Nightglow Window

ZJ Boarding House Celebrates 20-Year Anniversary

Main Street in Santa Monica has seen a lot of changes over the past twenty years, but the neighborhood retains its decidedly indie appeal. That’s a good thing, worth keeping.

You don’t have to look far to see the corporate alternative. Santa Monica’s Third Street Promenade to the north has become a retail destination as slick and corporate as any shopping mall.

Main Street, just a mile away, has a completely different appeal: less slick, more authentic.

And there on the corner of Main and Ocean Park is ZJ Boarding House. Over the past twenty years, Mikke Pierson’s and Todd Robert’s store has become a mainstay not only on Santa Monica’s Main Street, but within the entire surf/skate/snow industry.

Part of the store’s stature comes from its location—but that’s just a portion of the equation. The owners have never been shy with their opinions. Whether you’re talking about the early days of Chinese snowboard production, leadership within the Board Retailers Association, or the role of company stores in today’s retail environment, the influence of ZJ Boarding House has been felt far and wide.

This past Saturday ZJ’s celebrate twenty years of being in business with a carnival/concert/barbecue and a good portion of the industry turned out to help them celebrate.

Carnival booths were set up by Quiksilver, Mervin Manufacturing, DC Shoes, Roxy, Matix, Sanük, NHS, Xcel, Hurley, Sector 9, and more. Volcom and Electric sponsored the live music, DaKine rolled out the barbecue and shave ice, and those fine lads from Rusty kept the mojo going with a beer garden.

Mikke and Todd were on hand throughout the day, looking relaxed and welcoming guests. In the middle of the festival area were four large panels of photos, showing some of the history of the store and the parade of faces who have called it a second home.

Best of all, 100% of the proceeds from the day will go to Stoked Mentoring, a non-profit mentoring organization designed to teach life skills to at-risk teenagers through snowboarding, skateboarding and surfing.


ZJ Boarding House has been a mainstay of Santa Monica's Main Street for twenty years -- and casts an equally large shadow within the surf, skate, and snowboarding industries.


The 20-Year Festival featured live music, barbecue, and more than a dozen carnival booth benefitting Stoked Mentoring.


ZJ Co-Owner Mikke Pierson with Rusty's National Sales Manager Casey Fleming.


The wonderful folks from Da Kine kept everyone fed with a barbecue and this shave ice station.


Xcel's Lance Varon takes in the scene.


Live Music from Electric and Volcom. These guys were reggaelocious.


ZJ Co-Owner and BRA Chairman Todd Roberts enjoys a stage-side seat.


More live music.


Scott “Pod” Banuelos, Rusty's director of marketing, slams one home in the Rusty Booth.