A legend of the San Diego surfing community has passed. Photo: Hansen Surfboards//Instagram
Hansen Surfboards has a place in the heart of San Diego surfing culture. This week, Don Hansen, the shaper and founder of the eponymous Southern California surf shop, passed away at the age of 89.
The company announced the news Thursday. “Don was a pioneer in surfing, an innovator, a competitor in the sky and an adventurer on land,” they wrote. “But beyond his range of accomplishments, he will be remembered most for his kindness, his mentorship, and the way he made people feel seen and believed in. ”
Hansen was born in South Dakota in 1937, but made his way to the West Coast after graduating high school. He landed in San Diego and soon became involved with the city’s burgeoning surf scene. He shaped his first board in 1958 for Jack O’Neill’s surf shop in Northern California while stationed at Fort Ord. Upon his return to Southern California, he would hone his shaping skills under the tutelage of legends Hobie Alter and Hap Jacobs. After spending a winter on Oahu’s North Shore, he returned to found Hansen Surfboards in 1961 in Cardiff, California. Soon after, he would move the shop up the street to Encinitas, directly across the highway from the storied break at Swami’s, where it would grow into the mainstay it is today.
“When Don founded Hansen Surfboards back in 1961, he wasn’t only starting a business but building a community,” continued Hansen Surfboards in its post. “A lasting circle rooted in kindness, guidance and shared passion. A crew of people who felt connected not just to the sport, but to each other because of him. He gave his time, his knowledge and his encouragement freely, paving the way for generations to follow.
“Above all, Don was a family man. His greatest pride lived in the people closest to him and the life he built alongside them. Don’s legacy will leave a lasting impression on this community he loved so much. His story is carried forward in them through the traditions he started and the love he gave so fully. Don is survived by his wife Shirley, his children Christian, Heidi and Josh and grandchildren Makena, Jack, and Saylor.”
A private service will be held in his honor, and a paddle-out will be scheduled at a later date.
