Timpone twin two

From Maui to Australia via California.

I decided to take my 1981 Jeff Timpone shaped 6'2" single fly, swallow tail, vee bottom, twin fin sprayed by Mark Townsend for a run early one morning.

Real early.

The moon was still high and bright in the sky

I did'nt know it till I put the board up on the hand railing. The vee in the tail extends all the way to the nose. It is actually quite pronounced. The board was rocking back and forth threatening to fall from the balcony.

You can see the morning sun shining through Aaron's rooster tail making it glow.

I finally got around to fixing up the tail.

One of the things I love about this board are its foam filled fins. Hand shaped and glassed.

Blinding light, off shore winds, empty waves.

Again look at how much light is shining through the wave illuminating the tail of the board.

Good morning

Coincidence

Yeah, good luck with that back door attempt.

Woollongong Art Gallery surf culture festival- The Green Cathedral. Part 1.

Image: mark Newsham, Oileys, Wollongong, 1998 Fuji transparency film, 
Canon EOS 600ml lens

As part of the Woollongong Art Gallery surf culture festival this december boardcollector.com is hosting a vintage surf swap on saturday december 14th.

We are calling for collectors, shapers, fin makers, artists, photographers, surf memorabilia hoarders to come and exhibit their wares.

Contact me at damion@boardcollector.com

More details to follow.

 The Green Cathedral Shooting the Curl! Part 1.

Photographs of local breaks, sick barrel riding, underwater waves by contemporary surf photographers and ‘locals only’, a looping slide show of Gong surf images from private Illawarra albums.

Surf Photography Campfire Stories 
Thursday 12 December, 6 - 9pm 


Wollongong is a breeding ground for renowned surf 
photographers. 

Join in the slideshow discussion and 
Q&A with 6 decades of experience as they discuss 
anything from world travel horror stories to camera housing, 
including David Milnes, Nat Palmer, Mick McCormack, 
Steve Conti, Alan Love and Ray Collins. 
Hosted by Mark  Newsham. 

Free, all welcome.

Youth Surf Photography Workshop with Mark Newsham 
Friday 31 January, 12 - 4pm 

Ever wondered how to get the best out 
of that new GoPro? Or how to shoot in the line up or from a helicopter? 
Have all your surf photography questions answered by seasoned
 pro surf photographer Mark Newsham in this hands on workshop. 
Bring your gear! 

Cost: $30. Age 16+

9 November - 2 March 2014

BlueScope Gallery

Exhibition opening Sunday 8 December 2pm

Morning Star twin fin

The first board I found upon my return to OZ was this late 70's Australian classic Morning star twin  fin. Morning Star was founded by University of North Narabeen graduate Col Smith in 1975. Nick named 'rubberman' for his, at the time, radical moves Col was a classic example of the Australian sponsored surfer/shaper. He shaped for and rode for Keyo Surfboards, McCoy Surfboards and then Terry Fitzgerald's Hot Buttered Surfboards before starting Morning star.

The initials on this board read N.D  or W.D which match none of the known Morning Star shapers in my book who include, Col Smith, Wayne Warner, Ron Ford and Paul Holmes. 

Although Rasta thinks it could be Wayne Deane.

6'2" single fly swallow tail twin fin

Doing some board testing alone in the water at a little south coast NSW reef break.

Around the same time I found this board I found this old book of mine By Laurie McGinness and Peter Crawford thats from the same era and heavily features the feats of Col Smith.

"Col Smith showing why he has been regarded as one of Australia's most radical surfers for nearly a decade" Laurie McGinness 1977.

"Col Smith performing a spectacular back hand re-entry. This maneuver was popularized by Wayne Lynch in the late sixties but in recent years its become Col's trademark" Laurie McGinness 1977.

"Col Smith sweeping smoothly into the coming section" Laurie McGinnes 1977.

Heavy wide and thick. Just the way I like them.

Little left hand floater.

Five times one.

A fantastic selection of single fins lay scattered under the palm trees at Sunset at the Sunkist World cup in 1981. 

Five Geoff McCoy shaped Cheyne Horan models and a lovely Shawn Stussy shaped single fly pin tail.

Cheyne bides his time in the shade prior to his epic World Title showdown with Mark Richards. Minutes later he went down to defeat in his first heat, thereby handing over the '81 Title to MR.

Photo by Aaron Chang.

Greenough

Amazing junk store find.

Original George Greenough shape, flat on the deck, like a boat hull underneath, with a hand drawn rice paper decal.

Incredible piece of design and innovation.

Jim Pollard Jackson twin fin

This Jim Pollard shaped Jackson twin fin has been up and down the coast around the world and back again and it still surfs equal to any of the best boards in the collection. Unbelievably thick, with quite small fins for its size this board is heavy but surfs incredibly well. Not a board to take out at a ledging reef slab but suitable for any beachie up to 5ft.

I suspect the deep channels that hide a pronounced vee in the tail and its buoyancy have a lot to do with its fast and loose characteristics.

A great board for small clean Californian beach / reef set ups.

Long straight and deep channels.

I've not surfed anywhere else in the world that gets as clean and glassy as Southern California. 

Kelp beds, long period swell and the clam weather brought by being next to the desert all contribute to smooth water.

So much fun.

Just me and Jody out for this lunch time session.

Packed up and ready to go back to OZ.

Waiting by the rail road tracks for Jordy to pick me up I snapped these pics that show how neat and clean this board still is after all these years.

Recently a reader shared these pics of a neat condition late 80's Jackson thruster.

Always the innovators, this board features an unusual step through the tail and a single centre channel.

Jim has a lot to do with the development and refinement of the channel bottom design over the years.

One interesting example is the full length rail channels he was doing in the late 80's like these 3 examples belonging to Gavin.