las olas del invierno

hello i am mark rabbidge

i make taylor made surfboards.

the shed.

Surfing has a unique and often powerful appeal, which probably derives from an unusual confluence of elements; adrenalin, skill, and high paced maneuvering are set against a naturally unpredictable backdrop—an organic environment that is, by turns, graceful and serene, violent and formidable. 

 Wetsuits are usually worn in to keep surfers warm in colder weather. Other surfing equipment includes board leashes, used to keep a surfer's board from washing to shore after a 'wipeout', wax and/or traction pads, used to keep a surfers feet from slipping of the deck of the board, interchangeable "skegs" and of course in warmer climates the surf trunk or board short. 

Surfers' skills are tested not only in their ability to control the craft in challenging conditions, but by their ability to execute various maneuvers such as the 'cutback' (turning back toward the breaking part of the wave), the 'floater' (riding the very top of the wave), and, if the surf conditions allow it, "getting barrelled". This is the 'holy grail' of surfing, where the surfer maneuvers into a position where the wave curls over the top of them, forming a "barrel" (or "tube"), with the rider inside the cylindrical portion of the wave. 

Originally developed by Hawaiian islanders (see Ngaru), before the 15th century, "he'e nalu" (wave-sliding) spread in the early 20th century to the USA and Australia, where heavy timber "malibu" boards were ridden directly towards beaches. However, the sport exploded in popularity in the 1950s and 1960s, when cheaper, more maneuverable, and lighter boards made of fiberglass and foam became available and the teenaged baby boomers headed to the beach in droves to enjoy the maneuverability and stunts made possible by the new boards. The sport has spread to most places where waves of sufficient size and the right shape appear, including France, Brazil, South Africa, and many island states.