Tyler Hatzikian

In 1984, before he could legally drive a car, Tyler was already building surfboards. Commissioned as a middle schooler by high schoolers, he was often seen taking the public bus to Hermosa Beach to purchase materials. When his parents wouldn’t let him have a paper route, he one upped them and started his own business instead.

Surfing was, of course, the passion. Like any young shaper and glasser, when the waves were up, Tyler was in the water. Driven by a desire to understand the history of both the sport and the craft he loved, he sought knowledge from legends such as Hap Jacobs, Dale Velzy, and Wayne Miyata.

Tyler worked side by side with some of the best board builders in California before opening his own factory in El Segundo in 1992 at age 21. It was the first of four ground up factories he would establish in El Segundo, alongside three retail stores. He is one of the few craftsmen in the industry who can build a surfboard start to finish.

Today, you can still find Tyler in the water, or in the shaping bay, glassing surfboards with his same critical eye. Just as his predecessors once did for him, he now shares that knowledge teaching and inspiring the next generation and continues to perfect his craft.

Photos by brozaphoto.com