Henry "Stretch" Pohl, a Camden native who was a water safety instructor, was introduced to Blake hollow boards for their lifesaving applications. It wasn't long before Strech, who vacationed on Long Beach Island, New Jersey, brought one of Blake's 12' limited production boards into the ocean. Stretch surfed for the first time on LBI in 1932. He gladly introduced the sport to others including a devout group o f watermen known was the Malolo-Akula Surfboard Club wo enjoyed the new sport through the 1930s. Stretch continued to instruct local lifeguards and also opened a surfing school for the public by 1968.
Stretch was a founding member of the Long Beach Island Surfing Association (L.B.I.S.A) in March of 1964 when town councils attempted to restrict surfers' access to public beaches. This association worked hard to set up surfing hours, surfing beaches, and address any surfing issues that arose. The group grew from 46 members in August of 1964 to over 200 members in 1965. The L.B.I.S.A. later focused on organizing contests to legitimize the sport. The contest in August of 1964 drew 75 contestants and 3,000 spectators and also a visit from surfing legend, Greg Noll.
