Tom Overlin shaped 'Duo' from the 70's.


I was pretty excited to see this 70's, 6' 4", all original, no leg rope plug, phycadelic resin tint, Tom Overlin shaped vintage twin fin from Westhampton Beach, New York pop up today.

I'm pretty excited because this blog was originally conceived as a vehicle to test and revisit surfboard designs of the past, to see if they hold any lessons or relevance to surf board designs of today. 
To explore the idea that perhaps some valuable innovations of the past have been overlooked due to the politics or fashions of surfboard design at the time.

For example, this brief led me to revisit the 5'11" McCoy single fin that Cheyne Horan rode at Wiamea in 1983 as featured in the movie 'Follow the Sun'. This episode of experimentation was ridiculed at the time, but Geoff and Cheyne were testing rockers and outlines that have since been proven to be absolutely correct for riding big waves. We now see tow surfers sucessfully riding exactly this type of design at the worlds biggest breaks.


Although 40 years old this board looks absolutely cutting edge today due to the open mindedness and foresight of the talented tube rider, musician and shaper Neal Purchase Jr who has recently revisited this design concept, naming it the 'Duo'


Even the colours look contemporary due to the current work by the likes of 'the lady of many colours'




Although in this video Neal doesn't make any reference to the fact that this design and fin placement had been tried before in the 70's, this video of him at Uluwatu proves the designs functionality.




I'm a big fan of Neal's surfing and shaping and he is to be commended for his open mindedness and willingness to revisit innovations of the past and embrace their functionality.



Christian Fletcher 8'8" single fin gun.


Mike shared pics of his amazing Californian beauty.
8'8" single fin gun shaped by Timmy Paterson possibly for Christian Fletcher, judging by the Astrodeck logo, with Herbie Fletcher decals.

Future classic.




A surfing legend- MR's personal twin fin.


You don't come across one of these every day.
My good friend has managed to secure the very board featured on the from cover of the 1992 publication "Mark Richards - A surfing legend. The Authorised Biography".
It claims what we already well know, that Mark Richards was World Surfing Champion from 1979 to 1984 and is today considered to be one of the world's most renowned and gifted surfers. In 1991 he was noted in the American magazine "Surfing" as the top surfer out of a list of 100. This biography looks at his life, his career, including its highlights and setbacks, and the more personal issues that have changed his life including the death of his child from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)


Shaped by Mark Richards - May 89- 


A very nice, subtle hump, swallow tail twin fin with all his famous decals, shaped by the man himself. 

Deus & Boardcollector present 'Surf Swap 8' Part 9. Wrap up.

photo by thomas walk / deuscustoms.com
Thats a wrap!
Despite some inclement weather a great day was had by all at the Deus / Boardcollector Surf Swap #8 at Bondi Pavilion on Sunday the 27th of September 2105.

photo by thomas walk / deuscustoms.com
 Highlights for me were the live appraisals done over the mic.

We had visitors bring boards over they wanted to know a little bit more about, find out some history and get an estimate of their values. 
Myself, Gav Scott and Stu Nettle were on hand to fall the crowd in what came out of the board bags.
It was a huge buss to scrape away some dirty wax to see signatures, by Micheal Peterson, by Simon Anderson and for Cheyne Horan.

photo by thomas walk / deuscustoms.com
 The 'Show and Shine' went off a treat. It was great to see everybody's favourite sticks laid out to be admired. 
photo by thomas walk / deuscustoms.com

photo by thomas walk / deuscustoms.com

photo by thomas walk / deuscustoms.com
 Fern from Aloha to Zen was there to sign books.
photo by thomas walk / deuscustoms.com
 I sure had a good time.
photo by thomas walk / deuscustoms.com

photo by thomas walk / deuscustoms.com

photo by thomas walk / deuscustoms.com

photo by thomas walk / deuscustoms.com
 We had tony Airspeed doing live pin striping for free.

photo by thomas walk / deuscustoms.com
 A couple of bargains slipped thru my fingers like this lovely Emerald single fin with Rolling Stones spray.

photo by thomas walk / deuscustoms.com
 JT from Deus was a charming host.

photo by thomas walk / deuscustoms.com
The Ben Lexan designed Star Fin ridden by Cheyne Horan in his McCoys proved to be as controversial as ever when came out of the board bag on an amazing tear drop shaped Geoff McCoy.

photo by thomas walk / deuscustoms.com

photo by thomas walk / deuscustoms.com

photo by thomas walk / deuscustoms.com
 Expert appraiser Gav.
photo by thomas walk / deuscustoms.com
  Expert appraiser Stu.

photo by thomas walk / deuscustoms.com
 Twins and pins.
photo by thomas walk / deuscustoms.com

photo by thomas walk / deuscustoms.com
 Thomas Bexon and Bob McTavish were mowing foam and capturing the imaginations of some of the young fella's.

photo by thomas walk / deuscustoms.com
 'Do you think this is worth anything?' 
- Simon Anderson shaped Energy single fin with flame spray.

photo by thomas walk / deuscustoms.com
 The stringer says 'MR October '80.
photo by thomas walk / deuscustoms.com

photo by thomas walk / deuscustoms.com
 Peter McCabe was on hand to be re-united with his Lopez shaped Bolt he rode in the opening sequence to Tubular Swells.



photo by thomas walk / deuscustoms.com

photo by thomas walk / deuscustoms.com

photo by thomas walk / deuscustoms.com

photo by thomas walk / deuscustoms.com
 Silent auction bidding.

photo by thomas walk / deuscustoms.com
 Aaron from Spunk records was peeling the vintage vinyl.

photo by thomas walk / deuscustoms.com
 'How did Phil Byrne get those channels in there?'
photo by thomas walk / deuscustoms.com
 The retro skate off had them doing moves like it was 1978.

photo by thomas walk / deuscustoms.com

photo by thomas walk / deuscustoms.com