Although the ancient sport of surfing originated and had long been practiced in the Polynesian culture, it did not become popular as a pass time and sport in California until the 1920's and 30's, when Duke Kahanamoku, a native-born Hawaiian brought it into the mainstream. Duke Kahanamoku was an Olympian swimmer, actor and athlete, whose lifestyle hugely informed and influenced the way in which surfing became regarded, accepted and loved as a sport and subculture in California and around the world today.
The Blackwing 840 is a tribute to Duke Kahanamoku and the enlightened lifestyle he helped cultivate through surfing. The pencil features a sea green barrel with a gold foil accent in the shape of the California coastline, a gold ferrule and clip, light grey eraser, light grey Blackwing imprint and balanced grahite. The number 840 stands for the 840-mile California coast.