Polynesians were playing the surf with "belly boards".
Day and Month unknown.
Sufing Disappears except for a few isolated spots on the island
Day and Month unknown.
Hawiian-Englishman George Freeth leans to surf and teaches vistitors and islanders.
Unknown Day and Month.
Tom Blake drills holes in his 15-foot-long redwood board to reduce its weight.
The introduction of Balsa decreases surf board weight.
Blake creates the fixed-tail fin, which increases maneuverability and stability.
In the '50s, Hawaii's George Downing creates longboards: Shaved from polyurethane and finished in fiberglass, the narrow, lightweight boards are ideal for big-wave riding.
Californian Pat O'Neill comes up with a DIY solution: suction cup + surgical cord = surf leash.
Spanish firms Tecnalia and Pukas equip a board with a gyroscope, an accelerometer, a GPS, and strain gauges to gather data.
Global Surf Industries layers fiberglass and hand-laid coconut husks over an expanded polystyrene core to create a surfboard that is 25 percent lighter—and 35 percent stronger—than most other boards.
