Hamboards, Huntington Beach, California, United States

Hamboards have picked up a devoted following among hard-core surfers and skateboarders -- those devoted enough to the sports to shell out $395 for one of the boards. They are sold in specialty surf and skateboard shops and directly from Hamborg through the company's website.
Hamborg says he sold $180,000 worth of his extra-long skateboards last year at a pace of about one a day. The company, which Hamborg runs out of his Huntington Beach home, is just breaking even after two years in business, he said. So for now, Hamborg, 48, continues to work full-time as an Orange County firefighter.
It all began in 1995, when Hamborg wanted to find a fun alternative to strollers for shuttling his younger kids to the park. He had four boys -- ages 1, 3, 5 and 7 at the time -- and another was born the next year. Hamborg cut a board out of plywood and screwed some skateboard wheel assemblies into the impromptu deck.
The board served two purposes: transportation for the preschoolers and a training device to get the older boys started on surfing. As neighbors saw the family on the boards, some asked Hamborg to make boards for them.