Notes
The folks at the museum are putting the finishing touches on a display about the history of windsports in the area. This is one of the museum's treasures, one of the first windsurfers ever built. This was built by S. Newman Darby in 1965. There are also Darby boards at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History and the Pennsylvania State Museum, but you can see one right here in Hood River.
When I first saw this board I thought it was more like a simple sailboat than a windsurfer, but then I saw video of the board in action. It has all the dynamics of a windsurfer. It looks awfully clunky on land, but it seems to come to life on the water.
You can learn more about Newman Darby from this Smithsonian article.
The exhibit also includes one of Cory and Bill Roeseler's earliest kiteskis, as well as many great artifacts from the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. It even includes some of my old gear!
Category: [Downtown Hood River]