Shaping Surf History: Tom Curren and Al Merrick, California 1980-1983

Metyko captures an era defining snapshot of one of the most fertile and influential moments in California's surf history. The dramatic action shots and intimate moments follow the rise of young legend-to-be and future three-time world champion Tom Curren and then-unknown surfboard shaper Al Merrick. During a four-year period beginning in 1980 s, Santa Barbara, California, saw an extraordinary mix of innovation, individuals and imagery, combined with a relatively rare meteorological phenomena, that led to one of the most influential periods in modern surf history. The rise of young legend-to-be and future three-time world champion Tom Curren, whose preternatural wave-riding abilities would help establish California at the forefront of contemporary surfing; the emergence of then-unknown board builder Al Merrick of Channel Island Surfboards, who would go on to standardize modern board design, by doing so becoming the sport s premier board-builder; the monster El Nino event of 82-83, a once-in-a-generation series of North Pacific storm systems which provided a record-breaking run of exceptional surf conditions - photographer Jimmy Metyko was there to capture it all. With a compelling blend of dramatic action, intimate moments and epic waves, Metyko s imagery and personal perspectives articulate a remarkable waypoint on the sport s cultural timeline, as well as a better understanding, and appreciation, of where surfing is today.