Decades of work and memories were destroyed Tuesday afternoon when a devastating fire tore through a popular surfboard maker's Ocean Beach workshop.
Crews were able to knock down the fully involved garage fire in the 2000 block of Froude Street that belonged to 'Ace' Elliot - an icon in Ocean Beach who is known for the unique surfboards he hand-made over his entire lifetime.
"All the reasons I get up in the morning are gone," he said.
Ace, who is 70-years-old, said he believes his electric bike charger in his back yard exploded and started the fire that quickly spread to his workshop he used for decades to make and repair surfboards.
"Fifty years of history, gone! Right now I am just numb," he said.
Among the dozen of boards and other mementos inside the workshop, Ace had an irreplaceable gift he had been working on for his daughter.
"I made her a 30th birthday board. A very special board. It went up in flames," he said.
Two cats were removed from the home and hazmat crews responded to handle chemicals on site.
No one was injured, but the fire did do significant damage to the surrounding home.
The Ocean Beach community is now rallying to help Ace recover what he lost, but for him, regaining a lifetime's worth of work and memories is unfathomable at this point.
"The things that keep me sane are gone. I need those things right now," he said.
Firefighters estimate that the total loss of the workshop at around $50,000. A GoFundMe page has been set up to help Ace recover.
