ET Surfboards — often simply called ET Surf — is one of the most iconic surf shops to come out of Hermosa Beach, California. Founded in 1972 by Rich “ET” Harbour (not to be confused with surfboard maker Rich Harbour of Harbour Surfboards in Seal Beach), ET Surf quickly became a cornerstone of the South Bay’s surf, skate, and snow culture. The shop opened at a time when surfing was booming in Southern California, and Hermosa Beach, with its deep surfing roots, was the perfect place for a new generation of surfers and skaters to gather.
From the beginning, ET Surf wasn’t just a place to buy gear; it was a cultural hub. Along with selling surfboards — many shaped in-house or by well-known local shapers — ET also became a hotspot for skateboarding equipment during the rise of the Dogtown era in the 1970s. Later, as snowboarding exploded onto the scene in the 1980s and 1990s, ET expanded into snow gear too, keeping it relevant across different board sports. What really made ET Surf stand out was its authenticity: it was a shop run by people who lived and breathed the surf lifestyle, not corporate outsiders.
Over the decades, ET Surf built a reputation for supporting local talent, sponsoring young surfers and skaters from the South Bay and helping them make their mark. Its impact on Hermosa Beach was huge — ET wasn’t just a store, it was part of the heartbeat of the community, shaping generations of boardriders who grew up hanging out there. Though the retail landscape has changed drastically, ET Surf’s old-school vibe and deep community roots have kept it beloved. For many, walking into ET Surf is still like stepping back into a golden era when the South Bay was one of the world’s true epicenters of surf and skate culture.