Pepperdine University Libraries Malibu, Calif John Mazza Historic Surfboard Collection, Pepperdine University Special Collections and University Archives
Copyright to the photograph is retained by Pepperdine University. Physical rights to the item are retained by John Mazza, the John G. Mazza Loving Trust Dtd 5/17/90, and the Malibu Surfing Museum. Images are intended for educational and research use, and may be used for non-commercial purposes with appropriate attribution. Organizations and individuals seeking to use images for publication must assume all responsibility for identifying and satisfying any claimants of copyright, patents, trademarks, and other service marks.
Description
This is an original plank-style surfboard made in Waikiki, Hawaii. Before the days of surfing patriarch Duke Kahanamoku, early surfboards were made of the local woods found in Hawaii. However, in the early 20th century, different mainland woods were shipped to Hawaii for use in construction and redwood became the standard for surfboards at Waikiki. Plank boards are solid wood and finless, and most range in size from 5 to 12 feet, weighing upwards of 100 pounds. A design or logo, such as the one seen here on the deck near the tail, often referenced the board’s owner or his or her club. Plank boards were virtually the only boards found in the surf until the late 1920s when other woods and waterproof glues were introduced. Occasionally, a surfer could still be found surfing an old redwood plank board into the early 1950s. 8 ft., 1 in.
Surfboard collection exhibited at Payson Library, Pepperdine University. The collection is owned by John Mazza, the John G. Mazza Loving Trust Dtd 5/17/90, and the Malibu Surfing Museum. Mazza (John) Collection of Historic Surfboards 0172: https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c8j67q1b/
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