Editing Surfboard (section)

====Classic longboards====
Longboards are the original and very first variety of board used in standup surfing. Ever since the sixth-century [[Common Era|CE]] the [[ancient Hawaii]]ans have used {{convert|9|to|30|ft|cm|order=flip|abbr=on|sigfig=2}} solid wooden boards when practicing their ancient art of [[Hoe he'e nalu]]. Surfing was brought to the Hawaiian Islands by Polynesians and has since become popular worldwide. The ancient boards were carved and fashioned out of solid wood, reaching lengths of {{convert|10|to|14|ft|cm|order=flip|abbr=on|sigfig=2}} long and weighing as much as 70&nbsp;kg. Both men and women, royalty and commoners surfed. But the longest of boards (the Olo) was reserved for royalty.<ref>Legendary Surfers Volume 1 by Malcolm Gualt-Williams</ref> During the 19th century, some extreme western missionaries actively discouraged surfing, viewing it as sinful. Surfing almost died out completely.{{Citation needed|date=April 2017}} In recent times replicas have been made of Olo's and alaia's by experienced surfers and shapers wishing to explore the roots of the sport.

By the early 20th century, only a handful of people surfed, mostly at Waikiki. But there, it started to grow again. Beginning in 1912, [[Duke Kahanamoku]], a Hawaiian Olympic swimmer in the early 1900s, brought surfing to mainland [[United States]] and [[Australia]]. Because of this, Duke is considered the "Father of Modern Surfing". From that point on, surfing became an integral part of the [[California]] beach lifestyle. In [[Malibu, California|Malibu]] (in [[Los Angeles]] county), the beach was so popular amongst the early surfers that it lent its name to the type of longboard, the Malibu Surfboard. In the 1920s boards made of [[plywood]] or planking called Hollowboards came into use. These were typically {{convert|15|to|20|ft|cm|order=flip|abbr=on|sigfig=2}} in length and very light. During the 1950s, the surf trend took off dramatically as it obtained a substantial amount of popularity as a sport.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://blackmagic.com/ses/surf/papers/boardessy.html|title=The Evolution of the Surfboard|author=Sonnen Sloan|website=blackmagic.com|access-date=2008-11-04}}</ref> The design and material of longboards in the 1950s changed from using solid wood to [[balsa]] wood. The length of the boards still remained the same at an average of {{convert|10.5|ft|cm|order=flip|abbr=on|sigfig=2}}, and had then become widely produced.<ref>{{Cite web|author=Dave Parmenter|url=http://surfline.com/surfaz/surfaz.cfm?id=850|title=Longboards - Surfing A to Z|website=surfline.com|access-date=2008-11-05}}</ref> It was not until the late 1950s and early 1960s when the surfboard design had closely evolved into today's modern longboard. The introduction of [[polyurethane]] foam and [[fiberglass]] became the technological leap in design. In the 1960s, the longboard continued to remain popular as its material changed from balsa wood to fiberglass and polyurethane foam. 

In the 1960s, the introduction of the shortboard, averaging {{convert|6|ft|6|in|cm|order=flip|abbr=on|sigfig=2}}, allowed surfers to make tighter turns, quicker maneuvers, and achieve faster speeds, thus radically changing the way people surfed. This "shortboard revolution" nearly made longboards obsolete for all practical purposes. But in the early 1990s, the longboard returned, integrating a number of the design features invented during the shortboard revolution. Surfers rediscovered the grace and poise – the "glide" – of the longboard, and the fun of classic maneuvers that are not possible on a shortboard. In some circles, the battle between longboards and shortboards continues. But many surfers live by a philosophy of finding the joy of surfing a mix of boards and surfing styles to suit the waves of the day.