A Dive Deeper

Locally owned and family operated, Safari Town Surf Shop celebrates their 30th anniversary here in Lincoln City. This surf shop started in a bedroom. Owner Tony Gile had an idea…if he got enough guys together to order some wetsuits, he could start a wetsuit company. It wasn’t long before he was getting requests for other surf items like wax and leashes. It became pretty evident there was a need so when Tony realized there was an honest demand for a surf shop, he began formulating a plan to open one. The group all worked hard to make this vision a reality and did so with relentless passion and surf rooted stoke. As anyone would, they began to question if this was a good idea and began weighing the risk of pursuing this dream. Tony’s wife Jeanne was concerned about making enough money to make ends meet…but agreed to dive in headfirst with support to open the shop. With no money or credit, they opened Safari Town and slowly built their inventory – but it was their hard work and genuine customer service that built their loyal clientele. And little by little they created one of Lincoln City’s favorite stops along 101.

If you want to try something new this year, we encourage you to connect with the crew at Safari Town. While surfing is their first passion, and they would love nothing more than to take you on a lesson or get you in the gear you need, they also love and have expanded to guided kayak tours. True local knowledge can’t be trumped when it comes to taking kayaks out on our nearby rivers, streams and lakes. They also rent or offer tours on fat tire bikes. The wealth of knowledge that comes from the Gile family and the workers at Safari Town is evident with their lifetime of learning Lincoln City and its surrounding areas.

Safari Town thanks everyone who has supported their business through these 30 years and recognizes the wonderful community for supporting their family-run surf shop through the extreme seasons of the Oregon Coast. Tony is thankful to everyone for helping a young, stoked surfer discover that with hard work and determination, dreams really do come true. He is thankful that he can make a living doing what he and his family love and enjoy.