Postmodernism implies a timeline but it is really more about ideology, paradoxically its elements have always existed.
In my opinion modernism and late modernism still predominate. In surfing the term postmodern is most often used to mean 'most modern'. For example Matt Warshaw called surftech 'postmodern' in his book on the history of surfing when clearly it is an example of rampant modernism.
By its nature postmodern is more personal and diverse than modernism so defining it is always going to involve contradictions and subjectivity. From my perspective postmodernism in surfing started in 1994.
Modernism is characterised by industrial production, corporate control of ideas and a monocultural belief in technology. The terms 'High performance' and 'High tech' are definitely modern, as is the notion of a surfing hierarchy.
Roy Stuart created the parallel profile concept for flexibility and a low centre of gravity in a flash of inspiration in 1994, and simultaneously invented the parallel profile wooden surfboard construction method.
The reaction from the surfing world to the concept back then could be described as hysterical outrage ( as well as supercilious disdain :wink: ) , primarily due to the fact that it denies the tapering of profiles ( erroneously called 'foiling' ) which is one of the main shaping icons of the 20th century modernist approach to surfboard design. That attitude is still the majority view, and the parallel profile is still almost exclusively used by Roy Stuart surfboards.
2 comments:
I thought that was great reading.
Thanks rjc :)
Post a Comment