Floyd Smith with one of his surfboards at his home in Rescue on Thursday, February 21, 2013. In the watery world of surfing, Floyd Smith is a living legend. He pioneered the modern surfboard, molding greatness from slabs of foam. Now in his late 70s, Smith still makes awesome boards, coveted around the globe. But his workshop is far from the surf. He now makes his boards in Rescue near Placerville in the Sierra foothills.