IF ONLY SURF SHOP

“If only.” That was the refrain family and friends used to hear Johnny McLellan say over and over.

Usually McLellan would recite the mantra when referring to the surf shops where he worked and shopped. “If only” the shops carried some of the less well-known, less marketed surf brands, he would say.

McLellan, who grew up in Ontario and lived out West, including Hawaii, saw opportunity in Halifax and recently opened his own surf shop downtown at the corner of Queen St. and Morris St., adjacent to Dalhousie University’s Sexton Campus.

When thinking of what to call his shop, McLellan’s old “If Only” mantra arose. The name would be fitting since the shop would fulfill his desire to see “alternatives to the larger brands”, brands such as Katin Surf (clothing), Matuse (wetsuits) and T. Patterson (surfboards).

So far, it appears customers have also been digging McLellan’s mantra – he’s having trouble keeping up with demand for the surfboards he’s stocking.

For more on the If Only Surf Shop, check out the store website (currently a work-in-progress): http://www.ifonlysurfshop.com