When you’re the daughter of Hobie Alter Sr., the designer of the ever-popular Hobie surfboards, skateboards and Hobie Cat sailboats, it only seems natural that these hobbies would become a way of life. And it has for Paula Alter, the oldest of the Alter children, just as it has for her dad and brothers.
At the mere age of seven, she was already surfing with her brothers, Hobie Jr. and Jeff, off San Onofre Beach. At 11 years-old, when the sidewalk surfing craze hit, she got into skateboarding. Nowadays, at age 24 she’s into sailing. And is very good at it. Recently, she won the national championship of the First Annual Hobie Cat 14′ Women’s Nationals at Lake Tahoe, Nevada.
Born in Newport Beach, California, Paula started sailing when she was a freshman in high school. She was intimidated to go out into the surf at first but did after encouragement from her dad and brothers. But she was really into skiing and raced with the Mogul Ski Club of Southern California during her years at Laguna Beach and San Clemente high schools. Eventually, she moved to Bear Valley and following graduation from Calavares High, attended the University of Colorado where she majored in biology. However, in the middle of her sophomore year she decided to take an adventurous hiatus and devoted her time to oceanographic research with the Sailing Education Association (SEA), based in Boston. For seven weeks, she sailed aboard the “Westward,” a 100 ft. schooner that journeyed to Spain, the Canary Islands and the Caribbean. She disembarked the vessel in Puerto Rico and flew back to Antigua, a windward island just she became interested in holistic healing, which she spent three months thereafter studying about in Hawaii. She then returned to the mainland, sailing a friend’s 45 ketch back to Santa Cruz.
Upon her return home to Southern California, she began working on the new Hobie 33′, doing original cost analyses and a little back-shop work. She has since stopped working on the 33′ but enjoys racing on the prototype with her dad in coastal races. Currently, Paula’s attentions are focused on writing articles for the “Hot Line,” of which she is now a contributing editor.
Paula also enjoys crewing for her father in national championships and in this year’s 18′ nationals, they came in fourth place and in this year’s 16′ Nationals, came in third place. Previously, they won second place in the 1977 16′ Nationals at Ft. Lauderdale, Florida; fourth place in the 1977 18′ Nationals also at Ft. Lauderdale; and 14th place in the 1978 16′ Worlds at So. Padre Island, Texas. The first time she ever crewed for her dad was at the 1976 16′ Worlds in Hawaii. Although she often crews for Hobie Sr., she credits Wayne Schafer of Capo Beach, California, for teaching her how to crew. She crewed for the first time ever with Schafer at a regatta held at Lake Havasu while she was attending college in Colorado.
The first time she ever skippered was during the Midwinters in San Felipe this year. She laughs when she explains, “When Nationals time came up, I thought I’d better learn how to tack a 14′. . .so I just started talking to people on the beach about tactics.” Apparently, Paula caught on quick. She finished with a first place in B Fleet!
According to Paula, spending time crewing was good experience for her tactics as a skipper would not be as good had she never crewed at all. What’s it like being the daughter of Hobie Alter Sr.? Says Paula “Sailing with Dad is the greatest fun… .1 really appreciate being able to sail with him and my brothers and just talking about sailing with them.” The Alter family owns two Hobie 14s and three Hobie 16s and throughout the year, sail in local regattas and participate in national championships. Thanks to her dad, the man who is responsible for beginning the world of Hobie Cats, sailing has really become a way of life for Paula. . .For the Alters, it’s indeed all in the family.
By Bella Lagmay-Singh
reprinted from the Hobie Hotline
