Hoffman, Walter (1931 – )
Burly big-wave pioneer and beachwear industrialist from Laguna Beach, California; longtime president of Hoffman California Fabrics, surf fashion's biggest textile supplier; younger brother to surf world rapscallion Philip "Flippy" Hoffman; stepfather to two-time world champion Joyce Hoffman, and grandfather to surf-rebel icons Christian and Nathan Fletcher.
Hoffman was born (1931) in Glendale, California, raised in Hollywood and Laguna Beach, and began surfing at age 14. At Malibu, he was so...