Laura Blears Ching won title of Hawaii's number one amateur female surfer, won the women's division in 1972 Makaha Invitational surfing competition, became only female to compete in the Smirnoff men's championship in 1973 and took part the following year with six other women and won title of world's number one lady surfer.
She is perhaps most famous for her appearance in Playboy's July 1975 issue in her six page pictorial titled "Super Surfer".
This could be one of the most famous and often reproduced surfing photos out side of traditional surfing circles. To me, the stunning red Bolt is the most impressive aspect of the photos. The bolt and the fact she's surfing a north shore reef with no wax and no leg rope.
In july 2007 I wrote a post called Dear Mr Systems about my favorite twin fin and how I couldnt keep a fin in it. The story goes, after breaking off and losing the original fin on rocks I decided to put in FCS plugs so I could travel more easily with my most trust worthy board. After losing a number of sets of FCS twin fins I wrote an angry blog from Sydney that was very kindly and promptly responded to, on the other side of the world, by Tyler Callaway, Director of Business Development Surf Hardware International in San Diego.
As if to prove how small the world really is, I was surfing this very same board from Australia at the the world famous Wind 'n' Sea in San Diego yesterday and who should I met in the water- Tyler Callaway!
My work took me to Sydney last week. On the weekend I was lucky enough to visit my very good friend Mick Mock at his beautiful store "Little Dragon" and indulge my senses in his stash of surf collectables, memorabilia, vintage surfboards, old school skateboards, records, books, magazines, Island kitsch, Hawaiiana and beach life. He spesifically told me not to take any photos or blog about his store. Please visit him at 1 Bramley Street, Newport NSW 2106 and tell him you saw the pics here.
I met Shuan Thompson last night at the SIMA awards. He said "Nice to meet you". I said, "oh no, we've met before, 1981 Surfabout at Narrabeen, don't you remember, I do"
These days Neal Purchase is as famous for his own shaping as he is for spawning his creative off spring, musician / surfer / shaper Neal Purchase Jr Neal is still shaping today, but back in the 70's and 80's he was crafting some fine shapes in Sydney at Keyo and carving deep channels on the gold coast with the likes of Steve ‘Zorro’ Goddard at Hot Stuff. Later he moved to Local Knowledge before doing his own label. It was while he was at 'LK' that he crafted this little Queensland tube shooter, shaped for the dredging tubes of the Gold Coast's point breaks.
I love the Superbank and while it is beautiful and mesmerizing to look at, the superbank hates me. I've broken my best boards there, been swept off the jump off rock (cutting me knee and knocking my fins out) and been dropped in on by Tom Carroll ( among many other nameless Gold Coast tradesmen/ local surf stars). But all is forgiven, even the 1000+ crowd, when you consider the goldy inspired the simple yet beautiful lines in this 6'5" single fly channel bottom rounded pin.
Ben wrote- Mate Thought you would be interested in this board. I was told that 2 were made for the movie and this is the other 1. Not sure!!! Kid have been using it as a sandboard!!!! Found it at the dump!!!! It is a Gordon and Smith shaped by Tony Bishop with artwork by Jim Pav???ington maybe? (Possibly Jim Parkinson from Jackson, another Cronulla based board company)
This is the forth in a series of postings where I try to determine the worlds most famous and culturally valuable surfboards, where they are now, examine their history and celebrate their obscurity. The definition is simple, the surfboard the most people have seen and are aware of.
The next board I'd like to submit for your consideration (again) is the square tail single fin from Puberty Blues. Puberty Blues is an Australian movie based on Kathy Lette's novel about growing up the the surf side suburb of Cronulla in the late 70's. The story climaxes when the two heroines overcome their hardships and prejudices and buy their own board and just go surfing. The movie made a huge impact on me as a kid growing up in love with surfing. But it wasn't till I watched Bombora - The Story of Australian Surfing that I realized just how influential the movie really was. A number professional surfers in the documentary site the movie as one of their main inspirations to get involved in surfing. World champ Mark Occhilupo actually scored a extras part in the movie as a 10 year old grom! The highlight of the movie for me is seeing the board they buy. A square tail single fin with an unbelievable spray of a leaping tiger on the bottom. To me it is one of the most collectible surfboards in Australian surf culture history. I have been doing my research on who shaped it and where they bought it. Apparently there were two surf shops in in Cronulla in 1981 when the film was made. With help from my friend Sam who worked in one of the shops at the time (and rumor has it played the part of the shop assistant who severs the girls the chicko rolls) we have worked out is was a locally made G&S or Emerald and probably came from Steve Core's Surf shop.
We need to find out. a) How many people know of this board? b) Who shaped it. c) Where is it now? I think Keith already knows the answer to this one!
This is the third in a series of postings where I try to determine the worlds most famous and culturally valuable surfboards, where they are now, examine their history and celebrate their obscurity. The definition is simple, the surfboard the most people have seen and are aware of. The next board I'd like to submit for your consideration is the blue swallow tail single fin from the opening credits to Sid and Marty Crofts saturday morning show Sigmund and the Sea Monsters. It looks like a Bing or Hansen.
We need to find out. a) How many people know of this board? b) Who shaped it. c) Where is it now?
Those kids are dressed like surf hipsters from 2011 with their ringer tees, van's surfsiders and cut off shorts.
This is the second in a series of postings where I try to determine the worlds most famous and culturally valuable surfboards, where they are now, examine their history and celebrate their obscurity. The definition is simple, the surfboard the most people have seen and are aware of.
The second board I'd like to submit for your consideration is the blue deck, yellow rails single fin, brand unknown, shaper unknown, that Greg Brady surfed at Ala Moana bowl in the 4th episode of Brady Bunch in Hawaii series. Greg Brady grew up in LA and was a competant surfer in his own right. What's interesting is not so much that he did his own surfing on the show but that he decided to do his own stunt and dive face first onto a dry piece of reef. Check it out here
We need to determine is. a) How many people know of this board? b) Who shaped it? c) Where is it now?
the problem for poor old Greg is he hit the reef at Ala Moana and the family swam out at Waikiki to rescue him...........
This is the first in a series of postings where I try to determine the worlds most famous and culturally valuable surfboards, where they are now, examine their history and celebrate their obscurity. The definition is simple, the surfboard the most people have seen and are aware of. The first board I'd like to submit for your consideration is the blue round tail single fin, brand unknown, shaper unknown, that was strapped to the roof of Mel Gibson's Holden HJ Sandman panel van from Mad Max 1.
We need to determine is. a) How many people know of this board? b) Who shaped it. c) Where is it now?
That there is Cundalini... and Cundalini wants his hand back!