Origins & History

How Surf-Riding Began

Long before people started to stand up on ‘Malibu’ surf boards in Britain in the 1960s, they surfed the Atlantic rollers lying down on thin flat wooden boards - a design based on the ancient Hawaiin “paipo” boards (paipo - meaning short or small board).

They are more often called belly boards these days, but originally they were called surf boards or surf-riding boards. Until recently a number of surf historians claimed that this type of surfing began in Britain in 1918 when the first world war veterans returned home - but The British Surfing Museum has recently discovered the existence of a photograph of a man with a short board in 1904.

In "The Art of Surf-riding" (1934 edition) author Ronald S. Funnell writes ‘ A new and exhilerating sport is rapidly gaining many fans in England - surf-riding and deservedly so, for its health giving as well as invigorating relaxation and pastime. The 1953 ‘Coronation edition’ claims that “the keen interest in surf-riding has become intensified owing to excellent photographs” which had appeared in recent years in the national press.

The Boogie Board Revolution

The late 1960s saw the advent of the white polystyrene surf boards called ‘Floatinas’ which
proved very popular until surfers discovered they often caused skin irritations. Then in 1971 an American called Tom Morey invented and registered the ‘Morey boogie board’. Soon they began to out number the original British wooden boards.

Some boogie boarders think that their surf boards are an upgraded modern version of the original wooden body boards, but we believe that surfing on an original board is a different type of surfing.

Silver Surfers

A few creative surf riders have painted their own boards, but we've noticed that most wooden boards on the beach these days are looking old and tired and in need of a face lift (no mean spirited comments about the owners please!).

You don't have to be young to feel cool in the surf - with an original surfboard and an updated image - silver surfers can inspire children & grandchildren to try a more environmentally friendly way of body boarding, get closer to the waves and revive the original British surf sport of surf riding.