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2020 SOUTH PADRE PARADE
Kerry Schwartz at Island Native Surf House
Island Native surfs through COVID wave Photos & Words by David Lopez Anyone who has seen a popular surf movie like Point Break and Blue Crush has momentarily envisioned themselves riding those blue waves, basking in the sun. So when you find yourself at the beach again, wondering if that could be you, make sure to call Kerry Schwartz. Schwartz owns and runs Island Native Surf House located on 700 Padre Boulevard. Since 2002, the shop has been offering quality products at a fair price and quality customer service. Even better, the shop provides surf lessons that have proven to be extremely popular. “We’ve been at this for so long that we have techniques that work from years of experience, and if somebody comes to
us, we’re not teaching them for entertainment; our goal is to create a surfer,” said Schwartz. Schwartz no longer provides the surf lessons himself, but it is his close friend, Bo Hollingsworth, who has worked for Schwartz for 15 years, that gives one-onone individualized attention. Beach and surf have long been part of Kerry Schwartz’s life. During the 1960s, he owned a surf shop with a childhood friend in Brownsville. Following his college career, Schwartz pursued his professional life, once working for a big corporation and hating it. He has been working for himself ever since. Schwartz was fortunate enough to semi-retire early at 55, so in 2002, he decided to begin his shop at the Island,
given his attachment to the area (he had family there) and the sport. “It’s always been my sport, and I knew eventually I’d come back into it with a lot more knowledge,” he said. Schwartz has surfed worldwide, from the east to the west coast, Hawaii, Costa Rica, and Southern Mexico. However, his favorite place for surf remains the Island. “Every trip, it’s hit or miss, he said. “I would go to California, for instance, and surf every September, and in the last four years, I got no surf. I’ve had good surf in a lot of places, but I’ve had extremely good surf here. The difference is it’s not as consistent.” According to Schwartz, the Island is a hidden gem for surfing. He said
