Despite a victory in the 1968 World Contest by old schooler Fred Hemmings, boards were shrinking around the world. By the end of the decade, a full 3 feet had been sawed off as designs were checking in below 7 feet. Furthermore, rails had evolved from 50-50 gravediggers to low models with a tucked edge. Shortboards were here.
The new mind machines were blazing paths in places never before imagined. The tube, previously a hot potato that no one would touch, became the surfer’s sanctuary. No longer were there limits to where one could go on a wave. With the development of the shortboard, performance surfing took its biggest leap ever, and it has yet to land.
Posted by jbay 