: Board Collector

Stussy

2012-03-16T11:25:00.001+11:00

My aim of compiling a comprehensive Californian 'Echo Beach' era innovation period collection came one step closer to reality recently with the acquisition of this early 80's Shawn Stussy shaped 6'8" rounded pin tail semi gun. Mr Stussy's skills as a shaper are only matched by his skills as a graphic designer and artist. I took this board out for a run at solid overhead Swami's and it performed as you would expect, very well. But the attraction for me is in the graphics, specifically the walking man with surfboard graphic that formed part of the first collection of imagery Shawn displayed on his booth at Surf Expo in the early 80's

As he describes in Jeff Parker's 'Echo Beach' documentary, he sold a few boards but what people really wanted to order were the fresh and innovative graphic tees.

And so it was, a revolutionary global surf and street wear empire was born.

The artist at work

The booth

Shawn Stussy at the Florida trade show with the tees and graphics that turned his career around.

Very nice, solid, glass in fins.

Gorgeous drip paint, hand spray.

Circa 1982

Nectar Thruster- Part 7.

2012-03-15T08:16:00.001+11:00

Simon Anderson had this beautiful, immaculate, original 80's, purple rail spray, US built, Gary McNabb shaped, Nectar on display at Sacred Craft to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Thruster (3 fins of equal size) design.

Here it is along side its Australian cousin, one of the first Energy thrusters ever made.

Nectar Thruster- Part 6.

2012-03-13T12:00:00.000+11:00

Gavin has been kind enough to share two of his remarkable Nectar thrusters with us.

The 7'2" gun bears an amazing similarity to Simon Anderson's famous Pipeline Masters winning board.

Simon Anderson at Sacred Craft 2011.

Gary McNabb 9317 7'2" Perry

I've never seen a US built Tom Carroll model Nectar thuster before.

A unique board and an excellent restoration.

Nectar Thruster- Part 5.

2012-03-12T14:13:00.003+11:00

Luck has really been shining on me of late.

I found this Gary McNabb shaped 6'3", single hip, rounded square tail, Nectar team riders thruster in great condition in San Clemente for under $100. It looks like it could well have just been shot for the cover of Surfer in 1981. The fact that this design made the cover of a magazine is a testament to how important this design is to the history of surfboard design.

In fact how many other boards have scored their own cover shot?

Simon Anderson recounts how he got started with Gary Mac Nabb and Nectar to bring the Thruster design to the US in 1981

Again, the team rider for whom the board was shaped is a mystery to me.

It could be this guy, who went un-credited in a Nectar ad from 1981 or possibly John Glomb.

(The half completed tail repairs were done by me. Originally the tail was in good condition with just a single crack along the tail that I was afraid was going to let in water.)

Gary McNabb, 8076, 6'3"

Nectar thrusters

Nectar ad from 1981

John Glomb, surfing off Singer Island. Photo. Tony Arruza.

80's Gotcha / Oneil team boards

Californian Brewer twin fin.

2012-03-11T16:49:00.002+11:00

I'm so stoked with my recent find, but also a little worried.

I found a 6'0" competition weight, single fly swallow tail twin fin Brewer (the first Dick Brewer label for the collection) shaped by San Clemente legend Gary Linden, with classic Gotcha “Bubble Fish” sponsor decals under the glass for 80’s team rider ‘Marc’. The “Bubble Fish” Gotcha logo was designed by Shawn Stussy in the early days of Gotcha and was the brand’s first official logo.

I scored the opening bid as soon as it was listed on eBay. I nervously checked it everyday, waiting to get out bid. When the auction ended and my opening bid won I was amazed, blown away, that no one, any where on the planet was interested in this piece of history, this fantastic, watertight, twin fin, rider. Then I started to get worried. Hang on, what is wrong with me. Why am I so attracted to rubbish that others have trouble getting rid of. What is this curse that afflicts me?

Then I saw the light, it's no curse, it's a blessing. If I can enjoy surfing on a $50 surfboard and get stoked appreciating it's history, design and cultural relevance at the same time, then blessed I truly am.

Save Trestles

Gary Linden, 6', 840, for Marc

possibly Stussy and Gotcha team rider Marc Price

80's Gotcha team boards

Being that the board is from San Clemente, I took it out at Trestles to see how it would go in the waves for which it was built. Super flat rocker, wide fin bases for lots of drive, close to 3 inches of foam, hard rails that are so sharp Jordy said they 'could cut an apple' and a subtle swallow tail that functions more as a square tail. I tell you, the thing is a rocket! This thing holds some design principles that desperately need revisiting.

Not pretty, but this thing flies!

The Surf Trip

2012-03-06T13:08:00.001+11:00

Gavin invites you to 'The Surf Trip' saturday the 7th of April on the New South Wales mid north coast.

Surf boards, Surf Market, clothes, yoga, bands and food!

More social media

2012-03-05T03:05:00.003+11:00

If your interested in staying up to date with the latest social media,

I invite you to follow boardcollector on your iphone through INSTAGRAM.

Search for INDATUBE and start following.

70's

Rincon

80's

Bronze

2012-02-29T05:37:00.003+11:00

Looking out my window here in snowy Utah my mind has been wandering back to the warm weather of Hawaii in July and the good times I had at Randy Rarrick's Hawaiian Islands Vintage surf auction.

I cant believe how close I came to actually owning an amazing bronze glitter paint early 80's Dennis Pang shaped T&C twin fin that looked like it had been custom shaped for me.

I immediately fell in love with this 10 out of 10 glitter paint Hawaiian built twin fin from Kona.
Subtle rocker, nice and wide at the nose, single fly swallow.

The silent auction bidding form, with me, 101, bidder number 1.

The silent auction started and foe a while I was the first and only bidder.

Then as the excitement of the auction grew more people started gathering around my board.

HEY! GET AWAY FROM THERE!

The auctioned ended and crowd subsided, leaving me broken hearted, beaten by one bid, but stoked to have been there and been able to play the game and share the buzz.

Local Motion

2012-02-10T05:43:00.000+11:00

My friends have been very generous in sharing some pics of some fantastic Local Motion surfboards they have crossed paths with recently.

Pat Rawson for Buttons

Rawson 6'8 single fin, shaped for Mike Latronic

Pat Rawson for Bobby Owens

Bonus pics- Vintage Ben Aipa for Tony Moniz

Nineteen eighty three.

2012-02-07T06:46:00.003+11:00

My favorite surfers and some of my favorite shapes & shapers from 1983.

Willy + Al Merrick.

Rabbit + Al Bryne.

Larry + Pat Rawson.

Wes + Rusty Preisendorfer.

Kong + Al Bryne.

Shaun + Rusty Preisendorfer.

Chappy + Murray Bourton.

As luck would have it I found 3 boards from this era in the one place at a vintage surf swap recently.

A US made Hot Stuff 'Kong' model shaped by Tom Eberly of Lightning Bolt and a 2 x Local Motions by Pat Rawson I believe.

Lightning Bolt Single fin.

2012-02-03T04:23:00.000+11:00

Here is my recently acquired 6"6' lightning Bolt single flyer, rounded pin tail single fin. It has no shapers markings other then the 00435 on the stringer. It was built with out a leg rope plug, which gives me pause to think about how old it actually is.

According to an earlier email from Randy Rarrick this is probably a Californian made Bolt out of the Hobie factory in San Diego. Danny Brawner held the license for mainland USA and this board was most likely shaped by Mickey Munoz or Terry Martin. Randy say, "During it's hey day of the mid to later 70's, over 30 different shapers pumped out Bolts with certified licensees in California, South Africa, Australia and Brazil.

As they said at the time "The Most Frequently Tubed Surfboards in the World".

Randy at the 2011 Hawaiian vintage surf auction

I see now I should have added some red pigment to my nose re-build

Gerry Lopez- Australian adventure. Part 4

2012-02-01T11:53:00.000+11:00

We now know that Gerry Lopez did not actually shape any of the licensed Lightning Bolts made at the Bennett factory, we can all still admire Henry's beautiful Aussie built Bolt.

Gerry Lopez- Australian adventure. Part 3

2012-01-31T07:33:00.000+11:00

Jack McCoy wrote:

"Gerry is coming out (to Australia) next week and I"m doing the tour with him promoting the film, A Deeper Shade of Blue.

"Gerry didn't surf long reef by himself and he only shaped a few boards while in Oz, a couple for me and a couple for himself at Terry Fitz's.....

AND I have the board he brought to Australia for the Bells and Coke Contest that he took to Bali when I took him in 1974 and has an amazing story of which we will tell on the night with the board that you would have seen at my house."

Obviously Jack McCoy is an expert on Gerry's exploits in Australia. So Gerry never shaped a board at Bennett's, but they did make legitimate licenced copies.

Tim Ellis has never spoken a word of a lie to me so lets assume it was me who heard the story wrong about Gerry surfing Long Reef.

I have been lucky enough to meet Jack and the board Gerry took to Bells / Bali at the Deus Surf Swap 3, when Jack brought it along to share the stoke.

Jack & Gerry's

Gerry Lopez- Australian adventure. Part 2

2012-01-30T08:40:00.003+11:00

Warren wrote to say-

You can find footage of Lopez on a similar board in Steve Core’s
“Ocean Rhythms”.

This footage was shot at Johanna Beach in Victoria in 1972.

There’s also some great footage of Simon Anderson and
Terry Fitzgerald at Bells Beach.

I understand that Lopez will be Oz this coming weekend attending a screening of
Albe Falzon’s

MORNING OF THE EARTH at The Sydney Opera House.

Gerry Lopez- Australian adventure

2012-01-29T13:17:00.002+11:00

My good friend Thomas "The Cosmic Dog" gave me a copy of Gerry Lopez's autobiography 'Surf is where you find it'. Skimming through it, I'm yet to find any reference in there regarding his travels to Australia.

I know he did go, based on anecdotes and boards like this he shaped at the Bennet factory in Brookvale. Guessing by the shapes I'd say around 73 - 74.

Tim Ellis told me the legend of how Gerry surfed massive, maxing out, Little Makaha off Long Reef on Sydney's Northern Beaches, alone, some time in the 70's. But I'm yet to find any record of his exploits in my collection of Australian surfing magazines from the time.

The man is an enigma. Mysterious and puzzling.

Gerry on a wind swept Australian headland some time in the early 70's

Long Reef headland showing Little Makaha reef to the left and Butterbox to the right

Memories

2012-01-19T08:21:00.004+11:00

Mark Richards: So long chairman of the boards

2012-01-16T05:16:00.000+11:00

BY IAN KIRKWOOD of Newcastle Herald

MR in the Ray Richards Surf Shop with his famous Ben Aipa Flame spray stinger

One of Australia's most famous surf shops is closing down.
On Saturday afternoon, surfing legend Mark Richards will shut the doors on the family shop at 755 Hunter Street - a surfing institution that has been selling boards since 1958.
In an industry when retailers come and go - in a street where too many businesses, sadly, have simply gone - 54 years of selling surfboards from the one address must be some sort of record.

Ray Richards 2nd hand car yard / historically important surf board shop

For the four-time professional world surfing champion who turns 55 in March, shutting the shop is not "doom and gloom". The man known simply as MR acknowledges retailing's decline along the once vibrant Hunter Street but says the time has come to move on with his life.

The unmistakable grin of a future world champ

"I haven't made it a secret but the word has got around," he said. "We've had people in just wanting to wander round and soak up the atmosphere one last time."
His good friend and the shop's other main face, fellow Merewether surfer Mick Adam, can hardly believe it's happening.

Ray Richards- the great uncle of the modern era of Australia surfing??!

"I started here in the 1970s when I was still at school," Adam said. "I'm going to miss it."
It's the stuff of surfing legend that Mark's father, the late Ray Richards, started the shop as a second-hand car showroom in the post-war 1950s.

Mark with Ben Aipa Kong stinger that still hangs in the Hunter st store

Records that Mark's wife Jenny found this week showed the first board Ray bought came from Barry Bennett's at Brookvale, in 1958, at a cost of 26 pounds.
Surfboards remained sidelines for a few years but in the early 1960s, Ray and wife Val took a history-making plunge and gave the shop over to surfing.

As David Knox wrote in his 1992 biography, Mark Richards, A Surfing Legend: "For a surf-struck youngster, that shop was a wondrous place. " It was also home to the young Richards, who lived as an only child with his parents in a flat above the showroom. By the late 1970s, when Richards was an idol to a generation, every kid in town wanted an MR twin-fin.

The shop stocked full of early 80's gold.
MR twins (by Bob Margets), Lightning bolt twins (by Greg Clough) and McCoy Laser Zaps (by Geoff McCoy)

Winning four consecutive world championships from 1979, Mark Richards was the Kelly Slater of his day. With a knees-together, arms out style that had him christened "the Wounded Seagull", Richards was the surfer with the "famous Novocastrian grin".

Now a handful of big companies dominate the industry and small independent surf shops are finding it harder to survive.
"I love shaping boards, it's what I'm good at, but I'm not so sure I'm so good at retailing," Richards said.

Mereweather

Others might disagree.
Walk into the shop on any afternoon - after Richards has had a morning surf - and chances are he's there to serve you.
Shutting the shop will let him concentrate on making surfboards in a room tucked away in an old weatherboard building behind the shop.

While one door shuts, another is opening a block away from Richards on the corner of National Park and King streets.
"Paul Green, whose Slimes Surf & Skate is at Erina, is opening his Newcastle shop next month and Mick is going to work for him and my boards will be available there too, and I'll keep my website going also, so it's all worked out well," Richards said.

Stussy twin fins circa 1982

2012-01-15T11:04:00.002+11:00

San Onofre

2012-01-12T12:49:00.003+11:00

I had a great late evening surf on the reef at San O where this guy on a SUP filmed this video.
Its nice to know nature still survives despite our best attemps to get rid of it.

The architects of the San Onofre power plant must have had breasts on their minds when drawing the plans...

Cardiff surf swap part 2

2012-01-11T12:38:00.000+11:00

Cheyne Horan / Geoff Mc Coy/ Laser Zap combo

2012-01-10T09:37:00.000+11:00

The saddest thing about surfing in the 80's was the terrible conditions the pros were forced to compete in. The great thing about surfing in the 80's were the terrible conditions the pros were forced to compete in that forced them to work closely with their shapers to innovate and experiment with new and exciting shapes to try and gain an edge over their competitors and the conditions. No one surfer/ shaper/ surfboard model exemplifies the fact more than the Cheyne Horan / Geoff Mc Coy/ Laser Zap combo.

The board and back up Huntington.

I collect more than just old surfboards

2012-01-09T07:35:00.001+11:00

My trip to America has been fantastic for my 1978-1983 surfboard collection. I have scored some great boards and had a fantastic time connecting with new people and learning more and more about US innovation period surfboard design. But I'm interested in more than just the boards from the great US shapers. I'm interested in the history the culture the personalities the boards and naturally the surf breaks they were built for. I'd say I've been even more successful in collecting US surf and surf culture experiences than I have been surfboards. I've visited every break mentioned in the Beach Boy's songs I grew up with and I've tried as hard as I can to get out and see the best of what the Californian coast has to offer.

You would think that if your going to write a blog as a hobby, you'd buy a decent camera instead of relying on a iPhone with a dirty lens. Not me, so please forgive the terrible photos of my adventures. I almost never take shots of sets or of the surf when the conditions are ideal as that's when I'm frothing to get in the water. The phone only comes out at the beginning or end for a quick shot to remind me of the day.

High lights of my US surf break collection from the past 2 weeks include (going South to North)

Blacks, arguably the birth place of the US thruster surfboard and home break of shaping legend Rusty Preisendorfer

I collected some sore legs going up and down the trail.

Some sick left hand barrels

and some unbelievable sun sets.

Seaside Reef.

I've collected a few parking tickets here. Is a great fun wave that is generally over run by packs of shredding groms. The right is often better than the left but when it get big enough the kids disappear and the left turns on. I love the way the left has a series of ledges and steps you need to weave your way down and through the connect the sections.

This day had some solid sets, sun shine and off shore wind.

although the crowd is usually diabolical I was the only car in the car park on New Years Day, just in time for a thick fog and a new swell.

George's
Half way between Seaside and Cardiff is a series of beach breaks called Georges. All I've collected from here is these photos and a bunch of beatings on my back hand.

shot with the phone, out the window while driving

Cardiff Reef.
CR is a favorite of mine at low tide and decent swell.
It can get hollow, the rides are long, it breaks left and right and it can hold almost any size.
The craziest thing I've seen at Cardiff was during a King high tide. The swell came in over the reef and reformed in the river mouth creating a left that broke along the edge of the bank and peeled all the way to the bridge. Some skilled long boarders were surfing right under the bridge!

a bad photo of a nice barrel

Swarmi's.
My love hate affair continues with Swarmi's. She can be so fun and so annoying at the same time. The fact it never closes out means it can get over packed with any one with a surfboard althought the mood is generally pleasent and rarley agro. I have collected some pretty good wave counts out here and because its a relitively easy wave it means I get to experiment with all my new found vintage surfboard designs out here.

I stopped to shoot this vid with my phone as I was getting out of the water and walking up the stairs to go to work on a wednesday.

Trestles.
You always appreciate the things you have to work for and I think the long walk into trestles makes me appreciate it all the more once I get there. We have had a few bigger days and a few simply beautiful small clean winter days too this year.

Rincon.
A real high light for me was scoring the Rincon swell of the 5th and 6th of January.
I got to collect a couple of fantastic long rides, some great memories and a very special Rincon souvenir that I'll get to keep forever.

pulling in at low tide at the river mouth I scored a fin chop from my own board.

I collected a new friend on the path named Nick who cleaned me up and found me the address of an Urgent Care in Ventura.

He came with me, hung out for the stitches and took me out for beers afterwards.

I've collected great freinds, great boards, get storeies and a couple of great new souvenirs this month!

Fish Fry 2012

2012-01-04T01:38:00.000+11:00

It all started with the fish when the innovative shapers and board builders out there decided to revisit the past for some inspiration. In doing so they brought back some lost skills such as resin tints and hand foiled fins.The Fish Fry has been a place for these fine craftsmen to showcase their skills. We have seen some amazing boards as shapers have pushed the boundaries over the last few years. As this new look at the fish has evolved to its many forms, it has influenced other shapes and designs along the way.This has spawned a renewed interest in other board forms by this same group and a wider following. Notably the Mini Simmons, Hulls, old school Logs and Pigs. It is pleasing to note that there are an increasing number of people building their own boards as well.All of this is to be applauded and celebrated as a positive for surfing. So it is only natural that these shapers and board builders continue to share their skills with us and include these other shapes at the Fish Fry.

It has truly become a melting pot of ideas for like minded people.

Pink checker board Schroff 'Baby Swallow' single fin

2011-12-29T13:43:00.001+11:00

I'm pleased to share with you my 5'11" Peter Schroff shaped 'Baby Swallow' single fin. I'm in love with the pink and black checker board spray and 80's decals. This board looks as current and exciting as anything currently on the market. This piece almost completes my mission to preserve a selection of important early 80's Californian 'Echo Beach' era shapers work. There are some obvious holes in the collection but so far we have:

Greg Pautsch McCoy, Peter Schroff 'Twin Fin Design', Simon Anderson Design Nectar thruster, Lance Colins single fin and a Lance Collins Wave Tools twin fin.

There is no signature on the stringer or foam, only this marking 5'11" on the glass around the fin box

The board originally came with a classic collection of 80's stickers and deck grip. PJ's surfrider Newport Beach shows its heritage, coming from the 'Echo beach' area.

I found this board just in time to co-inside with the modern single fin revial that's been spear headed by Rusty Preisendorfer.

Obscure- yes. Complete- Almost. Part 2

2011-12-28T07:18:00.001+11:00

Be careful what you wish for cause you just may get it.

After wishing to 'secure' a board from every shaper from the 1985 top 20 and already having 14 of the 20 I just found 2 of the remaining pieces in one place. A guy is selling a Kong model Hot Stuff as surfed by Gary Elkerton and a Local Motion as surfed by Buttons Kaluhiokalani on the East Coast. He will only sell them as a pair. Of course I don't have a penny spare after xmas. So I'm suggesting we get 20 people to 'invest' $30 each to secure them for prosperity. They will live at my house in Encinitas and as an investor you are welcome to take them for a surf if your in the area. I will photograph them and post the pics for reference. When we sell them on we will split the proceeds 20 ways. You might even make a profit!

If you want to be a small part of obscure 80's surf history email me at damion@boardcollector.com

Holy Grail

2011-12-27T12:59:00.002+11:00

I've been in the US just over one year this thanks giving. My mission secure and preserve a U.S innovation period surfboard collection has been going well, but there are still a few missing pieces to my puzzel. The holy grail, the mising jewel from my crown, is an early eighties Shawn Stussy shaped twin fin. Somtimes I start to think that they are not even real, they are goasts, figments of my blurred 80's imagination and my mission is a hoax. Then, trawling the internet, I stumble upon the holy grail, preserved on an East Coast. Reminding me that the only way to reach your destination is to put one foot in front of the other and keep hunting keep searching.

Of course, as soon as the correct swell pops up, I'm going to drive up to Rincon and drop into Shawn's new board shop located in Montecito's lower village at 1187 Coast Village Road and order a new "future classic" single fly swallow tail twin fin shaped by the man himself

Obscure- yes. Complete- Almost.

2011-12-26T09:20:00.002+11:00

Its an unusual task to set ones self and possibly a somewhat unhealthy obsession to cultivate but I'm 70% of the way to owning a board from every shaper from the 1985 top 20.

Buttons Kaluhiokalani with his (?) shaped Local Motion

Cheyne Horan with his Geoff McCoy shaped Mc Coy

Tom Curren with his Al Merrick shaped Channel Islands

Willy Morris with his Al Merrick shaped Channel Islands

Shaun Tomson with his Spyder Murphy shaped Shaun Tomson

Tom Carroll with his Phil Byrne shaped Bryne

Michael Ho with his Eric Arakawa shaped Island Classic

Mark Richards with his Mark Richards shaped Mark Richards

Wayne 'Rabbit' Bartholomew with his Al Byrne shaped Hot Stuff

Terry Richardson with his Terry Richardson shaped Richo

Wes Laine with his Rusty Preisendorfer shaped Canyon

Hans Hedemann with his Eric Arakawa shaped Island Classic

Joey Buran with his Michael Barron shaped MB

Greg Day with his Greg Clough shaped Aloha

Simon Anderson with his Simon Anderson shaped Energy

Richard Cram with his Greg Clough shaped Aloha

Martin Potter with his Denis Pang T&C

Bobby Owens Bill Barnsfeild shaped Lightning Bolt

Gary Elkerton Al Byrne shaped Hot Stuff

Dane Kealoha with his (?) shaped T&C

The argument I put forward in my defence is surfboards are sculptures and shapers are artists and the designs and shapes from the period are unique, innovative and beautiful. If the history of surfboard design was over laid with the history of modern art then the shapers of innovation period would be the fauves, cubists or post impressionists.

But mainly these boards are just fun to surf.

Cardiff surf swap part 1

2011-12-25T08:41:00.004+11:00

The local board swap is alive and well in my part of California. Full of dubious 80's & 90's surfboards for as low as $25 and even more dubious surf culture inspired art work.

Team Simon?

2011-12-24T07:36:00.001+11:00

Rhett wrote to me with some questions about his recent find. A rounded pin tail single flyer Energy thruster with no channels and a textured 'comp finish' deck. Its obviously a team board.

But which early 80's pro rode Energy thrusters and was sponsored by Sunbreaker AND Piping Hot?

Lost in the Ether

2011-12-23T12:57:00.002+11:00

There are still a few copies of 'Lost in the Ether', the ultimate surfers Xmas gift available from Andrew Kidman's website.

Its an amazing body of work worthy of any collection considering it is a piece you will keep for a lifetime. As part of the package you get a film and a 100 page sustainably printed book, signed and numbered by the artist, which features extensive information and photographs on some of surfing’s most interesting characters it makes for a genuine gift.

'Epic Eighties' Surfboard Retrospective

2011-11-24T04:07:00.000+11:00

Local surfers and other beach lovers will be stoked about an exhibit coming to Bloomingdale’s Santa Monica called “The Epic Eighties,” which features a unique collection of vintage surfboards.

The sport of surfing has always influenced music, literature, jargon and, of course, fashion, so Bloomingdale’s seemed like the perfect venue to pay homage to this colorful time in surfing history.

“The 1980s are very relevant right now in fashion, with a lot of 20-something kids really into the looks of the eighties. But also a lot of surfboard designs have now gone back to those eighties templates,” said Kristopher Tom, surfboard collector and exhibit curator. “So the exhibit will feature 15 vintage surfboards from 1981 to 1989 with everything from really ugly neon to bright, beautiful boards and everything in between.”

One of the gems of this surfboard retrospective is a brightly-colored, neon 1982 Peter Schroff twin fin in pristine condition.

“If I had to pick one board as my favorite, that would probably be it,” Tom said. “Especially since I know Peter pretty well and he’s a super sweet guy. Plus his boards were very influential in shaping that period.”

Tom, 41, started surfing as a teen in 1985, but didn’t combine his quest for the perfect wave with his quest for the perfect vintage surfboard until the 1990s.

“I started collecting about 1992. I was in a thrift store and I saw an old Hansen longboard sitting there for $25 and it was in mint condition, so I decided to buy it just to ride,” Tom said. “Then all these old-timers started coming around wanting to buy it off me, and I realized that vintage boards were really sought after.”

Tom figured if the “old-timers” were looking for boards from the fifties and sixties, then someday people would be looking for boards from the eighties.

“So I started collecting surfboards from the eighties because I have a passion for that era, since that’s when I grew up,” he said.

Tom has about 50 or 60 vintage surfboards today and 10 of those are included in the Bloomingdale’s exhibit along with others borrowed from fellow collectors. He describes himself and other surfboard collectors as “very nerdy, kind of like stamp collectors.”

“We just happen to have a really cool sport associated with what we collect,” Tom said.

When the Mar Vista resident isn’t surfing the waves--or surfing the Internet for another vintage surfboard--Tom is an educator for a private consulting firm that works with various public school districts.

He says love brought him to Mar Vista when he moved here three years ago.

“I fell in love with my wife, Stacie, who already lived here, and I fell in love with the area and I thought, you know what, this is a perfect match,” Tom said.

“I think for people who are in their 30s and 40s, this exhibit is going to bring back a lot of nostalgia for them,” Tom said. “But any shopper coming into Bloomingdale’s, if they have any sort of connection to the beach, they’re going to be attracted to this display because all these boards have so much color and personality.”

Lance Collins Wave Tools single fin

2011-10-30T13:56:00.004+11:00

Surfer / shaper Richie Collins

"Enough Wave Tools already!" my friend wrote to me.

Well not quite, not till I share with you my early 80's Lance Collins rounded pin tail single fin.

Enjoy...

John wrote- 'Hi- i was just looking at your site and the wave tools single fin. Ocean rhythms was a short lived surf shop in babylon, New York @1982-1984?? I bought my first board G&S zapper with 6 channells there.owners name was harold mcambridge and last i heard moved to san diego area 20 yrs ago.Very cool board sure would love to have one of the old wave tools with some checkers!!
good stuff thanks,-john'

Longboard Collectors Club meet- Encinitas

2011-10-29T15:39:00.000+11:00

The Longboard Collectors club came to my home town of Encinitas recently to hold their meet in the car park of the historic Hansens surfshop.

'President Steve' gave me the best advice I've have ever heard about vintage surfboard collecting.

He said-

"Buy high and sell low".

I laughed knowing that he meant if you don't take it seriously and your not in it to try and make money you will always enjoy yourself.

Enjoy myself I will, thanks Steve.

The meet was across the road from the closest thing Southern California has to a point break 'Swarmi's'.

A Smerk Mangen 80's quad

Swarmi's

A Brewer twin

Wave Tools twin fin Part 11

2011-10-25T12:58:00.000+11:00

My mission to compile a 1979 to 1982 Californian innovation period collection just came one step closer to reality with the addition of this fantastic Lance Collins shaped Waves Tools tine fin to the collection. A superb example of the genre featuring unique 'chimed' rails, wide tail and 'only in California' wide stumpy fins that I'm assuming evolved from the twin fin fishes from La Jolla that were popular in the mid to late 70's.

I generally believe in removing all stickers to try to get the board back to as original condition as possible but the Rip Curl sticker, in that font, size and layout, is such perfectly accurate to the Echo Beach period that it had to stay.

When 9 decals is not enough.

Chimed, chamfered or beveled edge rails.

Short board revolution. Surf Design from 1967-1984.

2011-10-24T14:51:00.003+11:00

California Heritage Museum, Venice Beach

by LYNNE BRONSTEIN

Although it was invented in Hawaii, surfing is so iconic of Southern California that the mere sight of a surfboard can trigger nostalgia for transplanted Californians. For some, the surfboard is not only a piece of athletic equipment but an art object, as shown in the California Heritage Museum’s new exhibit, “Shortboard Revolution, Surf Design 1967—1984.”

The exhibit was curated by Nathan Pratt, surfer, shaper of boards, and one of the original “Z Boys” of 1970s skateboarding fame. Several of Pratt’s creations are on display as well as other surfboards from Zephyr/Horizons, formerly located in Ocean Park on Main Street.

To best appreciate the structure of surfboards, one should know a few surfboard terms. A surfboard’s anatomy is divided into the “deck” (the top of the board which the surfer rides on), the “bottom” (the underside of the board where the fins are located), the “nose” (top 12 inches of the board) and the “tail” (bottom 12 inches). A “gun” is a medium length board (7—12 feet); a “short board” is between 5’5” and 7 feet; and a “long board” is a single fin board with a round nose, 9 to 12 feet.

Early surfboards were usually made from balsa wood and were plain-looking and bulky. During the 1960s, fiberglass foam became the standard material for boards. “Shortboard Revolution” displays a 1967 fiberglass board, designed by surfer Mickey “Da Cat” Dora for Chris Green. With a high aspect fin, this “gun” was made for the powerful waves of Hawaii.

The “Revolution” began in the mid-1960s with Australian surfers discovering American surfboard maker George Greenough’s shorter boards that could enable a surfer to make radical turns and move faster. (California surfers then picked up on the boards being used in Australia, ironically designed by one of their own). On the wall hangs a rather short red board, personally owned by Greenough, called the Velo SS. It doesn’t look like much but its design influenced everything that came after.

Next came “Roundtails” in 1968. These boards shook up surfboard manufacturing as the new style caught on while stores were still stocking the former models. A beautiful example is the Harbour, by Revolver Roundtail, a 7’ 6” board with a multi-colored “acid splash” graphic style.

Supershort boards, called “pigs” or “slabs” in Australia, were in demand for smaller waves. Con’s “Butterfly” model is a good example of a supershort, at 6’ 6” with a butterfly decal painted on its front.

More styles came and went during the 1970s as local shapers and manufacturers also created boards that were a delight for the eyes. Zephyr Productions, founded in Santa Monica by Jeff Ho, featured the airbrush artwork of Craig Stecyk, as in the exhibited model “Skipper Boy” that combines a design of stars, clouds, an eye pyramid, and a Navajo icon by the nose.

Later boards on display chronicle the evolution of two and three-finned boards, “wings” on boards, the 1980s “Thruster” by Simon Anderson that combined features of several types of earlier boards, and the super-short, high performance “aerial” boards created by Horizons to accommodate the new surfing style influenced by the Z-Boys skateboarding techniques.

The Heritage exhibit also features a recreation of a surf shop “shaping room” with sawdust on the floor and lights at the sides to allow the shaper to see imperfections on the boards. The exhibit’s beautiful catalogue contains a description by Nathan Pratt of how a board is shaped.

There is a second exhibit at the Heritage, “Aloha Spirit,” where you can see furniture and artifacts influenced by Hawaiian culture—including some rather kitsch lamp bases in the shape of hula dancers (some of them even hula).

All in all, “Shortboard Revolution” and “Aloha Spirit” will make you want to cry “Cowabunga!” even if you don’t surf.

Shortboard Revolution and Aloha Spirit, through April 22, 2012, California Heritage Museum, 2612 Main Street, 310.392.8537.

The simple things in life are often the best

2011-10-12T11:58:00.001+11:00

Against my advice, Nick has decided to part with his original Simon semi-gun.

Tell him he's wrong to sell it here.

Deus Surf Swap 5 (Cancelled)

2011-10-11T13:35:00.014+11:00

Nightmare with no pants on.

2011-10-10T12:22:00.003+11:00

I was stoked to attend the Sacred Craft show at Del Mar fairground in the guise of an expert vintage surfboard appraiser. I spent the week prior studying the latest auction results from eBay for vintage surfboards, checking asking prices on craiglist and reviewing the final bids from Randy Rarick's Hawaiian Vintage Surf auction. I re-read Nat Young's and Matt Wassaw's History of Surfing books and I studied the 25th anniversary edition of Surfing that the Cosmic Dog had sent me. I felt I was pretty well prepared to shed some light on the current values of any board made between 1975 and 1985 in addition to any board made in Australia, period. I was confident my narrow but deep collection of knowledge would be of some value to my fellow appraisers.

Sam & Bird at work

Oh how wrong I was....
Bird Hoffman and Sam George were AMAZING. Enthusiastically, patiently and accurately reviewing the first round of arrivals, all 60's so-cal long boards. Not my area of expertise, but I told my self not to worry, let the big boys handle it, my time would come. More long board, more Californian classics followed. I was floundering.
Bird got called away and Sam was busy else where and a wave, 10 deep of long board crashed down upon me, filling up the waiting to be appraised racks. I was amazed at how many beautiful old boards there were out there and stoked to see them being loved and appreciated. But I was wayyyy out of my depth.

Oh no....

Do you know that nightmare you have where your at school and it's the day of your exams and somehow you didn't know and so you had forgotten to study and then you look down and you've got no pants on?
Well that is how I felt.
Finally some relief, a young guy pulls out a beautiful Bronzed Aussie twin fin given to him by his high school teacher. He knows nothing at all of the history of the board. The crowd gathers around. It's my time to shine. I go on to tell him that despite the Australian flags, this is in fact a US made board, judging by the refined MR set up of the single fly swallow tail is was shaped in 81 or 82. The immaculate set of matching star fins are worth $150 on eBay right now and on I went about the Bronzed Aussies, Ian, Pete, Mark, Cheyne and their one piece jumpsuits. I was on a roll and flying high.

Soon Sam and Bird reappeared and Scott Bass kicked in with his expertise and took over the show. It was a fantastic day, but I don't think I should be invited back till people start showing up for appraisals with with flouro sprayed quads, twin fins and early 80's thrusters.

My old friends, Geoff, Larry and Laird

A 80's Rusty asymmetric tail twin fin

A low-rider....

Will this keep my beer cold

Live shaping in the shaping bay

The first appraisal board of the day. a 10'6" Skip Frye shaped G&S

Number 2, a pigment coat Dewey Webber with unique speed fin

Another rare Skip Frye shaped G&S.

A Herbie Fletcher shaped single fin

Like archaeologists, looking for markings on the stringer with flash light and magnifying glass

Dale Velzy and Dewey Webber model Fenders

You never know whats going to come out of the bag

A vintage ukulele signed by every uke playing famous surfer of the 60's including Greg Noll, Dewey Webber and Dick Dale.

A pop out Ole made from boating fibre glass with a fake inlaid stringer

Andy's Triple Crown Haleiwa winning board

A 11' Jeff Clark shaped and glassed Maverick's gun.

This guy brought in a nice 70's single fin. We were looking on the stringer for details and this old guy pipes up 'I wrote that'. Sprayed and glassed this actual board in 1975, 36 years ago.

An interesting mail order kit build Greenough inspired spoon

Waterman's Ball

2011-10-03T09:53:00.003+11:00

The closest I've to come to getting my hands on an original Shawn Stussy hand shaped twin fin was at the charity auction that opened the 22nd Waterman's Ball at Dana point. My opening bid was quickly trumped despite me standing in front of the bidders sheet, arms crossed giving out the evil eye to any who came near. I cant complain that the board sold for a healthy sum because all the proceeds were going to a good cause.

The sunset over Dana point was beautiful, matched only by the glow of my ever supportive, blog tolerant wife.

The real bargains of the night were around the corner at the art auction. Modern and vintage surf classics were going for a song.

Sacred Craft- Del Mar Show Grounds October 8th and 9th

2011-09-30T16:13:00.001+10:00

Anouncment from Scott Bass of Scared Craft:
The upcoming Sacred Craft Consumer Surf Expo has something for everybody – even antique collectors. The Collectible Surfboard & Surf Memorabilia “Antique Roadshow” is modeled after PBS TV’s highly successful “Antique Roadshow” series.

“The power of the “Roadshow” lies in the ‘buried treasure concept,’” said Scott Bass, Expo Director. “Many of us possess, in our garage or attic, or perhaps under the house, a collectible surfboard; a board that for whatever reason holds intrinsic value above and beyond the value of a regular or ‘normal’ used surfboard. If the board has a strong provenance, well, this generally increases its value. Perhaps it was on the cover of a surf magazine, or George Greenough pulled into the barrel on it during filming of “Innermost Limits of Pure Fun.” Whatever the case, our appraisers want to see it.”

But ‘roadshow’ isn’t just about surfboards. Surf ‘paper’, as the experts refer to it, is also of import to the collectors and appraisers. Maybe you possess an old Rick Griffin surf movie poster from the Santa Monica Civic, or a Malibu Pro surf contest program, or perhaps a business card from Tom Blake or signed photo of Duke Kahanamoku Any item that you think may be worth something, the appraisers would love to see it, and to help you better understand its provenance and possible market value. The more information you can bring to the discussion, the more accurate the appraisal.

We all probably have a bit of buried treasure; we just may not know it! The Collectible Surfboard “Antique Roadshow” appraisals will visit the Del Mar Fairgrounds one day only, on Saturday October 8 from 10am-4pm as a part of the 2-day Sacred Consumer Surfboard Expo. Expert appraisers, including Bird Huffman from Bird’s Surf Shed and experts from the Surfing Heritage Foundation California Surf Museum, and Damion from Boardcollector.com will be on hand for surfboards, surf ‘paper’, surf posters, surf magazines, surf art, surf books and surf memorabilia.Please bring out your surf collectibles for appraisal – and a great time.

Saturday only Oct 8 10am -4pm!

Martin Potter's Twin - Part 2

2011-09-26T15:10:00.001+10:00

One of Martin Potter's "The Saint" twinies shaped by Glen Pang.

Martin Potter's Twin

2011-09-25T14:19:00.001+10:00

Probably one of the most recognizable twin fins of my generation belonged to the then 16 year old Martin Potters. His green and yellow splash T&C. To me one of the most memorable and enduring twin fins of the modern era. It is ironic that Martin became famous on this twin fin because it was partly his explosive style and mastery of the new Thruster design that hastened the end of the twin fin / single fin period.

It does happen, it just doesn't happen very often. Part 3.

2011-09-24T07:32:00.000+10:00

Rarely does a place live up to and exceed your expectations.

It does happen, it just doesn't happen very often.

Hossegor today at lunch time was sunny, off shore and solid.

Sorry about the phone pic, you get the message.

Snapper rocks?

2011-09-23T08:01:00.003+10:00

I was sleeping on the plane when I was woken up for landing. I lifted the blind to see what I thought was a familiar sight, Coolangatta, Snapper Rocks and the beginning of the Gold Coast.

I said to myself, "damn the superbank is flat today".

Then I realized I was landing in Chicago and I was looking at Lake Michigan.

Energy thruster: the original 3 fin thruster- Part 5

2011-09-22T07:15:00.000+10:00

Surely one of the most interesting Energy thrusters of all time is this 5'10", shaped by Simon on the North Shore in 1981, during the first season that he took the new design to Hawaii. This board was latter used by Becky Benson to win the '81 OP pro in Huntington. It looks to have a much narrower tail than any other thruster Simon shaped in 1980 / 81. I'd be fascinated to learn who did the air brush spray job because it is nothing like anything I've seen come out of the Energy or Nectar factories. Of particular interest to me is the hand done Energy triangle logo. I'm not surprised Simon didn't have any rice paper transfers on him in Hawaii, I know I wouldn't have packed any if I were him.

Surely one of the least interesting Energy thrusters of all time is this 6'0" of mine. Plain as she is, I still love her. In fantastic condition for its age it has all the features you'd want in a first generation Thruster created by Simon Anderson, it is the shape that has set the pace for modern surfboard design for the past two generations. Wide tailed wing squash with unique angled channels on the bottom with no less than 8 "Energy" and "Simon Anderson Model" labels.

From PhiI Edwards to Tom Curren, the best surfer in the world rode boards that the typical surfer should have had under his feet as well. But the past decade of pro surfing has, thanks to the SIop Factor, pared down the average size and weight of the top surfers with a ruthless evolutionary purge. Once, Thundderlizards like Simon Anderson and Ian Cairns strode through the pageantry, and average weights were up around 170 pounds. Today, with a climactic shift from

Sunset to Sao Paulo, the scene is fraught with compact little Saurian roosters, 125 to 130 pounds, riding short, ultra-thin, hyper- rockered miniaturized surfboards. Dave Parmenter referred to a trend in which the best surfers in the world had shrunk from the big blokes who pioneered pro surfing, twin fins, deeper tube-riding, and Thrusters-Mark Richards, Shaun Tomson, Ian Cairns, Simon Anderson-to a new era where pro surfers were specialized to the size of gymnasts. The pro surfers of the early 1990s were uniformly small, light, strong, and very fast, and the surfboards designed for them were almost impossibly thin and narrow. And almost impossible for the average surfer to ride.

The Thrust of the Thruster Australian surfer and board designer Simon Anderson proved that it's possible to be too good of a bloke. In 1980, Anderson crafted his Thruster surfboard, a square- tailer fitted with three, small like-sized fins designed to boost the thrust in the board's turns. He promptly scored several contest wins atop his tri-fin, and then won the 1981 Surfabout championship. Yet Anderson neglected to patent his tri-fin design, and it became a gift to the surfing world. The Thruster was adopted and then advanced by shapers around the surfing world. Al Merrick of Santa Barbara added much of the fine-tuning to the tri-fin design; as he admitted in 1987: "I'm a designer but I haven't discovered anything," Merrick was quoted in Matt Warshaw's The Encyclopedia oI Surfing. "I'm just using what's been around before and I'm sure I'Il take more ideas from somebody in the future"' By the mid-1980s, the Thruster was the board of choice for most every surfer around the globe. In 1986, Tom Curren won the first of three world titles riding a Channel lslands

Thruster shaped by Merrick, winning again in 1987 and 1990' Curren's style set professional surfing on a path it's still following in the 2000s, but his stance went straight back to the mode established by Miki Dora in the l960s: Keep the arms low, the upper body quiet, and let the board do all the moving and talking' Curren's surfing was incredibly smooth, fast, and deep, and his preternatural wave judgment and ocean knowledge inspired writer Derek Hynd to stand up in front of everyone at a Steamer Lane surf contest in the 1990s and proclaim, "Tom Curren is the ocean!" The cutting-edge Thruster shortboard became more refined under the hands of shapers like Merrick and Rusty Preisendorfer in California and the rest is history.

pics and text from Surfboard: Art Style Stoke by Ben Marcus

Number Crunch

2011-09-21T10:58:00.003+10:00

I'm stoked to let you know that today we have had our 200,000th unique visitor to the site.

Thank you all for visiting!

The bad news is I now have passed the 1000 mark of unread emails.

Please don't stop writing!

damion@boardcollector.com

I appreciate you contacting to me and I endeavor to get back to you when I can which, truthfully, is when I'm on the toilet, stuck in traffic or waiting in line for a coffee / to check in at the airport / to get my car repaired etc.

I literally started this blog it when my generally patient and supportive wife became sick of me talking to her about late 70's early 80's surfboards and said 'isnt there someone else you can talk to about this?'

Embarrassed, I said 'I don't know, I don't think so, I'll try starting a blog.......'

Nectar Thruster- Part 4.

2011-09-20T07:25:00.002+10:00

I'm pleased to share with you my recently acquired 6'2" rounded square tail single flyer, early 80's Nectar Thruster. Not shaped by Gary Mac Nabb but by Art Collier. Sadly a bit of water has gotten under the glass on the deck but the important 'business' side of the board and fins are all in great nick.

I used to be fascinated by the Nectar's in this ad for a La Jolla surf shop. The '3 fin thruster' logo was so familiar but the Nectar decal was just so completely foreign.

I think 8 Simon Anderson thrusters maybe enough.

Maybe.....

My board is a nice start but its nothing compared to Vince from Hermossa stack of Nectar's.

Nectar Thruster- Part 3.

2011-09-19T07:37:00.003+10:00

Randy Rarick (via Tim from Kona) has shared pics of his early 80's Gary MacNabb shaped Nectar Thruster. Identical in every way to Simon Anderson's Energy Thrusters of the same time from what I understand. The Thruster is, by definition, a surfboard with three fins of equal size and this was the first model ever offered in the US.

I like the way Energy Thrusters mostly all have a certain aesthetic look by way of Simon's brothers deck and rail sprays, so too do Nectar's of the same period all have similar fade rail sprays with a break detail 2/3's up the rail.

Another thing I always admired about Nectar Thrusters v's Energy Thrusters was the way Nectar's always seemed to have rear fin boxes. I thought it was so the surfer could adjust the position of the rear fin to make it stiffer or looser depending on conditions. I've recently been told it was because the sander's and polisher's couldn't get their machines in between the 3 fins!

I love the custom airbrushed glassed in fin set up on these Nectars.

You don't see that anymore.....

Nectar Thruster. Part 2. The most famous Nectar of all time.

2011-09-18T11:26:00.002+10:00

Simon Anderson officially debuted the Thruster design at the Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach in 1981. Despite winning the event on a 6'6" Energy label the design failed to set the world on fire. Then 2 weeks latter Simon won the 2SM Coke Classic at Narrabeen on a Energy label 6'2" model. The floodgates had been opened and within year 90% of surfboards would be Thrusters. But possibly the most famous of all his early Thrusters was the 7'6" that he made at the Nectar factory in Encinitas CA that he won the 1981 Pipe Masters on. This is the board that caught my teenage eye. Thick, long and powerful looking with its unbelievably futuristic square jet fins (later replaced), striking orange rails and oh so exotic Nectar label.

I was lucky enough to get to meet this board at the Sacred Craft show in San Diego in 2010. Somehow its jets fins had returned, much to my delight.

Nectar Thruster- Part 1.

2011-09-17T07:40:00.003+10:00

Simon Anderson recounts how he got started with Gary Mac Nabb and Nectar to bring the Thruster design to the US in 1981-

" I got a call from Mike Tomson, to say he had a guy in California who wanted me to do a surfboard model for him. His name was Gary McNabb, from Nectar Surfboards, and he wanted someone in the top 10 to produce a model with, and I was the only guy who was available without existing endorsements. So, after Hawaii I went to California to meet with him and he said, 'Okay, what do you want to do? What sort of model do you want to bring out?'And I said, 'I want to do a three fin model.' I'll never forget the look on his face. He'd found his top 10 pro to help him market his surfboards and he turns out to be some crackpot wanting to stick three fins on a board. But to his credit he went with it and we produced a few boards to take to this trade show in Orlando, Florida, on the east coast. I spent two or three days there sitting with my Thrusters in the Nectar booth and I was pretty much the laughing stock of the trade show. I hadn't had much experience with US style trade shows and I remember overhearing these two guys talking and they were saying how the hottest new product at this trade show was this new type of beach mat. There I was thinking I was on the cusp of revolutionising surfboard design forever and I was overshadowed by a beach mat. I met all the major surf shop guys from the East Coast, Grog and Tony Giordano from Jersey amongst others. They were interested but not about to take a gamble on an unproven design.

I wasn't too fazed by the response, or lack of it, in America. Straight after that first surf on the first Thruster I thought this thing was going to change surfboards forever. After going to the US I thought I might have to revise my expectations. People just weren't enthusiastic about it and, really, I wasn't that surprised. I think surfers are conservative by nature. Surfing is sometimes seen as this really rebellious, counter culture activity, but surfers are basically like the rest of the population - they don't like new things and they don't like to be challenged. They're not very accepting of change.

One of the last things MacNabb said to me before I left the trade show was, "You're going to

have to win a contest on it."

GARY MacNABB: "We had gotten together and wanted to do a model. He arrived at my house late in 1980 and opened his bag with these board with three fins on them and I went, oh my god. We had a bit of a rough time. We went to trade shows and got laughed at quite a bit but I told Simon he had to get busy and do some serious surfing and, of course, luckily enough he did" and the rest is

history. Wonderful guy. It was more fun working with this guy than any other guy I worked with and he's always a pleasure to be around."

RUSTY PREISENDORFER: 'January 1981, I had just finished an epic midday session at Blacks. Low tide, hollow, six to eight foot, lined-up but almost every wave make-able. Conditions were A plus, high pressure, hot, no wind, textbook winter perfection. I'm starting the walk back to the road from North Peak, and I see Greg Mungall walking up the beach with Simon Anderson. I knew Greg.

He was one of the top competitive surfers of the day and was sponsored by Gary MacNabb and Nectar Surfboards. Greg introduced me to Simon. Greg was on the twin-fin bus and usually rode a double wing round pin on his twinnies. Most of the surfing world at this time - including me - rode what MR rode, a swallow-wing twin. I knew Simon was a good surfer and was aware of some of his earlier tour victories. He had the weirdest looking board I'd ever seen under his arm. Super-short.for how big he was, probably an inch or two shorter than he was tall. Very narrow nose and a very wide squash tail. And three fins I was tripping. We exchanged pleasantries and they both paddled out. I took a seat in the sand. Greg got a wave first, dropped in, laid into what looked like a solid bottom

turn and proceeded to spin out. Greg was a great surfer but his board was not the right tool for big Blacks. Simon dropped in on his first wave. It was a solid one. Simon dropped straight down the face and squared off, came straight back up the face of this hollow beast, almost past vertical and threw a mind bending gaff, drove down the .face, squared off again, pulled in, came out and threw a few more big hooks to finish off. My jaw hit the sand. I sat there.for two hours and watched some of the best surfing I'd ever seen. I'd been judging pro contests for a few years, including several Pipe Masters. I had seen good single-fin surfing. And I had seen good surfing on twin-fins. But this was something on an entirely different level. And, of course, it went on to change everything. I tripped on the experience for a couple of days, wrestling with the thought, was it the board or the surfer? My mind said it was 9O% Simon. After a few days, WTF, I stuck a trailing fin on my favorite twin. My first surf on the jury-rigged tri-fin was in decent surf but nowhere as good as Blacks on that day I watched Simon. First impression: board was noticeably slower but had squirt out of turns on the better waves. It felt like the parking brake was on but when I drove off my back foot hard enough the board would come back up to the speed it had as a twin ... just briefly, and as soon as I let off it would slow down again. I shelved it."

Dean Hollingsworth, Simon Anderson and Greg Mungall

Quoted from "Thrust- The Simon anderson Story".

Amazing News story. Man catches 7 waves at Swarmi's on lunch break.

2011-09-16T13:52:00.002+10:00

After 3 days of solid south swell everyone was on it and it was starting to get hard to get waves at the good spots. When I got to Swarmi's at lunch time on Wednesday the cliff top was packed with spectators. I paddled out and sat inside the pack on the shelf, duck diving the close outs sets and pretty much getting the inside runners to myself. After 3 good waves thru to the beach I started panicking, thinking that the pack would catch on and move inside with me. After 45 mins I had had 7 waves, surely a record for Swarmi's. I jogged back to work and to local news was abuzz with reports of a great white in the shallows at Swarmi's. A local photographer even got a pic.
Well that would explain it why I was getting all those nice ones through the inside.
Its a pity Barney couldn't drop by every day....

News report including some nice footage of the surf

I haven't been afraid of sharks since I met a guy who flies helicopter joy flights up and down the coast from Sydney to Newcastle. He said "understand this, I see at least one shark on EVERY beach, EVERY day". Yet on average less than one person a year is killed.

Americans and Australians kill more than 3 million sharks a year in US and Australian waters.

The odds are pretty much stacked against them, not us.

Biarritz

2011-09-15T14:04:00.002+10:00

I'm off to Biarritz in South West France next week for the first time in my life. Its been on my top 5 dream surfing destinations for 20 years and I'm so stoked to be finally going.

I can picture it now, I'm sitting outdoors at a beach side cafe drinking a nice bottle of red in the early evening sunset, wondering how I'm going to get down to the waters edge and into some of the worlds best beach break A frame peaks, past all the crowds of naked girls.

I'd really love to buy a board to surf and for the collection when I'm there. Something from 1975 to 1985 from a European shaper. If you know anyone in Hossegor / Bairritz that might have an old twin fin / single fin / thruster to sell me please hook me up with them!

damion@boardcollector.com

Fantastic pic from Alasdair's blog Vintage Surfboard Collector UK

Wave Tools Part 10- Preston Murray

2011-09-13T14:36:00.002+10:00

I was stoked to receive an email from 80's Newport legend Preston Murray and hear that he's been checking out the blog. He sent me some amazing photo's of himself and future surf wear mogul and influential surfer Danny Kwok as frothin' teenagers with their custom Wave Tools stingers.

Preston Murray

Danny Kwok

Preston sent me a pic of the original custom order form for his step tail flame spray stinger from the picture above.

Preston wrote- "A little story about the Wave Tools logo on this board. Danny Kwock created it out of two different sized Wave Tools laminates to emulate the Aipa Logo in size and shape".

This board is much like the Apia stinger that MR was riding in 1978.

Good Vibrations- Single Fin Comp.

2011-09-12T12:14:00.002+10:00

When I was in Bali last year I was privileged to be invited to be a judge at the Good Vibrations Single fin comp at Canggu on Bali's South West coast.

I was stoked to see how many quality vintage boards came out of the wood work. I was surprised they had survived so long in an environment where my boards usually only last about week before snapping in two out on the Bukit.

Pipe Dreams

2 hairy things, VW Thing, VW Combi and an MR.

A Ben Aipa that made it all the way from Hawaii.

9.0, 9.5, 8.0, 9.0

Finalists

I think Andrew won on his Greenough inspired inflatable surf mat. If he did'nt he should have.

The event went long into the night at the bar of Deus Ex Machina.

Hot Stuff indeed!

2011-08-29T13:14:00.004+10:00

Peter has sent me some pics of his Al Byrne shaped extreme channel bottom Hot Stuff thruster that he tells me was one of Rabbit's personal boards with -RB 5'10" written on the stringer. Although considered a sanders and glassers nightmare, the channel bottom laid the foundation for the concaves we ride today.

Co-incidentally there have been a couple of interesting US made Hot Stuff boards come up recently.

This lovely bold yellow US made 6'0" single fin has seen better days but I'm yet to see a better channel bottom. Shaper unknown.

This US Hot Stuff thruster was shaped by Tom Eberly of Lightning Bolt fame, also glassed at West Coast Glassing.

My Al B, WB model

You cant beat an 80's Gold Coast spray job on an Al B Hot Stuff shape.

Speaking of Al Bryne channel bottom, which we where, here's a few more from the shed to give you sanders nightmares.

MR twin fin gun in my favourite TV ad of all time. Part 2

2011-08-27T10:51:00.002+10:00

He rides the waves of the world

He's the king of the curl.

An Aussie with the will to win, four times world cham-pi-in.

How do ya feel...

With a proud Novocastrian grin, the first champ to use the twin fin.

They thought it was weird at the time, he left them all behind

How do ya feel...

Banzi Pipline Ha-wa-ii, he took the masters easily

How do ya fe-ee-eel

MR hand shaped this one off gun, for the use in the commercial at Pipe and Haleiwa.
Here's the link is the vid fails to load
It came up for sale at Mick Mock's auction at the Mona Vale Hotel in 2004. I was there at the auction, poised, ready for action. As the board was coming up for auction my phone rang. My best friend had just broken up with his girlfriend and he needed to see me. I left the auction and met my mate in the beer garden and he poured out his heart over schooner of Toohey's New and I did what I needed to do, listen, console, comfort and reassure him him that it would be OK and that they would get back together, which happily, they did.
I missed the auction. The MR sold for less than the roll ofbills rolled up in my sweaty pocket. My friend was united with his one true love, I sadly, was not.

I have recently learned that the board went to a good home and is currently being well looked after by Dan.

Out takes from the commercial, showing more of the unique board.
Heres the link if the vid fails to load

I'm so stoked to be able to share with pics of the legendary board from Dan's collection.

Thanks mate.