Surf Craft. Design and the Culture of Board Riding - Richard Kenvin

Surfboards 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. Surf Craft maps this evolution, examining surfboard design and craft with 150 color images and an insightful text. From the ancient Hawaiian alaia, 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 Gidget, board design reflects both aesthetics and history. The decline of traditional alaia 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. In 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 mingei, 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. Surf Craft 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. Surf Craft is published in conjunction with an exhibition at San Diego's Mingei International Museum.

Free Freight is offered on New Zealand deliverable orders of over $300.

Our shipping rates are based on the cost of your combined purchases.

As a general rule, orders will be dispatched from our Queenstown store, on the next business day after payment is received. Sometimes, we might achieve same day dispatch, however this is not guaranteed. All orders are freighted via standard security freight, utilising several different Third Party couriers. The courier used will depend on product ordered and the delivery address. Dispatch will usually take 1-3 business days from leaving our store. Freight for items/destinations outside of normal regions, should be negotiated prior to dispatch.

Click and Collect - With online purchases, the customer has an option to personally collect from our NZSHRED store at 19 Shotover Street, Queenstown. These purchases are freight & handling free-of-charge.

Please note all solid Watersports boards (eg: Paddleboards, Surfboards, Wakeboards & Skates) are generally Click and Collect ONLY. We can on occasions quote on freighting of these to New Zealand destinations. This cost will be 100% incurred by the customer. 

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