History

History of G&S Surfboards Inc.

Founded in Pacific Beach in 1959, G&S Surfboards Inc. carries the rare distinction of being both a San Diego original and a defining name in surfboard craftsmanship. Born from the partnership of Larry Gordon and
Floyd Smith, the brand emerged at a pivotal moment in surf history, when
innovation, artistry, and ocean knowledge began reshaping the boards beneath a new generation of surfers. Gordon’s command of materials and Smith’s refined
shaping instinct led to pioneering work with polyurethane foam, producing
boards that were lighter, more responsive, and unmistakably ahead of their time.

Early Foam Board Pioneers

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Among the first Surfboard company to blow their own polyurethane foam blanks: From the earliest garage days, Larry Gordon and Floyd Smith brought material innovation in-house, helping advance lighter, more
responsive surfboard construction.
Larry's Father was a Chemist and owned Gordon Plastics at the time. Larry who went to SDSU with almost a degree in Chemistry also, used family resources and knowhow to procure ingredients for their first Foam Formula. After a lot of trial and error, they had blanks that they could use.

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Award Winning Memorable Advertising

Larry Gordon was skeptical of advertising when the first surfing publications were selling ad space. He quickly embraced the new venue for his creative outlet. Larrys ads became some of the most informative and memorable of all time in the Surfer and Surfing publications, selling millions of boards (surf & skate) because of them. Eric Gordon, Larrys Son followed in those footprints of his father and was also a gifted and creative graphic artist in his own right and up until his passing was using his knowledge of the brand, his fathers recipe for success and his keen and creative eye to layout marketing materials for Gordon & Smith.