Our Story
The Austin-Baird Logo is Trademarked
Robert "Bob" Kooken with his Austin-Baird Surfboard.
That first winter was financially very difficult and the shop survived mainly on board repairs augmented by the partners' part-time jobs. In the summer of 1964, Baird bought Austin’s share of the business when Austin decided that he wanted and need a steady paycheck. Austin went to work glassing and fin-mounting for South Bay Surf Shop (Miracle Glass) who was glassing Austin-Baird surfboards at that time.
It was in late 1964 that the shop began to gain momentum as surfboard sales significantly increased. Again, word of mouth helped along with the exposure gained by members of the Austin-Baird Exhibition Team. This team of up and coming surfers, visited various Californian, Mexican, and Hawaiian surf spots, showing off their talents and their Austin-Baird boards.
1965 was the best year for the shop as board sales continued to grow and the shop was financially sound. Advertising in various surfing magazines greatly increased the interest in and sales of their surfboards. Their boards were being sold on the east coast in surf shops from New Jersey to Florida. Additionally, boards were shipped to Europe, South America, and other spots around the world.
Austin-Baird Surfboards were also getting recognition in various surfing contests with one of its team members, Robert Kooken, placing 4th in the 1965 United States Surfing Championship, in Huntington Beach.
A few weeks later, Kooken won the San Clemente Surfcapades Contest beating the likes of Dewey Webber, Mickey Munoz, Mike Hynson, Rich Chew, Corky Carroll, Donald Takayama, Skip Frye, Robert August, Rusty Miller, and the balance of the semi-finalists on his Austin-Baird surfboard.
At the very end of 1965, things took a drastic turn for the worse. On New Years Eve, Bob Baird got his draft notice. (It seemed that making custom surfboards was not critical to the national defense.) All requests to delay the draft date were denied.
So, on January 25, 1966, Baird reported to the Induction Center with a note from his doctor. In that note, the doctor stating that Baird had scarred lung tissue from shaping boards and sanding fiberglass without a mask. The Army doctor read the note, looked at Baird and then wadded up the note and threw it in the trash. Less than an hour later, Baird was sworn into the U. S. Army.
Bob Baird tried to keep the shop open in his absence, but within about six months he had to close it due to management and financial issues. Once out of the Army, Baird returned to college, earned a BA in Business Admin, became a Certified Public Accountant, and later a College Vice President. He continued surfing off and on and even made a few boards in the following years. Baird is currently retired and living in Oceanside, CA.
Bob Austin had joined the Navy in Sep. 1965, to avoid the inevitable--the DRAFT. He returned to college and worked for the State Department in various embassies around the world. One of his hobbies is building wooden sail boats and sailing them. He is currently retired and living in Virginia.
Austin-Baird Surfboards was opened in 1963 in Surfside, California, but it's roots go back to the late 50’s. Bob Austin had made his own board and separately, so had Bob Baird.
Bob Baird with the first surfboard he made in early 1959 at the age of 14.
Eventually, the Bobs met and became friends while in the same surf club, West Shore Surfers, Long Beach, CA. Because of their experience working with fiberglass and foam, they had been asked to do ding repairs by some club members. Soon, their repair “business” expanded by word of mouth and eventually they formed a partnership. In early 1963 they built the first Austin-Baird Surfboard.
Not long after that, Austin and Baird found out that their surf club sponsors, Kanvas by Katin Surf Trunks, had a small shop for rent on the south side of their building. The shop was affordable and perfect for a surf shop. So it was a no-brainer and with the help of club member, friends, and valuable business advice from Walt and Nancy Katin, Austin-Baird Surfboards opened.