> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Z-Boys mentor wants surf shop to stay put - URL: https://www.smdp.com/z-boys-mentor-wants-surf-shop-to-stay-put/ - Published: 2007-02-05T16:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-24T00:00:23.000Z - Author: Melody Hanatani - Tags: Entertainment, Ocean Park, #archive-import The building at the corner of Main and Bay streets in Ocean Park is at the center of community discussions, with owners looking to redevelop the space into a mixed use building and a growing number of locals pushing for the cultural history epitomized by the Z-Boys skating team in the Dogtown area of Santa Monica and Venice honored in some fashion. Ho, for one, wants to see the shop saved as a historic landmark and doesn’t believe a monument or statue would pay the proper respects to the cultural significance that occurred there. Sitting amongst a group of fans last week, Ho remarked that life turned out a little differently than he envisioned growing up in West Los Angeles. It all started at the age of 8, when Ho created his first skateboard, made from a scrapped two-by-four and two sets of metal wheels. He took his creation down to Hauser Hill, and did what any 8-year-old kid would do. “I wanted to go as fast as I could,” he said. A few years later, he discovered surfing. In the beginning, he made his famous surfboards out of necessity, since purchasing one would’ve been cost-prohibitive. Later, when he realized that he had an artistic knack for carving and designing unique boards, he opened Zephyr and Jeff Ho Productions at the corner of Main and Bay streets at the age of 22. Soon after opening his store, Ho came across the group of Dogtown street kids who would go on to usher in a new era of skate-boarding under his tutelage. “We would have skateboarding practices here every day,” said original Z-Boy Allen Sarlo, pointing to Bay Hill. “He took a lot of kids off the streets and kept them straight. “This was like a Boys Club here.” The Z-Boys practiced once a week after school, typically on Bay Hill or in the parking lot of a liquor store located across the street. In 1975, the boys made history in their debut at the Del Mar Nationals, also known as the Cadillac-Bahne Skateboarding Competition. In a world accustomed to the acrobatic and gymnastic-like skateboard moves, the Z- Boys’ rough-and-aggressive approach came as a surprise. In 1977, Ho felt it was time to bow out of Santa Monica and made his way for Salt Lake City, where he spent three winters carving and designing snowboards. After the closing of Zephyr, original Z-Boy Nathan Pratt opened Horizons West Surf Shop. Its current owner, Randy Wright, has overseen the store since 1987. “It was time for me to leave,” Ho said. Following three winters in Salt Lake City, Ho took up residency in Hawaii. Today, when he’s not traveling around the world with his Z-Boys team, Ho splits time between homes in Hawaii and West LA. Though Ho has jumped around the country since the closing of his store, several things have remained constant over the past three decades — he still carves and designs unique surfboards; and the Z-Boys team, which includes several original members, still competes regularly. The time in which it takes to design a Zephyr surfboard — sold for thousands of dollars — can range from one day to several weeks. It’s like drinking a beer, Ho explained. A glass of beer can be consumed in one big gulp, or be enjoyed over time in sips. No two surfboards are the same, Ho added. Each has its own unique design and story. “You have to know about surfing to appreciate it,” Ho said of the differences between his boards and the mass-produced surfboards sold in stores. Unfortunately, not all the Z-Boys remain on good terms. Ho and Pratt were entangled in a legal battle over the Z-Boys trademark. Jim Muir, a professional skateboarder, fought with Ho to trademark the Dogtown logo. Another original Z-Boy, Jay Adams, is reportedly in jail for a drug offense, according to Ho. And then, there are the movies. Original Z-Boy Stacy Peralta wrote the 2005 film “The Lords of Dogtown” and directed the 2001 documentary “Dogtown and Z-Boys.” “I think Stacy did a good job of making that ‘Docudrama,” Ho said. “If I would’ve had a say in it, it would’ve been a little different.” “Less drama and more facts,” Ho added. Aside from their differences, Ho said he still keeps in touch with the Z-Boys. Some are even still on his Z-Boys team. Though there is a misconception that the team no longer exists, it is still very much intact, with several new members, including 14-year-old Ulises Munoz, from Venice. Munoz met Ho during a surfing competition a few years ago and was asked on his birthday if he wanted to join the Z-Boys surfing team, a proposition to which he enthusiastically responded. “He improved my surfing and skating a lot,” Munoz said of his mentor. Ho has been a mentor to countless number of youths, keeping them off the street and teaching them that hard work will always pay off. “He told us, ‘Hey, you guys are talented at surfing and skating, and you could make a living out of this if you worked on it hard enough,” said Sarlo, who became a pro surfer. “Zephyr was a good place for kids to hang out and it kept them away from drugs.” *Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on February 5, 2007.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/020507.pdf?ref=smdp.com)