Famed for his cult surfboards and pioneering designs, Hayden spends his days chasing California’s biggest swells and hunting down the coastline’s unmissable eats. Discover his secret world of surf-loving communities, cuisine and coffee.
Los Angeles with Hayden Cox
Designer & Founder
Location Haydenshapes
‘We ended up renting the old civic building that was built in the early 1900s, right in the township of El Segundo up on the hill.’
209 Richmond Street, El Segundo, CA 90245
Food & Drink Hinano Café
‘Hinano Café near the Venice Beach pier is a great place to have a beer and get to know the local crew. It’s one of the best cafes in Venice Beach.’
15 Washington Boulevard, Venice, CA 90292
Food & Drink Great White
‘There are newer cafés like Great White, which is owned by a couple of Australian guys, and it always felt like a little piece of home.’
1604 Pacific Avenue, Venice, CA 90291
Nature Topanga
‘I really enjoy surfing at Topanga… there were always some interesting personalities that you’d have a good yarn to.’
Topanga, CA 90290
Location ET Surf
‘You can head to all of the different surf shops along South Bay, and each has a different community with stories to tell.’
904 Aviation Blvd, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254
“It’s fun driving the Pacific Coast Highway. The sunsets are especially cool, and there are some great little spots to eat at along the way.”
On Los Angeles in one word
Fun.
On best things to do in Los Angeles for a day
I always enjoy getting out of Venice and taking a day trip up to Malibu to catch a little bit more of the open-space feel that is similar to back home in Australia. There are also a lot of surf breaks up there that are tucked into all different spots. It’s very tidal so you have to know the conditions, the swells and understand what’s going on. It’s also fun driving the PCH (Pacific Coast Highway). The sunsets are especially cool and there are some great little spots to eat at along the way, making it among the best places to visit in Los Angeles.
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On where to eat in LA
There are so many great restaurants to explore. In LA, there are great sushi and Japanese restaurants, as well as Mexican restaurants. Generally, I’d travel to the hole-in-the-wall style of Mexican restaurants, the ones where you know you’ll be getting similar flavours to food down in Baja. Every time I’d have to head down to Costa Mesa in Orange County to visit one of our factories, I’d head to this awesome Mexican; I don’t even know the name of it. I’d always tell my wife how good the food was, to the point where she said that I was just driving down there to have Mexican for lunch. It was the good perk of sitting on the 405 for an hour each way.
On where to go in Venice Beach
The flavor of Venice Beach is really unique, and there are so many different spots to eat and drink. Hinano Café near the Venice Beach pier is a great place to have a beer and get to know the local crew. There are always stories being shared about the different swells that have hit Venice Beach over the years. Then there are newer cafés like Great White, which is owned by a couple of Australian guys, and it always felt like a little piece of home.
On best places to visit in Los Angeles to shop
General Admission is a fun shop, and ET Surf and so many of the other surf shops have incredible histories. You can head to all of the different surf shops along South Bay and each has a different community with stories to tell, some with linkage to really iconic moments in time. As an Aussie born in the early 80s, there’s lots to learn from the stories of each individual owner. I’d recommend going to any and start chatting because Americans love to have a yarn, so it’s always fun.
A truly ‘hidden’ gem, another great (and free) surf spot is Little Dume. Located in Malibu, this tucked-away public beach is one of the local surfers’ best-kept secrets — arrive for a morning session for the best waves.
On your favorite surf break
I really enjoy surfing at Topanga, even though it is generally quite crowded and you wouldn’t catch too many waves. But there were always some interesting personalities that you’d have a good yarn to. Not to mention the shape of the wave was fun and you could ride a shortboard or a longboard, depending on the swell. It was a great wave to just get a couple of lengthy rides in and get wet.
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On the intersection of surfing, travel and creativity
The culture of surfing is very territorial and quite localized, so there were always going to be hiccups in moving the business to LA. But it’s how you carry yourself and approach situations that makes a difference. That and listening to and understanding what each community is about and being respectful of what they are doing, day in and day out.
Surfers travel a lot, and generally, it’s not travelling to hotels. It’s more about finding and exploring waves off the beaten track. Surfing has taken me to some remote places around the world, and while there, you must always respect the culture and the fact that, potentially, people in those areas don’t surf and they don’t know what you’re about. This can be translated to the experience of moving overseas and getting to know the local community.
On building your business in the USA
America has this sense that there’s no ceiling and no limit. As a brand, we still have a long way to go in terms of growing in the American market. Yet there’s this positive feeling that you can achieve your goal there. The energy you put in is what you’ll get back.
On some favourite spots surfing has taken you
My exploration through Indonesia has taken me to some really interesting places with some of the most beautiful waves. You get such perfection across the whole archipelago of Indonesian islands. Then, I’ve traveled to Japan a lot for business and there is so much history and so many subcultures to explore. You’ve got everything from Tokyo’s bright lights to remote fishing towns with underground places, like a little surf shop that’s out the back of the owner’s house. And he thrives on the local community who come to his home to chat about surfing and to buy his products. Surfing the waves is obviously really exciting, but the beauty of travel is exploring new cultures.
On what you’re working on right now
FutureFlex is a patented construction that I came up with in 2007. The most defining feature is that we’ve removed the wooden stringer from the center of the board and replaced it with a parabolic carbon-fibre frame around the outside of the board. This changes the flex response and the dynamics of how the board responds under your feet.FutureFlex boards are lively and generate a lot of speed, so you feel vibrant when riding the technology. It does a lot of the work for you and makes everyday surfing a lot of fun.
I’m currently working on FutureFlex upcycled construction. We’re taking fibreglass and carbon-fibre manufacturing waste and putting it into a new fabric that’s being woven out in Western Sydney. We’re then using bio-epoxy resin and experimenting with different bio-based foams. I’m really enjoying experimenting and pushing the ability of manufacturing waste and biomaterials to generate a performance-based board that’s durable and feels good. One that you want to keep riding for a very long time.
“Different flavours and personalities should be celebrated. As long as everyone respects one another. That’s what travelling really teaches you.”
next stop: LA
Creators
Adele Lim
Producer, Screenwriter & Director
LA is home for Hollywood screenwriter Adele. Her story takes you from sandy shores up to snowy ski resorts via hilltop museums with city skyline views.
Oye Diran
Photographer & Art Director
Oye’s insider guide will take you from innovative fusion food and rooftop jazz bars tucked away in Downtown LA to walking among giant outdoor art installations.
For more exceptional creators, visit www.exceptionalalien.com
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