The My Little Pony Scrapbook: G1 in the UK and Europe

Surfdancer

Adult Sea Pony, UK

Blue adult sea pony with yellow mane, pink seashell stand

Blue sea pony
Pony Data
Set Adult Sea Ponies (UK)
Asst. Number 4874
Accessories Blue shell brush and comb, blue ribbon, Pink clam shell stand.
Pose Adult Sea Pony I
Distribution UK
Versions made in Italy sold in some parts of Europe.
Other Versions

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Ponies Sold in 1984 in the UK Rainbow Ponies (Set One) | Earth Ponies | Show Stable | Adult Sea Ponies (UK) | Butterscotch's Gymkhana | Baby Ember (Mail Order) | Bluebelle (Concave) | The Grooming Parlour

Other 1984 Ponies Unicorn and Pegasus Ponies (Set One) | Adult Sea Ponies (N.America) | Dream Castle (UK:1985) | The Waterfall (UK:1985) | Dream Castle (UK:1985) | Baby Buggy (UK:1987) | Lullabye Nursery (UK:1986)

Surfdancer also available in 1985 in the UK.

Surfdancer in the United Kingdom

The adult sea pony situation in the UK has always been a bit odd. Hasbro decided not to sell unicorns and pegasus ponies, but went out on a limb and dropped Sea Ponies on in there instead. Moreover, they created original characters, right at the very beginning, which does seem like a risk. Why they did not sell the North American set here is unknown, but Surfdancer is one of two distinct characters released here in 1984

The UK boxes are different from those sold in North America, too. They are designed as though to display the pony 'underwater' through the cellophane bubble. They are not easy to find mint in box, and the bubble can come away from the sides as the glue dries out. The shell and pony were held in place by a card inlay, also in blue, and the brush and comb were tucked into the bottom of the box under cardboard loops. The pony's name was in black on the front corner, and the ponies were each named on the back, but they had no box stories.

Italian-made versions of Surfdancer do exist in other parts of Europe. They have an I on the tail, instead of a HK, denoting their manufacture. Her colouring is also much darker, both in body and hair. Her name in Italy was "Maristella" ("Sea Star"?) and she was sold in a unique design box, like many ponies in Italy during the earlier years of production.
Italian Surfdancer
Italian Surfdancer
Image from Shivhae

A version, sold in the Benelux, also exists with pink hair.

Surfdancer's Character

Surfdancer was the titular character in "Surfdancer and the Little Mermaid", a read-and-listen story in which the Sea Pony helped a mermaid, after receiving a distress call via her shell telephone (!). Surfdancer was depicted in the comics as well, and the sea ponies would often get involved in helping the earth-bound ponies, sometimes with sung warnings and sometimes direct intervention.

The opening lines of "Surfdancer and the Little Mermaid" are notable for their similarity to the backcard of American Sea Pony Sealight. The story opens with her asking Mr Dolphin for a ride on his fin. Sealight's backcard story also includes asking Mr Dolphin for a similar ride, suggesting that Sealight's backcard story was influential in creating Surfdancer's character. Another clue to this overlap is Surfdancer's little song at the beginning of Surfdancer and the Little Mermaid:

"I'm one of the Sea Ponies,
I live in the sea.
There's Wavebreaker and Seaspray,
And Surfdancer, that's me!
If you are in danger,
Need help in distress,
Just send us your signal . . .
A Sea Pony SOS."

The characterisation of a sea pony to the rescue, and even the lines of the song echo the Sea Pony appearance in Rescue at Midnight Castle, although Surfdancer was  not included in this episode.

Surfdancer is one of the few early My Little Pony sold in the UK who were omitted from the Factfile, and she had no backcard story. Her personality is thus entirely derived from her appearances in the early stories and comics. Given the use of the US names in early stories, it is possible that all of the character information from the US ponies were given to storywriters in the UK, including the names - but the ultimate ponies sold turned out to be different.