Hobie

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About Hobie

Hobie Alter, the legendary surfer, shaper, and businessman from Orange County was at one point the most dominant force in the surfboard industry. His contributions to all types of ocean activity have stamped his name in the history books for being and embodying the idea of a waterman. Alter began surfing at the age of 16 in Laguna Beach, California, and soon after began shaping surfboards out of balsa wood in his garage and in 1954, opened Hobie Surfboards just down the road from his home. In 1958, Alter teamed up with Gordon Clark (Clark Foam) to develop a commercially viable surfboard blank that catapulted his name into surf stardom, selling thousands of boards a year during the 60s. His achievements on land shouldn’t overshadow his accomplishments and ability in the water; Alter’s smooth wave-riding style took him to the finals of the Makaha International surfing contest in 1958 and 1959, won the 1961 West Coast Surfing Championships, as well as the Pacific Coast Tandem Championship in 1962 and 1963. Our Hobie fin templates are a standard in the catalog and are known for their versatility, style and time-honored design, much like Alter himself.