a treat, to this day it still makes me feel like a kid. With out a doubt it's best surf shop I have ever been in. The place always smells like resin. I always loved when you bought a board from George, he would bust out the rubber hammer and ever so gently tap that new skeg down into the channel box then he'd give you 3 bars of wax and smile. I will miss you my hip brother! ><((((">
No I am sure he was in his 70's or 80s . He had to be in his 50s when I first went to surfer supplies that was in early 1970s. What kind of cancer did he have?
re death if the surf community has suffered a loss then that means we all need to suit up and get in the water for a memorial. how can we not? i have never surfed nj so now is as good a time.
I don't know about that one sweetie. The water is a bit too cold for me. I refuse to go in below 52 Degrees I mean George was an awesome guy but I hate ice cream headaches. On another note you aint missing much. New Jersey's ocean will get you sick. Stay away from the jersey beaches. I don't know what is worse the rent a cops or the lifeguards. I got arrested for surfing after hurricane ....A big scene on the beach. Don't miss that dump one bit. although the old Ocean City was good back in the 70s, that I do miss. The island was full of little cottages (surf huts) . The realtors raped and plumaged the town ,it's a zoo now go south sweety
lung cancer. this was his second bout w/ it. the first time, they actually took a chunk of his lung out. paddle-out is looking to be some time in the spring. agreed that it's currently too cold for a "proper" tribute to george (as abashed as he'd likely be by such a display)
