The first biennial Surfing Heritage Vintage Surf Auction has been highlighted by the sale of a 1949 Pete Peterson California Point Break Board.
 Collectors browse the selection of vintage boards before they are ready to bid |
The California Gold-themed sale took place in Costa Mesa on May 11, with the board selling in the top spot at $32,400. There were more than 50 prized surfboards on offer, spanning the early 1900s through to the present day.
The packed crowd was dotted with surf legends, such as Tom Curren, Peter Mel, Keith Malloy and Robert "Wingnut" Weaver. The new owner of the Pete Peterson board is Fernando Aguerre, founder of popular surfing brand Reef.
Also selling well in the auction was an extremely rare copy of AR Gurrey Jr's The Surf Riders of Hawaii, which is considered the first book to showcase the sport and was handmade for sale in Gurrey's shop.
"Initially made to sell in his local art shop in the still desolate Waikiki beach in the early 1900s, A.R. Gurrey Jr was one of the first photographers to capture the surfing phenomena, thereby opening the sport to world-wide attention," the item description explains.
"With only eight known books in existence, the one available at the live auction was the copy that was found by Gurrey's family in his personal belongings, and features images of some of the first modern surfers in Hawaii, including Duke Kahanamoku."
This auction demonstrates the diversity of the world of collectibles. For more unusual items, visit the unique collectibles section of our online store.
