This nostalgic exhibition dives into a century of British surfing

It is easy to forget that the UK is an island due to the dearth of tropical palm trees, white sandy beaches and rays of the sun. However, the waves across the coastline can provide a good ride — and have been doing so for more than a century, as a splashy new exhibition at the National Maritime Museum, Cornwall proves.

The show, titled ‘SURF! 100 years of waveriding in Cornwall’, covers all-things surfing in the southern county, from 1910s through to present day.

Surf culture plays a vital role in many coastal regions like Cornwall (the museum, located in Falmouth is jokingly known by locals as ‘Falifornia’). But in addition to being a fun diversion, 'SURF' demonstrates how the act of waveriding has encouraged art, craft and activism in the area for decades.

When you step inside the museum you are greeted with an archive of 100 surfboards which plot out the last century of surfing in Cornwall, from the sport's origins in the 1920s (local coffin makers would supply plank-like bellyboards) to the wave of surf culture in the 1960s to the eco boards of the future.

One of the boards in the collection includes the world’s biggest surfboard which is 37-feet and able to carry 15 surfers at any one time. The showcase also presents the increasing popularity of ‘artboards’ (not designed for practical use), which include a butterfly-covered Damien Hirst board, on loan from the Maia Norman collection. Other artboards on display include works by Polly Morgan, Paul Smith, Julian Schnabel and Nina Blake, plus a poetry-engraved board by James Otter.

Alongside retro imagery, ephemera and videos on display, there is also a recreation of Newquay’s original Bilbo Surf Shop, and an original 1965 VW Transporter campervan captures the '60s vibe.

Although surf culture is portrayed as laid-back and sunkissed, 'SURF' shows how the sport sparked activist movements in Cornwall, as with the environmental organisation Surfers Against Sewage which was founded in 1990 and campaigns to keep the UK's waters clean.

But surf culture wasn't always sunny — over the year's it's also had a complex relationship with tourism and second-home ownership, factors that have led to the displacement of Cornish locals.

Even so says Sam Bleakley, surf academic and curator of the exhibition: 'Cornwall has been shaped by the "cool" of surfing for over 100 years. With its convoluted coastline, wide open to Atlantic swells, the region has become a breeding ground for blue health, art and activism.'

Put simply, there's plenty to be stoked about.

‘SURF!’ opens Friday 28 March 2025 to January 2027 at National Maritime Museum Cornwall