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.
