Extraordinary Photographs of Surfers in Oahu, Hawaii in 1963

In May of 1963, as the surf craze swept the U.S. and popular images of surfers tempted newcomers into the water in the days before wetsuits were common, LIFE magazine had a message its readers: Surfing was fun but it wasn’t all fun and games. It was also dangerous, especially when it came to the waves  off the North Shore of Oahu.

And yet a brave group of surfers sought out the big waves anyway, for what LIFE called the “peril and ecstasy” of the sport’s toughest waves. Enabled by new innovations in balsa wood surfboards that had opened new vistas to surfers in the 1940s, the surfers  returned again and again, despite the risks.

Looking at these photos by George Silk, it’s not hard to see what drew the surfers back to the water. Some experienced, what surfer Fred Van Dyke described to Silk as, “the greatest feeling the world.”

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Vibrant Kodachrome Photos of Hawaii in the 1950s

These gorgeous Kodachrome photos of Hawaii are from the terrific collection of ElectroSpark, who has a particular fondness for original Kodachromes.

Travel back to 1950s Hawaii through these 30 stunning color pictures. For more fascinating photographs, visit ElectroSpark's brilliant Flickr site.

Honolulu Sporting Goods

Downtown Honolulu

Hawaiian Beach

Royal Hawaiian, Waikiki, Honolulu

Miss Surf Queen

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30 Wonderful Photographs of Young Hawaiian Girls From the 1970s

There is no doubt that Hawaii is one of the most breathtaking places in the world, making it an extremely desirable tourist destination today.

The big boom really came when Hawaii gained statehood in 1959, and annual visitors jumped to 240,000. By 1970, they had swelled to over 1.7 million.

Photographer Nick DeWolf took some wonderful color photographs of young girls hanging out in Hawaii in 1973.

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