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During the 1950s, surfers explored the north and west shores of O‘ahu in search of bigger waves. Hawaiian-born George Downing (1930–2018) was an expert waterman, shaper, and surfer who possessed an extensive knowledge of the ocean. In the 1940s, Downing was one of the few hot curl surfers to ride at Mākaha, an isolated big wave spot on the west side of O‘ahu. The largest waves at Mākaha proved too powerful for the finless hot curl surfboards popular during the era, and in 1949, Downing created the Rocket. This ten-foot-long balsa board featured hot curl streamlining, modern fiberglass construction, and a fin box that allowed Downing to experiment with interchangeable fin designs. The George Downing gun featured here was created in the same shape as the board that Downing’s son, Keone Downing (b. 1953), used to win the 1990 Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational at Waimea Bay. "Reflections in Wood — Surfboards and Shapers" is on display, pre-security, in the International Terminal! http://bit.ly/SurfboardsAndShapers This image was posted on February 27, 2019.

This post mentions the following things involved with the SFO Museum collection: