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Thinking about the history
of surfing typically conjures up images of Hawaiian royalty cruising through
tropical waters, or a rebellious mainland subculture thriving on the sun-kissed
shores of California’s Golden Coast. But, believe it or not, a significant
portion of our modern surfing heritage actually originated in the small town of
Washburn, Wisconsin, which lies nestled along the rugged, heavily forested
shores of Lake Superior.
The town may not sound
familiar, but the name Tom Blake should surely ring a bell. Blake’s list of accomplishments
— creating the first manufacturable hollow surfboards and
paddleboards, inventing the fin and the waterproof camera housing, and
developing the rescue ring and sailboard, amoung others — shaped surfing from the 1920s
to the 1950s. And although he is well known for his historic surfing adventures
in Hawaii and California, Blake was actually raised in Washburn, returned there
in his later years, and was even buried in the Washburn Cemetery after his
death in 1994.
A group of surfers from the
area, who ride the frigid windswells generated in Lake Superior, claim Blake as
their inspiration and say they are concerned that regional residents are not as
aware of Blake’s accomplishments as they should be. “Blake kind of had an image
as a maverick and a loner here during his later years, because he would live
out of his van, talk to the kids about his philosophies, and sail his homemade
sailboard across the lake,” said Greg Isaacson, co-founder of the Superior Surf
Club. “People who don’t know about his accomplishments just kind of saw him as
this quirky eccentric, but when they hear about the impact he had on surfing
and water safety, they’re really impressed.”
In order to spread appreciation
for Blake throughout their communities, Isaacson and the members of the
Superior Surf Club have decided to create a memorial at the Bayfield County Historical
Society museum in Washburn that will honor his life. After years of
fundraising, the memorial is finally coming together, and organizers recently
procured the most exciting piece of the puzzle: a historic Catalina Equipment
Company lifesaving paddleboard, manufactured based on Blake’s hollow prototype,
which was fortuitously uncovered in a South Dakota sawmill.
The board was anonymously
donated to the memorial, and its unveiling will coincide with the town’s
Homecoming festival on July 23rd. If you’re in the Great Lakes area, you can catch
a glimpse of the artifact at 3:00 p.m., during its presentation to the museum,
and on July 24th, when the Superior Surf Club will have a Tom Blake beach-themed
float in the Washburn town parade. Organizers also plan to have the Tom Blake
Memorial open for all to enjoy by the end of the summer.
Isaacson said he hopes to
one day create a local scholarship fund or paddleboard race in Blake’s honor,
but for now, he believes that the board and the memorial will make an impression
on Lake Superior locals. “Blake was always big on living a healthy lifestyle
and appreciating natural beauty, so I’m hoping that this will help to reinforce
those ideas,” Isaacson said. “And I also hope that Blake’s influence will
remind the youth that, just because you come from a small town, it doesn’t mean
that you can’t do great things.”
But Isaacson believes that
learning about Blake’s iconic legacy could have its most profound effect on the
local surfing community. “Anyone
who really enjoys the sport should take the time to look back into the roots of
where we came from as a culture,” he said. “If surfers become more aware of
people like Blake, it will give them a better perspective on this unique and
wonderful lifestyle that we live.”
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