As big waves hit Santa Barbara this week, three Funk Zone surf shops — J7 Surfboards, Channel Islands Surfboards, and Surf 'N' Wear's Beach House — were hit with a rash of overnight burglaries resulting in heavy merchandise loss.
J7 reported 17 boards missing last Thursday along with speakers, headphones, and fins. The Beach House lost a number of GoPro cameras and other electronics the same evening. Nothing was stolen from Channel Islands, but the store's windows were smashed in this Monday.
Store managers blamed ongoing Funk Zone construction for isolating their business from foot traffic and view, making them easy pickings for opportunistic thieves. It's also been theorized that out-of-town surfers lured by the area's big waves may be the culprits. Police say they have not identified any suspects.