Surfing Equipment

The history of using balsa as a material for surfboard making goes back to the Hawaiians but really hits off in the late 1930s. Being light and strong, balsa wood was long considered a perfect material for surfboards. However, shapers could not use this fragile wood to make entire surfboards until after WW2 when fiberglass was invented.

The advantages of balsa wood boards is that they are a lot lighter, more buoyant and therefore easier to handle. These boards did have some disadvantages, however, because they were not as sturdy as the solid redwood. They are currently favoured by surfers and collectors because they are more durable than a regular surfboard, environmentally friendly and have a beautiful look.

Since 1993, a partnership with Rhino Balsa (the largest balsa blank manufacturer of balsa boards) has brought back memories of an era when boards were made of wood. They are now considered more art than a surfboard these are more often on display in the living room than in the garage.
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