Becker, Phil (1940 – 2021)

Hardworking and intensely private surfboard shaper from Hermosa Beach, California; best known for his longboards and easy-to-ride funboards; thought to have shaped more boards than anyone in the world. "He's not a trendsetter," fellow shaper Mike Eaton said. "He's just incredibly consistent, always delivers a solid product, and runs the tightest ship in the industry."

Becker learned his craft as a teenager in the early '50s from California board-building pioneers Dale Velzy and Hap Jacobs, a...