Name: 1930s Antique Tom Blake Wooden Hawaiian Surfboard
Brand: Tom Blake
Rating: 5 (3 reviews)

1930s Antique Tom Blake Wooden Hawaiian Surfboard

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About the Item

Tom Blake hollow handmade Hawaiian wooden surfboard, circa 1937. A remarkable example of a classic antique surfboard with drain plug and ring tie off. "The Kind the Lifeguards Use". This early 20th century surfboard has been meticulously preserved over it's lifetime and has an interesting provenance having been gifted to the current owner's family by the son of Eli Lilly, founder of the 140 year old Eli Lilly Pharmaceutical company. This patented surfboard design was on the cutting edge weighing 50% less than common surfboards of the day. This very design single handedly fueled the first surfing boom in history as the lighter boards made the sport more accessible to the masses. Thomas Edward Blake was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on March 8, 1902. When Tom Blake was a young adult, he met Duke Kahanamoku "The Father of Surfing" in a movie theatre lobby in Detroit, Michigan. A year later he moved to Los Angeles, California and after just 1 year of formal training became a world class swimmer, competing alongside other top level swimmers such as Kahanamoku. In 1924, while working as a lifeguard at the Santa Monica swimming club, Tom stumbled upon a surfboard being stored there. He took it out in the waves that day and never looked back. Soon thereafter, Tom took a trip to Hawaii to surf in the warm waters of Waikiki. While in Honolulu, Tom took an interest in studying the surfboards of the ancient Hawaiians at Bishop Museum. The surfboards of the era weighed over 100 pounds and were a struggle to drag into the water. In light of this fact, Tom started to experiment with surfboard design. By 1926 he would come up with his first wooden surfboard designs. His boards evolved over the years from designs with hundreds of holes drilled into it covered with a thin wood veneer, to a design with carved chambered out hulls, to finally a much more complex design using a transversely braced hollow hull with wood ribs added for strength, similar to that of an airplane wing. His final breakthrough design cut the surfboard weight in half and single handedly ignited the first surfing boom in history as the lighter boards made the sport more accessible to the masses. Blake also became one of the first surf photographers and in 1930 invented the underwater camera housing after purchasing a camera from Duke Kahanamoku. Some of Tom's photographs would end up published in a 1935 issue of The National Geographic along with his first book “Hawaiian Surfboard". The first book of it's kind, describing the history of surfing. By 1931, Tom patented his surfboard invention and his boards became the standard for life saving devices used by lifeguards across the globe. In 1935 he made another incredible invention for the sport, creating the first surfboard stabilizing fin. This single invention would be the basis of nearly all future advancements of surfboard design. In 1932, Tom launched the Mainland to Catalina island paddle board race and claimed first place. Later that same year Blake invented the sail board. In addition to his first book "Hawaii Surfboard" Tom would go on to write three more books, ‘Royal Hawaiians’, ‘Hawaiian Surf Riders’, and ‘Voice of the Atom’. Tom also worked as a stunt double on dozens of movies in Hollywood with A-list stars such as Clark Gable. Last but not least, Tom is credited as the very first surfer to ride the waves at the iconic Southern California surf break, Malibu Point. The legendary Tom Blake passed away on May 5, 1994 in his home state of Wisconsin. His memory and legacy lives on through every surfboard and paddle board ridden around the globe.

Creator:
Tom Blake (Designer)
Dimensions:
Height: 155 in (393.7 cm)Width: 22 in (55.88 cm)Depth: 4 in (10.16 cm)
Materials and Techniques:
Softwood
Place of Origin:
United States
Period:
1930-1939
Date of Manufacture:
1933-1939
Condition:
Minor losses. Minor structural damages. Minor fading.
Seller Location:
Haleiwa, HI
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU5290219513882

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