A childhood love of the ocean grew into a Hawaiʻi surf brand recognized around the world.
Before surfers around the world carried Town & Country boards into the waves, Craig Sugihara was a young boy watching the watermen of Waikīkī, listening to their stories and dreaming of his own place in the ocean.
That fascination became a lifelong pursuit, bringing together his love for surfing, his gift for craftsmanship and a determination to build something lasting.
Sugihara celebrated his 80th birthday on June 6, 2026, the same year Town & Country Surf Designs marked 55 years in business. On Thursday, November 5, the Honolulu City Council presented him with an honorary certificate recognizing both milestones and his contributions to Hawaiʻi’s surfing community.
For generations of surfers, the familiar T&C name has represented a connection to Hawaiʻi, its waves and the people who helped shape modern surfing. Behind it stands a man who started small and kept following his dream.
For Craig Sugihara, a childhood fascination with surfing became a lifelong passion that helped shape Hawaiʻi’s surf culture and inspire generations of wave riders. Photo: T&C Surf Designs
A Pearl City Beginning
Drawn to the craftsmanship beneath his feet, Sugiharawanted to understand how a surfboard’s shape could change the way it moved through the water. He studied experienced shapers, experimented with equipment and developed his own skills.
On March 16, 1971, at age 24, he invested $3,000 to open Town & Country Surf Designs in a former Pearl City barbershop.
The modest shop stood along the route linking Honolulu with Oʻahu’s North Shore. Surfers traveling between town and country found a business that understood their passion. Its name reflected that shared journey.
Sugihara built relationships alongside surfboards, bringing together talented shapers and adventurous athletes who pushed one another to imagine what might come next.
Helping Surfing Find Its Next Wave
During the 1970s and 1980s, surfers began riding with greater power, speed and creativity. Town & Country helped fuel that progression, connecting innovative board designs with athletes willing to test their limits.
Over the years, its team riders included Buffalo Keaulana, Larry Bertlemann, Dane Kealoha, Sunny Garcia, Andy Irons, Fred Patacchia, Mikala Jones, Makua Rothman, Billy Kemper, Alessa Quizon and Brisa Hennessy.
Shapers Barry Kanaiaupuni, Glenn Minami, Dennis Pang, Ben Aipa and Glenn Pang helped advance the craftsmanship behind those performances.
Together, they carried the company’s influence far beyond Pearl City. The distinctive T&C logo traveled across oceans on surfboards, clothing and skateboards, introducing new generations to a brand rooted in Hawaiʻi.
From supporting young surfers to celebrating the sport’s traditions, Town & Country’s legacy extends beyond surfboards and into the communities that helped it grow. Photo: Courtesy
Giving the Next Generation a Turn
Sugihara’s legacy also lives in the opportunities T&C creates for young people.
Since launching in 1998, the T&C Surf Grom Contest has given young surfers a chance to build confidence, share waves and celebrate with their families while supporting the Boys & Girls Club of Hawaiʻi. T&C’s community connections also reach the organization’s ʻEwa Beach Clubhouse through a collaboration with Vans.
The company has supported events including the Rell Sunn Menehune Contest, Buffalo’s Big Board Surfing Classic and the Hawaiʻi State Law Enforcement Surfing Classic. Its Sunburn Classic skate contest ran for 15 years, concluding in 2015.
Its charitable giving has also benefited the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation, Lyon Arboretum Enrichment Fund, Pūʻā Foundation and American Red Cross.
A Legacy Shaped with Aloha
Sugihara received FreeSurf Magazine’s Manulele Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020 and entered the California Board Builders Hall of Fame in 2023. His induction into the International Surfboard Builders Hall of Fame further recognized his shaping mastery and contributions to ocean sports and Hawaiian surf culture.
At 80, his story offers encouragement to anyone nurturing a dream. From a small barbershop to surf breaks around the globe, Sugihara has helped generations find joy in the waves and a community ready to cheer them on
This shop built with a passion for for surfing grew into a name recognized around the world, carrying a piece of Hawaiʻi’s surfing heritage across oceans. Photo: Malia Zimmerman
Category Tag:
Share this story
Subscribe to the District 9 mailing list
Receive mid-month and end of month updates, sent directly to your email!
