Jeff Ho Surfboards and Zephyr Productions was a

surfboard A surfboard is a narrow plank used in surfing. Surfboards are relatively light, but are strong enough to support an individual standing on them while riding an ocean wave. They were invented in ancient Hawaii, where they were known as ''papa he'e ...

manufacturing facility and surf shop located in

Santa Monica, California Santa Monica (; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast (California), South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 United Sta ...

, that opened in 1971 and closed in 1976. The building was designated as a City Landmark in 2007.

History

In 1971, Jeff Ho,

Skip Engblom Skip Engblom (born January 4, 1948) is an American entrepreneur and one of the co-founders of the Jeff Ho Surfboards and Zephyr Productions Surf Shop in Santa Monica, California. He also helped to create the Zephyr Surf Team and the Zephyr Competi ...

and

Craig Stecyk Craig R. Stecyk III (born 1950) is an American artist, writer, photojournalist, and filmmaker who has documented and influenced the surf, skate, and snowboarding cultures. Biography A Southern California native, Stecyk is known for his photo ...

opened Jeff Ho Surfboards and Zephyr Productions, a surf shop in Santa Monica, California and also used the south wing of the facility for manufacturing their surfboards. The building is located at 2001–2011 Main Street. The surf shop closed in 1979, and was reopened in 1981 by Nathan Pratt as Horizons West Surf Shop. That shop closed in August 2010. The space reopened as a coffee shop called Dogtown Coffee in August 2012.

Significance

Jeff Ho and Skip Engblom formed the Zephyr Surf Team, made up of local surfers who frequented

Pacific Ocean Park Pacific Ocean Park was a nautical-themed amusement park built on a pier at Pier Avenue in the Ocean Park section of Santa Monica, California in 1958. Intended to compete with Disneyland, it replaced Ocean Park Pier (1926-1956). After it closed ...

in the run-down area of Dogtown. Ho and Engblom later formed the Zephyr Skate Team, which became widely known as

Z-Boys The Zephyr Competition Team (or Z-Boys) were a group of American skateboarders in the mid-1970s from Santa Monica and Venice, California. Originally consisting of 12 members, the Z-boys were originally sponsored by the Jeff Ho Surfboards and Zeph ...

and popularized the sport. The Z-boys were based at the Jeff Ho / Zephyr shop, and it was a regular hang-out for the members. Ronnie Jay was head salesman and Nathan Pratt apprenticed under Jeff Ho, Skip Engblom and Craig Stecyk in surfboard building. The team included

Jay Adams Jay J. Adams (February 3, 1961 – August 15, 2014) was an American skateboarder who, as a teen, was the youngest member of the Zephyr Competition Skateboarding Team (Z-Boys). His spontaneous freestyle skateboarding style, inspired by ocean surf ...

Tony Alva Tony Alva (born September 2, 1957) is an American skateboarder, entrepreneur, and musician. He was a pioneer of vertical skateboarding and one of the original members of the Zephyr Competition Skateboarding Team, also known as the Z-Boys. The ...

, Bob Biniak, Chris Cahill, Paul Constantineau, Shogo Kubo, Jim Muir, Peggy Oki, Dino Sid, Nathan Pratt,

Stacy Peralta Stacy Douglas Peralta (born October 15, 1957) is an American film director and entrepreneur. He was previously a professional skateboarder and surfer with the Zephyr Competition Team, also known as the Z-Boys, from Venice, California. Early li ...

, Wentzle Ruml and Allen Sarlo and was the subject of a 2001 documentary film, ''

Dogtown and Z-Boys ''Dogtown and Z-Boys'' is a 2001 documentary film produced by Agi Orsi and directed by Stacy Peralta. The documentary explores the pioneering of the Zephyr skateboard team in the 1970s (of which Peralta was a member) and the evolving sport of ...

'', and a 2005 biographical film, ''

Lords of Dogtown ''Lords of Dogtown'' is a 2005 American biographical drama film directed by Catherine Hardwicke and written by Stacy Peralta. The film follows a group of young skateboarders in Santa Monica, California during the 70s. This is the first (and so fa ...

''; both feature the Jeff Ho Zephyr / Surf Shop.

City Landmark Designation

In 2007, the building housing Horizons West Surf Shop (formerly Jeff Ho Surfboards and Zephyr Productions) was designated to be demolished to construct condominiums. Local skaters and surfers, led by Jacob Samuel began fighting to protect the building. On April 9, 2007, an application was filed to designate the building as a City Landmark. On May 14, 2007, the Planning and Community Development Department of Santa Monica ruled that the building met the minimum of four eligible criteria and officially designated it as a City Landmark.

References

External links

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Official Assessment Application
KCET Departures Venice {{Santa Monica, California Skateboarding Landmarks in Santa Monica, California