The Surfboard. Art, Style, Stoke

"Every day of the year where the water is 76, day and night, and the waves roll high, I take my sled, without runners, and coast down the face of the big waves that roll in at Waikiki" - Hawaiian surfing hero Duke Kahanamoku.

Even in the beginning, the surfboard was a religious icon. The ancient Hawaiians rode their koa boards in homage to the sea's gods. And today, surfing is a philosophy and a way of life rolled in to one.

Here is the first ever history of the surfboard. The Surfboard follows this history, from the first 'wave-riding' redwood planks crafted by ancient Hawaiians to the vacuum-sealed, lightweight, 'plastic fantastic' technological marvels of today.

Beautifully illustrated with historical prints and engravings, as well as the latest surf photography and detailed close ups, this book documents the surfboard's evolution as a perfect convergence of form and function.

Author

Ben Marcus is a stoked gremmie who grew up surfing Santa Cruz and Malibu, travelling the world in search of the perfect wave. He served 10 years as associate editor at The Surfer magazine. He now writes for The Surfer's Journal and other surf publications. He lives in Malibu.

The Surfboard is available from all good bookshops or direct from Grantham Book Services T: 01476 541080