Editor’s Note:
Welcome to our new series, Surf History 101, where we look at innovations in the world of surfing and beyond that changed the pursuit forever. In this edition, Sam George examines the POV camera and how it changed our view of surfing.
What Is It?
A miniaturized, relatively inexpensive waterproof digital camera (most famously made by GoPro) equipped with a wide-angle lens, capable of shooting both still photos and video. When mounted to the deck of a surfboard or attached to the surfer, it provides unprecedented point-of-view footage (POV).
Who Developed It?
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Surfers have long sought to share their watery point of view with those on shore. As far back as 1929 the ever-innovative Tom Blake built a two-foot by two-foot pine box, glass-port housing to enclose a camera (bought from Duke Kahanamoku, no less) with which he began shooting surf action at Waikiki from the deck of his board a perspective that would set the standard for surfing water ph