Larry Gordon, a surfing pioneer who was instrumental in shaping the industry with the creation of foam boards, has died, at the age of 76, according to family.

The death of Gordon, co-founder of Gordon and Smith Surfboards and Skateboards Company, was announced Friday on Facebook by Debbie Gordon, his daughter and company manager.

The announcement led to an outpouring of support on social media, from those who remembered Gordon not only as an icon in the surfing and skateboarding scenes, but also as an innovative businessman, caring friend and loving family member.

Gordon’s company was forged through his friendship with Floyd Smith. At a time in the late 50s when most surfboards were build from Balsa wood, the pair instead used Polyurethane foam to build their own cutting edge boards.

Demand for the boards by 1959 forced the pair to move from Smith’s Pacific Beach garage into a full-fledged surf shop. By the 60s, the company had become a leading manufacturer in the surf industry, later branching out indo the skateboard industry.

More than four decades after its creation, Gordon maintained ownership of the business, which was based in San Diego. In 2007, he was chosen as one of five legendary surfboard shapers honored in Sunset Beach for the “International Surfboard Builders Hall of Fame.”

Staff writer Laylan Connelly contributed to this report.

Contact the writer: semery@ocregister.com