So who do you think was responsible for the Beach Boys’, Jan and Dean’s, Sea Hunt’s, and the beach party movies’ focus on the sunny shores of Southern California? We think you’d be surprised. Beginning in the 1960s, surfing and scuba diving became America’s favorite water sports. Behind the scenes were twin brothers Bill and Bob Meistrell, transplanted Missourians who found themselves at the center of this phenomenon. They had fallen in love with the Pacific Ocean, and they became instrumental in creating the Southern California surfing and diving lifestyle enjoyed by millions around the world.

            Fits Like a Glove is a personal and revealing look into the lives, motivations, dreams, and accomplishments of these twin brothers who lived their mantra—“Love what you do, do what you love.” As a result, the company they created, Body Glove International, continues to adhere to its founders’ ideals of being honest, fair, creative, and passionate.

            Through personal interviews with legendary surfers and divers, classic photographs, and the Meistrells’ personal stories, the reader gains a vivid picture of the challenges the brothers faced during their lifetimes of adventure, excitement, and innovation. It includes their encounters with the likes of Lloyd Bridges, Gary Cooper, and Raquel Welch. But Fits Like a Glove is more than just their story—it is the history of the sport of surfing and diving as seen by these two remarkable brothers.

Frank Gromling is an award-winning author of books about nature and conservation. Frank is active in ocean protection activities, including offshore whale research, and serves on various conservation, business, and government committees. He is a frequent speaker at national conservation and publishing events, including BLUE Ocean Film Festival (Monterey, California), Publishing University (New York, New York), and numerous local and state venues.

Among his bestsellers are Frank’s Whales and Fits Like a Glove. Frank is a three-term elected commissioner in the oceanside town of Flagler Beach, Florida, where he resides with his wife, Bibi.