Tom Morey's Boogie Board: A Legacy of Democratizing Wave Riding

In 1971, Tom Morey revolutionized surfing with the invention of the Boogie Board, making wave riding accessible to everyone. A mathematician and jazz musician, Morey crafted the board from polyethylene foam using an electric carving knife and sealed it with a Honolulu newspaper. He named it 'Morey Boogie' in homage to jazz music, and it quickly became popular. The global bodyboard market is expected to rise from $296.3 million in 2024 to $623.6 million by 2035. Morey’s creation allowed individuals of all ages, including his pregnant wife, Marchia, to enjoy the sport. Although the design was unpatentable, Morey trademarked the name and patented certain components. He partnered with Gordon & Smith Surfboards in 1971, relocating production to Oceanside, California, where by the late 1970s, 80,000 boards were being produced annually. The board's name transitioned from 'SNAKE' to 'Morey Boogie' before being sold to Kransco in 1979, then to Mattel in 1994, and finally to Wham-O in 1997, which now holds the trademark. Morey passed away on October 14, 2021, at the age of 86, leaving behind a legacy described by Jim Kempton of the California Surf Museum as 'the Kleenex, the Coca-Cola of the sport.' One of the earliest boards is preserved at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, donated by the Surfing Heritage & Culture Center in 2015.