Bill Hamilton

• Billy Hamilton Billy Hamilton grew up in California and surfed the entire coastline in the 60s. It was only natural that his evolution as a surfer would take him to the North Shore, and he quickly fell in love with the Island rhythms. Billy found his way back to Hawaii in 1966 and married his wife Joann (her son Laird is a top big-wave rider). They later moved to Kauai. Billy started shaping in 1967, and mowed foam for Surfboards Hawaii, Country Surfboards, Chuck Dent, and Lightning Bolt. Aside from shaping, Billy Hamilton is known for his graceful surfing style and appearance in “Big Wednesday.” He has been shaping under his own label since the 1990s.