Museum’s new exhibition celebrates ‘Sixties Surfer’

Sarah Howells Friday, March 22, 2013
9:30 AM

Braunton’s surf museum will celebrate the ‘new wave’ of surfers in the temporary exhibition until December.

By Paul Knowles, showing Britain’s first surf shop, Surfer’s Store, that was opened in St Ives in 1963 by Keith Slocombe (Museum of British Surfing collection)

THE Museum of British Surfing will be hosting its next exhibition celebrating the surfing culture of the 60s this Easter.

‘Sixties Surfer’ will follow the footsteps of the ‘new wave’ of surfers, with a collection of memorabilia on display from Friday, March 29.

Peter Robinson, the museum’s founder, said: “A massive sea change occurred in the swinging 60s when the UK met Malibu, Bondi and the Beach Boys head-on, and a new surfing culture was imported from foreign shores.

“In the 70 years before this surfing had been quite a genteel affair with a handful of hardy pioneers, wooden surfboards & woollen bathing suits.”

“Make sure you come along and ‘hang ten’ with us this year, and check out the radical ‘baggies’, ‘Malibu boards’ and first wetsuits that changed the face of British surfing forever.”

Alongside the temporary exhibition, which will run until December 31, the museum will also house sections on early surfing history, the environment, and children’s activities.

The museum opened its doors for the first time in April last year and is situated in Caen Street car park, Braunton.