The Final SetA date for the diary
Izzy Henshall surfing at sunset. Photo: Luke Gartside
Join us for a Museum Late event on 12th November to mark the final weeks of the SURF! exhibition, celebrating a century of Cornish waveriding at the National Maritime Museum.
It’s one of your final chances to catch this brilliant celebration of 100 years of Cornish surfing, and we’ve got a few extra treats lined up for the evening.
Alongside the exhibition, there’ll be a fully stocked bar, food from the Aussie Smoker and the chance to hear some stories from the people who’ve helped shape Cornwall’s surfing history.
Bellyboarders on the beach at Bude, 1932. Photo: Alex Williams collection
The Legends Q&A
Curator Sam Bleakley will be joined by a handful of Cornish surf legends, including 1980s/90s competitive trailblazer Grishka Roberts, surf adventurer, media pioneer and surfboard collector Alex Williams, and Falmouth’s very own Para Surfing World Champion Charlotte Banfield. Expect plenty of stories, memories and a few tales from back in the day.
Grishka Roberts, one of the legends joining the Q&A on the night. Photo: Alex Williams
Mickey Smith on the big screen
And for those who love a moving picture, multi-award-winning filmmaker Mickey Smith will be joining us for a special one-night-only screening of some of his iconic Kanndir surf films. A rare chance to hear from the man himself, ask a few questions and settle in for classics including Dark Side of the Lens, the more recent Tom Lowe: A Thousand Lives, plus a few others on the big screen.
The Newquay Surf Classic. Photo: Alex Williams
Whether you’ve been part of the Cornish surf scene for decades or just love its rich history and characters, this promises to be a cracking evening.
The details
A vintage camper and a wall of boards inside the SURF! exhibition. Photo: Ian Cross Photography
Thursday 12th November | 6–9pm
Doors open at 6pm, with introductions and the Legends Q&A kicking off at 6.30pm.
See you there, Pards!
About SURF!
Celebrating the culture, craft, art and activism of Cornwall’s surf scene, the exhibition documents a century of Cornish waveriding. From the wooden bellyboards of the 1920s made by local coffin makers, to charismatic stand-up surf pioneers of the 1930s and 1940s, through to the birth of the surf industry in the 1960s, iconic longboard artworks in the 2000s, to the para surfing World Champions of today, SURF! provides a unique deep-dive into how Cornwall has evolved into ‘the California of the UK’, becoming a breeding ground for world champion surfers and multiple creative industries, from board-building to wetsuit production, magazine media to filmmaking and fashion.
Surfers line up with their boards at the Malibu Masters, 1986. Photo: Roger Mansfield
Classic surfboards and sprays. Photo: Ian Cross Photography
SURF!
The exhibition is open until January 2027
National Maritime Museum Cornwall Discovery Quay
Falmouth
Cornwall TR11 3QY
