The Beachside Resident
TWENTY QUESTIONS WITH CHRIS BIRCH
Chris Birch has been a faithful beach side resident from age 10, when his family moved to Satellite Beach in 1968 when his father took a job at Boeing in the Cape, and he has no plans to live anywhere else.
Now residing in Indialantic, Chris Birch has grown up on these beaches and watched the eventual changes, not only in exterior landscape and sandbars, but in the surf culture which is so prominent along the Brevard shores.
In 1978 when Chris began working for Natural Art, then located in Merritt Island, little did he know he that would begin what has become a very successful career in the art of surfboard building.
Learning the difficult and tedious trade would prove to be a valuable asset, as he progressed and eventually moved into the shaping room. Now shaping his own line, "Surfboards By Chris Birch" at Ricky Carroll's R&D Surf, Inc. in Rockledge, Chris has spawned an eclectic array of surfboard shapes as diverse as the culture in which he's played so vital a role. From the sleek noserider to a classic twin fin fish, to a semi-retro, very functional 70s-inspired single fin, to his four fin flyers which are quickly gaining popularity up the coast, Chris Birch has become an extremely skilled foam artisan.
Between swells and filling piles of board orders, Chris enjoys surf fishing and relaxing - soaking up the beauty of the beachside which we all know and love so well. Here's a peek into the man after he loosened up following a few cold ones at Dos Amigos Cantina in Indialantic.
The Beachside Resident: What is your favorite aspect of living beachside?
Chris Birch: I love being so close to the ocean, whether surfing or fishing, or whatever.
TBR: What place would you most like to visit?
CB: Australia probably.
TBR: If you could have a beer with anyone alive or dead, who would it be?
CB: My sister Laurie, she passed away a year and a half ago.
TBR: What would you do if you won the lottery?
CB: Pay off my house and do some traveling.
TBR: What would you choose to come back as in your next life?
CB: A pro baseball player.
TBR: What is your greatest fear?
CB: Drowning.
TBR: What's your favorite movie of all time?
CB: "The Unforgiven."
TBR: Do you have a particular album or CD that you just can't live without?
CB:Tom Petty's Wildflowers.
TBR: Who is your favorite fictional character?
CB: Dirty Harry.
TBR: What words or phrases do you most overuse?
CB: "Where the hell is the glosser?"
TBR: Ahem...what do you most value in your friends?
CB: That they're always there when Ineed them.
TBR: What quality do you favor most in a man?
CB: Honesty.
TBR: In a woman?
CB: A good sense of humor and easy to talk to.
TBR: What do you think is your most marked characteristic?
CB: I'm a stickler for detail and some say I can be a bit grumpy at times.
TBR: What animal do you most identify with?
CB: A Fish.
TBR: What's your idea of perfect happiness?
CB: Six feet and glassy.
TBR: What talent would you most like to possess?
CB: I would like to be able to play the guitar. Well.
TBR: If you could go to any concert past, present or future, who would you choose?
CB: Any mid 70s Pink Floyd show.
TBR: If you could choose your own death, how would you go?
CB: Old and in my sleep.
TBR: What would you order for your last meal?
CB: Blackened Pompano with steamed veggies & rice with a couple a pints of Newcastle Brown Ale.
TBR: Any parting words of wisdom?
CB: Work hard and enjoy your free time.
TBR: Thanks for your time, Mr. Birch.
CB: No problem, it's been an honor and a privledge.