TRW

TRW Inc. was a pioneering American aerospace company with deep roots in the technological boom of the 20th century. Originally formed in 1901 as the Cleveland Cap Screw Company, it evolved through mergers and innovation into Thompson Ramo Wooldridge Inc. — or TRW — by the late 1950s. TRW played a major role in the early development of the U.S. space program, notably helping design and build the spacecraft for America’s first successful intercontinental ballistic missiles and contributing heavily to NASA’s Mercury and Apollo programs. Their expertise in systems engineering, satellite technology, and missile systems solidified TRW as a critical contractor during the Cold War era.

One of the more intriguing historical events tied to TRW was the espionage case involving Christopher Boyce and Andrew Daulton Lee, two young men from the South Bay area of Los Angeles. Boyce, a TRW employee, had access to highly classified information about U.S. satellite and defense systems. In the mid-1970s, he began leaking secrets to the Soviet Union, using Lee as a courier. Their story was famously dramatized in the 1979 book The Falcon and the Snowman by Robert Lindsey, and later in a 1985 film of the same name starring Timothy Hutton and Sean Penn. This espionage scandal highlighted the vulnerabilities in American defense contracting at the time and led to tighter security protocols across the industry.

TRW’s influence on the South Bay area of Los Angeles, particularly in cities like Redondo Beach and Manhattan Beach, cannot be overstated. The company was a cornerstone of the aerospace boom that transformed the region into “Aerospace Alley,” attracting a generation of engineers, scientists, and skilled workers. TRW’s presence helped fuel the growth of tech infrastructure and suburban development, leaving a legacy that persists even after the company’s aerospace and defense divisions were acquired by Northrop Grumman in 2002. Even today, many former TRW sites and alumni continue to play a vital role in the South Bay’s economy and culture.

Vans

Founded in 1966 as The Van Doren Rubber Company by Paul and Chris Van Doren and partner Gordon Lee, Vans have maintained a legacy of being the most popular brand of shoe in the South Bay since then. The only thing exciting about going back to school was the fact that you were getting a new pair of Vans. And while the business started in Anaheim and is headquartered in Costa Mesa, Vans has made an indelible mark on the culture and history of the South Bay.

Vans has been at the forefront of skate culture and have expanded into BMX as well. In addition, you Vans was the sponsor of the Warped Tour, the longest running music festival in North America.

Vans is still going strong with stores throughout the world and in 2016 celebrated 50 years of operation. You will often find son Steven Van Doren out and about at events with his good friends Tony Alva and Christian Hosoi meeting with kids and keeping the spirit of skateboarding alive.

Skechers

Founded in 1992 and headquartered in Manhattan Beach, CA, Skechers is the 3rd largest footwear company in the United States.

Robert Greenberg, the original founder of LA. Gear in 1983, also founded Skechers and stepped down as the CEO of L.A. Gear at that time. Since then, there has been no looking back. Albeit some bumps in the road, Skechers has continued to reinvent themselves as a thriving shoe brand.

Skechers has worked with personalities across all spectrums, including Ringo Starr, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Snoop Dogg, Martha Stewart, Brooke Burke, Amanda Kloots, Clayton Kershaw, boxer Sugar Ray Leonard, Joe Montana, Tony Romo, Howie Long, Cris Carter, and of course, Howie Mandel who just walked in one day and got a discount because he said he was an official ambassador 🙂

Skechers is now headed by Robert’s son Michael Greenberg and is a pillar in the South Bay community. Take a drive through the beach cities in South Bay and you will see the empire they have built. The Greenbergs still reside in the South Bay and are major contributors to the community, including the Skechers Friendship Foundation that raises millions for children in need each year.

Spyder Boards

Spyder Boards is a legendary name in the South Bay surf scene, and its founder, Dennis Jarvis, is at the heart of that story. A former professional surfer in the 1970s and early 1980s, Jarvis grew up surrounded by the vibrant beach culture of Hermosa and Manhattan Beach. After a strong competitive career, he shifted his focus to shaping surfboards, learning from some of the best in the business before founding Spyder Surfboards in 1978. His vision was to create custom, high-performance boards tuned to both the demands of professional surfers and the waves of Southern California.

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Spyder Surfboards built a loyal following. Jarvis’s boards were known for their precision and quality, and he worked directly with top surfers like Rob Machado and Tim Curran. Spyder became synonymous with innovation and authenticity, helping to solidify the South Bay’s reputation as a global hub for surf culture. Spyder wasn’t just about boards either — the brand expanded into surf shops and apparel, with the Spyder Surf Shops in Hermosa Beach becoming key community landmarks where surfers, skaters, and beachgoers gathered.

One of the more interesting chapters in Dennis Jarvis’s career came when Hollywood came calling. In the late 1980s, Jarvis was brought in to help with the surf scenes for the 1991 cult classic Point Break, starring Patrick Swayze and Keanu Reeves. Jarvis coached both actors on how to look authentic on a board — no small task considering neither star was an experienced surfer at the time. He even shaped custom boards used in the film, ensuring that the surfing portrayed on-screen looked as real as possible to hardcore surf audiences. Jarvis’s involvement helped give Point Break its iconic credibility and contributed to the film’s lasting influence in both surf culture and pop culture at large.

Today, Dennis Jarvis and Spyder Surf continue to be a cornerstone of South Bay surf life. Despite the ups and downs of the surf industry, Jarvis has kept Spyder true to its roots: focused on craftsmanship, community, and a deep love of the ocean.

E.T. Surfboards

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.

Body Glove

Body Glove is one of the oldest and most influential names in surf and watersports gear, and it all started with two brothers from Missouri — Bill and Bob Meistrell. After moving to Manhattan Beach, California, in the 1940s, the Meistrells became obsessed with the ocean lifestyle. They started lifeguarding and diving, but back then, spending long hours in the chilly Pacific was brutal. Wetsuits barely existed, and the ones that did were primitive and uncomfortable. In 1953, the Meistrells helped revolutionize the scene by creating one of the first practical neoprene wetsuits, launching a company they originally called Dive N’ Surf (which is still the name of their retail shop in Redondo Beach).

Their invention changed everything. Now, surfers, divers, and watersports enthusiasts could stay in the water longer and more comfortably. The wetsuit fit “like a glove” — inspiring the name “Body Glove,” which they formally adopted as their brand. Through the 1960s and 1970s, as surfing exploded in popularity, Body Glove wetsuits became the industry standard. The company later expanded into a full lifestyle brand, offering everything from rash guards and swimwear to surfboards, life vests, and water shoes, always staying close to their roots in practical, ocean-tested design.

Body Glove’s impact on Southern California — and the world — is hard to overstate. They didn’t just make wetsuits; they helped shape the modern watersports industry. Plus, their Dive N’ Surf shop in Redondo Beach remains a landmark, serving the South Bay’s dive, surf, and beach communities for over 70 years. Even today, Body Glove remains a family-run operation at its core, staying true to the spirit of innovation, ocean adventure, and community that Bill and Bob Meistrell set in motion back in the 1950s.