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Surfing ³Ô¹ÏÍø: A Photographic History Ìýcomes at a time when surfers throughout the world are beginning to seriously document this vitalÌýsport and lifestyle through books,museums and surfing history organizations. While ³Ô¹ÏÍø is part of this movement, it is also challengedÌýby its reputation for lackluster surf. Yet, because of the inconsistentÌýsurf, surfers from ³Ô¹ÏÍø share an insatiable hunger for waves andÌýan aggressive approach to the sport that has resulted in an incredible number of world titles for ³Ô¹ÏÍø’sÌýcompetitive surfers and a deepÌýcultural history. Surfing ³Ô¹ÏÍø seeks to foster the movement to archive and document ³Ô¹ÏÍø surf history through collaboration, associationÌýand contributions from all corners of ³Ô¹ÏÍø’s statewide surfing community.This project is made possible in part by a grant from the ³Ô¹ÏÍøÌýHumanities Council and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Konica Minolta is providing technical and production support for aÌýSurfing ³Ô¹ÏÍø book.

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Surfing ³Ô¹ÏÍøÌýis an exhibition and book project that will present the history of ³Ô¹ÏÍø surfing and surf culture including its international dimensions. ³Ô¹ÏÍø surfers know that despite consistently marginal surf, the Sunshine State has produced an amazing talent pool that successfully competes globally and that the state has also contributed to the innovation and growth of the equally world-wide surf industry. It's time ³Ô¹ÏÍø got its props, including a book on the shelf next to the many California/Hawaii centered publications.

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While it is important for theÌý Surfing ³Ô¹ÏÍøÌýproject to credibly represent the state’s core surfing community, the project also seeked to communicate to less informed audiences about core values and accomplishments of the state’s many surfing communities. The project also coincided with and contributed to preservation and academic efforts that are emerging in America and overseas as modern surfing history approaches it’s 100th year. For instance, students at FAU and UCF were receiving academic credit to assist in project research.

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Surfing ³Ô¹ÏÍø: A Photographic HistoryÌý wasÌýorganized by the University Galleries at ³Ô¹ÏÍø, Boca Raton. Paul Aho, a lifelong ³Ô¹ÏÍø surfer and shaper who actively competed as a teenager was the project’s editor and curator. Aho is an artist and a world-traveled surfer. To achieve the initial research and gathering of materials, Aho divided ³Ô¹ÏÍø into seven geographic regions.Ìý

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As a traveling exhibition,Ìý Surfing ³Ô¹ÏÍø: A Photographic History Ìýwill combine a thematically organized historical panel style exhibition combining digital reproductions of vintage photographs and interpretive texts along with many original photographic portfolios of the state’s best known surf photographers and most significant historic photo collections. Selected vintage photographs and media stations will round out the traveling portion of the exhibition. While the traveling exhibition will not include surfboards and other surfing related artifacts, each exhibition venue will be encouraged to work with surfboard collectors in their region to showcase surfboards and other materials appropriate to the size and resources of their exhibition facility.Ìý

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