South Africa After WWII
At least one area along Africa’s Ivory Coast is documented as having an indigenous type of bodyboarding as early as the 1800s.1
At least one area along Africa’s Ivory Coast is documented as having an indigenous type of bodyboarding as early as the 1800s.1
Before World War II – and not counting the little being done in Japan and Great Britain – surfing was practiced basically in three main areas on the planet: the east and west coasts of the U.S.A....
Some of Australia's best Indigenous surfers hit Bells Beach recently for the Australian Indigenous Surfing titles. Among the pros were two talented kids, 12-year old Taj and 14-year old Summer who'd been training for the big event all year.
Born on January 11, 1920, legendary surfer Albert “Rabbit” Kekai came into surfing at a time when the sport was barely two decades “new” – having been revived from near-extinction shortly...
TOM BLAKE: The Uncommon Journey of a Pioneer Waterman
Due to my retirement move to Thailand, I need to unload about 20 of my original copies of the book I helped write: TOM BLAKE: The Uncommon Journey of a Pioneer Waterman.
In Europe, the Allies landed on the Normandycoast on June 6, 1944 to begin the push on to Berlin. Nearly a year later, on May 7, 1945, Germanysurrendered. “V.E. Day” ended all war in Europeon the following day.
World War II put surfing in a kind of suspended animation. There were guys surfing when they could, but most everyone was involved in the war effort on some level and the war took everyone’s time ...
(This chapter of Volume Four of LEGENDARY SURFERS is largely taken from Don James’ photo book Surfing San Onofre to Point Dume, 1936-42. Appreciations to Tom Adler and Craig Stecyk for permission...
Hotcurl Legends
by Malcolm Gault-Williams
This Portable Document Format (PDF) ebooklet tells the story of the Hot Curl surfers, beginning in the 1930s, going on into the 1950s.
No matter the accomplishments of John Kelly, Fran Heath, Wally Froiseth and even Woody Brown, the hot curl surfer who most influenced later surfers is George Downing.
(George Downing at Makaha...
In the mid-to-late 1940s, Russ Takaki became the first Asian American big wave rider. Of course, in those days it wasn’t looked at like that. Russ was just one of the half dozen Hot Curl surfers who were challenging the waves all over O‘ahu; nothing more, nothing less.
Unfortunately, the first two volumes of the LEGENDARY SURFERS series are out-of-print. Volume 1, covering 2500 BC to 1910 AD, was originally published in 2005 as a paperback. Volume 2, covering the life of Tom Blake and the surf world of the 1910s and '20s was published in 2007...
Aloha! And welcome to this chapter of LEGENDARY SURFERS covering the life and aloha of legendary surfer Woody Brown!
This fifth chapter of LEGENDARY SURFERS: The 1940s, originated over a decade before his passing (in 2008)...
Earlier this year, two long standing companies announced a new distribution partnership that results in Paddle Sport Performance once again expanding its Stand Up Paddleboard line in the Toronto, Ontario, Canada region.
A Canadian review while in Hawaii of the SIC Maui FX12'6" and the Fish 9'5"