Hoyle Schweitzer Dies at 93 After Turning a 1970 Sailboard Patent Into Windsurfing
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jun 8
Hoyle Schweitzer Dies at 93 After Turning a 1970 Sailboard Patent Into Windsurfing
2 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jun 8
Summary
Schweitzer died May 31 at a care facility in San Marcos, California, his daughter-in-law confirmed; he was the businessman-surfer who helped turn windsurfing into a mass-market sport.
In 1970, Schweitzer and aeronautical engineer Jim Drake patented the board that became the Windsurfer, developed from a garage project with an asymmetrical sail, wishbone boom and universal joint.
That design made sailing cheaper and more portable than most sailboats, opening lakes and choppy seas to casual riders, racers and surfers training for rougher conditions.
Laird Hamilton said in the 2021 documentary “Broken Molds” that windsurfing helped him prepare for towing into giant surf, underscoring the sport's influence beyond recreational sailing.