Seal Beach’s own “Ole” Receives Surfing Hall of Fame Award

Last Saturday was the 17th annual “Ole Long-board Classic”  in Maui. The guy it was named after is Bob ‘Ole’ Olson who started shaping boards in Seal Beach in 1956 and he was inducted into the Surfboard Builders Hall of Fame this month.

Ole was a wood shop teacher at Rancho Los Alamitos High School and he’d shape boards at night and on weekends.  He likes to reminisce …. in a low key way…”Aw you know…surfing was just becoming popular and you could sell a two by four as a surfboard.”

Ole is the 5th Hawaii builder to be inducted into the Surfboard Builder’s Hall of Fame…joining such as Duke Kahanamoku and Rabbit Kekai. He’s the oldest living board builder that’s still making boards.

Ole was one of  Hobie’s first shapers (if  not the first?) He still surfs the Maui reef almost everyday.  Not for too many waves ….. but every day. This writer is proud to say the Ole is his friend!

For the complete story see the August 13 issue of the Maui News