Above the poster the article states, "...a 1958 poster depicts a bikini-clad, surfboard-holding blonde below the words “Australia – Fly there by BOAC and Qantas”.

Below the poster the caption states, "Australia - Fly There by BOAC and Qantas. Designer: Hayes. BOAC poster in association with Qantas, c1956"

• it has been asserted that because their low position also decreases wind resistance, some bellyboard riders have been known to outrace riders on standard surfboards in large surf.
• Bellyboard riders can, and do, more often exploit waves that break gradually from one side to the other. Thus they, like standard board surfers, can and do trim across waves.
• The board is held with one arm on the front of the board, with elbow and wrist crooked arowld its front edge. The board is mostly under the rider's chest at this point. The other arm is used to stroke as the wave approaches, and the feet add propulsion with the swim fins. Once the surfer feels the wave lift him and propel his board, he pulls himself further up on the board so that it is, literally, mostly under his belly.
• There are various kinds of bellyboards, or paipo (pie-po) boards as they are called in Hawaii, ranging from $40 or $50 custom jobs made of foam and fiberglass like surfboards, down to unadorned slabs of plywood cut to suitable size. In between are both the molded or dish-shaped plywood boards that cost from $15 to $25 and the homemade plywood boards so popular with kids in Hawaii, each with its owner's own specially planned shape and size, carefully mounted skeg, and elegantly painted decor.
• Dyed-in-the-wool body surfers and bellyboard surfers are a special breed. They take their sport as seriously as board surfers, if not more seriously.

I realise that the Bellybogger is not everyone's answer to surfing. But, I believe there's a small group of enthusiasts out there who still know what the art of bellyboarding and bodysurfing is all about.

The difference between a Bellybogger and a 'boogie' board is the sensation of speed.

The name came from 'belly' as in bellyboard, and 'bagger' which was the nickname for bodysurfers.

• "But surf-riding has certain advantages over most other sports. You need no expensive equipment. Any kind of board--your landlady's tea-tray, if you can find nothing better..."
• "A word of warning. The first time you find yourself running back into the sea for the next wave, you will know that the fever has caught you. For the rest of your life, every other kind of bathing will seem a little tame. You will welcome gales that keep other people moping indoors."
• "Some of the best and boldest surfing I have ever seen was by men in Durban who either used no boards at all or had boards about half the size of yours."

Powerful portrayals of Hula and surfing in the past represent the quintessential Hawaiian experience. Over 270 original photographs and post card images are presented chronologically from 1870 to 1940 to portray the evolving styles and popularity of these icons of Hawai`i. The Hula and surfing traditions both are deeply rooted in legend and myth and Hula dancing was actually outlawed for over 60 years. Surfboards were highly prized by the ancients and the sport became reserved for Hawai`i's kings. These enchanting images include famous personalities including Duke Kahanamoku as well as unknown practitioners of their arts. [inside cover]

• Bibliographical Key (PDF, 300KB) - abbreviations used for sourcing in the dictionary
• Bibliography and Selected References (PDF, 2.6MB) - useful listing organized into several categories

"Surfing is a thrilling water sport for persons of all ages thaI has been practiced for centuries. The act itself involves riding across the face of a wave toward the shore while standing on a special board, called a surfboard. Modern surfboards are made of foam and fiberglass and come in various shapes and sizes, from short boards to longboards and everything in between.

Although the above definition describes surfing at its purest, the sport takes several forms: bodysurfing, the simplest variation, wilh just a body and a wave (some people wear fins or use a hand-planing device, such as a swimmer's klckboard); bellyboardlng, with, a small wooden or plastic board; bodyboarding (also called boogie boarding), with a flexible foam board; mat surfing, with inflated rubber surf mats; and kneeboarding, using a smaller, specialized surfboard. Surfers also ride the waves on wave skis, surf skis, and paddleboards and do boat surfing with dories, canoes, sea kayaks, and catamarans."

• p.12: There is a picture of boards from the Bishop Museum but none are identified as alaia, paipo or bodyboards, only as olo.
• pp. 17-18: Small cameos of body surfing, mat surfing, boat surfing, bellyboard surfing, skim boarding and wake surfing.
  
• "Bellyboard Surfing. An enjoyable ride can be had with a small wooden or plastic board about the size of an adult's chest. Right slides, left slides, and fast straight-ahead rides are easily made with a bellyboard."

• Bellyboard - A short surfboard propelled mainly by swimfins. Called a piapo in Hawaii. (sp?)
• Paipo Board - The Hawaiian term for bellyboard, a short surfboard.

"This comprehensive how-to book explains the technique, etiquette, and secrets of surfing to any wave rider, be he absolute beginner or seasoned pro. Written by a fifty-year veteran, it first takes the reader step-by-step through such basics as paddling out and judging waves, and goes on to explore such topics as surf-board design, surfing hazards, and radical surfing. Additional chapters survey the world's best surfing areas, examine new sports such as body surfing and surfing Boogie Boards, and even supply tips on how to build your own board."

"Longer, better-riding boards and the best surfing breaks were reserved for members of the ruling class, the alii. These long boards, called olos, could reach 16 feet and weigh as much as 150 pounds. Commoners used shorter boards, called akaias, which were about eight feet long. Children surfed little planks called paipos, similar to today's bodyboards."  [Note: The alaia is misspelled as akaia. Paipos were widely surfed by all ages and genders, not just children].

Most of the 10-page chapter is dedicated to modern bodyboarding (the soft foam core style of bodyboard invented by Tom Morey). Key passages and my comments are below. "Everyone can enjoy bodyboarding. It's pure fun and a wonderful transition to standup surfing. For some, riding a wave lying on a bodyboard is sufficient challenge. Others, as their skills improve, learn to ride on one or both knees. For many, learning to ride a bodyboard becomes a fast-track to board surfing and understanding wave dynamics." p. 167. [The author gets one thing very right here: "It's pure fun..." Then the author digresses off course in stating, "For some, riding a wave lying on a bodyboard is sufficient challenge."]

"Many of us who began bodyboarding some years back still call them Boogie Boards. I use the term "boogie" interchangeably with "bodyboard," to refer to the same small and simple, ride-on-your-chest, all-time fun, wave-surfing machine. Bodyboarders are also called "spongers," and the board itself, a "sponge." A skilled bodyboarder on a soft, three- to five-foot-Iong, five-pound boogie, helped along by swim fins, can perform almost every surfing maneuver--and a few more beyond the ability of stand-up surfers." p. 168.

"For some it's a first step toward riding a conventional surfboard, but many world-class surfers are quile content to remain bodyboarders." p. 168.

"Before today's flexible foam bodyboard became universally adopted in the late 1970s, there were several variations of these short, prone- or knee-riding surfboards. Bodyboards have always had three major advantages over traditional surfboards: They're easy to learn to ride, they cost much less than surfboards, and they're much more portable."

"In the past, bodyboarders rode wooden-finned mini-surfboards, called bellyboards or kneeboards, either prone or on their knees. These were an evolution of the early Hawaiian flat-bottomed, three- to four-foot-long wooden paipos surfed by commoners. The rigid, flat-bottomed wooden planks worked fine if the rider was skilled and didn't pearl in shallow water. If they did nose in, and the board hit the sand, the back end of the paipo would slam into the rider's abdomen with the force of a boxer's punch. Though paipos were heavy, they could be ridden straight off or angled. A variation of the paipo, the short, maneuverable kneeboard, is still a popular wave-riding machine that skilled surf seekers enjoy. Kneeboards are between four and five feet long and shaped like mini-surfboards. People with knee or leg disabilities find that kneeboards allow them to paddle out and catch waves." p. 169. [Note: In a generic sense this paragraph provides an adequate broad brush description. But, the devil is in the details based upon what we know now. Mini-surfboards is an apt description for readers more familiar with foot boards but these earlier boards, ridden kipapa-style and on the knees, used fins made of wood and other materials. The ancient paipos also used "planks" that were more sophisticated than just being completely rockerless or without concave or convex bottom surfaces. And the paipo/bellyboard had not been completely displaced by the boogie board style board and survived by only the kneeboard, but were much less common. The statement that kneeboards allow people with knee or leg disabilities to paddle and catcnh waves is patently misinformed. Of special note is the passage "paipos surfed by commoners" replacing the most commonly found, but inaccurate statement, "paipos surfed by children."
 
"Many older surfers and beachgoers started sliding waves in the 1940s and 1950s aboard those old air-filled canvas-and-rubber surf mats rented by the hour at beach concession stands. Mats were fun to ride and in experienced hands they could outperform a boogie. A lot of parents pushed their kids into the whitewater and sent them surfing for shore on those inflated floaters. In the 1970s the company that produced quality surf mats went out of business, but the concept of a high-performance surf mat didn't die. Surfing innovators George Greenough and Paul Gross filled the void by creating a truly awesome wave-riding mat. Designed by Gross, the fantastic flexible inflated "4th Gear Flyer" was the result of Greenough test-piloting more than 50 nylon prototypes until the pair was satisfied. The final model was made without handgrips or fins and had three inflated air chambers. Greenough quickly discovered that the mat performed best and would go faster when kept soft. In big surf he would grab the front corners and warp the shape for speed. When Greenough went into "4th Gear," maximum speed, he would pull in front of board surfers and make waves that were impossible for standup riders. These flexible surf mats where a great success. Sadly, the costly, handmade 4th Gear Flyers are no longer produced. If you ever sight one on a wave in the hands of an expert, you'll witness a truly fantastic surf machine. If a Flyer shows up at a garage sale, buy it fast." p.170. [Note: The 4th Gear Flyer surf mats are currently in production after having suspended commercial production in the 1990s. According to the Fourth Gear Flyer Surfmats website, the surf mat that was phased out of production in the 1970s was the "the beloved Hodgman Converse" (see http://www.surfmats.com/history.html)].

"Bodyboarders use the same type fins as bodysurfers (see a discussion on fins on page 153 in chapter 8). Since bodyboarders seem to enjoy the more technical side of the sport, several variations of the classic swim fin have been developed and marketed. You'll have a choice of the traditional Churchills, Viper Duckfoots, the Redley fins favored by competitive bodyboarders, and an evolution of the Churchill called a"Slasherfin." Prices range from $35 to $ 75 a pair." pp.174-5. [Note: According to Fred Simpson, founder and owner of Viper Swimfins, there were never a "Viper Duckfoot." Duckfeet were marketed by Voit. It is a stretch to state Redley fins were favored by competitive bodyboarders.]

"Once you've learned the basics, it's easy to catch waves with a bodyboard. Riding a Boogie provides a great workout that's truly fun. And, when the lifeguards raise the black ball flag (no surfing), bodyboarders can keep on riding." p. 175. [Note: Riding kipapa-style is a great workout that's truly fun!]

• bodyboard. Short foam or wood wave-riding vehicles, usually ridden prone and propelled by paddling and swim fins.
  
• boogie. A term often used in place of bodyboard. Derived from original Morey Boogie.
  
• drop knee stance. Riding a body board with one knee on the deck.
• handgun. A hand-held mini bodyboard that aids a bodysurfer in getting longer rides.
  
• paipo. The Hawaiian term for a short, solid surfboard.
  
• sponger. Someone who rides a foam bodyboard. 
  

"The bodyboard came to Zarautz by way of a local carpenter, Marcelo Linazasoro, in the early 1950's. He had seen them on the French coast, at the Cote des Basques, in Biarritz, and he thought it would be a good idea to make some in Zarautz and rent them out on the beach next to the canoes. The French called it bodysurf, and some theories believe that this was the first form of surfing to reach Europe. It was used to catch waves lying down on top of the thing. It was a piece of wood that looked like an ironing board, but shorter, wider and slightly raised at the nose. For a long time, this was one of the most outstanding activities at the beach, competing with the "aspirin," also made of wood and similar to the bodyboard, but completely flat, rounder, and used to skim across the fine layer of water left on the shore after the wave retreated." [p.21]

"At the beginning ofthe 70's, kids started wearing swim fins and looking for the peak. Before this time, they would normally ride the white water onto shore. The swim fins allowed for them to catch the bigger waves." 

"The kids would paint thelll with their favourite colors and designs, they would put fins and leashes on them, which were basically a piece of rope wrapped in plastic and with a wristband at the end. They even tried putting cork plaques onthe bottom so they would float more."

• Caption for picture on p.177, "Belly-board surfing--and a young surfer kneels on the board as the top of tbe wave loops over him." Note that terms for bodysurfing, bodyboarding, kneeboarding and surfing are still intermingled.
• p.180, Mat Riding. Two terms for mat riding are used: "The mat, or surfoplane... ."
• p.183, Belly Boards. "The belly board, as the name implies, is rather larger, and is designed to be ridden face down. It is usually about four feet long, a little under two feet wide, and can be made out of anything that floats well." There is no mention whether or not these boards have skegs (fins).
• p.188, The Peipo. "The most advanced form of belly board I have seen is the peipo, which has been developed in Hawaii. It's a thin board, usually made of plywood or fibreglass; it has no fins, is only three or four feet long, sometimes even shorter, and is wider at the back than at the front. It has a square tail, and a rounded nose that is lifted radically and dished out..." and "The first principle of the peipo is the flat surface, which gives it its speed. Peipos have on occasions travelled faster than surfboards, for they have hardly any resistance to the water, and quite often become airborne."

• Belly board: half-size surfboard which is most commonly ridden lying on your belly but can be ridden kneeling or standing.
• Mat: rubber float or surf-o-plane
• Peipo: form of belly board
• Surf-o-plane: inflatable rubber mat

• it has been asserted that because their low position also decreases wind resistance, some bellyboard riders have been known to outrace riders on standard surfboards in large surf.
• Bellyboard riders can, and do, more often exploit waves that break gradually from one side to the other. Thus they, like standard board surfers, can and do trim across waves.

• kaha, to surf or body-surf, and kaha nalu, body-surfing;
• kioe, a small surf board; and,
• kipapa, the prone riding position.

"The boldness and address with which I saw them perform these difficult and dangerous manoeuvers was altogether astonishing and is scarcely to be believed." [quote is from Lt. James King in Cook 1784, 3: 147.]

• Australia. Discusses bodysurfing, stand-up surfing, boat surfing and use of the surf ski but there is no explicit discussion of any form of prone board riding.
• New Zealand (Aotearoa). The Maori were credited with canoe surfing, bodyboarding and body-surfing.
• Surfing By the 1930s, however; traditional surfing apparently had declined significantly in popularity. During that decade, Australian Surf Lifesavers introduced their revision of the sport with surf-skis and "cigar boxes."received a further boost in the late 1950s when Californians brought the first balsa boards to Aotearoa, and since then interest in the newequipment and riding skills has been growing rapidly.
  
• South Africa. No mention of prone board riding. Although West Africans may still ride the waves as their ancestors did in centuries past, their sport does not appear to be linked historically with surfing around the Cape of Good Hope.  The Surf Life Saving movement was already established by 1938 when the first surf-ski was built and development continued. "More recentlybalsa and foam boards have arrived so that today South African surfersare mastering modem riding techniques on Indian Ocean swells."
• England. "Bodyboard surfing has been known there since the early years of this century." And, "In 1953 the Surf Life Saving movement was established in England, and with the unique safety methods came the surfboard, surf-ski, andall the oceanic skills developed on Australia's beaches."
• Israel, France and Peru: No use of prone riding craft was mentioned in this section of the chapter.

• kīoe : a small surfboard (PE, p. 153)
• kīpapa : prone position on a surfboard; to surf prone (PE, p. 154); a style of riding (T, p. 110)

Note the cover and title page variation in titles. Towards the bottom of the title page : Ronald S. Funnell Author of:- The Art of Surf-riding. 1934 edition. Guide to Newquay and North Cornwall. Rambles in and around Bournemouth. In the 1953 booklet's introduction the author notes, "This is an improved edition of a booklet compiled by the present author and which rapidly became a best seller, resulting in the first edition being quickly sold out."

• Bartlett, Vernon, and Maurice Bartlett. You and Your Surfboard. London: The Author, 1953. (With additional illustrations by Maurice Bartlett.)
• A practical guide to surfing: choice of board, selecting the wave, correct stance and procedure [Booklet]. (unknown year). South Molton, Devon: Charles Pearce & Son.

Another view of the U.K.-style board - courtesy The Original Surfboard Company.

As the booklet's introduction states, "That there is a definite art or technique in surf-riding will become paramount at once, to any novice who goes out into the breakers armed with a surf-board for the first time." The author cautions on page 5 that this booklet's form of "surf-riding" is not to be confused with "the amazing feats of expert surf-riders who are towed at high speed on boards (upon which they stand upright with legs astride), behind fast moving motor boats as they 'ride the surf.' "

• "A new and exhilarating sport is rapidly gaining many' fans' in England--surf-riding..."
• "The keen interest in surf-riding has become intensified during the last three years owing to the excellent photographs which have appeared from time to time in the Daily Mirror. Some of which are reproduced in this little booklet, and which give one a good idea of the sheer enjoyment and thrills experienced by the expert surf-rider."
  
• "Further publicity was given to this excellent summer sport by the Picture Post issue of July 26th, 1952, with an article on the subject "A girl learns to surf-ride" together with a series of illustrations of two young ladies enjoying this sport."
• "As this article rightly pointed out, all you need are smooth sands, good creamy rollers, and a wide beach where these rollers sweep right inshore, before curling to break. (Plus of course a surf-board and the right technique.)"

"This is an improved edition of a booklet compiled by the present author and which rapidly became a best seller, resulting in the first edition being quickly sold out.

The increasing number of visitors who now come to Newquay and the Atlantic Coast resorts every year, so many of whom are anxious to become proficient at surf-riding, made it desirable that the booklet should be re-printed, with certain additions.

That there is a definite art or technique in surf-riding will become paramount at once, to any novice who goes out into the breakers armed with a surf-board for the first time."

• "Surfriding on the Atlantic Coast of Cornwall and Devon is the ... enjoyable art of solo surf-riding on a board controlled and guided by yourself, assisted only by the power of the Atlantic breakers."
• "The author has spoken to Australian lifeguards, who have sampled surf-riding on the Atlantic Coast of England and who compare it very favourably with the type of sport they get, when solo surf-riding on their own beaches."
• "Namely the really ideal facilities afforded for surf-riding. These ideal facilities are, the wide stretches of level sand, free from pebbles and rocks, and the long lines of huge Atlantic breakers combining to afford the expert surfrider with safe, yet wonderful thrills."
• "...it would, to say the least, be unpleasant if one's shins and feet were continually injured on stones and shingle. It would be equally unpleasant to have one's board (a costly item these days) crack or split on shingle or crash into a hidden rock."
• "Now let us assume you have never, tried surf-riding before. Rest assured that once initial nervousness of the breakers is overcome, all that is required to make YOU quickly proficient is confidence, the right type of surf board, [emphasis added] and a little knowledge, when you will soon become expert in this exhilarating and healthy pastime."

It cannot be too strongly emphasised that the 'would-be surf-rider,' who wishes to become proficient quickly, should refrain from the temptation to purchase a cheap surf-board. The trouble with many so-called surf-boards, is that they are made of 6 in. widths of coarse wood, neither water-proofed, nor curved, and screwed together with battens; with a result that they are most unsuitable and not at all easy to manipulate.

Incidentally, they often lead to a certain amount of bruising. Moreover with a board that is straight in design, one is often prevented from experiencing the long rides, right in-shore...

Again, curved boards made of Oak are too heavy and easily split. Chestnut boards are ." wormy," and surf-boards made of Tupelo are over pliable, and after a few immersions in salt water and exposure to sunshine, lose .their shape.

Should they ever become available again in this Country, visitors are recommended to pay a little more and purchase a Featherweight 'Crest Rider.'

The difficulty was, to find a suitable timber which, whilst retaining the shape to which it was moulded, would be sufficiently light, yet durable, and at the same time waterproof.

This difficulty was overcome by the use of a particular type of "Gaboon" timber, subjected to certain processes. Gaboon is the district on the West Coast of Africa where the trees grow, the timber of which is used for making 'Crest Rider' surf-boards. Rather interesting to note that Surf-riding is popular in South Africa, and the timber for the Surfboards comes from the West Coast of the same continent. [Editor's Note: Gaboon, also spelled Gabon, is located on the Gulf of Guinea, an arm of the Atlantic Ocean is to the west.]

Unfortunately, owmg to freightage charges, carriage, and purchase tax, these 'Crest Rider' boards are not now marketed in this Country. See therefore the announcements on pages 16 and 30.

"Turn to the artist's sketch on the cover of the book. Note that the young girl standing waist deep is getting her board into position to place into her groin. The correct hold of the board is so essential because if a novice were to badly time the "take-off" of an exceptionally powerful breaker, a loosely and wrongly held board might well give him or her a nasty jab in the pit of the stomach, or crack their knees."

"Now wait for a wave that looks" healthy," preferably one which you estimate will break as it reaches you. Stand with your back to the on-coming breaker (but with your head turned slightly backwards watching the on-coming waves), holding the surf-board (as already indicated) with arms out straight, two feet from the curved end, the other end resting against the lower part of the body."

"Now we have arrived at the crucial moment. Just before the wave as it breaksfall gently on to the surf-board with a leaping forward movement, simultaneously with the cresting breaker, sliding the hands up, so that the chest, and upper part of the body (from the abdomen) are lying on the board. The arms should be reaching out to the tip of the board, with the hands resting palm downwards at the extreme end, the legs straight out behind. Now allow yourself to be carried forward by the momentum of the waves."

"Another hint: --After you become proficient you may find it helps you to "catch" a difficult or tricky roller, as it is in the act of breaking, by holding the board firmly with one hand only and propelling or paddling with the other."

The author notes about the surf-riding illustration below, " take a good look at the young man in the forefront. It will be observed that he has had a clean ride, right into the shore and is still in motion. Notice the position of his hands and that the upward curve of the board prevents the top end from becoming embedded in the sands. This picture although taken some 20 years ago gives one quite a good idea of surfing and the distance it is necessary to walk out to meet suitable breakers. The wave on the extreme right of the illustration which is curling to break would have been a good one to have 'caught.' " 

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• Picture Post magazine issue of July 26th, 1952, with an article on the subject "A girl learns to surf-ride" together with a series of illustrations of two young ladies enjoying this sport.
• Daily Mirror photos in preceding 3 years (that would be 1949-1953?)
• an article on "How to surf-ride" last summer in a National weekly magazine
• 1934 edition of the booklet

Let's get one thing clear immediately. Big surf body surfing is an art apart. People who go to the ocean in the summer number in the millions. Board surfers number in the hundreds of thousands. But there aren't a hundred proficient big surf body surfers in the world. They are a small , select world--a skilled, talented, and reckless breed of men.

History does not disclose the identity of the first man who look advantage of the onrushing surf to get to the beach faster than he could swim. Neither does it identify that first daredevil with the "Hey, Mom, watch me" attitude who dropped down the face of a giant breaker to lie (temporarily, we hope) on the bottom of the ocean, while tons of seawater attempted to flatten him by natural hydraulic action. But we do know that from time immemorial, puny man has been trying to bend the surf to his will by many means -- by surfboards, outrigger canoes, surfboats, belly boards, kayaks, even by air mattresses.

But to the surfing purist, body surfing will always be the supreme test of man's age·old struggle to conquer his most ruthless, dangerous, and implacable enemy -- the sea. This is because the body surfer challenges the sea at its most violent moment -- the thunderous breaker -- and he does it without artificial help or assistance. As Candy Calhoun, one of the very few good female body surfers, once said, "Body surfing is the ultimate in onesmanship." Or to quote [from page 3] Mickey Munoz, one of body surfing's immortals, in a more earthly approach, "It's just you and that damned wave."

The history of body surfing falls into Ihree rather sharply defined parts, or periods -- pre·swim-fin, post-swim-fin, and the present.

In the pre-swim·fin days - roughly prior 10 World War II -- the art of body surfing was severely limited by the inability of the surfer, no matter how skilled, to generate enough quick speed to control the wave. Thus, in the 1920s and the 1930s, it was "straight off" or "over the falls," with a reckless disregard of consequences, a fine arch of the back, a great gasp from the crowd on the beach, and inevitably--disaster.

But with the invention of swim fins, body surfing developed into a true art. Now the body surfer can develop enough speed to cut across the face of the breaker on the diagonal, or get on a shoulder of green water and stay jusl ahead of the soup or white water, or "hot dog" it with all of the modern tricks and techniques of spinners, outriggers, and layouts.

It is not historically accurate to pick World War II as the advent of the swim fin. Fins had been developed several years before, and the body surfers had grabbed them instantly, realizing their great contribution to the art. But it was during World War II , and particularly through the use of fins by the Amphibious Scouts and Raiders and the underwater demolition teams of the United States Navy, that their popularity began to spread.

And so it was that by the late 1940s and early 1950s, swim fins were becoming widely used. Still, the technique was basically the same -- straight off. Fins were great for transportation -- to get out of the trough, to catch a wave from outside -- but the surfer still went straight off.

Next, we come to the most important part of a body surfer's equipment -- his swim fins. The fin is here to stay. Its existence makes body surfing so much easier.

Probably the most popular fins in body·surfing circles are Duck Feet. These are the long, slim fins with a strap over the heel. They are manufactured by a number of companies, but those made by the Voit Company seem to be the ones seen most on experienced body surfers. Probably 8 out of 10 body surfers at the Wedge wear Voits. Duck Feet, when properly fitted, are comfortable and secure (in everything but big surf), but be sure to get a pair that fits. If they are too big, you lose them; if they are too small, your feet will cramp, and it's no fun floundering around in the trough trying to pull a cramp out of your foot. So don't be embarrassed. Make the clerk open the boxes and try the fins on until you get a size that fits. Don't let him tell you that because you wear size 10 shoes you automatically wear fins of a certain size.

Another popular fin is the Churchill -- triangular in shape, rather than oblong as in the case of Duck Feet. These fit just like Duck Feet, with a strap over the heel, and it's just a matter of personal choice between the two. A few years ago everybody wore Churchills. Now, most surfers seem to be using Duck Feet, although those who use Churchills swear by them.

Another popular type is the shoe fin, in which the entire foot is enclosed -- like a pair of loafers with fins attached. The most popular of these kinds is the Italian·made Cressi·Rondine, ordinarily called [page 25] Cressis. These have great thrust, but for the body surfer, they come off too easily. Just about the time you are screaming down the face of a good wave, water gets in the shoes and the fins pop off. However, there is a rubber gadget, which goes by the trade name of Fixe-Palm, that fits over the instep and under the sole of the fin. This will keep the fin on. Its use is strongly suggested for anyone using the Cressi-type of fin for body surfing, otherwise he is going to spend most of his time diving for his fins. In big surf a Fixe-Palm is a good idea for Duck Feet or Churchills, too. Big surf will tear off the best.fitting fins. Some people secure their Duck Feet or Churchills by shoelaces through the strap and around the ankle (for obvious reasons, you can't do that to a Cressi). It's a good idea in big surf to secure the fins by one means or another. There must be dozens of fins floating around the bottom after a big day. They are supposed to float, but none seems to float very well. They appear for a moment in the soup and then disappear, and they don't reappear until they wash up on the beach the next day. It's a pretty good idea to be the first person on the beach the morning after a big day. Most of the fins eventually wash in and the pickings are good. Unhappily, people who have drowned the day before have a tendency to drift in the next morning too, but, you get your name in the paper if you find a body.

Before proceeding further, basic definitions of surfing and Surfer are necessary. Surfing is a sport in which the participant on a vehicle rides an ocean wave toward shore. Although there are several methods that can be used to ride a wave, the one this paper primarily is concerned with is surfboard riding, the most widely practiced method. Surfer occasionally deals with the body surfing and bellyboard methods, but its primary concern is with surfboard riding.

Surfer, a bi-monthly magazine devoted entirely to the subject of surfing, is published by Surfer Publications, Inc., Dana Point, California.

"With the development of new construction materials and the creation of improved surfboard designs, Surfer began to include more and more technical articles in its issues. See Table 3."

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"As the table indicates, Surfer published more technical articles on surfboards during 1968-1970 than in any other three-year period. In fact, more articles on surfboards were published during that period than in all other years combined.

Surfer placed the credit for the new boards with the individual board builders, the non-manufacturer designers.

Originally, it was the individual designer alone who jumped onto the new thing, and quite understandably. He had nothing to lose...Surfing had become stagnated by its lack of imagination... They (the small shop builders) woke the manufacturers up.⁴⁵

It was this editorial philosophy that aroused the manufacturers. In the January 1971 issue, Surfer described the situation as follows:

The Surfboard Manufacturers Association boycotted Surfer for several issues to show displeasure with articles dealing with non-affiliated freedom and "soul" surfers, anti-contest stories, as well as our continued printing of technical information on surfboards.⁴⁶

Steve Pezman explained that actually a good portion of the two-issue boycott was based on economic reasons as well as the reasons listed above."

• By 1915, Duke had also introduced the Aussies to surfing.
  
• Exactly how and when surfing caught on in South Africa is not certain, but earliest records of surfing can be traced back to the late 1940s. Durban, 1949, and guys like Anthony Heard, Derek Jardine, and Windham Woodford were out surfing Durban's North Beach on great barges between 12 and 14 ft long.
  

The experiments were predicated on the belief that faster rides would be generated by heavier boards. But the turning problem became bigger with the size of the board; a prone surfer was compelled to drag one foot in the water on the inside of the turn, and this only contributed to loss of forward speed. If standing, he had to drag an arm over the side, and with the same result of diminishing momentum. [pp. 38-39]

It isn't always that one can be lucky enough to find a surf with the fast breaking sections or steep. hollow peaks that board surfers most love. Too often there is only the body-surfing (paipo) type of wave, which is a rolling, cresting break that merges into a long, hopeless wall of water in the shorebreak. But it is the former type of surf we have in mind now while helping you to judge a board. [p. 82]

The light nine-foot boards with slim sterns will do well at famous Makaha Beach. They make for quick, responsive steering, and are sensitive to the rugged contour of the front Makaha wave slopes. The long olo board so popular at Waikiki can spell trouble on the bulky Makaha waves with their uneven front slopes. The strong cross currents which run at Makaha too often cause the nose of the board to pearl, sending the rider into the well-known sprawl. [p. 83]

Photo of Uncle Val Ching riding a paipo being standup style. Photo by Val Valentine.

The photo shoot was a last minute project organized by Clarence Maki. In early November 1963, a large south swell showed on the South Shore. Val had graduated that spring and was working construction, when one afternoon his dad came to the job site. He said the surf "was boiling" in Waikiki and Val Valentine and Clarence Maki wanted to shoot that afternoon.

A strong south swell this late in the season was unusual. Val was more excited about the surprise big surf and lack of a crowd than the photo shoot session. He went straight to the beach from work. His board and Taki surf shorts were stashed at a friend's dry cleaning business across from the Wall on Kalakaua Ave. When he arrived he found his shorts gone . . .  they had been stolen . . .  so he cut his work jeans and surfed in them. As the evening went on, the shorts kept tearing along the sides till they resembled a miniskirt. To the delight of Clarence Maki and Val Valentine, Val Ching surfed for almost three hours till it was dark.

"The surf was just so perfect, one of the best sessions of my life. It was 4 to 5 in front of the Wall, the tide was up and the swell was was strong. There were maybe no more than 15 to 20 guys in the water and most were chasing the bigger waves farther out. It was like dream, I stayed inside and took off on the last (third) breaks with no one to hamper my take-offs and the guys shooting me," says Val.

• belly board: a small board, usually less than three feet long (p. 136).
• Paipo board: Hawaiian bellyboard or short surfboard (p. 142).

One after another they came, a mile long, with smoking crests ... these bull-mouthed monsters, and they weigh a thousand tons, and they charge into shore faster than a man can run . . .. I watched the little Kanaka boys. When a likely-looking breaker came along, they flopped upon their stomachs on their boards, kicked like mad with their feet, and rode the breaker into the beach. I tried to emulate them. I watched them, tried to do everything that they did, and failed utterly. The breaker swept past and I was not on it ... away the little rascals would scoot while I remained in disgust behind. I tried for a solid hour, and not one wave could I persuade to boost me shoreward.

.. . from that moment I was lost." (See pages 16 and 17.)

• belly-board: a small board used in body surfing to add buoyancy and maneuverability to the participant; usually a board that is less than three feet in length; sometimes a skim board.
• skim boord: small rectangular or disk-shaped board, usually plywood, used to skim over the shallow water washed up the beach from the force of the wave; belly board.

• Convex forward sections can eliminate pounding. (See p. 4.)
• While increasing speeds require the displacement hull to become progressively narrower, the planing hull moving at high speed requires the widest possible beam. (From the first part of Ch. 2, Aspect Ratios, see pp. 11-16.)
• To simplify still further, the displacement hull can improve its speed only with added length; the planing hull requires added beam. (see pp. 12-13.)
• "The first step toward such standardization of beam-length relationship must, of course, be an acceptable method of measurement which can he applied to all planing hulls with equal success. Such a measurement of the beam-length ratio is shown in Figure 4."  (see p. 13 and also see figure 4 below from p. 12.)

• All of these characteristics show proportionate improvement in successively wider bottoms up to aspect ratio .4,  at which point wave-making resistance in rough water ceases to decline with the higher aspect ratio and begins to show an increase. While this fact rules out aspect ratios .5 and .6, as suitable shapes for seagoing bottoms, it is significant to note their continued decrease in total resistance for smooth-water operation." (see p. 15 and also see figure 7 below from p. 16.)

• Limiting factors and speed-length ratios -- general observations: (1) Canoe-shaped sterns will have begun to settle, and the application of increased power will only increase the draft, even to the point of outright sinkage. (2) Flat buttocks ending at a broad stern form the characteristic hull shape fostering the tendency to lift and plane. Therefore, in that critical range of speed-length ratios between, say, 1.6 and 2.0, the hull with straight running lines and wide bearing aft will resist sinkage. Instead, it will lift and the flow beneath the hull will continue its laminar pattern for some distance aft of the hull. (3) At low speed-length ratios, even the planing hull is actually operating as a displacement craft and is therefore subject to the laws of bodies submerged at the surface. As such, its lines of flow are, at best, poorly shaped for low resistance at low speeds. However, some inefficiency at low speeds is a necessary corollary of any hull operating outside thescope of its fundamental design. (From the first part of Ch. 3, Speed Ratios, see pp. 21-23.)

• The curve of identical speed in knots has been inserted to give graphic illustration of how the wider hulls, having greater lift, tend to get up and plane at appreciably lower speeds than narrower hulls. And also, "However, the shape of this rough-water curve clearly indicates that bottoms wider than an aspect ratio of around .4 begin to suffer fromthe impact of plunging head-on into steep waves." (From the later part of Ch. 3, Speed Ratios, see p. 30.)

• In order thnt a plane shall have as nearly perfect monohedral relationship to the water as possible, it is necessary that a maximum of itsrunning lines shall be straight and parallel with each other.  (From the later part of Ch. 6, Lines, see pp. 71-72.) The figure also shows nose scoop, a concave bottom and twin keels.

'The heavy surf which has run on the shore for a few days past has given great amusement to many of the Natives, but is such as one would suppose would drown any European. The general plan of this diversion is for a number of them to advance with their paddles to where the Sea begins to break and placing the broad part under the Belly holding the other end with their Arms extended full length, they turn themselves to the surge and balancing themselves on the Paddles are carried to the shore with the greatest rapidity.'

• p. 08, "Some fun riding the waves here." This postcard pictures six boys standing next to their boards in Ocean City, New Jersey. The postcard is categorized as Pre-1940. Note the handles on the front of the boards for holding on as you ride the wave.
  

• p. 12, "Famous Surf Riders." This is a variation on the famous figure of a surfer holding an alaia with Diamondhead in the background. This variation also features a rider standing while riding the crest of the wave near the shore. It is dated as Pre-1920.
• p. 21, "Diamond Head and Surf Board Riding." This postcard is a common one seen with boys riding the shorebreak and others in the waters preparing to mount waves with Diamondhead in the background. It is dated as Pre-1920. Also see Paipos in the Media: Postcards.
  
• p. 24, "Surf Board Riding. Cottages at Wrightsville Beach, Wilmington, N.C." Shows a row of riders riding a breaking wave. It is dated as Pre-1940. Also see Also see Paipos in the Media: Postcards, "Bodyboarding North Carolina, ca. 1920s."
  
• p. 25, "Pre 1940" (Surfing at Polzeath) and "Surf Bathing, Droskyn Point, Perranporth" [Cornwall, England, UK]. They are dated as Pre-1940. Also see Also see Paipos in the Media: Postcards, "Bodyboarding England, 1920s."
• p. 28, "Surf riding at Waikiki, Honolulu." and "Surf Board Riding, Hawaii." They are dated as Pre-1930. Also see Also see Paipos in the Media: Postcards, "Surf Riding at Waikiki, Honolulu (ca. 1910-1915)."
• p. 29, "Waikiki Beach by Moonlight." It is dated as Pre-1915. Also see Also see Paipos in the Media: Postcards, "Paipo Board Riding in Honolulu, ca. 1915."

"The other state, or personality, of a surfboard is that of a planing hull. Planing is something we see outboard motorboats, fast yachts, and Navy P.T. boats do when they are going fast. The hull of the boat rises out of the water, the bow sticks up more than the stern, and the boat seems to skim on top of the water. A water ski is a good example of a planing hull. A water skier is entirely supported by planing action." [p.32]

"A displacement hull is a very limited thing. It can support only as much as it displaces, and it cannot go fast because the water around it resists being pushed aside quickly. On the other hand, a planing hull is a much freer thing, in that it can go as fast as you dare push it, and it will carry a wide range of weights, which depend on speed, planing area, planing width, planing angle, and drag." [p.33]

"Instead of gliding through the water and pushing it to one side, a planing hull rides on top of the water and at a slight (2- to 5- degree) angle to the surface of the water." [p.33]

"An important characteristic of the planing state is that the water does not close in around the stern of the hull or the tail of the surfboard. The water leaves as soon as it can disengage itself from the trailing edges (see Fig. 4-3), and closes in after it leaves the trailing edges... The sharper the trailing edges the more easily the water disengages and the lesser the drag. The water will not want to wrap around a sharp corner, but it will want to wrap around a blunt, or large-radius trailing edge. For this reason you will find that most surfboards have hard, down rails in the tail. (Please understand that I am talking about the rail shape and not whether the board has a round tail, pin tail, or square tail.)" [pp.33-34]

"As I got into the writing of this book... Only two surfing publications show any understanding of the mechanics of planing. John Kelly's book, Surf and Sea, has an interesting chapter on the design of Hawaiian guns and semi-guns, in which he covers rail shapes and the use of a step. H. Arthur Klein's book on Surfing mentions hydroplaning in relation to paipos." [p.145]

"Other books, as well as the magazines, will tell what various experts think happens and what is supposed to happen. But none of them tell you why. Knowing why didn't matter until the small boards appeared and swept the market." [p.145]

• belly board - A small (3- to 4-foot) board used to ride waves on your belly; same as a paipo [p.219]
• paipo - See belly board [p.223]

Now we're off for Waikiki and a surf ride. ... Now let us go surf-riding like the Kanakas. See, there's a heavy swell coming into the bay. [p.30]

On reaching the cocoanut groves of the shore, they found Kalani, a gray-headed Hawaiian, with an out-rigger canoe, about to start out fishing. He supplied them with surf-boards and paddled them out to where the breakers were rolling the highest. Two Kanaka boys, about twelve years of age, accompanied them. "Why, the surf boards are very much like my mother's ironing board," said Rollo. "I always thought they were miniature canoes." [pp. 30-31]

Well, I guess a surf-board beats a sea horse and all the other water craft for difficulty to handle. Ah! there go the little heathens and Barney, too, plunk into the sea, and breast down on their boards. Here's a big roller; it breaks! and they're off right in front of it! Hurray!"  [p. 31]

"The Prado has been aptly referred to as the Champs Elysées of Havana and on frequent occasions presents quite as brilliant an appearance as the celebrated Parisian promenade. On the beach near its terminus are located the Baños del Mar, a popular bathing resort. Surf bathing, however, in the immediate vicinity of Havana, is a decidedly perilous luxury. The reason for this is the pestilential condition of the water, rendered so by the refuse from the city's sewers, which empty into the harbor and gulf at various points. It is largely to this fact that the city owes its reputation for being one of the most unhealthy places in the world; and this it must continue to be until some modern plan is devised for a proper disposition of the city's sewage."

But the most popular of all their sports, and the one still practiced by all ages, sexes and conditions, is surf-bathing. This is performed by the use of a flat board, about eight feet long by one and a half wide, and polished until it is as glossy as the surface of a pane of glass. With these boards they boldly swim out to sea, diving under the incoming waves, until they reach the line of deep water; then lying flat down upon their boards, they balance themselves on the crest of a breaker and ride it shoreward with almost incredible speed. It would be impossible to conceive of a more inspiring or exciting sport, and it is apparently attended with but little risk. Surf-riding seems to be peculiar to the Hawaiians, and all visitors who witness it are charmed by the grace and daring of the performers. Some of the most beautiful native women of Hawaii are expert surf-riders, and may be seen disporting themselves in the waves at their popular seaside resorts any month in the year. Even little children, of both sexes, are passionately fond of these thrilling races in the surf of the sea, and, being affectionately guarded by their elders, rarely meet with accident or injury. All visitors are fascinated by the sport, but few have the courage to essay it, and it is not likely ever to become popular away from its native home.

In considering the customs of the Hawaiians, it will not be forgotten that most of those described in this article are no longer practiced. It was our purpose merely to mention such as prevailed during the pagan era. The Hawaiians of the present time are a civilized and educated people. They are thoroughly Christian in their belief, and many of them are as polished in their manners as any of the men and women that you will meet in the leading centers of American and European civilization.

Bodysurfing - Just a body and a wave. Usually bodysurfing is done with the aid of swim fins to help the bodysurfer generate the necessary speed to catch the wave. Once the wave has been caught the body actually becomes the planing surface. Skillful bodysurfers are capable of extraordinary rides and maneuvers. Some masters can actually ride the "energy" just beneath the face of the wave, without ever actually protruding out of the wave. You may come across seals or dolphins enjoying waves by bodysurfing with their uncanny skill. [p. 1]

Belly/Bodyboarding - Bodysurfing with the aid of a planing device. The planing device may be small and hand held, planing out once the bodysurfer catches a wave. The larger, soft, flexible bodyboards have inspired a new sport. The bodyboard is small and easy to manage while afording substantial floatation and planing ability. These qualities assist the prone, swim fin assisted rider in catching and riding waves. Bodyboards come in a wide variety of shapes, with varying degrees of flex/stiffness and many different fin /rail configurations. Expert bodyboarders are capable of amazing rides. Their prone position lends them stability as well as allowing them to fit in the tight confines of a deep tube. Occasionally they kneel or stand on their bodyboards while performing a particular maneuver. The best riders go out and rip at Pipeline - their potential should not be underestimated.

Note: Both bodysurfing and bellyboarding are excellent presurfing interests. They familiarize one with the ocean and waves. Wave judgement is the most difficult aspect of surfing to master. The actual balance of riding a board isn't that difficult for people to learn, but before you can ride waves you have to catch waves. Every surf spot will have its own characteristic wave which will change according to tide, swell, and wind. It takes years to accumulate the experience needed to deal with the multitude of situations the sea is capable of. You may find that bodysurfing and belly boarding provide you with the thrill you were searching for. If you decide to kneeboard or surf, the wave judgement learned while bodysurfing or bellyboarding wiil be an invaluable asset to your progress. [p. 1]

Kneeboarding - A type of surfing where the surfer rides a specialized board on his knees. Most kneeboards are tri or quad fin designs between five and six feet in length. Padded chest or double knee wells are utilized on some knee boards to improve control and surfing performance. Swim fins are worn to help propel the small boards into waves. Kneeboarding allows the rider to get into a very compact and stable position. The small board and stance of the kneeboarder make this type of surfing very suitable for steep drops, quick radical maneuvers and tube riding. [pp. 1-2]

Surfing - Surfing is the sport of riding across the face of a wave while standing on a specialized board. Surfing takes place on waves from one foot to over thirty feet in height. [p. 2, excerpt]

Personal preference, wave conditions, and the objectives of one's surfing dictate the type of approach and equipment most suitable. [p. 2, excerpt] 

The small konane board is at Hono-kau-pu,
My friend on the highest point of the surf.
There is a good surf for us.
My love has gone away.
Smooth is the floor of Kou,
Fine is the breeze from the mountains.

From the top of the tossing surf waves,
The eyes of the day and the night are forgotten.
Kou has the large konane board.

"...and enjoying the cool breezes of that district, and the pleasure of surf-bathing; and that with him was his sister Kelea, the most beautiful woman on Maui and the most accomplished surf-swimmer." and "...the messengers offered to ride the canoe through the surf--a sport as exciting as that of swimming on the surfboard."

One of the earliest memories of someone standing on a surfboard in South Africa was unearthed in the early 2000s. Cape Town surfer Ross Lindsay was in Zimbabwe visiting his wife's great aunt, Heather Price, who was almost 100 years old. The old lady's face lit up when he mentioned that he was a surfer. She hauled out photographs taken at Muizenberg during the First World War. The pictures showed her surfing with American marines, who had brought their boards with them on US Navy ships stopping off in Cape Town. There may be other sepia snaps, dog-eared and musty, buried beneath old papers in attics somewhere, but this is the first known experience of surfing in South Africa . [p. 12]

• bellyboard - a small-sized surfboard or flat piece of wood used to ride the waves while lying on your stomach. (p. 152)
• paipo board - a small bellyboard used in the Hawaiian Islands. (p. 156)

• bellyboard - a small-sized surfboard or flat piece of wood used to ride the waves while lying on your stomach.
• body surfer - a surfer who rides the waves with his body alone. Occasionally uses swim fins to help propel into the wave.
• mat - a rubber mattress inflated and used to ride the waves. Some of the newer mats are constructed of plastic foam.
• mat surfer - a surfer who rides waves with a rubber surf mat.
• paipo board - a small bellyboard used in the Hawaiian Islands.

• p. 106, "Diamond Head and Waikiki Beach, Honolulu." This postcard also appears in the Mary Martin postcard book of 2008, a common postcard and photo scene with boys riding the shorebreak and others in the waters preparing to mount waves with Diamondhead in the background. It is dated as Pre-1915. Also see Paipos in the Media: Postcards.
  
• p. 107, "Surf riding at Waikiki, Honolulu." This is a 3-figure display on one card. This card is dated as Pre-1915. Also see Paipos in the Media: Postcards, "Surf Riding at Waikiki, Honolulu (ca. 1910-1915)."

"Where does he stand with regard to the evolution in design?"

"He was the one who put the basic ideas into McTavish's head, you see. Much of Bob's thinking was stimulated from talking with Greenough and also with a guy named Bob Cooper, another Californian."

"Even though he is just a belly boarder, in effect you're saying he's the best surfer in the world."

"Certainly. Certainly!"

"Even though he never stands on the board, just kneels?"

"Well, this is it, see; it's not another phase, it's what you're looking for as an end result--this total involvement. I'm blatant enough to say that the end result of surfing is to be able to ride a wave, completely involved with the curl. And George achieves this at least seventy percent of the time."

"Had you considered belly boards to be part of surfing up till two years ago, when you met George?"

"It's not so much of a clash here. Our boads are now getting more like belly boards. Look how small they've become."

"Yeah, he's working with something different from what I'm working with. I think we're both working toward a similar end result; it's just that George is a little closer to it than I am."

"How?"

"Here he is, he's dealing with a thing that really isn't surfing. Most of the time you really can't see him riding a wave. There's some little animal back inside there yelling at you, you know, saying, 'This is pretty in here.' "

Nat, by the way, is wrong about one thing; George has stood up on a surfboard -- a couple of times; but he didn't think it was much fun. He prefers air mattresses and belly boards. Normally, this would get a guy laughed out of the water, but George is such a fantastic innovator and so committed out there in the water that he is respected by everyone.

The surf on that day was in fine sporting condition, and a number of young women were surf-riding, and Kahalaopuna longed to be with them. Forgetting the warning, as soon as her mother fell asleep she slipped out with one of her maids and swam out on a surf-board. [p. 131]

It is unrecorded history circa 1910, that an Australian whilst passing through Cape Town visited the "Sands of Muizenberg". There he noticed a plank of wood on the beach, which he picked up and showed the locals how to catch a wave. Soon small boys came riding in on the waves clutching logs of wood and planks. The carpenters of Cape Town were kept busy turning out flat planed boards. These they soon refined to have turned-up ends, which meant less chance of a nose dive and a stray jab in the solar plexus. [p. 150]

Surfing made Muizenberg the most popular holiday resort in South Africa. Special fencing was placed around the pavilion to prevent surfers from being washed under the building at high tides. So popular did it become with parents and children that the Municipality became proprietor of several thousand surf-boards, which were hired out with costumes and towels to bathers. Soon the age-old problem - collisions with non-surfers began to arise. Separate areas were demarcated for surfing, and the South-West corner of Muizenberg beach, known as "Surfers Corner" became extremely popular. [pp. 150, 152]

"This new thrill of surf-board riding should bring many more visitors from up country, if they only knew about it", the publicity association considered. In the Cape Times of June 1913 they exhorted surfers to tum out in great numbers one Sunday at Muizenberg so that they could make a film of them, "bring this fascinating sport to the notice of up-country people who may not have visited Muizenberg". It was mid-winter so some encouragement was needed, and the annotation "It should be noted that the temperature of the water at present is quite high." was added. [p. 152]

After the Great War the popularity of surf-board riding at Muizenberg increased tremendously. The boards became lighter, correspondence was entered into with Hawaii for more dimensions and details of the surf-boards on which the Hawaiians surfed and were renowned. This advice helped the local surfers to improve what now was a most popular form of bathing. [p. 152]

• Surfing at Muizenberg and Xmas Greetings: Surf-Bathing, Muizenberg.
  

It is unrecorded history, that an Australian while passing through Cape Town, circa 1910, visited the "Sands of Muizenberg". There he noticed a plank of wood on the beach, which he picked up and showed the locals how to catch a wave. Soon small boys came riding in on the waves clutching logs of wood and planks. The carpenters of Cape Town were kept busy turning out flat planed boards. These they soon refined to have turned-up ends, which meant less chance of a nose dive and a stray jab in the solar plexus.

Surfing made Muizenberg the most popular holiday resort in South Africa. Special fencing was placed around the pavilion to prevent surfers from being washed under the building at high tides. So popular did surfing become with parents and children that the Municipality became proprietor of several thousand surf-boards, which were hired out with costumes, bathing caps, towels and later deck-chairs to bathers. Tenders were called annually for the supply of these items. [order info snipped]

Soon the age-old problem, collisions with non-surfers, began to arise. Separate areas were demarcated for surfing, and the south-west comer of Muizenberg beach, known as "Surfer's Corner," became extremely popular. [p. 208]

• Surfing at Muizenberg and Xmas Greetings: Surf-Bathing, Muizenberg.

The lower card on p. 209 (Surf-Bathing) shows a surf-board feature not prominent on other postcards: crossbars forward and aft on the surf-board (see the below postcard snippet).

"This new thrill of surf-board riding should bring many more visitors from up-country, if they only knew about it", the publicity association considered. In the Cape Times of June 1913 they exhorted surfers to turn out in great numbers one Sunday at Muizenberg so that they could make a film of them, "bring this fascinating sport to the notice of up-country people who may not have visited Muizenberg". It was mid-winter so some encouragement was needed, and the annotation "It should be noted that the temperature of the water at present is quite high," was added.

After the First World War the popularity of surf-board riding at Muizenberg increased tremendously. The boards became lighter, and correspondence was entered into with Hawaii for more dimensions and details of the surf-boards on which the Hawaiians surfed and were renowned. This advice helped the local surfers to improve what now was a most popular form of bathing. [p 210]

• Surf-board riding popularized. Strict rules implemented by Council. [p. 245]

• Establishment of the Kalk Bay - Muizenberg Advancement Society. A society to promote tourism and publicity for Muizenberg and Kalk Bay.

Safe bathing was in public demand especially for children and the St. James tidal pool offered just that. Tidal pool bathing was very popular until c.1914 when as legend has it, an Australian troopship docked in Table Bay and a few of the soldiers ventured down to Muizenberg. Here they taught locals the art of surf-board riding and it was not long before it caught the fancy of many locals and visitors who now flocked to Muizenberg beach with a great variety of surf-boards. [p. 43]