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Surfers have been enjoying the waves adjacent to and near Kakaako for generations. “The Summer Slide,” an exhibit of vintage surf photos and surfboards, which opened this week inside Ward Village’s IBM Building, takes a look back at South Shore surfers of years past — the 1960s through 1980s to be exact — and at the evolution of the surfboard through the decades.
Thirty photos by David Darling in the 1960s, Steve Wilkings in the 1970s and Warren Bolster in the 1980s capture great moments, iconic figures and some beautiful scenery.
“THE SUMMER SLIDE”
>> Where: 1240 Ala Moana Blvd.
>> When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily through July 25
>> Cost: Free
>> Info: wardvillage.com/summer
>> Note: “Summer Slide” also includes free screenings of two surf documentaries: “Given” screens at 6 p.m. July 12 and follows Kauai residents Aamion and Daize Goodwin as they travel through 15 countries in search of surf; “Bella Vita” screens at 6 p.m. July 19 and documents the experiences of “surfer, artist and environmentalist” Chris Del Moro as he explores the modern surf lifestyle in Italy.
One of Darling’s eye-catching photos shows Conrad Canha, Bon Ching, Randy Rarick, Ben Aipa, Sharron Weber and Jock Sutherland holding their trophies after a match. Others capture epic rides by Gerry Lopez, Larry Bertlemann, Rory Russell and Derek Ho.
Lopez is seen in one shot touching the lip of the wave he’s riding with his back hand. Dane Kealoha is caught catching a right-hand barrel at Ala Moana and Russell is shown using his left arm to stall in the pocket (also at Ala Moana). There are also shots of anonymous surfers enjoying great rides, hanging out on the beach and hiking across the reef to get to popular surf spots.
Surf historians and collectors of vintage surfboards will gravitate to the boards displayed along the edge of the exhibit. Three boards each by shapers Arthur “Toots” Anchinges, Bret Marumoto and Glenn Pang show the evolution of the surfboard through three decades, from the large boards seen in the “Gidget” and “Beach Party” movies down to the high-performance triple-fin shortboards popular with modern surfers.
Related books on surfing and its history are available for casual browsing in the exhibit space, but are not for sale.
No art exhibit can be considered complete without a catalog documenting the works on display. “The Summer Slide” is documented with a free fold-out gallery guide that contains essential information on every photo and surfboard, and some additional history about the area as well. It’s a great souvenir of this fascinating look back at a significant era in island history.
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