Does anyone know how long mass-produced surfboards have been around?
I’ve been aware of the existence of popouts for a few years, but I’m sure they’ve been around for longer.
-a
Howzit need, That’s a good question, 1 of the first I can think of was Dewayne surfboards but there was probably ones before that. Aloha, Kokua
Need,
I think the definition of popout may have changed. When you went into a shop and just pulled one of the boards off the showroom that was one of many similar shapes in 2 inch increments we called it a “popout.” I think since I’ve been surfing(72). Probably goes back further. Mike
I had a 60’s era popout that I picked up at a flea market thinking I could refinish it. (You could tell it was a popout from the seam lines down the rails). But it wasn’t worth the effort…underneath the black house paint somebody had used to cover it up, the whole thing had been laid up with fiberglass mat. They’ve been around a long time.
Popouts have been around since the late 50’0 very early 60’s. Roger Sweet the brother of Dave Sweet, and actor Cliff Robertson (Moon Dog of Gidget fame) created the first popout. There were many brands Titan, Duke Kahanmoku, Malibu etc, etc. They were sold everywhere dept. stores, sporting goods stores blah, blah, blah.
Thanks for the input guys. I looked into it, and found this:
According to the Encyclopedia of Surfing (Matt Warshaw), popouts have been around since the late '50s.
Quote:
“The popout was invented in 1959 by the short-lived Robertson/Sweet company[…]. The typical R/S was built with a single layer of 20-ounce fiberglass laid over a virtually unshaped polyurethane foam core, and finished with a layered-fiberglass fin”.
Goes way more back than I imagined!
So it is then safe to call popout any board that hasn’t been hand shaped?
I have surfed in the past, but never owned a surfboard. I just used whatever happened to be unused by my friends at the time. I am curious as to what do most surfers do (the true surfers, not the surfing-hype-induced wanabees): purchase their boards off the shelf at the local surfshop, or wait for weeks before their custom order is completed by their shaper?
everyone wannabe.somthin thats what drives us…the ttenacious actually become that which they quest…when you stop wanting to be and are convinced that you are that what you once wanted to be are you done? or do you refine your wannas to bees…was a pacific homes a popout because of the production numbers?..I met a guy who’s father in law manufactured the Atlantic Paddle board licenced by Duke Kahanamoku sold em up and down the coast for lifesaing…hand shaprd and labored over meticulously has comparitivly become the polar identity of the prodution board …popout? somthing that means hurried and mechanicly produced without concern for anything but a streamlined process. to derive a hyper competitive market price point. …a kid from a family of 15…is a popout… popouts ae from every generation…dont forget the TIKI and the SHARK, carried proudly to the beach with both hands wrapped arround one side with a funny hat and silly beach shoes by non seasoned multitudes from beyond the berm…bless their hearts,…ambrose…may they help pay for that thai hacienda in Phuket
I’ve got an early 60’s (?) 9’6 Keoki popout…as far as they go, this one is pretty nice. Mainly blue, with what appears to be a true wood fin. The lam is actually pretty nice, a nice drawing of the Hawaiian Islands. Interesting to note that even popouts have entered the collecters market lately. I keep mine for the Hawaiian Islands picture, the very good condition, and for it’s place in the popular rise in sufing and beach culture. Don’t know that I would want to mant more, however…now a few more Hobies, that’s a different story 
Wasn’t there a Longboard Mag story a few years ago?
I rode a friends pop out back in '68 when I started and it rode great. It had been painted over and I could’nt make out the brand but it was lighter and more responsive than the Wardy I was riding at the time. Before the Wardy I had a 8’6" Bohemian pop out (I heard Velzy produced them) my dad bought from his friend for $25. I saw it auctioned off for $800 a few years ago. Yeah, Longboarder Magazine had an in depth article about pop outs a few years ago.
Nov/Dec. 1999 in Longboard Magazine there is a good article on popouts. Also an article on midlengths by Sam George that is a good read.
Roger
thank you, looked through all the mags last night, but only the cover blurbs, saw the mid length article so I know I have it