Batik With Chili Pepper Crab

Walter Hoffman was in early at Malibu and then went farther afield to sample big surf in Makaha and along the North Shore. His efforts helped set the stage for the migration of Californians that began massing westward to the Hawaiian Islands in the late 1940s. As the president of Hoffman Fabrics, he also presided over the largest textile supplier in the surf-wear world. But even behind the desk, he never lost his taste for the rougher aspects of oceanic life. Here, occupational associate Tim Watts recounts tales of weaving batik on Bali, eating crab in Kuta, and spearing ulus in the Lombok Straight to chronicle what it’s really like to do business—and recreate—with the big-wave pioneer and fabric magnate.