After 31 years at Becker, Mitch Taylor plans a new independent Malibu surf shop post-closure
Those in Malibu’s surfing community are paradigm rugged individualists who highly value independent surf-related businesses.
With a heavy heart, Becker Surf Shop Manager Mitch Taylor has announced that the store he has managed for 31 years is closing its doors.
“The store is a victim of corporate operations,” Taylor explained, noting that a conglomerate named Liberated Brands took over ownership of Becker in 2011.
“Approximately 70 to 80 Becker stores across the mainland and Hawaii are all shutting down like my store,” he said.“These developments have all occurred within the last three days and I already have a closing sale sign up.”
On Sunday, Feb. 2, Costa Mesa-based Liberated Brands filed for a Chapter 11 bankruptcy, according to the surf industry trade publication Shop Eat Surf (SES), because it lost licensing agreements for surf and skate brands. In December 2024, Authentic Brands Group, a New York-based brand management company, pulled its licenses from Liberated, brands such as RVCA, Honolua, Quicksilver, Volcom, Billabong, and Roxy.
The filing follows Liberated closing its corporate office last month, triggering 363 layoffs per a posting in January by California’s Employment Development Department. According to SES, unsecured creditors include a variety of clothing manufactures worldwide and other entities that license a few former Boardriders brands that Authentic assumed control of in 2023, including the O5 group. Readers may recall that the Boardriders store in Malibu closed that year.
Taylor aims to open an independent surf store in Malibu
“As I grew up in the ’70s and ’80s, surfers wanted nothing to do with the corporate world,” Taylor recalled. “The trend is to return back to independent surf shops, and so I am reopening my own shop which will be in a smaller space.”
Will Taylor still be a go-to guy for purchasing or renting surfboards and maybe even for getting a bro-deal? For surfing apparel? For all those cool sunglasses and other fun surf-celebrating accessories?
“Yes! We will have rentals and sales of surfboards,” he said. “We’ll also be carrying all the same items.”
Will the new store still offer the wonderful, particularized services surfers have come to enjoy when dealing with Taylor?
“Yes! I would never sell anyone anything that I knew wasn’t good for them — I’d rather not sell anything,” Taylor declared.
Simply stated, his planned new venue will be old-school Malibu and area surfers wouldn’t have it any other way. The new store’s location and name will be announced soon.
Reflecting on his tenure at Becker, Taylor stated, “It’s been the biggest pleasure of my life to help people so they canget the right boards for their individual needs — it’s been very fun. I wouldn’t change a thing!”
Pausing to reflect, he added, “This is the only job I have really liked. I woke up every day for 31 years, and I was excited to talk to people in our community.”
Therefore, local and visiting surfers fear not — soon, Taylor’s new surf shop will welcome you with open arms.
In the meantime, Taylor invites customers to come catch some terrific deals at Becker. The store will be open from 10 to 5 every day of the week.
