Hall of Famer - Hobie Alter, Junior
Known by most of friends as "Junior," Hobie Alter, Jr. has been a tremendous asset to catamaran sailing - not only winning many major championships, but helping spread the word and lecturing to other sailors around the world.
He was probably one of the first to start lecturing series for Hobie Fleets. He would schedule chalk talks in various parts of the country to help sailors get faster and understand the boats better. He has also been the guest expert for Rick White's Sailing Seminars on several occasions.
Born in Newport Beach, California to a father that launched catamarans into the minds and hearts of everyone, Hobie, Jr. began racing in a small, west-coast dinghy called the Sabot. "I was 8 years old and I will never forget the excitement I had just getting around the course."
By the age of 10 his father built the Hobie 14'-0" catamaran and he has been sailing Hobie Cats ever since.
Hobie went on to a great racing career. In 1978 he won, at the ripe old age of 21, the Hobie 14 and the Hobie 18 Nationals. Then he dominated the Hobie 16 and the Hobie 18 by winning two more Hobie 18 Nationals, and almost four-peats in the the Hobie 16. In 1982 he also won the Hobie 16 Worlds.
To show his versatility in sailing, he went on to capture the USYRU Champion of Champions in both 1979 and 1983.
He has also won the Pro-Sail on a Hobie 21 in 1988, the Hobie 17 Nationals in 1986 and 1990, the Worrell 1000 in 1982. He just missed winning a number of other major events, such as the Hog's Breath 1000, the Tahiti Mondial Cat Challenge, and the Hobie 18 Worlds.
He and Jeff decided to make a go at the 1984 Olympics in the Tornado Catamaran Class. They each acquired a Tornado and trained against one another. It was a last minute effort, compared to those that dedicate their lives to this class, and yet both brother finished very respectively in the Olympic Trials - Jeff ended up third and Hobie, Jr. took fifth.
He then started a family and a business. He developed the Hobie Sunglasses that many of us still use today. He now is living in Idaho and is in business with his father and brother Jeff working in the apparel business.
His racing career was not over by a long shot. Witness this past year - he came back from retirement and won the Hobie 16 Continentals held in California, coming from behind in the final portion of the regatta to knock off perennial winner Wally Myers.
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