Hey Dibi: Should You Get Your Grom an E-Bike For Christmas?

Editor’s Note: Have a question for Dibi Fletcher? She’s definitely got answers. Or at least a perspective. Don’t hold back, shoot her a DM on Instagram and ask away. Here’s this week’s dispatch from the Matriarch of Radical…

Hey Dibi… Our 11-year-old is begging us for an E-Bike for Christmas, says all his friends have them. We know that’s not a great reason but we want to know what you think. - Dad’s Dilemma
Hey Dad’s Dilemma… First, I want you to know I’m not a fan of buying expensive gifts for young kids. I think they need skin in the game to understand value. I was probably the only person in the surf industry who made their team riders buy pads. It was completely unheard of; there had been such mass giveaway programs throughout the industry that a ‘surf pad’ was of no value. I worked hard, invested time and money, the pad was not free to me, I thought it was an unsustainable business model and a terrible practice which anyone following the surf business can now agree. That said, you should be aware there are new ordinances coming into effect in various California counties that will affect all E-Bikes and riders in 2026, so make sure you know what’s coming before making the decision to give your young son who’s prefrontal cortex, the brains command center for decision making, planning, judgement, and impulse control, that’s not fully developed until around 25, gets an electric bike.

Hey Dibi… My daughter lives in Hawaii with her husband and two toddlers. I’d really like to visit for Christmas but can’t get away. Do you have any good ideas for kid’s gifts? - OC _Life
Hey OC_Life… I know this may not sound very “under the tree” exciting, but, I think the best gift you could give them is to take the money you’d spend on a plane ticket and create custodial investment accounts, a fancy way to say, a savings or investment account managed by you until the grandkids are 18 or 21 depending on the state you live in. If you put the money for birthdays and Christmas you’d spend on “stuff” that ends up broken in a box in the garage in the account, they’ll have a little nest to start out life or help pay for education depending on the type of account you decide on and be truly thankful. You can check out the options online and if it doesn’t fit “swimming lessons” are a life saver…

Hey Dibi… When, where and what made Christian cut his hair and shave it bald in the Supernatural film?  - Bullys Yacht Repair
Hey Bullys Yacht Repair… I believe it was 1991, there were still lots of print magazines and Christian was getting a lot of ink, the pictures were amazing, but the text was almost totally negative and spoke often about his “look” that they felt didn’t reflect the true surf sensibility. Most of the top surfers signed a letter to the editors of Surfer that they felt Christian was getting way too much press for his mediocre talent compared to what they were sacrificing to be on tour. He shaved his head in San Clemente after an epic session at Lowers which I believe was a big middle finger to everyone who thought it was his “look” and not his surfing that was changing the game… So here we are 30+ years later with the value of hindsight, his hair was a detail that he used as a defiant scream, but his aerial surfing changed the arc of history.

Hey Dibi…For someone trying to make a career in the surf world today, is it selling out or buying in to get a job with one of the big brands? - Work to Surf
Hey Work to Surf… Having a job is a good thing and larger companies can offer more incentives than a small struggling start up. Whether large or small the mistake most people make is the think their job is about surfing. The company may have surfboards on the wall in the front waiting area and make trunks in Viet Nam or DTLA but they’re in business to make a profit and need employees who are willing to work so do a good job and be stoked, who knows where the road through the industry will lead you…

Hey Dibi… Word is you sold Astrodeck, if so who to? - Surf Biz
Hey Surf Biz… NO, we did not sell Astrodeck. We moved out of the warehouse in San Clemete and have a domestic distributor who is selling pads while we take some time to think about our next move. With so many changes going on in business it was the perfect time to step away and get a new perspective on what going forward with the brand looks like. It’s been great for Herb and I after decades to take inventory of all the past projects we’ve accomplished and refocus on the business with a contemporary mindset.