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THE SURFER-SHAPERS
sponsored by Trans World
This educational, informative exhibit celebrates a small fraternity of surfers who, by their exceptional conceptual abilities and considerable Grafting talent, radically altered surfboard design and, in some cases, manufacturing techniques. It's a dynamic array of talent, each personality accompanied by photos and the respective signature board. It traces surfboard design from its early roots in the Pacific to the tri-fin Thruster that helped solidify Simon Anderson's place in surfing history.
1900s
 George Freeth - this Irish-Hawaiian is credited with bringing the first surfboards to Southern California in 1907 and raising awareness in the local beachgoers of that time as to the recreational possibilities of the huge wooden planks.
1910
 Duke Kahanamoku - traveled internationally with his surfboards, and gave many away as gifts. Throughout his life he was known as surfing's ambassador to the world.
1930s
 Tom Blake - inventor of the hollow board and the first person believed to have put a fin on a board. His designs acted as catalyst for the earliest mass-manufactured boards.
1930s
 John Kelly - (along with buddy Fran Heath) pared several
inches off each side of the tail of his old board, thus creating
the 'hot curl' shape, which performed far better in big-wave
situations.
1930s
 Lorrin "Whitey" Harrison - a native Californian, Whitey earned his stripes at the Pacific Ready-Cut Homes company, whipping out four huge laminated boards a day, for $100 per month. His famous barn in San Juan Capistrano became the gathering spot of many of today's legendary shapers.
late 1940s-1950s
 Bob Slmmons - applied what he learned of aero-and hydrodynamics at CalTech to the balsa boards he was noted for Grafting. He was also one of the first to use resin and fiberglass cloth, which added strength and lessened weight.
1954
 Dale Velzy - the 'King' of '50's retail surf business, Velzy and his friend, Hap Jacobs, were making the only commercial balsa boards at the time. Simmons had made the boards light, Velzy made them turn. This style of surfing became known as 'hot-dogging' — walking the nose, doing head dips, the 'Quasimodo,' etc.
1955
 Pat Curren - a young Pat honed his shaping skills working for Velzy in the early 50's. Later, while living in Hawaii, he specialized in 40 Ib. big-wave boards that were longer, thicker, and had sharper noses and tails. His unique 'elephant guns' served a new generation of big-wave riders, including Pat himself.
1958
 Hobie Alter - after returning from a trip to Hawaii, the young Californian began building balsa boards at his parents' house in Laguna Canyon. By 1953 he had constructed 99. It was time to open a shop, so he did, in Dana Point. Once introduced to foam, Hobie and his pal, Gordon "Grubby" Clark began experimenting with building a mold that essentially pre-shaped the modern surfboard blank. Grubby's company, Clark Foam, became one end of a highly successful operation, and Hobie Surfboards became one of the world's top manufacturers.
MID 1960S
 George Greenough - revolutionized a style of surfing the waves by perfecting the kneeboard, his watercraft of choice. By designing a flexible fiberglass spoon and adding flexible fins, he could perform maneuvers that had never been seen before. His radical style and innovative product set the stage for the shortboard revolution.
1967
 Bob McTavlsh - early in 1967, this Australian surfer (along witr friends Nat Young and George Greenough) created a deep "V" shape on the back third of a series of shorter, lighter models that assured that the shortboard consciousness was here to stay.
LATE 1960S
 Dick Brewer - already an experienced surfer/shaper by 1969, Brewer experimented with a smaller, single-fin version of a 'gun.' These new boards excelled in ail but the largest waves, and worked especially well in big, fast, hollow tubes ... in the 'pocket' ... and the "pocket rocket" was launched.
LATE 1960S
 Steve Lis - another kneeboard aficionado, San Diegan Lis liked to ride pintail models, but his swim fins hung over the side and created considerable drag. So he designed a split-tail board that supported the fins, and opened a new phase of tube riding, allowed for radical cut-backs, and improved performance on small, fast waves.
1974
 Mark Richards - Born in Australia in 1957, he began shaping his own boards at 15. A competitive surfer, he was much taken with Lis' fish design, and, using that concept, he modified the 'fish' into a wider, longer, square-tailed twin-fin board that helped him win four consecutive world championships.
1981
 Simon Anderson - another top surfer from down under, Anderson used the tri-fin concept to create a square-tail model he called the "Thruster." It not only held in the steepest part of the wave, but also in the hollowest part of the tube — allowing riders to go off the top, slash, turn and cut back like never before. 90% of all today's boards carry his tri-fin design.
Exhibit Committee
Ric Riavic, Curator
- Daryl Dick Tom Glenn Jane Schmauss Tara Lee Torburn
Dan "Skydog" Highland, window display
Da Huns Surf Club
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