Museum of British Surfing facts for kids
The museum in Braunton
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| Established | 6 April 2012 |
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| Location | Braunton, Devon, England |
| Founder | Pete Robinson |
The Museum of British Surfing is a special museum located in Braunton, Devon, England. It shows off the amazing history of surfing in the United Kingdom. This museum helps people learn how surfing became popular in Britain and the stories behind it.
Contents
How the Museum Started
The Museum of British Surfing was created by Pete Robinson, a journalist and surfing expert. He first started it in 2003 as a non-profit group called 'The Surfing Museum'.
- It began as an online website, sharing stories about British surf history.
- The very first public show, called 'Exhibition of British Surfing History', opened on April 6, 2004. It was in Brighton.
- Pete Robinson used his own collection of surfing items to start the museum.
- The project also got help from the family of Viscount Ted Deerhurst and the surfing company Oxbow.
Traveling Exhibitions
Between 2004 and 2011, the museum's displays traveled all over the UK. These shows visited places like London, Newquay, and Aberdeen.
- One special item on display was a historic wooden surfboard from Hawaii.
- This surfboard belonged to a Hawaiian chief named Abner Paki.
- It was from the time of Captain James Cook and had never been shown outside Hawaii before!
- The Bishop Museum in Honolulu loaned this amazing board.
- During one exhibition, a Hawaiian cultural ambassador named Tom Pohaku Stone visited. He even shaped a traditional 'olo' surfboard in front of everyone.
The museum still has a mobile display that travels to different surfing spots. They also have a project called "The First Wave" that collects memories from early British surfers.
Finding a Permanent Home
In 2010, the museum officially became a registered charity and changed its name to the Museum of British Surfing.
- Its permanent home opened on April 6, 2012, in Braunton.
- The museum is located in an old goods shed from the former Braunton Railway Station.
- This building is near the beautiful North Devon coast.
- Pete Robinson gave his entire collection of surfboards and surfing items to the museum. He left the project in 2015.
Run by Volunteers
Since 2015, a group of volunteers has run the museum. They are called the board of trustees.
- The museum was recognized by Arts Council England in February 2019.
- It also won an award for managing its collections on a budget.
- The museum is committed to working towards being carbon neutral, which means it tries to have no negative impact on the environment.
What You Can See at the Museum
The museum has a fantastic collection of surfing history.
- It includes more than 200 different kinds of British surfboards.
- You can see videos and photographs.
- There's a photo of famous writer Agatha Christie with a surfboard in Waikiki, Hawaii.
- Another picture shows King Edward VIII (when he was the Prince of Wales) also surfing in Waikiki. This shows that surfing was a sport for important people a long time ago.
- A recent exhibition shared the story of John Wrightson. He is thought to be the first person to surf in Britain!
- He surfed in 1890 at Bridlington, guided by two Hawaiian princes, David Kawānanakoa and Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole.
