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by Corky Carroll  Yep, it’s that happy time of year again where we are starting to think about what super cool and appropriate gifts to get for those special someones in our lives. And I am here to help those of you who are looking to get just the right thing for that surfing special someone, in the event that you yourself are not a surfer and have no clue as to what would be a good gift. Or, if you are a surfer but just need a little help with some good suggestions. In years past I have always tried to suggest ideas for gifts that I might want to receive myself. But, seeing as how I am older than your average dinosaur, this year I am going to try and be broader minded and think of things that a wider spectrum of surfers might enjoy, age wise. There is somewhat of a difference between what the fifteen-year-old wave warrior would dig than the surf senior citizen. Some of these ideas will be ones that I have suggested in the past, but they are still valid and there is also the fact that some of you might be reading this gift idea column for the first time. Before going any further check out www.bluemangosurf.com. You might just find everything you need right there.  Ok, starting with the least expensive. The small items that any surfer can always use are things like surfboard wax (check to make sure you get the right temperature mix), ding repair kits, videos, sunblock, hats, surf leashes and t-shirts. T-shirts are great entry level gifts. Just make sure you get the right size (we like em big). The next level would be things like sunglasses and books. I love the idea of both giving and getting a book. Probably older surfers will like this one more as they are more prone to appreciating the history and lore of surfing than the younger more hard core gremmies. This year there are a number of great books available. A few suggestions: 500 Summer Stories by Greg MacGillivary. This is an incredible coffee table type book with fantastic photos and stories of Greg’s adventures from the making of great surf movies to becoming the head dude in the filming and production of IMAX movies. Steve Pezman has an entertaining collection of short stories he has written over the course of the 50 years or so that he has been in the surfing publication game, from SURFER magazine to the SURFERS JOURNAL. It’s titled TURN AND GO. And, here it comes….. da daaaaaaa… that great autobiography by me, NOT DONE YET. Hey, my column …I can plug my stuff. Yay. Stepping up in price as we get into the range of wetsuits. These kind of fit in area between coffee table books and surfboards. All surfers who live in Southern California need wetsuits. Especially in the winter. It’s cold. Not as cold as many places, but still not warm. This is a harder item to buy as you need to know exactly what style of wetsuit your surfer wants and needs, plus his or her size. If you are not sure about this, then I would suggest a gift certificate. Another great idea is Art. Original paintings or even nice prints make great gifts. This one hits close to home as I do original art myself and sell my paintings. And there are a number of other really great surf artists that have works that most any surfer would love to have on their walls. Art is a gift that lasts a lifetime. And, of course, there are surfboards. This is obviously a very special gift to a very special surfer in your life. And the same issue holds true for board buying. You need to know what they want and need. So, you either need to find out, or go the gift certificate route. Stand Up Paddleboards fit into this category too. You need to be sure if your surfer is a prone or stand-up style of rider. Kind of a side note here is that there are also boogie boards, knee boards, paipo boards, surf skis and other types of wave riding vehicles. Ok, now moving into the super special gift ideas. The most common would be a surf trip to somewhere they really want to go. Hawaii always comes to mind. But there are many other great surf destinations for the more adventurous. The South Pacific has many options, as does the Caribbean. Central America is a treasure trove of great surfing areas. If you are spending this kind of money I am sure that you know your surfer well enough to have an idea of where would be the spot that would thrill them the most. These are just a few basic suggestions. I hope I have helped you at least a little bit. Happy Holidays. 
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