In his early years, the family divided its time between Hawaii and San Diego, finally settling in Southern California when he was 10.
[1] After graduating from La Jolla High School in San Diego, Hynson starting receiving draft notices to serve in the war in Vietnam.
[3] Hynson was instrumental in the creation of the movie Rainbow Bridge (1971), which he originally conceived as a surfing film with the working title of "Wave".
It was directed by Chuck Wein, a protégé of Andy Warhol, and touched on mysticism and drug use, in addition to surfing.
Clips of the ride regularly circulate around social media sites, showing the youthful Hynson looking mesmerized as he glides his Hobie surfboard in the curl of a seemingly never-ending tubular wave.