Hobart Alter quotes:

In 1969, 'Life' magazine came up to me and said they wanted to do a little story on the Hobie, and I ended up getting a six-page spread. I remember Robert Redford was on the cover, and when that magazine hit the stands, it was a whole new ballgame.

I took Al Unser out on a Hobie the day before he became the first auto racer to go 200 mph around a closed-circuit track. We were only going about 18 mph, and you should have seen him hanging on for dear life.

Give me a few hours, and I can teach anyone how to get in and out on a Hobie. To get to the top level of competition, however, takes years. On a 16- or 18-footer, the total weight between the two people should range from 275-295, and you've gotta be a reasonably coordinated person to be any good at it.

People laughed at me for setting up a surf shop.