Episode 006 Cowboy Surf Shop has been a leading force in Northern California since the early 70’s. Founded by Craig”Cowboy”Mac Arthur ….

Cowboy Surf Shop has been a leading force in Northern California since the early 70’s. Founded by Craig”Cowboy”Mac Arthur as Miramar Surf Boards in 1971 in it’s original location, the shop was mainly a showroom for the surfboards that Craig shaped and glassed, as well as serving as Half Moon Bay’s first surf shop. Many years have been spent learning and perfecting the trade of surfboard production, as well as other ventures including the opening of the retail store Cowboy Surf Shop in 1982. Craig also teamed with friend Chip Rowland, and Bob Hurley in 1984 to work as Northern California Sales Rep for the then start up surf line Billabong. His duties consisted of building the Northwestern territory for Billabong, and managing the Northern California Billabong Surf Team. Craig recruited local talent from his territory which consisted of surfers like Daryl “Flea” Virotsgo, brother Troy, Nate & Zach Acker, Richard & Dave Schmidt, Vince Collier, Adam Repogle, and many more. Other duties stemmed from teaming up with Billabong’s pro surfers like “Sunny Garcia”  and “Doogle Walker”when surfing in local contests like the O’Neill Coldwater Classic, or going on photo shoots to distant locations for surfing magazines with other pro surfers. Craig’s sales reputation soon earned him jobs with other prominent companies like Rusty Presendorfer who was just getting his clothing line going, and soon hired Craig as his Northern California Sales Rep. Utilizing Craigs relationship with stores & shops, Rusty was a shoe-in with his line of  T ‘Shirts and Stickers, and was soon on his way to liable recognition in Northern California . Craig was also hired as Sales Rep for Billabongs sister like company Peak Wetsuits, headed out by John “The Butcher” Howitt, the Aussie wetsuit entrepreneur who later went on to start Quiksilver Wetsuits. It was about four and a half years into his sale repping career when Craig was recruited by the local Surf / Rock Band Bug. Led by Singer Web Fingers, and Bassist Bubba Luv, Craig was the newest member playing Lead Guitar. (Stage Name “Dude Broman”). See Bug click on image below After several years of hard work, recording, rehearsing, playing gigs, and Frat Parties, Bug had worked it’s way up the local circuit to the point of being a major player on the Bay Area music scene. Bug had found a home at the Cactus Club in San Jose where their hard core followers packed the venue night after night, headlining, and also playing support for acts like Primus. Mary’s Danish, The Vandals, Urban Dance Squad, and Mojo Nixon, (just to name a few). Bug also won the the” Bay Area Battle of the Bands” contest, and played to thousands of people at the Oakland Collesieum, as well as plying every major venue in the San Francisco Bay Area. Bug was well on their way to stardom, local rock magazines were revue them almost weekly, and one went as far as saying that “Bug was going to be the next bay area rock band after Primus to go over the top”. The press did not go unnoticed, and local recording studio mogul Joel Jaffe from  Studio D in Sausalito had picked up on the buzz, and invited the band to come down to the lavish studio to record a 3 song demo that he would shop to some of his record label connections. Things were going great with repping, and playing in the band. Craig started to date one of the Bug dancers, Lucy Turner, who soon became a cult fav as Hippi Bitch, a character in one of the bands popular songs.