Hobie Cat

Hobie Cat. Innovation and Hard Work. , Skimming Across the Water , In the mid 1960s, with his surfboard business booming, Hobie turned to something new. Years earlier he had ridden catamaran in Hawaii. He and his friends even built a few to play with. Hobie remembered the thrill and decided to make one he could mass produce. , Introducing the Hobie Cat , What he came up with would change sailing forever: the Hobie Cat: the first small, commercially available catamaran. The boat became a commercial success and introduced sailing to millions. Today, Hobie is revered as much or more for his contributions to sailing as surfing., A new Type of Sailor , The Hobie Cat could be handed by one person, trailered on a car, and launched through the breaking surf. Sailing no longer required a boarding club membership., The Legendary Hobie Alter , In the world of water sports, few hold the revered status of Hobie Alter. He led the way as America fell in love with surfing. And then he turned around and revolutionized sailing. Even for land-lovers, he left an indelible mark on California and American culture., More than Surfing and Sailboats , As a life-long adventure seeker and tinkerer, Hobie did far more than make surfboards and sailboats. He raced dirt bikes, built remote controlled gliders, traveled, and even built a catamaran for fly fishing., Living His Dream , In 1951, after graduating high school, Hobie's friends wondered what they'd do with their lives. Hobie told his buddies that he wanted to work west of Pacific Coat Highway at a job that didn't require hard-soled shoes. He made it happen.