Surfing the Modern History and Research Paper

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The mounting preoccupation of America's youth with surfing would, for the new generations coming of age at this time, become less a counterculture and more mainstream as a recreational activity. As Eglington (2004) would remark, "the sport exploded in popularity in the 1950s and 1960s, when cheaper, more maneuverable, and lighter boards made of fiberglass and foam became available and the teenaged baby boomers headed to the beach in droves to enjoy the maneuverability and stunts made possible by the new boards." (Eglington, 1)

The result was what could be regarded as a momentary fixation on surfing and all of its cultural conceits. During the earliest part of the 1960s, surfing could even be thought of as a fad for those in the mainstream who were inspired by its fashion and its rebellious attitude. Among the features of the culture that would be embraced were new styles of bathing suit, including longer 'board shorts' amongst men and bikini tops amongst women. Another feature distinct to the culture would be the adoption of the 'Woody' as the car of choice for transporting surfers and their boards to the beach. The long, wood-paneled station wagon facilitated the roof-racking of boards and could seat upwards of 6 passengers.

Beyond these features, surfing seems most to have left its stamp from this era for its prominent role in a series of kitschy films that, though dated, are still affectionately perceived for their part in helping to extend the visibility of the sport. This is a part that would be initiated with a film that perhaps by no coincidence was released in the same year as the acquisition of Hawaii. Marcus (2003) tells of "a young surfer girl named Gidget who was immortalized in a book by her father and then in the movie that bears her name. Gidget the movie brought surfing to international attention for the first time. Then came the Beach Blanket Bingo movies.

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" (Marcus, 1)

The beach party movie become an important popular film category for this brief time, with such movies generating considerable youth interest. To the point, it may even be said that such movies helped to touch of a brief surfing craze. The films placed the fashion, lingo, hand-gestures and especially the music of the surfing culture into a place of greater visibility, extending the appeal of this artifacts outside of the sport itself. The music is perhaps the finest example of this, with surf music coming to occupy an important part in the popular sound of the time. Musicians such as Dick Dale and his Deltones, the Surfaris and the Ventures would emerge from the surf culture as progenitors of a tubular, eastern inflected guitar style that would influence a great many rock virtuosos in the years to follow. And combos like the Beach Boys used the cultural conceits and topical interest of surfing to drive an identity which would thus function as a pointedly American counterpoint to the Beatles.

This period in the history would be temporary, but would have lasting consequences to the sport. Today, surfing is taken seriously as a competitive activity and respected for its difficulty and mystique. Nonetheless, it still retains some cultural elements that allow it to be thought of as countercultural. Inherently, the physical rigors of the sport make it the province of the young. Therefore, it is likely always to carry the rebellious implications that are distinct to the American variation on surfing. That notwithstanding, surfing may never enjoy the visibility and mainstream acceptance that greeted it in the 1960s.

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