Billy
Hamilton grew up in California
and surfed the entire
coastline in the 60s. It was
only natural that his
evolution as a surfer would
take him to the North Shore,
and he quickly fell in love
with the Island rhythms. Billy
found his way back to Hawaii
in 1966 and married his wife
Joann (her son Laird is a top
big-wave rider). They later
moved to Kauai. Billy started
shaping in 1967, and mowed
foam for Surfboards Hawaii,
Country Surfboards, Chuck
Dent, and Lightning Bolt.
Aside from shaping, Billy
Hamilton is known for his
graceful surfing style and
appearance in “Big
Wednesday.” He has been
shaping under his own label
since the
1990s. |