“Water Brother: The Sid Abbruzzi Story” is at the Avon Cinema in Providence on Thursday, Oct. 3 at 7 p.m. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with Sid Abbruzzi. Click here for more information.
TRANSCRIPT:
This transcript has been edited for time and clarity.
Luis Hernandez: I’m joined now by the legend, Sid Abbruzzi. Sid, it’s such a pleasure.
Sid Abbruzzi: Thank you. It’s an honor to be on your show. I love the radio. I love public radio.
Hernandez: I wanted to know, how did you get into skating and surfing? Which one did you start doing first?
Abbruzzi: Well, to be honest with you, surfing caught my eye first. Being a little 10, 11, 12-year-old, I wasn’t able to surf, because back then you had the winter, you had prehistoric dive suits to go surfing in the winter. So skateboarding – on steel wheels you got me? On the original steel wheels from the late 50s, early 60s is what me and my brother did to simulate surfing. And then obviously when we got 12 or 13 years old, we surfed in the summertime. And then it probably wasn’t until about 14 that we started investing in and putting on the wetsuit gear.
Hernandez: I wanted to ask you about the Water Brothers Surf [and Skate] Shop, and when and why did you start it?
Abbruzzi: Believe me, I didn’t put anything on paper and say, I think I’m going to start a business. What happened was, I wanted a certain style of surfboard that wasn’t available at any of the existing surf shops here in the summer of 1969. And I had to go down to New Jersey and get it. And when I got it, the guys down in New Jersey said, “Hey, Sid” – and I’m a 17 year old kid – “let us put three or four on top of your car, take them up to Newport. We’ll come up in a couple of weeks, if you sell them, with another batch.” So it sort of kept parlaying into that. And there happened to be this little shack on the beach at the end of First Beach, which is technically in Middletown. And I approached Miss LeHood and it was only $300 for a year, and I moved into that shack in ‘71.
Hernandez: When did you realize that your shop had become a key place for people, not just in the area, not just for locals, but there were people from all over coming in and they knew about your shop?
Abbruzzi: I would say probably the late to mid ‘80s. That’s when we were able, we all in the 70s, we had all these little skateboard ramps on the beach next to the shop, but in the 80s we built a permanent six-foot ramp right next. You can stand on the decks, look at the ocean. It was gorgeous. And we had Tony Hawk show up in late August 1989 as part of the fabled Bones Brigade tour. And that put us right on the map, big-time. Two thousand to 3,000 kids in the parking lot. Skateboarding was on a big upslide. It led us to build a ramp to a 10-footer. We had all these skate teams coming from all over the country with skaters on them from all over the world.
Hernandez: What does it mean for you to have this documentary? And I’m wondering, how do you feel about the way they told your story?
Abbruzzi: You know, I feel good about it. The guys did a great job. I’ve known them since they were kids. … So growing up, I surfed with their dad, Chuck Kinnane. And then as the boys started growing up. Chuck Sr., the oldest one, the director, grabbed the camera and I saw him shooting all the time. They knew me from coming into the shop as little kids. And we always knew we had film. They always knew I had the Super 8 film, the Hi-8 film. And somehow I just held onto it, with thousands of pictures. We tried a couple of jump starts and, you know, times change, things don’t happen. … So I think when Chuck came back and the Kinnane Brothers came back this time, the time was right. Everything was right. … I’m stoked. I’ll use the surfing term stoked. … 50 years into an hour-and-a-half film is a big project and I believe the boys pulled it off.
Hernandez: You know, I want to ask you about your legacy and I wonder what you think about when you look back on your life and everything you’ve done, you know, how the world is going to see you, how the surfing and skating world will see you and remember you.
Abbruzzi: I like to think I was always open-minded and greeting everyone in the surfing communities with a place to come to – and I’m not talking for purchasing or anything like that. I mean, people come into my shop just to talk, like a barber shop, you know. … I hope it’s in a good light, and positive, but, you know, I’ve enjoyed the ride. … I really enjoy the characters. … And to be part of that is cool.
Hernandez: Sid, what’s next for you? What else are you going to do?
Abbruzzi: We’re going to expand the Water Brother brand. We have some pretty cool ideas. What’s really exciting for us – and just strictly as a spectator now the bones are a little old – but we recently put together a $1.25 million skate park fundraiser. And the park is one month away from opening up and there’s nothing like it I’ve ever seen in the state of Rhode Island. … And then the surfing end, there’s so many little kids now that are learning on little soft tops and their fathers grew up through Water Brothers. And to see that new generation is awesome.
Hernandez: Sid, are you still skating or surfing?
Abbruzzi: I’m still surfing. I had double hip removal surgery and it took me out a couple of years, but I’m still surfing. Skating, maybe a little bit cruising on the flat land, but you know, to be true in the skate world, I can’t skate anymore, but I’m the biggest fan. I watch it constantly on contests and everything and free skating. And surfing is just a passion. I mean, I’m looking at the waves right now, as I’m talking to you, visualizing me riding one. I mean, it doesn’t stop. I can’t stop.
Hernandez: Sid Abbruzzi, it’s been such a pleasure. I really appreciate it. Thank you so much.
Abbruzzi: Hey, anytime. Thank you.
