Along with the end of World War II and the prosperity of the postwar boom came the rise of the seaside culture. The runabout was at the heart of all this beach resort activity, but it had changed. The new model was more likely to have come, not from America, but rather from Sarnico, Italy, where Carlo Riva was now setting the pace. With Riva's highend models like the Aquarama, the 1960's powerboat took off as the ultimate pleasure craft, laden down with leisure time pals and bikiniclad girls stretched out on the rear padded sunbathing bay. More than ever, the runabout symbolised both personal success and a mastery of movement. As the cult of the individual came to dominate that of the community, the runabout facilitated escape from the crowd, from the congested shore, as well symbolizing differentiation from the masses. The playboys of Saint Tropez people like Roger Vadim and gunther Sachs were partying, and their gleaming Rivas were everpresent with them in the dreamlike photos taken by the popular press every summer. Then, following a brief eclipse in the 1980s and 1990s, the classic varnished wooden runabout made a comeback, first in America among passionate collectors, and then across the Atlantic, through the restoration of boats from a time we had thought long gone. It is not just the vintage version, however that is enjoying a second wind. A few boatyards, including Switzerland's Boesch, continue to produce new varnished and modern wooden runabouts, while others launch new models in ultracontemporary materials. Riva, in keeping with its long tradition, has since 2000 been producing an updated version of the new era's runabout in the form of the Aquariva. (1) No Fields Found.