Hap opened Jacobs surfboards in Hermosa Beach on Pacific Coast Highway in 1959, and came up with the Diamond logo: Surfboards by Jacobs. Business was good, and then it was great, and then it was ridiculous.

“We were there at the beginning during I guess what they call the Golden Years of Surfing between the 60s and 70s,” Jacobs said. “As I look back on those days there was a lot of stuff I could have done. It got busier and busier and busier until we had five shapers and people in the front room. Lance Carson and Robert August and Rick Irons all worked in the front room until they wanted to learn to shape. There were a lot of people who shaped for us and at our peak we were up to … Read More »

Larry Gordon and Floyd Smith were the co-founders of Gordon and Smith Surfboards in 1961. Gordon and Smith Surfboards, commonly referred to as G&S Surfboards, were based out of San Diego, California and had a large local following.

It wasn’t long before the Gordon and Smith label was well known and surfed throughout the surfing world. In large part, Gordon and Smith Surfboards gained popularity among surfers because of the major talent and influential surfers on the Gordon and Smith Surfboards team.

Team members like Skip Frye, Hawaii’s Barry Kanaiaupuni, Mike Hynson, of Endless Summer Fame, Dale Dobson and Butch Van Artsdalen – the original “Mr. Pipeline” and many others, contributed to G&S’ popularity.

Throughout the 60s, 70s and even well into the 80s, Gordon and Smith Surfboards continued to be a sucessful surfboard, surf accessories … Read More »