Richard Kenvin's Hydrodynamica
photo courtesy of RK
by Rich Pavel
posted 2005-01-24
A Fulfilled Design Theory
You would never guess that a skinny guy with a bad arm would be the driving force of modern surfboard design but that is exactly what has happened. The story of Bob Simmons and his achievements, inventions, and life is nothing new, but what came after his demise at Windansea in 1954, and the effect it has had on all of our surfing, is the grounds of much speculation, adulation, and intense scrutiny.
Photo courtesy of RK
One person, who wants to tell the truthful story about surfboard design thru the years, is Richard Kenvin (RK to his friends). Richard is a great surfer in his own right. A professional with a solid contest history, an art curator/gallery owner at Cassius King, www.cassiusking.com, in San Diego, and a lifestyle surfer. Kenvin is so adamant about his bringing the history, the true history, to the forefront that he has taken on the project aptly titled, Hydrodynamica. With this project RK hopes to historically put into perspective what has gone down over the past 65 years. And he is passionate about it.
Kenvin has already spent two years on this project interviewing such luminaries as Reno Abellira, Greenough, Peter Cole and John Elwell, among others. He has even spoken with Bob Simmons sister! He has film footage, of various times, archival photos, and a very intense perspective on the whole thing.
For instance there is amazing film of Daniel Thomson and Dave Rastovich in Australia from last spring that is some of the most compelling surfing ever filmed.
These two trade tubes, carves, and speed on tiny Fish boards from Pavel, Steve Lis, and Dick Van Straalen www.dickvanstraalen.com that without a doubt could be the future of small wave surfing. Thomson's father, Mark an extraordinary filmmaker and surfer shot the film. Some of these film grabs were featured in the latest issue of the Surfer's Journal, www.surfersjournal.com with Scott Hulett penning the words in "Keel Hauling." You need to check that out. Great stuff.
Photo courtesy of RK
The following is a candid conversation between two friends, RK and Rich Pavel, about the Fish Design, Simmons dual finned boards that RK has been studying and riding, and a lot more in between. Pavel called it during the interview, put his finger right on the pulse, this the story of "A Fulfilled Design Theory." This is the beginning of Hydrodynamica and a look at the guy who is putting it together, Richard Kenvin!
Interview By Rich Pavel
Rich - A good place to start is the present, and a lot of what brought us here today. You have a lot of ideas you have been working on over a period of time and there is a lot to tell.
The biggest part of the truth is the whole truth. A lot of Surfing's history has been well documented and is almost relegated to a world tradition of tribal lore. Historically you have emerged as an elder spokesman on historical issues. Tell me what holds your interests and stimulates you with your surfing now?
RK - What is holding my interest the most right now is investigating this legacy of design that formed here in the San Diego area? Of course, a lot came from elsewhere. But I'm particularly fascinated by certain elements of designs that came into being in this area. So I have been tracing a lot of lineages and seeing how it has blossomed and spread throughout the world. A lot of it has become tribal lore, at least in my experience. I had always heard of it. Bob Simmons surfing the Windansea area and riding dual finned boards. I had always heard that stuff as a kid when growing up surfing Simmons Reef. There was always a consciousness about that sort of thing. That's basically where I'm at as far as inspiration.
Photo courtesy of RK
For me there is "a Board," the Steve Lis Fish, which, thru either conscious or unconscious and intuitive decisions by Stevie, happens to fulfill a series of design innovations that originated, the first time around, in the mind of Bob Simmons over half a century ago. Simmons's boards are loosely connected to the fish through Ekstrom, and also the Mirandon brothers and their Twin Pin boards. For whatever reasons and circumstances these seeds of revolutionary and functional surfboard design sprouted, grew, and spread round the world from their source here in San Diego. So in my mind these designs that have been looked upon historically as an interesting yet insignificant side show, i.e. the Simmons Dual fin and the Lis fish, are really more like one of the main deals when you consider this thing we call "shortboarding". And of course George Greenough's contributions are extraordinary on all levels.
