{"product_id":"surf-craft-design-and-the-culture-of-board-riding-hardcover","title":"Surf Craft: Design and the Culture of Board Riding - Hardcover","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eRichard Kenvin\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe evolution of the surfboard, from traditional Hawaiian folk designs to masterpieces of mathematical engineering to mass-produced fiberglass. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSurfboards were once made of wood and shaped by hand, objects of both cultural and recreational significance. Today most surfboards are mass-produced with fiberglass and a stew of petrochemicals, moving (or floating) billboards for athletes and their brands, emphasizing the commercial rather than the cultural. \u003ci\u003eSurf Craft\u003c\/i\u003e maps this evolution, examining surfboard design and craft with 150 color images and an insightful text. From the ancient Hawaiian \u003ci\u003ealaia\u003c\/i\u003e, the traditional board of the common people, to the unadorned boards designed with mathematical precision (but built by hand) by Bob Simmons, to the store-bought longboards popularized by the 1959 surf-exploitation movie \u003ci\u003eGidget\u003c\/i\u003e, board design reflects both aesthetics and history. The decline of traditional \u003ci\u003ealaia\u003c\/i\u003e board riding is not only an example of a lost art but also a metaphor for the disintegration of traditional culture after the Republic of Hawaii was overthrown and annexed in the 1890s.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn his text, Richard Kenvin looks at the craft and design of surfboards from a historical and cultural perspective. He views board design as an exemplary model of \u003ci\u003emingei\u003c\/i\u003e, or art of the people, and the craft philosophy of Soetsu Yanagi. Yanagi believed that a design's true beauty and purpose are revealed when it is put to its intended use. In its purest form, the craft of board building, along with the act of surfing itself, exemplifies mingei. \u003ci\u003eSurf Craft\u003c\/i\u003e pays particular attention to Bob Simmons's boards, which are striking examples of this kind of functional design, mirroring the work of postwar modern California designers.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eSurf Craft \u003c\/i\u003eis published in conjunction with an exhibition at San Diego's Mingei International Museum.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRichard Kenvin is Director of the Hydrodynamica Project. He writes for \u003ci\u003eThe Surfer's Journal\u003c\/i\u003e and is the guest curator of the Surf Craft exhibition.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 192\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.9 x 11.2 x 10.3 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e July 18, 2014\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51754090365216,"sku":"9780262027601","price":44.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0974\/9764\/5344\/files\/f12f65cbc5899c74f1e62e42e6251a86.webp?v=1780033194","url":"https:\/\/ebocreations.com\/products\/surf-craft-design-and-the-culture-of-board-riding-hardcover","provider":"The E-Book Oasis LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}