Since purchasing El Porto Surf Shop in 2017, owner Pack Landfair has expanded the business beyond surfboard rentals, introducing monthly neighborhood events, surf lessons, late-night equipment rentals and, most recently, a multilingual mural celebrating the diverse community that visits El Porto's shoreline in Manhattan Beach.

"We're not just a surf shop," Landfair said. "We invite all of our customers, all of our renters and all of our neighbors. We bill it as a neighborhood space."

The shop's monthly First Thursday gatherings have become a staple in North Manhattan Beach, bringing together local restaurants, musicians and residents for an evening of live entertainment and community connection. Businesses including Sloopy's, Obi's, Panchos and Sharkeez now participate, turning the parking lot into an outdoor neighborhood celebration.

For Landfair, building community has been the goal from the beginning, even if he hadn't expected to own a surf shop. Originally searching for a coffee shop to purchase, Landfair was visiting El Porto when he stopped into the surf shop and asked the owner whether he had ever considered selling.

"I asked him, 'You wouldn't want to sell this place?' He said, 'I just put it on the market this morning!'" Landfair recalled. The two reached a handshake agreement that same day.

Drawing on years of traveling and renting surfboards around the world, Landfair said he wanted to create a different experience for visitors—one that extended beyond equipment rentals. The shop expanded its hours to better accommodate travelers arriving from Los Angeles International Airport, increased its surf lesson offerings and began introducing customers to neighborhood restaurants, live music and local businesses. In many ways, Landfair said, the shop serves as an ambassador for El Porto itself.

That mission is reflected in the shop's newest addition: a mural by local artist Robert Perada featuring greetings in multiple languages.  "We attract people speaking every language, every ethnicity, every skin color—you name it," Landfair said. "I find this to be the most inclusive surf community that I know of."

The mural, which can be seen while entering Manhattan Beach on Highland, was designed to welcome visitors from around the world while highlighting the diversity that Landfair believes sets El Porto apart from many surf destinations. "Some surf communities dislike outsiders, but that's not true of El Porto at all," he said. 

Landfair credits El Porto's public beach access, consistent waves and close-knit business district for creating an environment where visitors and longtime residents regularly interact. That sense of connection has helped transform the surf shop into more than a place to rent a board. 

Nearly a decade after purchasing the business, Landfair said the shop's greatest success isn't measured by rentals but by the community that has formed around it. "To have something in your life that you can actually make an impact on—that's so rare," he said. "That's what I chase."

Visit El Porto Surf Shop at 3804 Highland Ave, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266.