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Mark and Julie today: Everything but the kitchen sink . . . aww hang-on, got to be one of them buried in there somewhere . . .

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Mark with his dad in 1976: “Our very first shop, 27 South Steyne Manly. Bicycles soon made way for surf.”

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Legendary Hawaiian Joey Cabell came into the store in 2015 while a guest of the 100-year Duke’s Day festivities at Freshwater and has since become great friends with Mark and Julie. (They're like that.)

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Mark on the squeegee, old school hands-on screen printing - Quik-rip-abong it’s not.

From Hollywood to Liverpool UK (a couple of random MLC Instagram posts).

The one-and-only local world-famous Manly Longboard Co

3 May 22

Mark and Julie Preece came up with the Manly Longboard Co. concept and shop in 1995, and at cottage-level it’s gone big ever since.

Forever local Mark's parents opened their first shop at South Steyne in 1975 and went on to have many more ranging through bike shops, beach rentals, milk bar, travel agent, through to the Manly institution Beach Hut swimwear shop, and Mark grew up working in all of them.

“My dad told me ‘small fish are sweet’, and in business this means look after your smallest customer just as well as the biggest.”

Like, just check out the video link below from high profile Italian travel vlogger Andrea Bozzi, who’s just one appreciative fan of what the Manly Longboard Co. is, and what it represents.

It actually started as a board label with Mark just doing a bit of screen-printing on the side to complement the boards, but people liked the logo, and the Ts and other apparel just grew naturally through demand and took over. And that logo is on all sorts of stuff now.

“I still get a buzz seeing a Manly Longboard Co. garment walking down the street as I’ve hand-printed every one of them since day one, and still do.”

Apart from an annual holiday in Hawaii, Julie and Mark work seven days a week and love it, “I’m like the Eveready battery”, says Mark. He’s also an avid hoarder and has a massive stash of vintage surf wear and sporting memorabilia, yet still finds time to play bass in the punk band The McLarens (Johnny Rotten is a personal hero), and no way he’s going to miss an NRL home game at Brookvale Oval.

In a nutshell: grew up in Manly, surfs in Manly, went to school in Manly, and supports the Cronulla Sharks . . . not!

42 Sydney Rd. Manly – 02 9977 0093

WATCH THIS VID FOR A MANLY CRUISE

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