This weekend, the Sea.Hear.Now Festival in Asbury Park, New Jersey, celebrates the intertwining of music and surfing culture, spotlighting Bruce Springsteen’s early connections to the surf scene.
The tale of Springsteen’s roots in the local surfing community dates back to 1969 when drummer and surfer Vini Lopez invited the 19-year-old musician to join his band. They rehearsed in the back of Challenger East Surfboards in Neptune, ultimately performing at the renowned Upstage Club on Cookman Avenue. Their band, Steel Mill, caught the attention of Carl “Tinker” West, the surfboard shaper and owner of Challenger East, who became their first manager.
At 88 years old, Tinker West recalls his journey from San Diego to New Jersey, where he noticed that the majority of his surfboards were shipped east. He began producing boards for shops from Maryland to Maine, achieving a peak production of 60 boards a week. Many of those boards are still in use today.
During this formative period, Springsteen and his band members embraced the local surf culture, often hanging out in a Long Branch apartment adjacent to Vince Troniec’s Islanders Surf Shop. Springsteen, ever the surfer, would paddle out during breaks between tours. Tinker West is also recognized as one of the first inductees into the New Jersey Surfing Hall of Fame.
According to a 1975 piece by Jim Kempton in SURFER, the late saxophonist Clarence Clemons reminisced about Springsteen’s early days living in the back of Tinker’s shop, crafting surfboards and writing songs. This narrative is further explored in the film “We’re Still Here,” which delves into New Jersey’s rich surfing history.
The Sea.Hear.Now Festival, which sold out with 35,000 attendees, epitomizes this legendary connection between rock music and surfing. Springsteen and the E Street Band are set to perform at 8 p.m. on the Surf Stage, alongside a lineup that includes 311, The Hives, and Action Bronson.
In addition to the musical performances, Tinker West will showcase surfboards he crafted with Monmouth County shaper Charles Mencel. These boards include a 9’0″ hot dogger and a 10’0″ racer, both featuring artwork by festival co-founder and renowned photographer Danny Clinch. Mencel reflects on the significance of Tinker’s legacy in the local surf community, stating, “Challenger East was the start of the lineage of everything we have here now.”
As the festival unfolds, surfers will take to Asbury’s North Beach, demonstrating their skills just steps from the main stage. Notable surfers participating include Balaram Stack, Cam Richards, and Sam Hammer, with their performances broadcasted on large screens, blending surf culture with the festival atmosphere.
The event also features vibrant art installations, including work by local artist Pork Chop and surf photography by Dick ‘Mez’ Messeroll and Donald Cresitello.
Mike Gleason, a prominent figure in the New Jersey surfing community, expressed his excitement for the festival and Springsteen’s participation. He reminisced about a past festival experience when he and his wife watched a performance from a catwalk alongside Jack Johnson.
Springsteen’s impact on the region transcends generations. He embodies the socio-cultural landscape of the New Jersey Shore, particularly the resilient spirit of Asbury Park, a city that has faced cycles of decline and revival. Asbury Park has transformed dramatically over the past two decades, evolving from an abandoned beachfront into a bustling hub for surfers, artists, and musicians.
Tim Donnelly, co-founder of Sea.Hear.Now, reflected on the festival’s growth, stating, “It feels like the whole world is here to hang with us and soak in the vibe that has been created. That is pretty radical.”