The Surfboard

What was once a ritualistic, spiritual experience for the early Hawaiians and Polynesians in the construction of their surfboards has now become a multi-billion dollar industry with technologically advanced materials, sponsorships and celebrity. The surfboard has gone through as many changes as the culture of surfing progresses. The ancient Hawaiians constructed either Olo (boards reserved for chiefs and royalty) and Alaia (rode by commoners) out of wood from the Ula, Wili Wili or Koa trees. The construction of these boards was ceremonial and utmost respect was given to board makers.

The boards ranged from 10-16 feet, depending on the social class of the rider. The longer the board, the higher the ranking of the surfrider. After the Calvinist Christian missionaries succeeded in encouraging the decline of surfing by the late 1800s, a lot of tradition and board construction had ceased. George Freeth, an early 20th century surfing pioneer, developed a new style of board half the size of a traditional Hawaiian board.

Freeth experimented with this board professionally in California and it was a turning point in board design. In 1926, the legendary Tom Blake created the hollow surfboard, to the amusement of the local Hawaiians who dubbed it a Cigar Board. It was made of Redwood with numerous holes drilled in it for buoyancy. It sped through the ocean at a length of 15 feet long, 19 wide and a thickness of 4. By 1930, Blakes board was being mass-produced and 5 years later he developed the first fin for the bottom of the board. This afforded surfers additional stability and greater maneuverability.

The next wave of builders of 1934 were famous surfers John Kelly, Fran Heath and Wally Froiseth who created what is termed the hot curl boards. Named this because it permitted the surfers to ride into the curl of a wave and surf the pipe. Redwood boards weighed in at 100 lbs and were replaced with Balsa wood construction that brought the weight of the board down to 30 or 40 lbs. Balsa wood was not readily available and mixed construction of Redwood and Balsa became a new standard in board design.

By the end of WWII, surfboard design benefited from new materials and technologies as a result of wartime manufacturing techniques. Fiberglass, Styrofoam and plastics were used in these new boards. In 1946, Pete Peterson created the first fiberglass surfboard. 1949 saw Bob Simmons revolutionary sandwich board design. It contained a Styrofoam core, enclosed by thin layers of plywood, balsawood rails and a fiberglass coating.

Dave Velzy opened up the first surf shop, constructing his own surfboards and improving and creating new designs. The polyurethane foam boards of the 1950s were longboards between 9-11 feet. George Downing developed Gun boards, thinner and longer boards, for Big Wave surfing in Hawaii. In 1956, some California surfers brought their fiberglass Malibu boards to Australia and wowed the surfing world with their agility on the waves. In the 60s and early 70s began to be lighter and shorter. The new construction earned the name pocket rocket, designed by Dick Brewer.

Twin fins for additional stability were added and with this combination, a surfer could surf with speed and increased maneuverability. The next revolution in surfboards was the shortboard design, enabling experimentation and allowing surfers to tailor the boards to their specific riding style. In 1971, the surf leash was developed and kept frustrated surfers attached to their surfboards forever. Australian surfer Simon Anderson designed three-fin Thruster boards in 1981. Surfboards are continuously going through changes, depending on the need and desire of surfers everywhere. The Longboard returned on the scene in the 1990s for old-timers and newcomers alike.

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