Last week my wife asked  “what is it like having been surfing and making surfboards for 50 years?”

I thought What?... oh wait… it’s 2012, I started making my first surfboard in 1962, so I guess it has been 50 years.  Then she asked “how have things changed, you’ve kind of seen it all right?”

The question has been rolling around my head since she asked. And right now I know I can say this about being around surfing this long. When I got started the guys making surfboards were in their twenties, a good 10 or more years my senior… so now after 50 years, getting up there in years.

After losing Harold Iggy the first of the year, now this week Terry Martin passed away.  I was not fortunate enough to have ever met Terry Martin. Of course I knew who he was and what he did. Thinking that he is now gone and will no longer do what he did gives me a very sad feeling that I’m not sure I can explain. I’m not sure words can adequately express the loss to surfing and the surfboard craft.

Terry Martin was woven into surfing history.  You really can’t talk about the history of the surfboard shaping craft without his name being brought up. And of course the name Hobie Srufboards is world wide. Hobie Surfboards for the most part was Terry Martin.

RIP Terry Martin.

D.R.