Last column, I opened a little series I’m calling “surf lifers.”
A surf lifer is one of those people who has a love of surfing and, one way or another, found a way to put together a life around being able to surf and/or be a part of the surfing culture. Naturally, I used myself as a prime example of this kinda creature. Today, I am gonna tell you about a few more of my favorite Orange County surf lifers.
First off is Jeff Alter. This is the younger son of the legendary Hobie Alter of Hobie Surfboards, Hobie Cats and Hobie Surf Shops fame.
Along with his older brother, Hobie Jr., and sister, Paula, Jeff grew up literally breathing the surfing life and culture. His dad, Hobie, was one of the biggest of the biggies. Jeff’s early years were spent living in Laguna Beach, right at the best surf spot in town. Then the family moved to “Beach Road,” that road with houses on it that runs along the shore below the bluffs in Capistrano Beach, in a house even closer to the water than the one in Laguna Beach.
For many years, Jeff and Hobie Jr. took over and ran the Hobie empire. Jeff was the main man in the Hobie Designs, the brand and licensing part of the business and Hobie Surfboards.
Just wading into his 60s now — geeze, I remember when he was born — he has just taken over the reins of the Surfing Heritage and Cultural Center. At present, he is overseeing the design and upcoming opening of the new SHACC location in downtown Laguna Beach.
He and his wife, Laurie, are great people, and as salt-dry surf as it comes.
Next up is one of the smoothest and greatest, more or less, unknown surfers I know of, Don Craig. He is only unknown to the general public; most people within the surfing community know exactly who this dude is and how good he is. Another guy who grew up under the shadow of a well-known father who surfed.
Doug Craig, Don’s dad, was the president of the San Onofre Surfing Club for many years and very well known amongst the Southern California surfing community. Don was a great surfer by the time he was in his mid-teens and active in the competition scene during the ’60s and ’70s. The thing that always set him apart was his very fluid and elegant style, much like that of Billy Hamilton and Skip Frye.
Don got into the surf industry as the first sales rep for Quiksilver and went on to rep many other surf brands. He helped bring Rip Curl wetsuits to the United States and he ran the first Rip Curl retail store in San Clemente for many years.
His great move was to come up with the phrase “Old Guys Rule,” which he parlayed into a thriving T-shirt business and much more. He grew his brand from the ground up, selling it himself to surf shops while doing his rounds selling other brands.
Soon, his brand outgrew the others and became its own empire. First for surfers, and then later for all “old guys,” in all walks of life. In the process, he has donated tons of his income to causes such as the John Wayne Cancer Foundation and the Wounded Warrior Project.
Living in San Clemente and still surfing as smooth as ever and being one of the coolest dudes you could ever meet as he glides into his late seventies, Don Craig is proof that “old guys rule.”
Rounding out today’s lineup of lifers is my longtime pal Mark “Cubby” Samuels.
I first met Mark when he applied for a job working with me at SURFER magazine. I was advertising director at the time and needed a graphic artist. This young dude, pretty wet behind the collar, yet totally stoked, shows up and lays out some pretty impressive work.
I said to Denise, my secretary at the time, that the kid reminded me of “Cubby” from the Mickey Mouse Club. OK, you gotta be old to remember that show on TV. Annette Funicello was a “mouseketeer,” and they had a kid named “Cubby.” Anyway, we gave him that name and it stuck … at least while he worked there. Oh yeah, he got the job. He loved to surf and he fit right in.
Here is his own version: “In 1980, I was a young designer, working in LA, when a guy asked me to design an ad for him to run in SURFER Mag. Being a die-hard surfer, I drove the finished ad down to the SURFER office. I got lucky as they were looking for an artist to run the ad art dept. After Corky looked over my art samples and took me surfing to make sure I wasn’t a kook, I was hired. A dream job, surfing almost every day was the norm. I loved that job for 15 years, and during that time becoming great friends with the art director of POWDER Mag, Jeff Darnell. Jeff and I gave our notices and started our own agency, SDA Creative. We scored an oceanfront office in Capo Beach and SDA thrived for 27 years (Hobie being one of our best clients). I decided to retire in 2021, found a buyer and went surfing. I bumped into Jeff Alter at a surfing event, one thing led to another, and I’m now working at SHACC. Surfers are amazing people, so thankful for the great ride I’ve had.”
That’s what I have for today, stay tuned and in the future, I will, from time to time, bring you more Orange County surf lifers.