Hobart “Hobie” Alter has passed away at 80. The surf industry leader teamed up with Gordon Clark to use polyurethane foam in modern surfboards. “Hobie” Alter was born in Ontario, California, in 1933. He began surfing at 16, in Laguna Beach. After reaching the finals of the Makaha International surf contest, he started producing his own boards. In 1958, he teamed up with laminator Gordon Clark to develop polyurethane foam blanks that could be marketed for surfboard shaping.

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Surf industry pioneer Hobie Alter passes away at 80

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