A memorial for Tom Morey at a small beach park. Text on the body board:
TOM MOREY
INVENTOR OF THE
Boogie Board
Here on the beach at Wai‘aha, which translates as “Gathering Water,” the waves and warm waters inspired the invention of the Boogie Board. Tom Morey launched his vision for a mass-market wave-riding device from this location on July 7, 1971, revolutionizing surfing and changing our culture forever.
Living in a house that stood shore on the beach, Tom Morey decided he needed a new type of surfboard. Because he had left all his surfboards back in California, he cut it out of a piece of polyethylene foam, and he covered it with a sheet of plastic.
Later, he outlined a short board with a square tail, a soft top, and a slick bottom. He called it the Boogie Board, named after his love of jazz music. The new board was easy to ride and required no shaping shop. Tom had a new way of shaping his philosophy.
The Honolulu Advertiser newspaper was the first to report on the new invention. The article described how Morey rode the waves on his new board and how he felt the wave under him.
“I could feel the wave under me. I could feel everything. It was like I was flying.”
Tom ultimately chose to share his invention with the world. He sold the rights to a Southern California company that mass-produced the Boogie Board. The board became a worldwide phenomenon, and millions of people have enjoyed riding waves ever since.
THE BOOGIE BOARD WAS DESIGNED AND CREATED BY TOM MOREY ON THIS SITE IN 1971
Saw this when driving by last week, and went back the next day to read what was on it. It's a memorial to Tom Morey 8/13/35- 10/14/2021
After riding his creation, “I could feel the wave under me. I could feel everything. It was like I was flying.”
#Surf #Bodyboard #Boogie
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