Surf — History

The Alaia or “Itaka” as it was known in Japan dates back thousands of years ago. There is archaeological evidence suggesting that the boards were in existence dating back then but their use seemed to decline in the early 1900s.   Hawaiian With An Alaia - Waikiki   In Modern surfing, the boards made a comeback in the late 2005 when Tom Wegener tried out some prototypes on professional surfers. Perhaps the biggest selling point came after the film “The Present” which dramatically popularized the board and increased its acceptance amongst surfers. The Alaia is basically a thin wooden surfboard...

Ben Whittle, left, surfing beside Sidney Nakamura in a 1957 photo taken by Clarence (Mac) Maki, a pioneer of surfing photography in Hawaii/ NY Times   Let’s Go Surfing : By the 1950’s-60’s the surfing craze was coming in full swing, with surf culture becoming a booming market popularized by surf clothing style and surf music such as the Beach Boys, everybody was going surfing. In 1950 California, the first true surf entrepreneur opened the doors of a surf shop in Manhattan Beach. His name was Dale Velzy, and he is credited as the first commercial shaper building boards available...

Part 5: The Shortboard Revolution Terry Fitzgerald's quiver of psychadelic sticks California Heritage Museum The Shortboard revolution was a critical period in the history of surfing innovation. In three years, from 1967 to 1970, the average 12-kilogram board dropped to 6; 5-kilogram boards. This short timeframe was crucial to where surfing is today and it has been credited to two forward thinking innovators, American George Greenough and Aussie Bob McTavish. In 1965, when the Santa Barbara kneeboarder Greenough visited the shaper McTavish on the North Coast of NSW, McTavish was impressed by Greenough’sflexible, lightweight kneeboards ability to stay tucked into the lip of...

The history of surfing is peppered in mystique and legend which has made it one of the most cherished and longest lasting sports known today.      Where surfing started The first written records of surfing come from Joseph Banks, who was accompanying Captain James Cook on his 3rd voyage in 1769. Banks describes a Polynesian culture centered on surfing, with the chief being the most skilled surf rider in the community.   The origin of the surfboard In the beginning, surfing was not the hobby or sport that it is today. Ancient Hawaiians viewed surfing more as an art form and a way of life.   They rode boards made from local trees which, once selected, were cut, shaped, and stained by the most skilled craftsman on the island. These boards were...

The 1930’s and 40’s were a ground breaking period in the history of surfing innovation. People were getting in the water more thanks to Blake’s lightweight finned boards. Inspired byBlake’s innovative designs, a group of Hawaiian surfers, Fran Heath, Wally Froseith and John Kelly experimented with shaping and tail sizes. By shaving off parts of the tail and rails, a steep contoured Roll/Vee tail was crafted, allowing more control and maneuverability. This board the ‘Hot Curl’ finally allowed surfer to ride in the ‘hot curl’, or curling peak of the wave. From 1932, redwood was largely partnered with the South American balsa wood. A super lightweight alternative to redwood; balsa boards were coated in varnish to waterproof. The centre of the boards was balsa and the rails, redwood to ensure strength and durability. And then it happened. World War II finished and...

The 1980's-90's were an interesting time in the history of surfing innovation, the era marked the dawn of the new boards as surfing became a professional sport. With surfing well and truly in the mainstream, and surfing producing professional athletes such as Mark Richards(MR), Tom Curren and Simon Anderson pushing boundaries and disqualifying the surfer from previous decades the 80's can mark The point of mainstream surfing. Mark Richard's neon 80's quiver. Although the notion of three fins had been toyed with for years, in 1981, Aussie surfer Simon Anderson popularised the  or three fin board. According to surf historian Nick Carroll in...