Surf culture and history explored in Cornovaglia exhibition

The National Maritime Museum in Cornovaglia hosts 'Surf!', a major exhibition curated by Sam Bleakley, running until January 2026. The show traces the history of waveriding in the region through over 100 surfboards, from 1.2-meter wooden bellyboards to pioneering eco-friendly boards. Highlights include boards used by world champions Robyn Davies, Pegleg Bennett, Charlotte Banfield, and Ben Skinner. A reconstruction of the original Bilbo Surf Shop in Newquay evokes the 1960s surf industry, alongside a 1965 VW Transporter camper van. Vintage posters, swimwear, wetsuits (1930s–1960s), magazines, and photographs are also on display. Mickey Smith presents the first surf film narrated in the Cornish language. A six-meter wave-shaped sculpture by Abigail Fallis, made from recycled plastic bottles, honors the marine conservation charity Surfers Against Sewage. The exhibition explores surf's economic impact (£150 million annually), its role in health initiatives like The Wave Project (the world's first surf therapy program, launched in Cornovaglia in 2010), and environmental activism. Richard Doughty, museum director, emphasizes the show's commitment to co-creation and celebrating surf's cultural, social, and environmental impact.