Rare Waves: Sun-Soaked Photos from Surfing’s Golden Age
From California to Australia, surfing was more than a sport; it was an attitude, a fashion statement, and the soundtrack of a generation seeking freedom.
Once a niche activity, surfing blossomed into a vibrant cultural phenomenon by the mid-20th century.
Pioneers introduced California to surfing, using custom-shaped redwood boards, bringing a sport central to Hawaiian culture.
Early pioneers, experimenting with board materials, refined designs and techniques with guidance from mentors and ancient Hawaiian knowledge.
Duke Kahanamoku, the father of modern surfing, introduced wave-riding to New York’s Rockaway Beach in 1912, sharing its thrill with an urban audience.
Six young women with their surfboards on a Southern California beach, circa late 1920s/early 1930s.
Women surfboarders forming a star formation on their huge hollow boards at Santa Monica Beach, circa 1935.
As surfing’s popularity soared, new brands like Vans and Channel Islands emerged, defining surf culture and gear, even amidst growing territorial disputes.
Marilyn Ridge, Lyn Connelly, and Dee Delaney prepare to ride the swell on Newquay beach, Cornwall, 1955.
Six young women with their surfboards on a Southern California beach, circa late 1920s/early 1930s.
Six young women with their surfboards on a Southern California beach, circa late 1920s/early 1930s.
Six young women with their surfboards on a Southern California beach, circa late 1920s/early 1930s.
Six young women with their surfboards on a Southern California beach, circa late 1920s/early 1930s.
Six young women with their surfboards on a Southern California beach, circa late 1920s/early 1930s.
Six young women with their surfboards on a Southern California beach, circa late 1920s/early 1930s.
Six young women with their surfboards on a Southern California beach, circa late 1920s/early 1930s.
Six young women with their surfboards on a Southern California beach, circa late 1920s/early 1930s.
16-year-old Kathy ‘Gidget’ Kohner on the beach with her surfboard, 1957.
16-year-old Kathy ‘Gidget’ Kohner on the beach with her surfboard, 1957.
Two women carrying their surfboards along the beach, 1960.
Members of the North Bay surfing club unload their boards from a station wagon at Malibu Beach, California, July 12, 1961.
Australian Maureen Horsley and American champion Linda Benson prepare for the World Surfboard Riding Championships at Sydney’s Manly Beach, 1964.
A woman carrying her surfboard down to the water on a beach near Sydney, Australia, circa 1965.
Actress Sally Field, as ‘Gidget,’ posing with a surfboard on the beach, circa 1965.
Water ski champions demonstrating skills, riding wave wakes without a tow-line at Cypress Gardens, Florida, 1965.
US surfer Kathie Lacroix competing at the Women’s World Surfing Championships, 1966.
A woman in a checkered bikini leaning on her surfboard in Los Angeles, circa 1967.
Six young women with their surfboards on a Southern California beach, circa late 1920s/early 1930s.
Six young women with their surfboards on a Southern California beach, circa late 1920s/early 1930s.
Six young women with their surfboards on a Southern California beach, circa late 1920s/early 1930s.
Six young women with their surfboards on a Southern California beach, circa late 1920s/early 1930s.
Six young women with their surfboards on a Southern California beach, circa late 1920s/early 1930s.
