Best Books for Vintage Surfboard and Surf Memorabilia Collectors
Author: Marcus Maraih
The team at Surf Museum Hawaii (SMH) is haunted by vintage surfboards, surf memorabilia, and related collectibles. We’d be unqualified curators of surf history and culture if we weren’t. While “talking story” with and listening to those who paved the way (along with visits to surf museums on the mainland) have been integral to our education, written word has been as much a part of the journey as any of it. No surf historian worth their weight in saltwater is without a library to back them up. And unlike with other fields of interest, most of the information has not been catalogued in one place online. Artificial Intelligence don’t surf.
Having access to a catalogue of images, dates, names, and specific details connected to vintage surfboards and memorabilia allows collectors to qualify the validity of an auction lot and barnyard find. It helps establish provenance when you don’t have historians such as Mark Fragale and Randy Rarick on speed dial. Moreover, there’s ethereal value in enjoying a good book about one’s passions while nestled into the corner of a favorite cafe. Perhaps even more engaging, is the act of tracking down the publications, some of which have become as hard to find as the items inventoried within. It’s all part of the fun.
So what are the best surf books for collectors of memorabilia? Below is a list of volumes in the SMH library that you need to add to your own.
12 Best Surf Books that Every Vintage Surfboard and Memorabilia Collector Needs to Add to their Library
The Ultimate Guide to Vintage Surfboards & Collectibles
Author: Jim Winniman
Originally Published: 2013
The title is well earned, given the volume and diversity of surf collectibles contained within this winning Winniman work. It’s a museum piece in itself, enumerating not just wave-craft, but other antique surf-related items including porcelain dolls, silver spoons, belt buckles, and more to add to your eclectic collection. The book also includes board valuations and tips to protecting items prior to storing and shipping. The proverbial encyclopedia of surf collectibles is generally unavailable for purchase unless a collector is ready to let one go. We do know that Mike Lisiewski, founder of Brighton Beach Surf Shop, had about a dozen copies on hand before they closed down in 2023. He sells some of his vintage surf wares on eBay, so that’s your best bet.
Available to Purchase: eBay (if you’re lucky)
Surf Craft | Design and The Culture of Board Riding
Author: Richard Kenvin
Originally Published: 2014
From cover to cover, Surf Craft is a work of art, making it one of the best surf books across all categories (for the coffee table, etc.). That being said, the photographic montage of expertly crafted wave-riding vessels gives the most advanced collector something to strive for.
Available to Purchase: Amazon
Surf’s Up | Collecting the Longboard Era
Author: Mark Blackburn
Originally Published: 2001
Surf’s Up, Collecting the Longboard Era, was sold in Honolulu’s Bishop Museum during their Mai Kinohi Mai: Surfing in Hawai‘i exhibit which ran from late 2019 to early 2021. This fact speaks to the wealth of imagery and information contained within Mark Blackburn’s anthology. Furthermore, the book is a production from Schiffer Publishing, which is known for categorizing antiques and collectibles in print. The end result is a masterful accounting that covers everything from surfboard price lists and shaping tools to contest trophies and surf cinema ticket stubs..
Available to Purchase: AbeBooks / Amazon / Barnes & Noble
Surfing
Author: Nancy Schiffer
Originally Published: 1998
Nancy Schiffer’s Surfing was published in conjunction with a 1997-98 San Fransisco International Airport (SFO) Museum exhibition on surfing, titled “He’e Nalu: Wave Riding”. Through the decades, SFO Museum has produced a number of exhibits to honor our culture, including recent ones such as “Jeff Divine: 1970s Surf Photography” (2017) and “Reflections in Wood | Surfboards & Shapers” (2019) in addition to “Surf’s Up! Instrumental Rock ‘n’ Roll” (2020-21). The book also shines in its coverage of the Northern California surf scene, which includes a dive into the kelp forests of Santa Cruz. The importance of Santa Cruz cannot be overstated given that the Hawaiian Kingdom introduced surfing to California through the seaside community in the late 1800s. The region is also responsible for inventing the wetsuit (via Jack O’Neill). Schiffer honors the latter anecdote by showcasing vintage wetsuits that would hang proudly in any surf collector’s closet or display case.
Available to Purchase: AbeBooks / ThriftBooks
Pop Surf Culture
Author: Brian Chidester
Originally Published: 2008
Pop Surf Culture explores surfing’s place in American pop culture (obviously). The book explores the impact surfing has had on music, fashion, art, and cinema in the mid-20th century. It’s a visually appealing read-through, and at the very least the ledger provides casual enthusiasts with a registry of album covers to chase after.
Available to Purchase: Dark corner of a used bookstore near you
SURFING | 1778 – Today
Author: Jim Heimann
Originally Published: 2020
SURFING, 1778-Today is one of those TASCHEN beasts that you find on (and holding down) the end tables of 5-star hotels in coastal communities. It’s a remarkable book that optically narrates nearly two-and-a-half centuries of the recorded surfing history. Included in this coverage is a swath of surfboards and other relics, some of which you may come to own if you keep your eye on estate sales and the surf auction circuit.
Available to Purchase: AbeBooks / Amazon
Surfboards
Author: Guy Motil
Originally Published: 2007
In addition to being a renowned surf publisher and photographer, Guy Motil was Longboard magazine’s president, publisher, and editor in chief. He brought this pedigree into 2007’s Surfboards, which delivers a beautiful summary of highly collectible boards as they evolved from wooden planks to the spirited shapes of modern day.
Available to Purchase: Amazon
Surfing | Vintage Surfing Graphics
Author: Jim Heimann
Originally Published: 2004
As the name indicates, this work is reference material for vintage surfing ads, postcards, brochures, photographs, and assorted ephemera. The featured image above is of the pocket sized version, compared to the larger hardcover. The pocket sized softcover is preferred as it can accompany you when on the hunt at vintage markets that may have goodies tucked between rows of old magazines, print ads, and LPs.
Available to Purchase: AbeBooks / Amazon
365 Surfboards
Author: Ben Marcus
Originally Published: 2013
This book is for surfboard collectors who aspire to have it all, or at least 365 items from with its stockpile. With one featured board of importance to account for each day of the annum, the page-turner covers a quiver that spans from the early 1900s to the year it was published (2013). Highlights include a comprehensive look at the John Mazza collection that is permanently on display at Pepperdine University’s Surfboard Room, and insights from Hawai’i vintage surfboard savant, Greg Lui Kwan (who consults with SMH).
Available to Purchase: AbeBooks / Amazon / ThriftBooks
Graphic Surf
Author: Ben Marcus
Originally Published: 2008
Have you ever wondered what the best surfboard logos of all time might be? Then Graphic Surf is for you. This Ben Marcus publication expand’s upon Jim Heimann’s Vintage Surfing Graphics book. Correction, it’s more like Heimann’s on a cocktail of steroids and growth hormone. Graphic Surf is the most comprehensive photographic collection of practically every vintage surf (and surf adjacent) decal, sticker, and patch that has ever existed. It provides collectors of these “smalls” with the ultimate checklist.
Available to Purchase: AbeBooks / Amazon / ThriftBooks
John Severson’s SURF
Author: John Severson
Originally Published: 2014
John Severson is the father of surf media. He published the first issue of The SURFER magazine in 1960 and launched the careers of many talented writers, photographers, and artists, including Rick Griffin with his beloved Muprhy. An artist, photographer, and filmmaker himself, Severson is responsible for some of the most iconic imagery every produced in this culture of ours, so no list of best surf books could be complete without John’s Severson’s SURF. Through insightful text and incredible visuals, SURF summarizes his work. In doing so, it reminds collectors of memorabilia that they need at least one Severson piece in their hoard. If purchasing the book, please do so directly through SurferArt.com which is owned by the Severson family.
Available to Purchase: SurferArt.com
Greg Noll | The Art of the Surfboard
Author: Drew Kampion
Originally Published: 2007
Veteran surf journalist and writer, Drew Kampion, has chronicled the surfboard shaping legacy of Greg Noll in The Art of The Surfboard. The title is apt, and the images within buttress the work and do it justice at the same time. This book is a must-have for collectors of all things related to Da’ Bull, but will also cause casual fans or the vintage surf genre to salivate over its glossy pages.
Available to Purchase: AbeBooks / Amazon
