Coolites
Coolites
The humble, Coolite. Many of the world’s foremost surfers owe their lifestyle to this basic form of the surfboard.
The Coolite was the go-to beginner’s surfboard. It’s lightweight design and small stature, made it a kids dream.
How many times have you sat on the beach and watched kids screaming and jumping with pleasure after catching their first wave and getting pummelled in the shore break, only to jump back up and run back into the water to do it all over again.
If you read between the lines of many collectors stories of how they found a vintage surfboard sitting in the roof of a shed or under a house in pristine condition. Why? Well, it was usually the same story, the kid was given the surfboard for Christmas or birthday, took it out and was hit on the head and never used it again.
In today’s world of information overload, it’s just a Google away to find the right equipment or surf lessons to avoid the pitfalls and bumps on the head or bruised shins from a hard board.
As a kid, my mates and I had to learn by trial and error, on a 9′ Balsa log. When it hit you it meant a large bruise for a month or something broken.
What I am attempting to explain in my limited vocabulary is that the Coolite was maligned as a cheap toy, which is what it was marketed as. The fact remains, it was a safe and fun way for an introduction to what I consider the greatest feeling in life.
The freedom of being in a fluid motion, with Mother Ocean.
Depending on your preference or personal preference, or personality. Wether You want to be one with the ocean or defeat the power of her, it probably began with a Coolite your Dad gave you. Just for a bit of fun.
The Humble Coolite is just that. A fun machine!