The father of the modern-day surfboard fin, in-water photography, some of the first versions of water housing, and the revolution of the shortboard! Let’s break it down.
George Greenough was one of the most innovative figures in the surf industry and his attitude and lifestyle portray that. He was very different from the rest, he would refuse to wear shoes, and was not too keen on stand-up surfboards.
George Greenough was brought up in Santa Barbara, specifically in Montecito. This directly exposed Greenough to surf culture in the 1950s. Greenough had a real interest in shaping different boards and challenging the standard at the time. He shaped what may be considered a fun board nowadays for his friends Bob Cooper, Skip Frye, and Bob Mctavish.
George Greenough truly made his mark when he created the Velo in 1965. The Velo was a spoon-shaped board and later went on to become Greenough’s trademark shape. It was innovative for its time! This rad game-changing shape was created to flex just as the fins flexed when being ridden. George kept it light and had his talented buddies take it for a test drive in the spotlight.
This was what started the shortboard revolution!
This young legend with a bowl-cut would not stop here though, He took his surf photography and videography to the next level by creating a rig to snap some POV pictures in the tube. He created a vintage GoPro in a way and showed his vision through films he would later come out with, in the late ‘60s and ‘70s
At this point, everyone knew good ol’ George Greenough! He resided between Montecito and Byron Bay for a few decades. Locals in both areas looked to catch him on his way out, but he would always surf alone. He constructed a 16-foot board out of old cut-up boards and would take this thing out everywhere, he would check traps along Santa Barbara, Ventura, and would manage to get more speed with this monstrosity of a board than most people in the lineup.
George was an easy-going guy who enjoyed nature, surf, and solitude. He resides somewhere in New South Wales recording action in the water and keeping to himself. George remains a quiet genius.
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