The founder of Don Hansen Surfboards has died.
Don Hanson opened his surf shop in Cardiff-by-the Sea, in north county San Diego in 1961. That shop later moved to Encinitas where it remains.
Hanson is known as a pioneer in surfing, credited with inventing a several styles of surfboards that are still in production.
"Don was a pioneer in surfing, an innovator, a competitor in the sky and an adventurer on land," the company's Facebook page read. "But beyond his range of accomplishments, he will be remembered most for his kindness, his mentorship and the way he made people feel seen and believed in."
Born in Redfield, South Dakota in 1936, Hansen was first introduced to surfing by two fellow students at the University of South Dakota who had left the surf and sun of Southern California to study in the Great Plains' cold winters. Hansen packed up and left the Dakotas to begin his career on the waves in Coronado.
Hanson was 89. A paddle-out will be scheduled at a later date.