The cultural center Knokke-Heist in Belgium  - ever since the concert of the Beach Boys in  1987  the "Surfers Paradise" of the North Sea coast -  presented  the exhibition „Surfing – The Cult of Cool“  . On  700 qm it showed the fascination and richness the of surfing culture that has so many actives and passive followers at the Belgian coast.

In 5 thematical scenarios the visitors were brought to the  surfing heritage and future, fashion and boards, heroes and legends as well as present professionals and music, films and photography.
The exhibition presents surfing's iconic "way of life" while focussing on the essential Hawaian "Aloha Spirit" that binds surfers up to our present time.

Totems was commissioned by the cultural center Scharpoord in Knokke-Heist for the concept, design and production including all content and image research. Texts were written by Simone Knaapen. An essential input in stories and spirit came from  „Surfers Paradise“ by Frank van Leenhove.

A surfsimulator and a virtual reality-experience with original photos from Hawaii barrelsurfing alongside a range of events  completed the exhibition.

The traditional surfboard shaper Tom „Pohaku“ Stone from Hawaii came all along and and did some live shaping and told the visitors about surfing heritage, the essence of their living with nature and the soul of surfing. The surfboard constructor „Flow and Soul“ from Zeebrugge presented custom-boards made in Belgium.