The coffin

Surf photographer Alex Williams has agreed to share his board collection with us and I look forward to putting them on over the next couple of months along with possibly a few photos from Alex's archive. Here's one of his most unusual boards ,which he calls the coffin. Its 8'0 long and dates from the 50s or early 60s. It belonged to Lt. Col Churchstone who learnt to surf with the Americans in or after the 2nd world war in Okanowa Island. On coming home he looked up and down the Cornish and Devon coast for a board but couldn't find one so he had this made, or made it himself. Roger Mansfield says the Australians had similar boards in the mid 50s. It was seen being surfed at Bantham in the 60s.