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 hee ...

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 Compe ...

and Craig Stecyk opened Jeff Ho Surfboards and Zephyr Productions, a surfboard company in Santa Monica, California and also used the south wing of the facility for manufacturing their surfboards. The building is located at 2003–2011 Main Street. The Jeff Ho/Zephyr shop closed in December 1976, and was reopened in May 1977 by original Jeff Ho/Zephyr employee Nathan Pratt as Horizons West Surfboards by Nathan Pratt. Horizons West 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 close ...

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

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 Ze ...

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 skateboarding, skateboarder. As a teen, he was the youngest member of the Zephyr Competition Skateboarding Team (Z-Boys). His spontaneous freestyle skateboarding style, inspire ...

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

, Bob Biniak, Chris Cahill, Paul Constantineau, Shogo Kubo, Jim Muir, Peggy Oki, Nathan Pratt, Stacy Peralta, Wentzle Ruml and Allen Sarlo and was the subject of a 2001 documentary film, '' Dogtown and Z-Boys'', and a 2005 biographical film, ''

Lords of Dogtown ''Lords of Dogtown'' is a 2005 American biographical drama film that captures the rise of skateboarding culture in 1970s Santa Monica and Venice, California. Directed by Catherine Hardwicke and written by Stacy Peralta, a key figure in the ska ...

''; 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 companies Landmarks in Santa Monica, California