History of Surfboards
The invention of the surfboard dates back longer than most people think. James Cook and his claims of the surfboard first date around 1779.
Many people believe that the Hawaiians actually invented the first stand-up surfboard around 1000 B.C. Papa he‘e nalu or surfboards didn’t have steering fins back then. The noses of the boards were round, and the tails of the boards were square. These first surfboards were made from a big piece of koa wood, or from the wili wili tree and ranged from a few feet up to 16 feet long. The concept of a surfboard has remained the same, but the style and evolution of the surfboard has changed drastically over the years.
Lets take a look at the history and evolution of the surfboard.
The First Surfboard
While we have already stated that the surfboard dates back to around 1000 B.C., the oldest surfboard still in existence dates to around 1778-1779. You can find it on display at The Bishop Museum in Honolulu, Hawaii. The board was ridden by Hawaiian Royalty.
Early On
At the turn of the 20th Century surfboards were still very bulky and heavy. At this point in time the boards were being made out of redwood. Redwood was a tad lighter, but still very heavy. In the 1920’s designers started making the boards with balsa wood. Balsa wood was much lighter and was more readily available. This point in time was also when surfboards began to get smaller. They were still pretty long, but the heights and weights of the boards were cut down drastically.
Hollow Surfboards are Invented
In 1926, a man named Tom Blake decided to lighten his surfboard. Tom Blake was one of the most influential figures in the history of surfing. He was also a national swimming champion, inventor, author and actor. To achieve a lighter board, Blake drilled several holes into his heavy redwood surfboard. He then covered all the holes by adding a thin layer of wood over the entire board. This produced a much faster and lighter board. By 1930 this design was being mass-produced.
The Fin
Surprisingly enough, it took someone all the way up to 1935 to realize that a surfboard could be steered and stabilized by adding a fin. The same Tom Blake who hollowed out surfboard to make them lighter also created the “fixed fin.” He added this fin to the tail of his surfboard. The fin kept the board from sliding around in the waves and also added more maneuverability. In most surfing circles this is considered to be one of the most influential discoveries in the history of the surfboard.
The Introduction of Lightweight Fiberglass and Polyurethane Foam
By 1940 manufacturers could readily gain access to fiberglass. Surfboard designers understood that fiberglass would immediately make the surfboard lighter, and also make it waterproof. Thus the fiberglass surfboard was born. They eventually developed the fiberglass board that had a core of balsa and a seal of fiberglass.
In 1950 polyurethane foam replaced the balsa wood cores of a surfboard. This not only allowed surfboards to float better, but it also allowed for quicker manufacturing.
Surfboard Length and Design Experimentation
Throughout the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s surfboards went through several different design and length changes. Fiberglass and polyurethane foam held strong as the components that made up a surfboard. Length changes were made, as surfboards continued to get shorter and shorter. Many boards even got as short as 6-feet. This length of surfboard allowed the surfer much more maneuvering ability in the waves. The boards were also very light and very fast. There was still one glaring problem with even the shorter boards. They were still hard to stabilize in the water. Enter Mark Richards.
In the 1960’s Mark Richards came up with the idea to put another fin on the bottom tail end of a surfboard. Realizing this would give a small board much more stability, it is exactly what he did. The “twin fin” surfboard was invented and the rest is history.
Through the rest of the 60’s – and up until the 80’s, surfboards were constantly being redesigned and shortened to allow for extra performance and speed in the water. Surfboards were also getting re-designed and updated according to the type of surf an individual was seeking.
Thruster
The 80’s remained much like the 50’, 60’s and 70’s did with respect to surfboard design and experimentation. One thing of note that came out in the early 80’s was the “thruster.” The thruster was a three-fin system created by Australian surfer Simon Anderson. He added a single fin onto the twin-fin system. This combined the benefits of both the single and twin-fin system. This system is still used today.
Computers and Surfboards
By the 1990’s computer technology had taken off. Like everyone else, surfboard designers were using it to their advantage. This technology allowed shapers and manufacturers to produce lighter and thinner surfboards. This in turn allowed the surfer to do things not seen up until this point in time. Maneuvers and tricks became insane. The technology was allowing riders to accomplish things on the water that were previously not thought possible.
It was also in the 1990’s that surfboards called “quads” were introduced to the market. This type of surfboard had four fins on its bottom and came in a wide range of shapes and sizes.
Clark Foam and Epoxy Surfboards
Epoxy surfboards actually started to appear in the 90’s. It wasn’t until 2005 though when Clark foam shut down that epoxy surfboards really became popular. When Clark foam shut down there was a severe shortage of PU foam and it forced surfboard makers to look around at other types of foam.
Polystyrene foam was considered to be the best alternative. It was readily available and could be shaped like PU foam. Shapers and manufacturers also discovered that once the polystyrene foam was covered with epoxy resin, it created an even more durable and lighter surfboard than the original PU foam could create.
Surfboards have come such a long way since the days of the early Hawaiian riders. What will be in store next? With the advancement and availability of the technology we have today, there is no telling what surfboard makers will be able to accomplish next. Maybe one day we will have a board that doesn’t require paddling.