Early History and Global Roots of Surfing:
Prehistoric stone carvings at Chan Chan in Peru dating back five thousand years show surfers riding caballitos (little horses): boats with upturned ends, made from bundles of reeds. These sport craft are still in use today. Images of people riding waves can also be found at Hawaiian petroglyph sites. When the ancestors of the Hawaiians first arrived in the archipelago about four thousand years ago, they are believed to have brought the practice of surfing with them (Stecyk, 2002).
The Evolution of Surfboard Design and Materials:
In the postwar era, formerly strategic materials such as Styrofoam, resin, and fiberglass found their way into surfboard building. Surfers from the Malibu area perfected the chip shape, the direct prototype for the modern surfboard. These lighter, smaller fiberglass-covered balsa surfboards were easier to maneuver and consequently opened up the sport to greater numbers of participants (Stecyk, 2002).
Surf Culture’s Influence on Pop Culture:
The popular 1959 film Gidget provided a worldwide base of willing customers for the new foam surfboards. Gidget chronicled the interactions of the little girl with big ideas with Malibu’s bohemian surf clique, creating a fad of immense proportions. Kids in Kansas bolted surfboards to their car tops in homage to an imagined surfers’ lifestyle. The marketing frenzy led by non-surfers redefined popular culture. Elvis Presley posed with a surfboard for his 1961 movie Blue Hawaii (Stecyk, 2002).
Analysis
I found this article very interesting because I have been aware that surfers have to carry their boards with cars, usually larger vehicles like vans, trucks, woodies, etc. That’s why I want to learn more about surfing culture. While reading this article, I found that surfing is not just a sport; the entire surf culture profoundly influences art, design, and popular culture. I was particularly fascinated by how artists used surfboard materials like polyester resin to create graphics that became iconic within and beyond the surf community. The evolution of surfboard aesthetics—from painted redwood planks to vibrant fiberglass designs—shows how art was intertwined with surfing’s development.
The article also discusses the evolution of surfing boards, from the very early stages of heavy wooden planks to lighter, more maneuverable designs made from materials like fiberglass and polyurethane foam after World War II.
Reference:
Stecyk, C. (n.d.). Surf culture: The art history of surfing – laguna art museum. https://lagunaartmuseum.org/exhibitions/surf-culture-the-art-history-of-surfing/
