Story: Lifesaving and surfing

The return of the long board (2nd of 2)

The return of the long board

Surfboards are made in all shapes and sizes, depending on the surfer’s preferences. While many young surfers prefer short boards because of their manoeuvrability, the longer Malibu board has made a comeback. It is often favoured by those who have a more restrained surfing style, including older surfers who learned to surf on long boards. The contrast between the two boards is shown in this 1999 photograph of veteran surfer Mike Murden (foreground) with an 11ft 2in (3.7-metre) board he made, and his son Chris with a short board.

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New Zealand Herald
Photograph by Nicola Topping

Permission of the New Zealand Herald must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page:

Nancy Swarbrick, 'Lifesaving and surfing - Surfing: 1970s to today', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/7382/the-return-of-the-long-board (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by Nancy Swarbrick, published 12 Jun 2006