Hap Jacobs

Velzy and JAcobs SurfBoards

Hap Jacobs was born in Los Angeles, CA and moved to Hermosa Beach in the fourth grade. Though reluctant to part with his city friends, he grew to love the beach. Growing up on The Strand at 30th Street in Hermosa Beach, Jacobs picked up riding canvas surf mats filled with air. His first job at age 15 was at a surf rental shop called California Surfrider, located near the pier. His duties included inflating surf mats for customers in the morning, then riding them himself in the afternoon.

Jacobs’ early days of surfing were some of the most memorable. Graduating from surf mats to hollow plywood surfboards, Jacobs would drag the boards down to the beach in front of his house. However, these boards would fill up with water and be a nuisance to ride. His next board was a balsa redwood board by Pacific Holmes. Once fiberglass was introduced, surfers could ride balsa surfboards sealed with this material. At the time, he was too young to drive, so some members of the Palos Verdes Surfing Club would take him to Palos Verdes Cove if he promised to stay out of the way and don’t cause any trouble. Being a tide-sensitive spot, sometimes the boys would have to wait out the high tide at nearby Torrance break, Rat Beach. Then they’d make their way down the dirt hill to PV Cove, two boards among every two boys. One would carry the noses and the other the tails.