About us
Paul Hunt opened his Surfboard Shop across from the Huntington Beach Pier in 1960. He had been surfing for a number of years and just out of High School, he felt that he had to find a way to make a living and still keep surfing. To Paul, Surfing was the most important thing in his life. He couldn't imagine giving it up for anything and what could be better than making surfboards next to the ocean.
In those days there weren't board shops that handled many brands of boards and if you wanted a particular maker's board then you had to travel to their shop and order a board. When Paul opened his shop, there were only a few boardmakers in the area. Dale Velzy and Gordie were the only shops nearby.
The sport was just starting to really gain popularity with the advent of lightweight foam boards and new magazines appearing devoted solely to surfing. Surfer, put out by John Severson and Surfing, run by Walt Phillips both gained a following and soon readers everywhere were enticed to try it. In Huntington Beach the few hardcore surfers were soon joined by hundreds of new converts.
In the early years most boardmakers knew each other very well and traded stories along with their new ideas. Paul Hunt became close friends with Dale Velzy who introduced him to Joe Quigg in Newport Beach. The three of them would get together at night, party, tell stories and swap ideas about boards. Dale also dropped off many of his own blanks at Hunt's complex where Paul would custom shape them.
Soon Paul was approached by other stores that wanted to begin selling Paul Hunt surfboards. so he became the first maker to begin wholesaling boards on a large scale. He sold through Ski 'n Dive stores all over California, Abercrombie and Fitch in New York, Jacks in Anaheim and several others. As Paul Hunt Surfboards grew, he opened a complex in Costa Mesa. Even with the growing quantity of boards being produced, Paul shaped every board and was almost fanatical about quality. Later during this early period, Paul Hunt also shaped many boards for Gordie, InterIsland and Greg Noll.
It was through Greg that Paul met Ed DePriest, a Surf filmmaker. Paul had also been shooting film from a very early age even having built a very well equipped darkroom for stills. He began shooting home movies at twelve which evolved until by the time he met Ed, he was also putting together a surf film. Paul and Ed decided to form a film company, Canyon Films where they began seriously making and releasing films. Their first major release was "Surfari" which garnered many wonderful reviews and first debuted at The Egyptian theater in Hollywood. They made over 60 films together and released experimental films for all the top filmmakers of the time including Andy Warhol. They also made and released four feature films during that time. Paul set off on his own forming Pacific international Pictures and in 1972 Formed Filmmakers International Releasing Company with Sanford Horowitz. They are still partners today in United Filmmakers Inc. and are presently building The Troy Studios together in Troy, N.Y.
Paul never actually completely stopped making surfboards and over the years made boards for actors and crew that he knew and worked with such as David Carradine and many others. Now, with many shops selling boards made by everybody and with other venues such as the internet, Paul has developed his Surfboard business into a major part of his life. This website is the official home of Paul Hunt Surfboards and now you can order a custom board from Paul Hunt of the very best quality.
Paul Hunt Surfboards are Legendary and are known for the unsurpassed quality that is evident in every board he makes; there is never a bump in the rail, never a void in the foam and every board is glassed to perfection. If ever a board has a flaw, Paul either throws it away or turns it over to other mass producers such who don't have the same high standards. This is the main reason people from all over the world still seek out his boards.