International Surfboard Builders Hall Of Fame Inductee Details
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| Inductee Name Bill Holden | Event Year 2000 | Inductee Location Huntington Beach, California | Inductee Contact Deceased 2008 |
| Inductee Brand | 
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| Inductee Boardshop Holden Surfboards |
Boardshop Link http://www.holdensurfboards.com/ |
| Inductee Bio
Bill Holden, a well-known surfboard shaper who helped mold the sport into what it is today, died recently from a heart attack. I had the pleasure of meeting Holden a few months back at this year's Surfboard Builders Hall of Fame. His smile was ear-to-ear as he talked about his early days shaping board for Holden Surfboards back in 1955, when his creations would go for $50 a piece. These days, some of the classic boards can go for thousands of dollars. Holden, creator of Holden Surfboards on Beach Boulevard in Huntington Beach, was a good friend of famous surfboard shaper Dale Velzy, among other surfing icons. Surfboard shaper Bob "the Greek" Bolen bought his first custom board from Holden, later buying his first foam blank from him. TIMELINE A Man of Many Facets William "Bill" Holden 1930 Born William "Bill" Holden to lVIary and Chester Holden in Covington, Kentucky 1949 Graduates from Garden Grove High School 1950-1955 Joins the Marine Corps, serving in the Korean War as a mortar artilleryman 1956 Earns 3rd Degree Judo Brown Belt and became Judo instructor 1955 Learns fiber glassing while working at Glas Par Boats in Costa Mesa 1955 Learns to surf in Huntington Beach and with the San Onofre Surf Club (later becomes lifetime and active member) 1956 Makes first styrofoam surfboard 1955 Shapes a balsa board before a crowd at San Onofre Surf Club 1956 Commercially begins making surfboards in parent's garage in Garden Grove 1958 Opens Huntington Beach shop on Beach and Slater - making own blanks, shaping andglassing surfboards from 8' to 12' 1959 Graduates from Orange Coast College with various photo andjournalism awards 1960 Publishes photos and water story for Beef Magazine 1962 Moves surfboard shop to Costa Mesa, making boards and glassing for numerousother well known shapers 1963 Married Donna Burdsal of Newport Beach 1965 Bradford Holden is born 1965 Invented and refined the surfboard soft sanding disc 1967 Holden Surfboards becomes multifaceted - building windsurfing board with Velzy, dune buggy bodies, armor plating/riot shields for automobiles 1968 Moves to Puerto Bico, making surfboards for the East Coast market 1970 Returns to Southern California 1973 Panned for gold and made goldjewelry 1975 Designed and built a 12' downhill skateboard for Champion Skateboarder Chui 1975 Designed and built custom water skis for world-renowned water skier Danny Churchill 1975 Designed and built lmee ski 1977 Builds and experiments with aircraft called skimmer flugel 1980 Bear Wailer Company formed, making surf clothing, surf wax, wind surfers (Partnered with Donald Takayama and others) 1985 Remarries Melanie Ott of Laguna Beach 1988 Begins shaping boards again for friends at the urging of son Brad and Steve Hammond 1991 Designs and builds folding pocket knife 2000 1st board shaper to be inducted into the "International Board Builder Hall of Fame" 2008 Bill Holden passes on Super Bowl Sunday 2008 Memorial service held at Doheny Beach and paddle-out held at San Onofre | |||
| For the complete biography, go to: http://files.legendarysurfers.com/blog/2008/02/bill-holden-1930-2008.htm | |||
Thanks to: for the photo | |||
Links BILL HOLDEN: RIP Remembering Bill Holden, the legend A Brief Slideshow of Bill's induction at his home in Laguna beach |
