St. Augustine, Florida 1985: Dale Christenson started out repairing dings in the Flagler College dorms for surfer kids and his peers. With time in short supply, Dale started to assemble DIY Ding Repair kits for his friends to mitigate the work.

With $60 in his pocket and the will to fulfill a need, Dale mixed his first batch of Ding All surfboard repair kits in a 64 sq. ft utility shed nestled along the coast of Vilano Beach, FL...