THE TOUGH GET SOFT

The very existence of soft-top surfboards came about in the 80s with the Californian ‘Blackball’ system, where surfboards were banned from bathing beaches for safety reasons. It turns out, and rightly so, that a fibreglass surfboard underneath the feet of a beginner surfer is a dangerous weapon that can wreak havoc on innocent bathers and their heads. At the time there was no distinction between beginner surfers and highly experienced, competent surfers. It was simply a blanket ban on all surf craft, causing much frustration for many surfers who were not allowed to surf their local breaks during certain times.

There was a loophole however, someone figured it out at the time, that finless soft-top surfboards (original boogie boards) were legal in blackball-demarcated areas and while they were quite difficult to ride in their earliest