Hawaii Surfboard Exhibit

The Bishop Museum in Honolulu is presenting a new exhibit featuring rare surfboards and surfing images. On display will be more than 25 historic surfboards including some owned and used by Hawaiian ali‘i. Also from this amazing resource will be a selection of rare surfing images, some never published before. The exhibit called Surfing: Featuring the Historic Surfboards in Bishop Museum’s Collection runs from June 19 to September 6, 2010.

The Bishop Museum is designated as the State Museum of Natural and Cultural History whose mission is to study, preserve, and tell the stories of the natural and cultural history of Hawai‘i and the Pacific. It has more than 24 million catalogued objects – ranking them fourth in the United States and among the top ten in the world.

As surfing has grown so has the interest in its history. Hawaii’s early Polynesian settlers were among the first people to take to the ocean to master the art of he‘e nalu (wave-sliding), and there are not many surviving surfboards from back then, so these are wonderful historic artifacts. The first plank boards were shaped from trees, and you will see examples of surfboard design and construction over the years – from simple wood planks to modern materials.

Worldwide interest in surfing began when Hawaii Olympian and avid surfer Duke Kahanamoku became its ambassador. A handful of the photos in the exhibit are from Duke’s personal collection. The museum will also feature a modern surf simulator for you to test your surfing prowess.