Surfboards on Display at Bloomingdale's

Shoppers at in are now surrounded by colorful mementos from an earlier decade as they make their way up the escalator to the second floor.

“The Epic Eighties,” an exhibit by Mar Vista resident Kristopher Tom, features 15 vintage surfboards and will be on display through Sunday.

Tom, 41, grew up surfing in the '80s and later started collecting surfboards from that era.

“I wasn’t sure how it was going to look, but with the boards around the glass, all around the escalator, with all the different colors, it’s awesome,” Tom said. “It’s a little odd to have them in a high-end fashion department store, but I think [they] definitely complement the store.”

Kerry Borland, Bloomingdale’s Santa Monica’s public relations manager, said at Saturday's opening reception that “our fall campaign tagline is ‘Check It Out,’ and what we strive to do is find something local to feature, and surf culture is such a big part of Santa Monica. I think it’s an amazingly dynamic display. I love all the colors.”

Tom was excited to have iconic surfboard craftsman Peter Schroff at the reception. Three of the surfboards on display were created by Schroff.

“It’s excellent. I grew up surfing his boards, so the fact that he decided to come here with his daughter and hang out with us is really an honor,” Tom said.

Schroff started shaping surfboards on his kitchen table when he was 14.

“It just captured my heart,” said Schroff, who lives in Venice. “So I started making surfboards for all my friends at school and it just turned into a business and a clothing company and the rest is history.”

Schroff said he was thrilled to have his surfboards in the exhibit.

“I grew up coming to Bloomingdale’s," he said. "So to actually be here in 2011 showing boards I made in the '80s—it’s fantastic.”

This article was originally published on Mar Vista Patch.