The Surfing Heritage Foundation has the world’s best collection of boards, clothing, literature and more detailing surfing history. This week, the featured item is a Peruvian fishing and surfing craft called a “Caballito.”
 
According to the foundation, here’s the story:

The “little horse” is a made from native reeds and the design has remained mostly unchanged over 2,000 years, proving itself a direct ancestor to stand up paddleboards.

A bamboo pole is split down the middle as a paddling device. Felipe Pomar, winner of the first World Surfing Championships in Punta Rocas, Peru in 1965 donated two to the foundation, arriving in San Diego aboard a Peruvian Navy vessel.

The Surfing Heritage Foundation is located at 110 Calle Iglesia, San Clemente. For more information or to make a donation, click here.

Kelly Slater won his ninth world title this morning in Spain after beating Spanish surfer Eneko Acero in Round 3 of the Billabong Pro Mundaka.

Slater topped Acero, a wildcard in the event, 14.96-10.00 in rainy three-to-four foot conditions at the fickle left hand break. He needed only one more heat victory to capture the 2008 men’s title and continue perhaps what could turn out to be the most dominant season in pro surfing history.

Here are some of the records the 36-year-old Floridian holds: 
Most ASP World Titles: Nine (2008, 2006, 2005, 1998, 1997, 1996, 1995, 1994, 1992)
Most ASP World Tour Victories: 39
Oldest ASP World Champion: 36-years-old (2008)
Youngest ASP World Champion: 20-year-old (1992)
Highest Heat Total: Only perfect 20 out of 20 ever earned (Tahiti – 2005)
Most Event Wins in a Season: Seven in 1996

Other Round 3 results, for those paying attention:

Two-time defending event champ Bobby Martinez advanced, as did San Clemente’s Adriano de Souza, Taylor Knox, Taj Burrow, Bede Durbidge, Joel Parkinson, and C.J. Hobgood. Eliminated were Huntington’s Timmy Reyes, Dane Reynolds and Jordy Smith.

As the hours tick down to Kelly Slater’s ninth world title, they took care of a little bit of business in the Basque Country of Spain.

Round 2 of the Billabong Pro Mundaka was fired up by barrelling four-to-five foot conditions. South Africans Jordy Smith and Royden Bryson had the top heats of the day, but Tim Reyes, Adriano de Souza, Taylor Knox, Dane Reynolds, and C.J. Hobgood also picked up victories.

The unfortunate task of being a surf history trivia question will fall to Spanish surfer and event wildcard Eneko Acero.

Wildcards have had the best luck against the Floridian this year, so the single heat victory Slater needs for this year’s crown, might not be a sure thing Friday.

Kelly Slater’s inevitable ninth world title is just one heat victory away.

The super-Floridian beat Taylor Knox of Carlsbad in Round 1 of the Billabong Pro Spain 16.33-6.16. Reubyn Ash of Great Britain was a distant third 3.50.

While Slater skips directly to Round 3, it’s just more time for him to think about the thing hanging over his head.

“I hadn’t really thought about it that much until I was out there in the water but I don’t want to deal with the emotions of worrying about it anymore,” Slater said. “I just want to try to win one more heat and get it done.”

It’s unclear who Slater will face in Round 3, but watch this space. Or, to follow the live webcast, click here.

The Surfing Heritage Foundation has found themselves a victim of their own success.

It’s sort of a good problem to have, in a way. But regardless, executive director Tom Pezman is facing a brave new frontier. On one hand, the San Clemente group was greeted with an outpouring of enthusiasm, funding and fantastic amounts of stuff over the first few years of existence.

On the other, their early success inspired them to take on more ambitious history-preserving goals. That in turn requires greater resources. Of money, yes, but also of time, and effort and technological skills. And so, like public television or National Public Radio, they’ve started their first membership drive. And much like the former two, they’ll be saying thanks with gifts for those who join.

“It’s a matter of capacity,” Pezman says. “We’re in need of greater support, so we’re reaching out with our friends to expand the reach of what we’re doing. What we hadn’t done before is reach out to the broad public.”

One of the most difficult, yet most important projects the Cooperstown of Surfing has initiated is an oral history program. Requiring far more than the small staff can possibly pull off, even with a recent sizable donation from Nell Newman, daughter of the late actor Paul Newman, from the Newman’s Own charity.

“It’s an overwhelming amount of work. And time is of the essence,” Pezman says. “For what has done so much for the culture of the United states at large, we have done so little to help young surfers understand who was in the lineup before they were.”

To get more information about becoming a member, call 949-388-0313.