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
The Thomas Rogers Company of Venice, California, also manufactured airplane wings, and a similar design is evident in the construction of this hollow paddleboard. Designed by Tom Blake, a legendary surfer and board designer, the hollow surfboard significantly reduced the weight of solid-wood surfboards, making surfing accessible to a larger spectrum of people. Like biplane wings, this board is hollow with a transversely braced (ribbed) interior. Working closely with Rogers, Blake produced some of the earliest commercially manufactured surfboards and paddleboards. The latter were typically used by lifeguards or for racing, but could also be used to ride waves. This paddleboard belonged to local Malibu lifeguard and surfer Bob Burns. On big-wave days, he used to throw it off the end of the Malibu Pier and paddle out from there. 13 ft., 9 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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