Obituary: Philip 'Flippy' Hoffman: Surfer and Textile Manufacturer, 80
On Nov. 10, surfing pioneer and textile manufacturer Philip “Flippy” Hoffman died in Mission Viejo, Calif., due to complications of a pulmonary disease. He was 80.
Hoffman, who co-owned Hoffman California Fabrics International, a Mission Viejo–based textile manufacturer that supplies surfwear companies, was a well-known figure in the surf community. Hoffman and brother Walter Hoffman were honored with a star on Huntington Beach, Calif.’s Surf Walk of Fame. In the ’50s Hoffman was among the first Californians to pursue big-wave surfing in Hawaii. According to Matt Warshaw’s “The Encyclopedia of Surfing,” Hoffman, together with surfboard designer Bob Simmons, was one of the first surfers to rent a house at Sunset Point on Oahu’s North Shore.
Surfing figured prominently in Hoffman’s professional life, as well. Hoffman California Fabrics first sold print fabric to Hawaiian-shirt manufacturers and later became a go-to source for then-emerging surfwear companies such as Surfline Hawaii and Ocean Pacific and, later, brands such as Quiksilver, Billabong and O’Neill. Hoffman California Fabrics was one of the first textile companies to supply textiles and make garments for surf brands.
Hoffman is survived by son Marty, daughter Dana and several grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, the Hoffman family requests that those interested in honoring Hoffman’s memory do so with a donation to the Surfing Heritage Foundation.—Erin Barajas
