boards depleted the supply and soon surfboard manufactures had to find some kind of substitute. Polyurethane was developed in 1956, and perfected by surfer and chemistry graduate, Gordon "Grubby" Clark. Clark and his friend Hobie Alter developed the first polyurethane foam surfboards. The surfing population by this time swelled. Newer challenges were meet in bigger waves. Rubber wetsuits developed by the Navy made surfing a year-around activity and in the early 1950's surf film pioneers, like Bud Browne, showed why surfing was fun year-long. Trends such as the "Woody" station wagons and Hot Rods became transportation, anything that was large enough to carry surfboards. 1960'sThe surfing lifestyle was in full swing with fashion, music, films, magazines, and TV fueling its image. No time was wasted to surf ‘n party, party ‘n surf. Much of this was creating a bad name for surfers. On August 1961, the United States Surfing Association was made to make surfers and surfing more acceptable. Movies started being made, such as ‘Gidget' and Beach Party. By 1964, films and music were at a high point. Bruce Brown (The Endless Summer), and other talented film makers produced authentic surf footage thrills. 1970'sYears of television coverage by ABC Wide World of sports increased the public awareness of the sport of surfing. In 1971, the International Professional Surfing Association was formed to develop relationships between surfers and companies. It was still hard for pro-surfers to make a living. It was a time when California was in a "soul-searching," free-spirited lifestyle. Long hair, drugs, and health food was the norm. Fame and fortune were treated as a much lighter affair. Surfers who hung out in Mexico living in micro-buses, surfing miles of uncrowded beaches realized that it could not last forever. By the late 1970's surfboards were in mass production due to the demand and board design went from single ...
