Walter Hoffman has made a career of staying ahead of the crowds: Oahu in the late 40s and 50s, Indonesia in the 70s and 80s. Most surfers would find either period a ripe window for time travel, if given the opportunity. But where time only marches in one direction, Hoffman’s surfing life—from early Makaha sessions to establishing the surf-textile industry—is not a bad case study in carving out one’s own path. As the extended Hoffman/Fletcher feature in TSJ illustrates, many of his descendants seem to have taken notes. You can read the multi-generational survey of the family in issue 23.5 of the magazine. But before diving in, take a moment here with the patriarch:
For profiles ranging from Joyce Hoffman to Greyson Fletcher, check out “Nuclear Family,” the Fletcher/Hoffman omnibus in issue 23.5 of TSJ.
