The evolution of the surfboard, from traditional Hawaiian folk designs
to masterpieces of mathematical engineering to mass-produced
fiberglass.
Surfboards were once made of wood and shaped by hand, objects of both
cultural and recreational significance. Today most surfboards are
mass-produced with fiberglass and a stew of petrochemicals, moving (or
floating) billboards for athletes and their brands, emphasizing the
commercial rather than the cultural. Surf Craft maps this evolution,
examining surfboard design and craft with 150 color images and an
insightful text. From the ancient Hawaiian alaia, the traditional
board of the common people, to the unadorned boards designed with
mathematical precision (but built by hand) by Bob Simmons, to the
store-bought longboards popularized by the 1959 surf-exploitation movie
Gidget, board design reflects both aesthetics and history. The decline
of traditional alaia board riding is not only an example of a lost art
but also a metaphor for the disintegration of traditional culture after
the Republic of Hawaii was overthrown and annexed in the 1890s.
In his text, Richard Kenvin looks at the craft and design of surfboards
from a historical and cultural perspective. He views board design as an
exemplary model of mingei, or art of the people, and the craft
philosophy of Soetsu Yanagi. Yanagi believed that a design's true beauty
and purpose are revealed when it is put to its intended use. In its
purest form, the craft of board building, along with the act of surfing
itself, exemplifies mingei. Surf Craft pays particular attention to
Bob Simmons's boards, which are striking examples of this kind of
functional design, mirroring the work of postwar modern California
designers.
Surf Craft is published in conjunction with an exhibition at San
Diego's Mingei International Museum.
