Surfer Magazine Owners Are Considering a Sale

The owners of Surfer magazine are considering selling the San Juan Capistrano-based monthly, the oldest publication devoted to the Southland’s signature sport.

Surfer Publications, a subsidiary of For Better Living, an Auburn company, has hired an investment banking firm to explore financing options.

Besides Surfer, which made its debut in 1959, the division’s holdings consist of several magazines devoted to the so-called extreme sports, including Snowboarder, Skateboarder, Powder and Bike.

Officials at Surfer Publications have lobbied for the division’s sale since For Better Living founder F.G. “Bud” Fabian retired two years ago.

The division, also based in San Juan Capistrano, needs money to expand its monthly titles and fuel related projects, said Danna Lewis-Gordon, the unit’s chief executive.

Acacia Capital, a New York investment banking firm, is studying financing options. Officials at Acacia and For Better Living couldn’t be reached Wednesday.

Fabian bought Surfer in the late 1960s from original owner John Severson. For Better Living’s primary business is precast concrete.

Surfer claims an unaudited monthly circulation of 112,000 and caters to longtime aficionados. Its chief competitor is San Clemente-based Surfing magazine, which has an audited circulation of 115,000 and generally younger readers.

A sale would be the latest acquisition in extreme-sports publishing.

Petersen Publishing in Los Angeles recently took over in-line skating magazines In Line and Box. In January, Transworld Media of Oceanside (which is owned by Times Mirror, parent company of the Los Angeles Times) purchased Ride Publishing in Santa Ana. Ride publishes four BMX bicycling magazines: Snap, Ride, BMX and BMX Business News.

Last year, Surfing and Bodyboarding were acquired by Primedia of New York.