Rich Harbour with his foam surfboard 1959


The Dawn of Foam Surfboards

While balsa was the material of choice to make surfboards with during the early and mid 1950’s, Styrofoam and Polyurethane foam were being researched by a select few. After trial and error Polyurethane more than Styrofoam would become the core from which the advancement of surfing would build on. The spirit of going where no one has gone before fueled the development. 

Board designs were still being developed for big waves and surfers with a go for it attitude had to make do with the boards that they had. On November 5, 1957 there were a group of surfers with that determination, Bing Copeland, Greg Noll, Mike Stange, Pat Curren, Mickey Munoz, Del Cannon, and Bob Bermel paddled out into the lineup at Waimea Bay.

Mickey Munoz was riding a Velzy Pig Model, some say he was the first one to catch the first wave there. Mickey recalls "my board pearled after the take off" and with it the wave ate his board so to speak. After the sacrificial offering and the long swim, the waves of Waimea Bay were ridden.  It was a new day for big wave riding and the beginning of what would be become the foam surfboard era.

The epicenter of commercial foam surfboard building began in Southern California, where the manufacturers of polyurethane foam were all located.  The characteristic of foam held promises of easier shaping, lighter weight and higher performance compared to wood. With foam came a partnership with fiberglass and resin, which made repairs easier. With all those enticing attributes, the shapers of the late 1950’s took surfing to the next level. Within the perimeter of that level, the shapers and their team riders and the independent shaper/rider were at the leading edge of the design process.