the Hobie Skiff and the Hobie 16 cat, both brilliant designs...always wanted the former, used to race on the latter.
Back in the day the ultimate California surf lineups, and remain to this day is The Ranch, a series of reef lineups within the lee of Point Conception north of Santa Barbra.
Located on private property, the only way we could access them was by launching a boat off the Gaviota pier and then head north. Of all the boats owned by fellow surfers that went off that pier via hoist slings the Hobie Skiff was the most coveted, only they never came up for sale, they only changed hands between friends. When we'd see them racing along the coastline they'd skimmed like a bird.
Unsinkable and robust, the Aussie lifeguard crews loved them as rescue boats, the Australian government having bought over a hundred, Hobie's biggest order for them ever.
I met Hobie at his surfshop in the 60's, HQ for the most successful surfboard business in the industry before he peeled off to the design and building of boats, giving the shop to his kids to run which remains in the family to this day.
Hobie ended up building a home in the Orcas Islands, his best friend built a home next to him, and with their wives tandem cruised up to Alaska and back many times aboard the custom 50' cat yachts Hobie designed and built.The man lived the life.
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