The History of the Surf Leash Photo Credit to AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL SURFING MUSEUM Today, surfboard leashes (or “leg ropes,” in the Aussie vernacular) are a ubiquitous part of the surf experience. But this hasn’t always been the case. In fact, prior to the early 1970s, the concept of a safety net for surfboards didn’t even exist. It was Pat O’Neill, son of famed wetsuit inventor Jack O’Neill, who is credited with creating the first leash—a piece of surgical tubing tied around his wrist, and attached to the board with a suction cup. Pat took his leash public at the 1971 Malibu Invitational, and was laughed out of the water by his competitors, who called his leash a “kook cord.” Many people believed that chasing your board was an integral part of the surf experience, and that the ability to swim to shore after a wipeout demonstrated one’s ability as a waterman. There were also reservations about the dangers of being attached to a heavy piece of fiberglass. In fact, Pat’s legendary father Jack actually had one of his early leashes snap and whip back into his face, blinding him in one eye and resulting in the legendary eye patch that...