Jeff Alexander

Jeff Alexander was born in California's bustling Hollywood area in 1958. He developed his love for the ocean at a young age, but his passion for surfing truly bloomed when his family relocated to San Diego just after his tenth birthday. He was fortunate to grow up in such a wave-rich area, but he soon had dreams of Hawaii as word of the surf on offer began to spread.

Just like many other good California surfer, Jeff was drawn to Hawaii's North Shore by its big waves and island lifestyle. At the age of 16, Jeff got his first Hawaiian experience; he stayed with one of his mentors, Eddie Craycheck, who stuck him on an 8'2" and took him out to massive Sunset. After a humbling experience, Jeff was hooked. Jeff relocated to the North Shore just two years in 1976. This was a magical time in the history of surfing, and Jeff was wide-eyed right in the middle. To support himself, he honed his artistic talent; he began airbrushing surfboards under the guidance of Tony Channin, Mike Diefendorfer, and Mike Casey while learning the craft of fin paneling with the Bann brothers. He was soon renowned as one of the North Shore's best and was working with many of the world's best shapers (Dennis & Glen Pang, Ken Bradshaw, Eric Arakawa, Glen Minami, the Nash brothers, Chuck Anders, Cino Magnalaina, and the Willis Brothers, to name a few); everyone wanted him to spray their board!

My inspiration comes from some of the coolest people on Earth. First, my mom and dad for buying my first board in 1964, an 8'6'' Mozel (mini-board for that time). Second, my brother Rico for getting my ass of my Chopper Schwinn Stingray and dragging me along with his cool teenage friends to surf. I'm so lucky they tolerated a punk kid!! Here's my teachers and guys I looked up to: Jeff Ho, Dick Brewer, Owl Chapman, Mike Casey, Tony Channin, Donald Takiyama, Bill & Bob Bahne, Jeff Lickton, Randy Pidd, Sam Cody, Tracy Richmond, Bill Bateman, Wayne Gracey, Edy Crachek, Dwain Brown, Gary Speece, Ken "Planet Crush" Bradshaw, John Orlando, Craig Hollingsworth, Willis Brothers, Louis Ferrera, Mark Lidel, Dennis & Glen Pang, Glen Minami, Trank Pascal, Naish Brothers, Harrold Ige, Brad Milstine, Ron Roush, Randy Hogan, and Lonny Brothers.

Jeff was fortunate to get boards shaped by many of these greats, and took note of their designs. Though he had shaped boards for himself and friends before, Jeff seized the opportunity to learn as much about the art of shaping as possible. He soon started his own label, Alexander Surfboards.

After 25 years in Hawaii, Jeff moved back to San Diego to live closer to his friends and family. He continued shaping boards there under the Alexander Surfboards label, and surfing throughout California and Baja, including massive days at the Tijuana Slough and perfect barrels at Imperial Beach. This was also when he patented Gemini design created waves in the surfing industry, showing his forward-thinking and life-long quest to find the best and fastest surfboard design.

Always a traveler at heart, Jeff has tested his boards all around the world: California, Fiji, Indonesia, Mexico, and Australia. He soon decided that his desire for tropical barrels was too strong to stay planted in San Diego. Jeff relocated to Bali in 2005, and has been traveling back and forth from his home in San Diego regularly ever since.

With well over 5,000 Alexander Surfboards around the world today, Jeff is proud to be one of a dying breed of shapers that still produces 100% hand-shaped boards. He is also an amazing craftsman; whether it's making customized board racks for his motorbike, spraying unique designs on newly shaped boards, hand-shaping Hawaiian outrigger canoes, or painting masterpieces, he will never lose his artistic drive. And of course, he is still charging waves whether its bombs at Uluwatu's famous Outside Corner or playful beach break in Kuta.