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glossary : m

Magazines / Surfing journals.
First known example : Paradise of the Pacific ed. Alexander Hume Ford, Hawaii 1911 – was probably not devoted exclusively to surfing.
The second known example certainly was : The Surf’ Sydney Australia, December 1917.
First commercially successful magazine was produced by Jon Severson (USA) in 1960. Originally published as The Surfer, a promotional booklet for his movie of the same name, demand prompted further editions with the abbreviated title Surfer.
This magazine is still in publication, 1999.
Second Australian journal was Australian Surfer in 1961 by Lee Cross, but it only lasted two issues.
Next Australian magazines appeared in 1962 by Bob Evans (Surfing World – still publishing) on Sydney’s northside and Jack Eden (Surfabout 1962 till 1968) on Sydney’s southside.
In 1970 Tracks Magazine had a significant impact by foregoing colour and using a newsprint format that slashed production time from 12 to 4 weeks.
Apart from the obvious value of articles specifically relating to design, manufacturers’ advertisements and the often photographed ‘surfer and board’ can be design history resources.
See Board Portraits.

Makaha board
1950’s Gun pintail featuring a flat bottom with sharp breakaway edge at the tail, designed especially for making it through the Makaha Bowl.

Malibu board / Mal / Longboard
1. Circa 1952 board designed by Matt Kilvin (USA), fibreglassed balsa single fin, approximately 9ft x 22”. Named after the famous Californian point break where the board was tested.
2. Post 1964 : any board, usually foam, similar in dimensions and template to 1 above.

Manufacturer
the company name of the premises where the board was constructed.
Usually, but not always, indicated by the decal.
Manufacturers should always be noted by the addition of ‘Surfboards’ to distinguish a company from its owner, e.g. Scott Dillon Surfboards.
Inclusion of the address if possible.

Marbling/marble
a mixture of pigment colours splashed on a board in the filler or a gel décor coat, circa 1964 to 1972.

Markings
Shaper’s name or initials, surfer’s name, dimensions, serial number, date, other; hand written on a board – usually in pencil on the blank.
See graphite templates.

Mat
inflated rubberized canvas mat; usually with rope handles and occassionally glued on rubber fins.
Ridden prone usually with flippers, popularised early 1970’s by George Greenough (USA) :’Grab a fistfull of fabric’.
Not to be confused with the 1950’s solid rubber model : the Surf-o-plane.

mid point
the point that bisects the length (L 1) of a board.
Although not usually a significant feature in itself, the Wide point can thus be measured as...
positive inches (+ve x towards the nose), or
negative inches (-ve x towards the tail) from the mid point.

Mini-Gun
1968 shortened (+8 ft) pintail gun (see Pipeliner, 1965) by Dick Brewer (USA) in Maui.

Mini-Mal/Mini-Malibu
1980’s sub 8 foot Malibu template with light weight (legropes) and down soft rails.
Initial promotion by Bob McTavish at Sky Surfboards 1977-1978.
Later models further applied channels, accented rocker and multi-fins, primarily variations on 3.
Simon Anderson’s Thruster fins being particularly successful.

Model
design incorporating several specified features or dimensions, usually related to a surfer/shaper and promoted by the manufacturer as such
Example : Ted Spencer’s White Kite by Shane Surfboards.
First signature model credited to Hobie Surfboards ‘Phil Edwards Model’, 1964.
Usually identified by a specifically printed decal.

Modern Mal/Malibu
1980’s interpretation of 1966 Malibu template with light weight (legropes) and down soft rails.
Initial promotion by Bob McTavish at Sky Surfboards 1977-1978.
See Bob McTavish : It's much more fun than it looks...and it looks like fun. November 1977
Later models further applied channels, accented rocker and multi-fins, primarily variations on 3.
Simon Anderson’s Thruster fins being particularly successful on Mini-Mal models.

molded (boards, fins)
cast as a single unit from inside a two piece mold.
The mold itself is cast externally around a ‘plug’.
Molded boards and fins often have a fine line where the halves of the mold join.
Also ‘injection molded’

Morey Boogie
see Boogie board

Movies
Significant historical resources, imported surf movies were first shown in Australia in 1958?
Bob Evans produced home product about 1961.
A major influence in the dissemination of design and technique, low production values meant a relatively short lag time in the early years but this increased to in excess of 12 months as production values escalated through the 1970’s.
Lag times were substantially decreased with the use of video technology in the late 1980’s.
These comments are not applicable to Hollywood surf movies.
see Film and Video.

Notes on Glossary