One of the most influential surfers in history was born far from the oceans. Tom Blake, a Wisconsin native, arguably did as much for the evolution of surfing as Duke and the famous authors of the time who helped popularize this activity, such as Mark Twain and Jack London. He is the establisher of “surf culture” and amateur inventor who catapulted this ancient sport into a national pastime. So why haven’t we heard of him more?
Young, Wild, and Free
As a young man, Tom Blake was eager to see what was out in the world. He left his hometown of Milwaukee, WI, in 1918, and traveled around the nation. After a few years of exploring New York, Detroit, and other east coast cities, Tom found his way far out west. California was full of glamour and potential for a man like Tom, it is no mystery why he ended up there. He was an athletic lifeguard and a charming stuntman on the silver screens of Hollywood. While working near the Santa Monica Swim Club, he found an old surfboard. In 1921, he first paddled out into the waves and wiped out. Hard. So hard that he didn’t touch another board for years.
He didn’t touch surfing again until 1924. When he did, however, he was hooked. Splitting the next few years between Hawaii and California, he became closer to the native Hawaiian’s philosophy of surfing. He began to see it as a true art, and a way to honor oneself and the “Gods”. Tom reached a true metaphysical relationship at this level of surfing. However, he wondered if he could make it better.
The Revolution
Tom Blake, the smart, charming man was exceptionally resourceful. He was said to only have one fork, spoon, plate, cup, and chair. Streamlining his life to match what he wanted was his great skill. He applied this dogma to surfboards as well. By changing the whole idea of what a surfboard was at the time, Tom took Polynesian longboards–sometimes called olos— weighing 200+ lbs, and did arguably the important change in surfing history. In the 1920s, he made them hollow.
His vision for the future was a board that was engineered, not shaped. The new boards had a plywood skeleton and were covered in wood planks treated to make them more waterproof. Tom’s prototype board was lighter, more buoyant, and easier to paddle than the surfboards of the past. He once used his new design to race against older boards, yet after winning by such a large margin, he refused to race in future competitions because he felt there was an unfair advantage. This board caused a true revolution in the sport of surfing.
Tom’s Impact
Tom Blake was a catalyst for the idea of a “surfer’s lifestyle”. He was a 1920s vegan, a philosophy buff, and a beach bum vagabond. Lightening the board made surfing available to a far greater proportion of the population. Boards could be surfed on easier and the popularity of the sport started to explode along coasts all over the world.
Tom’s idea was quickly phased out, however, as laminated balsa wood became the new phase of board design. Yet his legacy still lives on. The original innovator, surfing guru, and romantic that Tom was are still seen as a part of surf culture today, over 100 years later. Surfers today owe him every time they get into the water and still have the strength to paddle past a break. Unconscious followers of his lifestyle can still be seen in lineups, beachside bars, and surf shops across the globe.