Mike Hynson first came to the world’s attention over half-a-century ago. In the summer of 1966, he became one of the stars of Endless Summer, a documentary film that followed Hynson and Robert August, two young Americans who take a surfing trip around the world. The pair travelled to Australia and Africa to catch the surf and turn other people on to it. The film became a landmark in surf culture and also reached a wider audience, grossing $20 million worldwide (equivalent to $160 million today).
Following the film’s success, Hynson became a prominent figure in the hippy counterculture movement of the late 1960s. He appeared in another documentary, Rainbow Bridge, and got Jimi Hendrix to provide the soundtrack (one of Hendrix’s last projects before his untimely death). His counterculture involvement would lead to his involvement with the Brotherhood of Eternal Love, an LSD-loving commune based in California’s Orange County that eventually became notorious for drug-smuggling. Hynson ultimately went down a dark path during the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s, leading to financial trouble, divorce, drugs, and several stints in prison. Whilst serving his time, he began to clean his act up and started writing. His memoirs, Transcendental Meditations of a Surf Rebel, were published in 2009.
Latterly, Hynson has become recognised as one of the world’s most overlooked surfboard designers. He continues to run his own business performing research and development on surfing and surfboards and working to improve to their shape and design. His eventful life and connections to some of the 20th century’s most iconic figures make Mike Hynson a truly fascinating character.