Walk of Fame: Dennis Jarvis Keeps Local Surf Culture Alive
How a buck-toothed surf kid created a surf empire Second of two parts Spyder Surfboards mastermind Dennis Jarvis dedicated his life to surfing by the time he entered Mira Costa High School. He regularly began surfing the Hermosa Beach Pier after buying his first surfboard, a Jacobs’ “PanSea.” “Lifeguard Billy Robinson, an amazing surfer, really got me into to surfing,” Jarvis said. “He’s the one who introduced me to Eddie Talbot and Mike Denoune.” At Mira Costa, he would also be mentored by his art teacher, Mr. Jancar. Jarvis had a natural gift for art, and Mr. Jancar took notice. “I was a “D’ student at best,” Jarvis said. “Mr. Jancar believed in me.” Jarvis would spend more time on his work and wondered why other students that he was a better artist then were getting a better grade.. “I’d finish one painting while my classmates would finish five,” he said. “That’s when Mr. Jancar taught me the one thing that would become my marketing mantra, ‘Simplicity is the key to good design.” Jarvis was beginning to be noticed in the surf world by the mid-1970s by competing in contests and traveling up and down the coast. He didn’t necessarily have a team to help him market himself, say…
Read this story on easyreadernews.com