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
Bob Simmons, postwar era surfboard designer and Malibu surfing regular, applied his engineering background to innovative board designs, including the split-rail “slot” design seen here. Known as the “slot board,” this design features a split or slotted rail, referring to the rounded perimeter of the surfboard. Always seeking ways to improve the ride, Simmons based this innovation on his study of hydrodynamics. The slot board lessened friction and increases speed, although did not become the industry standard. Nonetheless, Simmons’ slot design had a lasting influence on rail design among surfboard shapers. 8 ft., 8 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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