When it comes to things that epitomize the state of New Jersey, the Jersey Shore is at the top of that list. From Perth Amboy down to Cape May, there’s 141 miles of beaches on the eastern edge of the state. Brett Pesce grew up spending his summers down the Shore and continues to go.
“Love the Shore,” Pesce explained. “Go down every year. Beaches are amazing, people are great, and nothing but good things about it.”
Although he grew up in Sweden, Jesper Bratt has become a Shore regular during the offseason with his fiancée and her family.
“It’s a great place,” Bratt shared. “Just coming back from Sweden and maybe spending a week or so down the Shore before the season starts, it’s always great. I really like it down there especially with the beautiful beach and great restaurants around. Just a great way to relax and get away from everything.”
Right after last season, Erik Haula and his family made their first trip down to the Shore. Although it wasn’t in full swing yet, the Haulas first experience was a relaxing vacation filled with family time.
“It was really quiet,” Haula remembered. “Just the fact that there wasn’t a lot of people there at the time when we went there and it was calm. There’s some good restaurants down there and nice to relax and get some family time.”
The Shore boardwalks are legendary. Between carnival games, rides, food vendors, and arcades, you could get lost for hours walking around. Although he didn’t grow up hitting the boardwalk, Bratt grew up seeing the boardwalk in movies and has heard more from his fiancee’s experiences.
“Coming from Sweden it’s something that you’ve only seen in movies,” Bratt explained. “It’s a great place. I bet kids at younger ages really enjoy places like that. I heard a lot of stories from Nicole when she was growing up, spending time there and she had a great time.”
For Pesce, when he’s hitting the boardwalk there’s one stop he must always make.
“My one thing that I need is a funnel cake,” Pesce smiled. “If I see a funnel cake that’s my one stop.”
Like Bratt’s fiancée Nicole, Pesce has plenty of fond memories from the boardwalk. However, one particular one stands out.
“I think I was in eighth or ninth grade, I had a buddy who had a shore house,” Pesce recounted. “We both went down to the boardwalk. We ended up riding a rollercoaster with that whole (Jersey Shore) cast. Snooki, Ronnie, just randomly in Seaside. It was funny.”
Admit it, hearing about the Shore has you longing for summer. The Devils have the perfect solution. New Jersey’s home game on Dec. 21 will be Devils Down the Shore night. It may be winter outside, but inside Prudential Center you can experience summer-themed activations, contests, and live performances. Tickets are available, don’t miss out!
