Number 19, September 2007, PB Surf Club CURRENTS

LARRY GORDON: AKA GORDON AND SMITH SURFBOARDS

By Bobby Challenger Thomas

I have known Larry for over 50 years, and his wife Gayle since the fifth grade (Pacific Beach Elementary). Larry and company have given more jobs, careers, sponsorship and community support for surfing and the lifestyle than anyone—or company—in Pacific Beach and all of San Diego. I know, he gave me a job as a shaper.

To me, Larry is the Big Kahuna. He’s not only a surf pioneer of the 50s, but truly a surfboard and skateboard living legend. He is also an original Pacific Beach Surf Club member from the '50s and a lifetime member of the club today.

Born in the state of Illinois, Larry's family moved to the beach area where he attended Pacific Beach Jr. High in the early '50s, and where he met Floyd Smith. In 1955-56, Larry started surf-riding on surf mats at the foot of Grand Street. Later that same year, Larry borrowed a few friends' balsa surfboards and tried stand up surfing on the south side of Crystal Pier. This is when I first met Larry Gordon and Floyd Smith.

In 1957, Larry graduated from Mission Bay High School where he was an outstanding cross country runner and lettered Varsity. He then attended San Diego State College where he majored in chemistry. At the time, there were a few surfboard shapers and a couple of surfboard builders (most were from the North Shore District, the area from Mission Beach to La Jolla.). All went out of business when winter came and moved on or just dropped out of surfing all together. 99.9 % of surfers back then did not know how to build a surfboard and had to travel up the coast to either the Dana Point or San Clemente area where they purchased a board from Hobie or Velzy. Some even traveled further. So in 1959, Larry Gordon and his close friend Floyd Smith saw the opportunity of building surfboards themselves. Together they opened a surfboard shop on Turquoise Street, one block north of Mission Blvd. I remember it just like it was yesterday when Larry and Floyd started building their surfboards. Their first shop was not like today’s surf shop, filled with stock boards, gear and assorted stuff, in fact, they had just one surfboard on the rack and that one was still under construction.

Back then, surfboards were not built until they had a customer order one. The board could take several weeks, sometimes even a month to finish. Now some fifty years later, Larry is still selling surfboards, and still, all around the world. How many people do you know that have that claim to fame? And better yet, caught him in the lineup at Tourmaline Surfing Park.

In closing I would like to say, Larry Gordon has always been a good surfer and paddle champion. It has been great growing older with Larry and having such a great pal for over half a century. I salute you.

Larry and Floyd will be honored at the California Surf Museum in Oceanside on October 7, 2007, 12-4pm. Please come and join me on that date in honoring these pioneers for a lifetime of surf stories.

Trivia Corner Answer from the last newsletter was Inge Morton. She will receive a classic T-shirt of the 1959 PBSC Membership Card.

Trivia Corner Question: What was the core of surfboards when Larry first started surfing? Send your answer to the editor and win a classic 1959 Membership Card T-shirt—if you haven't won before.

I am looking forward to our club’s annual fundraiser on September 15 and meeting some new members. We need surfers for the paddle team that can paddle at every club event. Surfers that will be there every time, not just sometimes. Maybe we can generate some interest at our contest and have a free paddle race. I have three surfboards that selected members I choose can use. All other surfboard entries must meet the 47" rule. I am willing to sponsor up $100 total purse. First place: $50. Second: $30. Third: $20. Plus, a classic 1959 Membership Card T-shirt. Fourth through sixth place will receive the classic T-shirt. Remember, entry fee is free. The paddle race will be from Crystal Pier to Tourmaline. Maybe this newsletter article will challenge other sponsors to step up and sweeten the pie for the paddle race. Sign up the day of the event with Richard Steadham (editor). Pass the word.