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pods for primates : a catalogue of surfboards in australia since 1900

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references : books s

1969
St. Pierre, Brian
The Plastic Fantastic Voyage
- Across the South Pacific with Surfers and a Camera
Coward - McCann, Inc. New York. 1969
Hard cover, 253 pages, black and white plates.
Review

1998
Schiffer, Nancy N; in cooperation with the San Francisco Airport Museums ;
Photographs byDouglas Congdon-Martin :
Surfing
Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
4880 Lower Valley Road Atglen PA 19310
Hard cover, 160 pages, extensive colour and black and whie photographs.
Review
This beautifully produced book is essentially a photographic catalogue of an exhibition at the San Francisco International Museum, October 1997 to February 1998. The text is either short introductions or relevant quotations for each section. Exhibits include a 1941 Oldsmobile (woody), boards, swimwear, trophies, books, records, magazines, posters, postcards and photographs. The board photographs are excellent and often have accompanying close-ups of markings, decals and fins.
Major contributors : Santa Cruz Surfing Museum, J.&M. Ford, Dan Pincetich, Mark Renneker MD, C.R. Stecyk, Cary B. Weiss, The Greg Noll Family Trust, The Keating Family, LeRoy Grannis, Dr. J.H. Ball, O'Neill Wesuits, Gary Saxon - The Record Man.
Australian Content :
1. Poster: 'Duke Kanhanamoku International Surfing Championships, 1968' - Nat Young Invitee.
2. Magazine: Sports Illustrated, March 10, 1958'- cover story.
3. Poster: Bruce Brown Films presents Surfing Hollow Days - includes Australia.
4. Poster: Don Brown presents Have Board Will Travel 1963 - includes Australia.
Pedants Corner
1. Photograph page 100 captioned Santa Cruz Surf Club, 1941 - probably mid to late 1950's:- glassed and finned boards, car with twin headlights, skateboard.
2. Board captions do not include dimensions.
3. The inclusion of miniture surfboard reproductions (pages 27, 37, 42, 76, 77 -all not dated and page 78, 1994), although useful in an exhibition, appear out of context in the book when transposed against a huge volume of original items.

1964
Severson, John:
Modern Surfing Around the World
Doubleday and Company, Inc, Garden City New York.
Hard cover, 189 pages, black and white photographs, Glossary(Chapter 18).
Review
Impressive work (for 1964), the mainbody (Part II) concentrating on a guide to West Coast (USA) and Hawaiian surf breaks, with brief notes on East Coast (USA), Mexico, Australia (Chapter 10), New Zealand, France, South Africa, and Peru. Surfing History (very brief) in Chapter 2 and design and alternative craft in Chapter 15. The photography is of an excellent standard, including a large number by Louise Severson of the
author. John Severson was the founder of SURFER magazine.
Note: Cover shows Bob Pike at Sunset Beach, circa 1963.
Duke Kahanamoku at Freshwater : 1912

1984
Shackelton, Roger; with Christensen, John :
All about Wave skis
Surfside Press 7 Dale Street Brookvale NSW 2100
Hard cover, 96 pages, 60 colour photographs / sequences, 35 b/w illustrations, glossary, directory of wave ski associations and clubs, index.
Review
Comprehensive instructional book with well presented sequences and diagrams, with some application to other craft. Design (page 62) and Construction (page 78) chapters are similarly informative, some limited historical information in The World Wide Development of Competition (page 25).

1994
Shaw, Stephen M.
Surfboard
Stephen M.Shaw, 733 Bishop Street, Ste. 170 - 497
Honolulu, HI 96813, USA.
First published as
1963 The Surfboard Builder's Manual, then
1971 - 1979 The Surfboard Builder's Yearbook, and
1979 - 1983 Surfboard
Soft cover, 64 pages, colour photographs, black and white illustrations, Glossary.
Review
Basic reliable guide to surfcraft manufacture. Includes Raw materials used in surfboard construction, pages 1 to 5 by Gordon 'Grubby' Clarke, one of the pioneers of foam blanks in the 1950's. The Basics and disiplines of Surfing, pages 45 to 52. There is little mention of surfboard constuction and/or design history, and only brief notes on design principles. Recomended for anyone contemplating construction or major repairs.Duplicate Japanese text.

2003
Slatter, Kelly, with Jason Borte :
Pipe Dreams - a surfer's journey
Review
This copy, courtesy of Shoalhaven City Library.

1996
Sobel, Dava :
Longitude - The true Story of a Lone genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific problem of His Time
Fourth Estate Limited
6 Salem Road London W2 4BU 1996
Paperback edition 1998.
Soft cover, 184 pages, Bibliography, Index.
Review
A popular account of the development of John Harrison's maritime chronometer used to calculate longitude.
Its effectiveness was emphatically demonstrated on Cook's second voyage to the Pacific, pages 138 to 151.

2003
Southerden, Louise :
Surf's Up : The Girl's Guide to Surfing
Allen and Unwin
83 Alexander Street, Crows Nest. NSW 2065. 2003
Soft cover, 223 pages, monochrome photographs, Appendicies.
Review
Extensive and finely detailed instructional book, with a focus on the female surfer.
Probably as good as any similar publication, it should not be ignored by male surfers.
Written with a delightful combination of relevant facts and light hearted humour, for example page 48...
The embarrassment factor (or 'Does my bum look big in this wetsuit?)

This copy, courtesy of Shoalhaven City Library.

1867
Steedman, Charles:
Manual of Swimming:
including Bathing, Plunging, Diving, Floating, Scientific
Swimming, Training, Drowning, and Rescuing
Henry Tolman Dwight, Bourke Street, Melbourne
Lockwood and Co, London. 1867

2005
Steyck, C. R. and Kampion, Drew :
Dora Lives - The Authorised Story of Miki Dora
T. Adler Books, Santa Barbara. 2005.
Hard coner, 137 pages, colour photographs, black and white photographs, Chronology, Acknowledgements.
Review

1992
Stell, Marion K. :
Pam Burridge
Collins Angus & Robertson Publishers (Australia) Pty. Limited
A division of Harper Collins Publishers (Australia) Pty. Limited
25 Ryde Road, Pymble NSW 2073, Australia
Hard cover, 204 pages, 18 colour plates, 7 b/w plates, 2 b/w photographs, 4 b/w newspaper reprints, appendices, index.
Review
Although the book has most emphasis on a professional surfing career, there are interesting sections on ‘Women of the Surf’ (pages 5 –11 : note Isobel Letham), early surfing, surf culture (“Pam and the Passions” pages 93 – 101) and lifestyle problems (anorexia and alcoholism). Design features : mat, coolite and first board, backyarder 1975 (pages 19 –20); 2nd board, pseudo Lightning Bolt 1976 (page24); 3rd board, McCoy 1978 (pages 36 – 37 and adjoining plate); Geoff McCoy single fin intransigence 1983 (page 85); adoption of trifin and move to Aloha / Greg Clough 1985 (pages 118 – 120). Interesting to compare this book with Tom Carroll’s biography that covers a similar period. Duke Kahanamoku at Freshwater : Saturday 6th February 1915.

1963
Stern, David H. and Cleary, William S. :
Surfing Guide to Southern California
The Fitzpatrick Company, Box 565 Malibu, California.
Soft cover, 229 pages, extensive black and white photographs and maps, Appendix, Emergency Information, Miscellaneous Notes, Surf Shops, Tide Tables 1963-1964, Index.
Review
Possibly one of the first books as a exclusive surf guide - some other general surfing books have included a chapter on locations. Published the same year as Ricky Grigg and Ron Church's Surfer in Hawaii : A Guide to Surfing in the Hawaiian Islands,1963 This extensively detailed guide sets a high standard that probably has not been equalled by subsequent publications. The inclusion of aerial photographs is unique. A hort History chapter is competent and the accompanying photographs are significant, for example George Freeth, page 17. Many important surfers are featured, including George Greenough (page 32), Mickey Dora (pages 61, 98, 99), Phil Edwards (page 166) and Greg Noll (pages 126 to 128). A heathly sense of humor pervades the text, see page 71.

1874
Stoddard, Charles Warren:
Summer Cruising in the South Seas.
Chatto and Windus, London. 1874.

1987 Edition (Cover image, right).
Stoddard, Charles Warren:
Summer Cruising in the South Seas.
Gay Sunshine Press Inc.
PO Box 40397 San Francisco CA 94140
Soft cover, 190 pages, six black and white illustrations, author's portrait.
Review.
A collection of stories from Stoddard's South Sea Idyls (1873), the English edition was titled Summer Cruising in the South Seas (1874), and The Island of tranquill Delights (1904).
Stoddard's 19th century work is noted for its homoerotic themes, fully discussed in Roger Austin's introduction to this edition.
See: Stoddard : Surfriding in Maui,1874.

1932
The Surf Life Saving Association of Australia :
The Australian Surf Life Saving Handbook
Eighth Edition (Revised 1932)
JNO, Evans and Son Printing Coy.,
486-488 Kent Street Sydney, New South Wales
Soft cover, 263 pages, black and white photographs, black and white illustrations, Index.
Review
Note :
Plan and Specifications (solid wood Alaia surfboard), pages 196-170
Instructions for use of Surf Board, page 170
Rescue work with Surf Boards, includes rules for Board Rescue Event,
pages 172 - 173: and
Plans and Specifications for Surf Life Saving Boats pages 150 - 154.
Also note photographs :
1. Propelling a Suf Board, page 83.
Possibly Claude West.
2. Many of the Australian Surf Life Savers are skilled surf-board riders,
page 171
3. Riding and shooting the breakers on Sydney beaches, page 171.
4. Surf Boards and Riders, page 173.
Probably Palm Beach.
Note that there is no mention or photographs of Surfskis.

1938
The Surf Life Saving Association of Australia :
The Australian Surf Life Saving Handbook
Tenth Edition (Revised 1938)
JNO, Evans and Son Printing Coy.,
486-488 Kent Street Sydney, New South Wales
Soft cover, 287 pages, black and white photographs, black and white illustrations, Index.
Review
Text highlights (same as 1932 Edition above) :
Plan and Specifications (solid wood Alaia surfboard), pages 182 - 183
Instructions for use of Surf Board, page 183
Rescue work with Surf Boards, includes rules for Board Rescue Event,
pages 184 - 185; and
Plans and Specifications for Surf Life Saving Boats pages 161 - 167.
Also note photographs, three from the 1932 Edition (marked ##) :
1. Propelling a Suf Board, page 83.
## Possibly Claude West.
2. Five riders and boards at shoreline (uncaptioned), page 102
## Probably Palm Beach.
3. Surfskis (uncaptioned), page 180.
Early models - plus 26 inches wide with paddle ropes.
Not referred to in the text.
4. Showing surfboard "shooters" taking a wave, page 181.
## Previously captioned ...Australian Surf Life Savers...
5. The Rubber Surf Float, page 267.
Surfoplane carried by competitor in club cap.
Not referred to in the text

1947
The Surf Life Saving Association of Australia :
The Australian Surf Life Saving Handbook
Fifteenth Edition (Revised June 1947)
JNO, Evans and Son Printing Coy.,
486-488 Kent Street Sydney, New South Wales
Soft cover, 282 pages, black and white photographs, black and white illustrations, Index.
Review
Text highlights, mostly reprinted from previous editions (marked ##) :
Specifications for making a Hollow Surf Board, pages 208 - 209.
A variation on Tom Blake's Hollow Paddle Board 1937
Details and Specifications of Solid Surf Board , pages 210 - 211.##
Instructions for use of Surf Board, pages 211. ##
Surf Boards and Surf Skis Rescue Methods, pages 211 - 213 ##
Surf Boards and Surf Skis Rules for Control by Clubs, page 213.
Surf Board Race Rules, pages 274 - 275.
Plans and Specifications for Surf Life Saving Boats pages 192 - 198.
Also note photographs :
1. Surfboard race start, uncaptioned, Plate EX page 275,
2. Surfboard race finish, uncaptioned, Plate FX page 276,
Both Manly, probably Ray Leighton.
None of the surfing photographs from the previous editions are included.

1955
The Surf Life Saving Association of Australia :
The Australian Surf Life Saving Gear and Equipment Handbook
First Edition October 1955
Issued by The Surf Life Saving Association of Australia.
Headquartes : Sydney, Australia.
Soft cover, 248 pages, black and white photographs, black and white illustrations, Index.
Review
Intensive equipment manual specifiying every concievable aspect of surf life saving work;including badges and pennants, pages 113 to 124.
Chapter II, Boat and Equipment is supplemented by photographs and plans in the White and Pink sections, respectively.
Chapter III, Surf board, Ski, Canoe, Float and Flippers is supplemented by photographs and plans in the White and Pink sections, respectively.
Note :
Drawing 21 : Plans of 14 ft. (wave) and 16 ft. (racing) Surf Boards,
page 171
Drawing 22 : Plans of 18 ft. Single Surf Ski, page 175.
Drawing 23 : Plans of 22 ft. Double Surf Ski, page 177.
Drawing 25 : Design and Measurements of a Rubber Surfboard or Surfoplane, page 179.
Special note: A strange mix of conservative analysis and highly accurate prediction ...
CHAPTER IX : THE FUTURE
"A review of present gear and its effectiveness under Australian surf conditions indicates there will be few, if any, revolutionary changes...The use of fibreglass ... for surf boats, boards and skis, are also a distinct possibility for the future." Page 67.
Australian surfboards would undergo radical change in 1956, with the introduction of the fibreglassed Malibu board by visiting American and Hawiian surfers in 1956.

STOCKLEY, WILLIAM.O. ET AL. Improve Your Swimming the Most Comprehensive Book on Swimming Diving Water Polo Surfing Life Saving and General Swimming Matters Yet Published
Macky Logan Caldwell Ltd., NZ, 1931. pp 226
Australian content various contributors

surfresearch.com.au

Note
This is not a complete list of surfing books, only books read and reviewed for this site are listed.
For more comprehensive lists go to...
The Surfing Bibliography - Surfing Books
- Steven Whelan's comprehensive list of books, film, video and magazines, listed alphabetically.
From England,
and/or
The Water Log Surfing Bibliography
- excellent listing of books and journals by Daved Marsh USA, listed by category. From USA..