Dale Velzy

Dale Velzy, born in Oakland, California, on 23 September 1927 and nicknamed Hawk for his keen eyesight, was an American surfboard shaper credited with being the first commercial shaper in the world. He began surfing as a boy and shaped boards with his father using his grandfather woodworking tools, and after serving in the Merchant Marine in World War II he started shaping in Manhattan Beach in the mid-1940s. By 1949 he had set up what is usually regarded as the first commercial surf shop, marking his boards with a sticker reading Designed by Velzy. In 1953 he partnered with Hap Jacobs on a larger shop in Venice, where they created the narrow-nosed pig design, and by 1960 he owned five retail shops and three production facilities in California and Hawaii. He also pioneered sponsorship of competitive surfers and surf films, and Velzyland in Hawaii is named after him. He died on 26 May 2005.