In the mid-1960s, with his surfboard business booming, Hobie turned to catamarans, drawing on memories of riding them in Hawaii and of building a few with friends for fun. He decided to create one that could be mass produced and came up with the Hobie Cat, the first small, commercially available catamaran. The boat became a commercial success, introduced sailing to millions, and changed the sport by making it possible for one person to handle, trailer on a car, and launch through breaking surf, so sailing no longer required a boating club membership. Revered in water sports, Hobie Alter helped lead America’s embrace of surfing and then revolutionized sailing, while also leaving a broader mark on California and American culture. A lifelong adventure seeker and tinkerer, he also raced dirt bikes, built remote controlled gliders, traveled, and built a catamaran for fly fishing. After graduating high school in 1951, he told friends he wanted a job west of Pacific Coast Highway that did not require hard-soled shoes, and he made that dream real.
