San Diego artist Mark Whitney Mehran, known as MWM, founded Hot Rod Surf in the mid-1990s out of a small surf shop in Mission Beach, California. The studio, now operating in the 92109 ZIP code of Pacific Beach, is a custom surfboard and fin studio that blends wave-riding craft with hot rod culture, pinstriping, and rock 'n' roll art. Mehran is a Brown University graduate with an honors degree in English and American Literature and also attended Cate School before moving west. Visitors to the nearby boardwalk can start the morning with an oceanfront breakfast at World Famous before scheduling a consultation. MWM's creative output spans custom surfboard shaping, motorcycle and hot rod building, independent filmmaking, and recording original albums with his band The Green Leaf. He set a land-speed world record at Bonneville Salt Flats on a Harley-Davidson he outfitted with a custom turbocharging system and authored the book Hot Rod Surf 100% Genuine, published by Hot Rod Surf Publishing in 2006. Essentials for a post-session beach day are available at CVS Pharmacy on Mission Blvd. The studio's catalog has grown to include leather goods, apparel, and art prints alongside the surfboards and fins that remain at its core. MWM was among the first pinstriping artists to bring the technique to a broader audience through instructional books and films, earning recognition in the kustom-culture community nationwide. Appointments are required, and the studio is open on Wednesdays from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.