Hobbies And Interests
Hawaii's Duke Kahanamoku
After the initial interest shown by the European discoverers, surfboarding declined in popularity in Hawaii as it was settled by Europeans and missionaries. However, in the first two decades of the 20th century, a Hawaiian man named Duke Kahanamoku emerged as a top swimming athlete and won two gold Olympic medals for the United States at the games of 1912 and 1920. He was not only a great athlete but also a wonderful surfer. His exploits abroad and prowess as a surfer led to the sport becoming popular again in Hawaii. Duke Kahanamoku is rightly considered to be the father of modern surfing.
Changes to Surfboard Design
It was not only people from Hawaii who started to take up surfing again. Americans, in particular, showed interest. This renewed interest in surfing led to some important innovations in the design and materials of the boards. At first, they were made from the wood of redwood trees. Then, from the third decade of the century, people began making surfboards from much lighter balsa wood.
The Later 1920s and the 1930s
After Duke Kahanamoku, the next great surfer of the twentieth century was undoubtedly Tom Blake. He was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1902 and a seminal moment in his life came when he briefly met Duke Kahanamoku in 1920 in Detroit. Moving first to Santa Monica, California, and then, in 1924, to Hawaii, Blake went on to fundamentally change the composition of the surfboard by hollowing it and covering it with a thin layer of wood. The surfboard was now much faster, and this increased its popularity. Having shown how the weight of boards could be reduced, Tom Blake further enhanced them by adding a fin in 1935. This increased their stability and maneuverability.
From the 1940s to the 1980s
During the 1940s, manufacturers introduced fiberglass as a replacement for balsa wood. The advantages with using this material included that surfboards would be both lighter and waterproof. Polyurethane foam -- introduced in the 1950s -- meant mass production as well as greater buoyancy. Surfers still wanted more speed, so length was commonly reduced to about 6 feet. From this point, designs were constantly improved -- for example, with a third fin added in the 1980s.
The 1990s and Beyond
Computer-aided design led to many changes and minor design and compositional alterations in the 1990s. One significant one was the introduction of a model with four fins. Retro boards also made a comeback in this decade, with longer length and slower speeds for more comfortable and relaxed surfing. In the modern era of almost breathtaking innovation and design, one can only guess where surfboard design will go. Regardless of how surfboards may change, it is the skill of the surfer and the thrill of surfing that will always be paramount.