May 21, 2014

First book to trace evolution of the surfboard

A new book from a pair of Australian academics is the first of its kind to trace the evolution of the surfboard on the east coast of Australia, from regional cottage industry to its integral role in the billion-dollar surfing machine.

In the past four decades, surfing has emerged as one of the most popular pastimes around the world. Surfing is a sport, a lifestyle, and a global industry, a far cry from its humble origins in the islands of the Pacific. At the heart of it all is the surfer’s only tool – the surfboard.

Surfing Places, Surfboard Makers: Craft, Creativity, and Cultural Heritage in Hawaii, California, and Australia examines the origins of surfing and its popularity in Australia, the rise of craft surfboard makers and the impact of corporate juggernauts, such as Billabong and Quiksilver, on the local industry.

The book, published by the University of Hawaii Press, focuses on three integral locations -- Hawaii, southern California, and the south-east of Australia, including Sydney’s Northern Beaches and the South Coast of NSW.

The book was co-authored by Professor Chris Gibson, a human geographer and Director of the Global Challenges Program at the University of Wollongong, and Dr Andrew Warren, a human geographer at the University of New England in Armidale.

“To a surfer, a board is more than a piece of equipment. It is a symbol, a physical emblem of cultural, social, and emotional meanings,” according to Dr Warren, who, along with Professor Gibson, travelled to California and Hawaii to conduct his research.

“Surfboard workshops are hives of creativity where legacies of rich, cultural heritage and the local environment combine to produce unique, bold board designs customised to suit prevailing waves.”

Surfing Places, Surfboard Makers follows the story of board shapers who have attempted to retain the mythology and creativity of this art in the face of mass-produced boards and corporate pressure.

“This is the first book to trace the surfboard from regional craft tradition to its key role in the billion-dollar surfing business,” Professor Gibson said.

Surfing Place, Surfboard Makers: Craft, Creativity, and Cultural Heritage in Hawai’i, California, and Australia was launched at the Hawaii Book and Music Festival in Honolulu on May 3.

Media contact: Kate Mayhew, +61 437 962 004, kmayhew@uow.edu.au or India Lloyd, +61 488 456 050, india@uow.edu.au.