"Plant Run by L.B. Couple Scores Scores with Special Suits for Surf Riders: Idea Suggested by Surfer." This Long Beach Independent Press-Telegram article by Ken Chilcote ran on February 23, 1964.

Thanks to the Jackie Kennedy look in fashions, a Long Beach firm has become the leading manufacturer of surf wear!

When surfers "hang 10" and ride their boards in the billowing surf of the Southland beaches, most of them will be wearing "Hang Ten" surf wear produced at a modest factory at 1201 Loma Ave. And, the Long Beach produce already is reaching worldwide distribution.

For 10 years, Doris Moore had been turning out women's neckwear; and tuck-in collars had been selling in a big way nationally to teenage girls all over the nation. The collars went well with sweaters, blouses and dresses, especially for school wear.

Then came the abrupt change in fashions with the Jackie Kennedy look. Neckwear was passe overnight. The Doris Moore of California sales dwindled, and so did work in the factory.

But Mrs. Moore and her husband, Tethuel, an artist, knew they must diversify their production to survive. "It was just two years ago when a young man, a surfer, Duke Boyd, came in and asked if we had ever considered producing surf trunks," said Mrs. Moore.

Boyd explained that swim trunks were difficult to keep on when riding the surf or sliding over the sand. "The only decent surf trunks we can get we have to made at a dressmakers," Boyd continued. "That's why I came here to see if you could make me a few pair."

Boyd explained how surfers need trunks longer than those for swimming and they must have lace tops with a wide and strong waistband. Mrs. Moore produced a few samples, following Boyd's suggestion, and the surfer took them for a tour of Southland beach areas.

"Boyd returned in two weeks with orders for 500 pairs," continued Mrs. Moore. "And thus Hang Ten Surf Wear was born." The trade name was adopted from the term used by surfers when they "hang ten" toes over the edge of their board as the ride the surf.

Special fabrics had to be obtained, changes made in the machines, and many other shifts were needed in the little factory, but finally, on May 1, 1962, the first shipment of the surf wear was delivered.

Now is has been a mad race to keep up with the orders—so mad that the factory with its 20 operators on the sewing machines could not meet the demands and some of the products are now produced by franchised operators in Los Angeles and Alhambra. More than 70,000 pairs of the surfers' trunks have been sold, with a huge pile of orders on hand for the coming months. Nearly 90 percent of sales thus far have been made in the Southern California area but shipments are being made with regularity now to Florida, Hawaii and to varied foreign countries. A patent has been sought to manufacture the Hang Tens in Australia

Hawaii has become a big market for the product but in an odd way. "We learned that surfers in Hawaii were wearing trunks made from old rice bags which had much gaudy printing, so we copied the prints and began turning them out," said Mrs. Moore. Sales were good for a while and then the Southland surfer decided the prints were "took kookie" for them. They wanted more subdued colors.

"But now the sales are good again for we send them to Florida and to Hawaii," Mrs. Moore said. "The tourists bring them home as souvenirs from the Islands!"

Duke Boyd and the other four Hang Ten salesmen keep alert to the whims of the surfers. A red denim pair of Hang Tens was not moving as well as expected. Then a black band was seen on the left leg and virtually overnight that became Hang Ten's No. 1 seller.

The Hang Tens come in 10 oz. denim or rugged nylon. A special Velcro closure has been perfected for the trunks so that buttons or zippers are not needed. Buttons pull off and zippers foul-up in the sand, said Mrs. Moore.

While Hang Ten makes one basic style with four variations, there are 22 items produced by using varied color combinations. The firm also has produced jackets for the surfers, but now is devoting full time just to the trunks.

HANG TEN SURFWEAR IN A "MAD RACE TO KEEP UP WITH ORDERS" (1964)

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