Expert Model Surfboard
1958 · Balsa, fiberglass, and redwood
l. 126 x w. 20" (l. 320 x w. 50.8 cm)
Museum of Modern Art
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Hobie Alter
Artist
Representation
None documented
1
Institutional Exhibitions
1
Works in Collection
3
Assets Indexed
0
Authority-backed Facts
0
Publications Referenced
50%
Profile Completeness
Cultural Positioning
Movements
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Selected Institutional Exhibitions
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Design for Sport
Museum of Modern Art, New York
1962
About
Why this artist matters now
Hobie Alter is an American surfboard designer who revolutionized the sport's equipment in the 1950s by introducing polyurethane foam cores and fiberglass layering to board construction. His innovations made surfboards lighter, more durable, and accessible to mass production, establishing the blueprint for modern recreational surfboards. Based in California, Alter's company became central to postwar surf culture and the sport's rapid expansion during the 1960s.
Source: Moma Bulk 2026 05 04 · Trust score: 92% · Updated 25d ago
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Institutional
Representation & Collections
In collection
Museum of Modern Art
New York, US
Record