The History Of Surf Board Design

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t keeps the industry ever changing.
The surfboard has undergone immense changes since the craze took off alongside the other fads of the 50's. Throughout the next four decades a number of different approaches and experiments were applied to surfboards. One thing hasn't changed since those early days of balsa wood; the design of the surfboard still remains a fusion of ideas and instincts shared by the surfer and his shaper.
THE HISTORY OF THE BOARD PRE-50's
Contrary to popular belief, the surfboard itself has been around since the 6th century, though it became more publicly recognized in North America at the end of the 1800's. Surfing as we know it (that is, standing upright on a board) was originally brought to Hawaii from the Polynesian islands, and became extremely popular during the mid 18th century. Surfing was thought to be a sacred pastime and was originally reserved exclusively for royalty. Their boards were crudely moulded and most were fashioned out of solid wood and weighed close to 150 lbs. Granulated coral was used as a sandpaper to smooth the board. Then the board was stained with bark or charcoal and finished with glossy nut oil.
The first taste of western style Surfing was introduced to Australia in the early 1900's when Duke Kahanamoku (left), the Hawaiian Olympic swimmer, demonstrated his skills as a surfer during one of his visits. To say the least, it made an immediate impression on the Australians and the art of surfing became established. On the other hand, surfing in North America was thought to have made its debut in the 1865 when two Hawaiian princes studying abroad in the USA introduced it.
It was during the beginning of this century that the board itself became the instrument of experimentation. It evolved from a solid redwood plank around 10ft. long which acted like a sponge when it came in contact with water during the 1920's, to a hollow longer lighter board (up to 16 ft. long) and also made of wood ca...