Tom Blake invented the hollow wooden surfboard known as the “Hawaiian hollow board” in 1926.
Blake developed the design in Hawaii while seeking a lighter alternative to the heavy solid-wood boards then commonly used. He drilled many holes through a wooden board and covered the structure with a thin outer skin, greatly reducing its weight while retaining useful strength.
The hollow board made surfboards easier to transport and helped broaden access to surfing. Blake later patented the design and continued experimenting with board construction, fins, paddles, and watercraft. His work helped move surfboard design toward the lighter, more engineered forms used in later decades.
Duke Kahanamoku is often associated with spreading surfing internationally, and George Freeth helped introduce surfing to parts of the mainland United States. Neither man, however, invented Blake’s hollow-board construction. The design predates the foam-and-fiberglass boards that became widespread after World War II.