The following sections of this BookRags Literature Study Guide is offprint from Gale's For Students Series: Presenting Analysis, Context, and Criticism on Commonly Studied Works: Introduction, Author Biography, Plot Summary, Characters, Themes, Style, Historical Context, Critical Overview, Criticism and Critical Essays, Media Adaptations, Topics for Further Study, Compare & Contrast, What Do I Read Next?, For Further Study, and Sources.
(c)1998-2002; (c)2002 by Gale. Gale is an imprint of The Gale Group, Inc., a division of Thomson Learning, Inc. Gale and Design and Thomson Learning are trademarks used herein under license.
The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Encyclopedia of Popular Fiction: "Social Concerns", "Thematic Overview", "Techniques", "Literary Precedents", "Key Questions", "Related Titles", "Adaptations", "Related Web Sites". (c)1994-2005, by Walton Beacham.
The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Guide to Literature for Young Adults: "About the Author", "Overview", "Setting", "Literary Qualities", "Social Sensitivity", "Topics for Discussion", "Ideas for Reports and Papers". (c)1994-2005, by Walton Beacham.
All other sections in this Literature Study Guide are owned and copyrighted by BookRags, Inc.
Early polynesian peoples were the first to ride ocean waves on surfboards, but no one knows which particular group of islanders invented them. At the time, there were two types of boards: the alaia and the olo.
The smaller alaia boards, which weighed only about 11 lbs. (4.98 kg) and were made from the breadfruit tree, were typically used by women and children. They measured approximately 6 ft. (1.83 m) long, 14 in. (35.56 cm) wide, and 1/2 in. (1.27 cm) thick. The larger olo boards measured 15 ft. (4.57 m) long and were 6 in. (15.24 cm) thick. At 160 lbs. (72.43 kg), these boards were considerably heavier and were carved with tools made of stone or bone and then smoothed and polished by hand.
Construction of the boards remained virtually unchanged until early in the twentieth century. Duke Paoa Kahanamoku (1890-1968), a Hawaiian Olympic champion swimmer, was among those who worked on improving surfboard construction and design. Tom Blake, one of the earliest Caucasian inventors of surfboards, built the first paddleboard--a big, hollow board with straight rails (sides), a semi-pointed tail, and laminated wood for the deck (top surface).
After World War II, surfboard builders in Hawaii and California accelerated their experimentation. Single and double skegs (fins) were tried along with various convex and concave shapes. Boards during this period were made of solid wood, laminated wood, or plastic. One innovation that largely changed this was the introduction of foam rubber and fiberglass, materials which rendered wood, at least as a primary material, obsolete.
Ensuing design improvements included the creation of scoop noses that allowed the tips of surfboards to stay on the surface rather than dip under the waves. One person closely associated with such improvements was Robert Simmons, who lost his life in a surfing accident.