Twin Pins. Late 1960s, San Diego. Skateboard photographed by Ryan Field.

Gary Keating about to grind some wet coping. Ultra-short twin. San Diego, 1970. Photo by Wayne Kirchner.

Hydrodynamica: Remember the Future. A participating gallery in Pacific Standard Time.
Primordial surf/skate connections in San Diego. Late 1960s and early Seventies. The obsession with speed and traction, wet or dry. Gary Keating and Henry Hester, shown here skating at La Costa in 1975, knew all about aquatic speed and traction through fish and twins years before Frank Nasworthy moved from the East coast to San Diego with the first run of Cadillac Wheels in the early 1970s. When they got the wheels they eased their fish jones with downhill pumping and speed runs. Hester at this time was absolutely ripping waves on very short asymmetric fishes. See photos above of Keating in 1970 on a super short twin. As for Frank, he was, and still is, an avid fish rider. Wheel shown is from one of the first batches of Cadillacs produced when Frank came to San Diego. Also note sixties roller derby skateboard modified to look like Mirandon Twin Pin. Prior to the arrival of urethane the dream was a skateboard that rode like a fish. After urethane, the dream was a surfboard that rode like a skateboard. Still is. For a few years before Frank's revolutionary wheels, it was the fish riders who where experiencing, on waves, the speed, traction, and flow lines that would soon be taken to shocking levels of performance on concrete with the Z-Boys. Surfers like Steve Lis, Jeff Ching, Larry Gephart, Mike Tabeling were all experiencing the fish in a way that foreshadowed the skate revolution.

6'1" Butterknife tri 12/31/11

Theodore Kenneth Smith. March 13th 1959-December 31st 2011

Ted died while surfing Windansea yesterday. He was one of the kindest and most soulful people I've ever known. Images are from footage of Ted riding a Caster singlefin at Simmons reef in 1979, a place he surfed with style, grace, and power. Footage shot by Jim Weaver. We will miss you Ted. Beyond words.

Gathering boards for PST exhibit. This is a symmetrical Ekstrom V-bottom from '68,
a "control" board to be shown with Mirandon Twin Pins. Note the swallowtail motif in
the pinlines. Collection of Mike Bonaguidi.

Simmons theory in action: dynamic lift generated by high and low pressure along the leading edge of the foiled rail, guided by two small directional stabilizers placed along the rail where pressure is highest. Trans span flow diagonally across the bottom of the board like an aquatic airplane wing. Board is 35 lbs and made of solid wood, yet it is on a rail and accelerating rapidly. Explain what is going on here and you will explain a lot about the foundation of modern performance surfboard design.