Hobie Alter was born on 31 October 1933 in Ontario, California, USA. He was married to Susan. He died on 29 March 2014 in Palm Desert, California, USA.
In 1950, he made his own balsa surfboard in the family garage at Laguna Beach, and sold it. It was the beginning of a multimillion-dollar sports empire that his sons, Hobie and Jeff, still operate.