Larry Stevenson, 81, Innovative Skateboard Designer.

Larry Stevenson was working as a lifeguard in Southern California in the early 1960s when he noticed surfers darting around a parking lot on crude skateboards cobbled together from planks and roller skates on days when the waves were tame. Mr. Stevenson, an avid swimmer and surfer, thought he could do better. He began building boards shaped like surfboards in his garage, and sure enough, they offered a superior ride. By 1963, demand was so high he created a company to mass-produce them, Makaha, named for a famous Hawaiian surf beach. His designs revolutionized skateboarding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]