The first men and women to ride froth-tipped waves off the coast of Hawaii and other Polynesian Islands did so on planks of wood.
They were heavy and difficult to handle, but these early surfers laid the foundations for a sport now embraced worldwide and dominated on the professional circuit by Australians.
Modern advancements have seen wood phased out in favour of plastic and foam surfboards, valued for their light weight and flexibility.
However, a growing body of surfers still pine for boards reminiscent of those from decades ago.
In a small sunbathed workshop in suburban Brisbane, a group gathers to lovingly handcraft their own wooden boards.
"I thought wooden boards were something that left the planet in the '60s and didn't belong in this era or this time," Stuart Bywater, a woodworker and furniture restorer, said.
"They just ride differently."
Mr Bywater was 13 when he rode his first wave.
More than 30 years later he has turned that passion into a career and teaches others to make boards.
"A lot of people don't make things in their day-to-day or in their life," he said.
"They'll sit at a computer and write things or make documents but actually have nothing physical and substantial after that."
