Check your bins
One thing I love about collecting surfboards is that if you're at the right place at the right time you can get one dirt cheap, and sometimes even cheaper, when people are literally throwing them away. I have had two emails from people with such boards recently.This 1970 Tig rolled deck 7'2 is owned by Alan from near Polzeath. The board belonged to a guy from Polzeath who left fo Oz. His mum was friends with Alan's wife and swapped it for a bottle of whisky ! At the time Alan didn't know it was such a historic board. Whether the guy freaked out when he returned from Oz to find his mum had swapped his Tig for a long gone bottle of booze I don't know !Alan has given it some gentle restoration. It has a printed logo, although it looks hand drawn, and Tigger remembers doing the Jackson Pollack style drip artwork.
Here's another even cheaper board. Romain from France came out of his house the other day to find this Freedom in a nearby bin ! It doesn't even seem to have much damage and Romain is going to fix it up and get it in the water again. Its a classic 6'2 thruster from 1987 by Gordon Jackson in Jersey, with suitably cool 80s spray. It also has Victory and Gotcha decals under the glass, suggesting a team rider ? What a classic. Gordon did a big shipment of these boards for France in '87/'88 and some are still floating around in French collections like Stephane's in Biarritz, who has two. Freedom had a surf shop in Biarritz .
Almond Surfboards | Muskaria Surf, Spain
I like how the colors on the Cy model turned out.
Tigger Irish trip '67
Tigger Newling has sent a few more classic photos over from Australia, the first of which are these from an early surf trip to Ireland :'Here is a shot of L-R Myself, Nick Kavanagh (designer of the Jolly Good Logo) and James Trout just about to head off to Ireland in 1967 for the First Irish International Titles at Tramore. We got great waves. John Baxendale even shot some Super8 footage he posted on YouTube of less great waves but kind of interesting. We are all on longboards. I had a Bilbo 9' and the other two boards on the roofrack were imports from Australia Shaped by Midget Farrelly at Keyo.'Check out this Ballinkelligs footage in County Kerry from the same trip, you can even see the same land rover.
This black and white shot with Irish pioneer Kevin Cavey ran in Surfer Magazine that year.Thanks to Tigger. More coming soon about the Jolly Good years with some beautiful board artwork.
for sale
If anyone fancies putting in an offer on this Simon Anderson contact Zac at zacadeezac@hotmail.com .Its in amazing condition , made in South Africa in the early 80s and near flawless - so much so Zac is scared to use it, hence it being for sale. Buy a legend.
Oden // Griffin
Cameron Oden // Griffin Neumann-Kyle
coming soon
Its time for a long overdue get together of vintage boards and collectors, so I'm planning a mellow affair by the beach where you can bring your favourite old boards (pre 1990), and if you want bring a few for sale or swap, and see what else is there. Some of the regular blog contributers will be there with their collections, so I'm sure there will be some stunning boards there. With over 100+ boards expected, it'll be a rare chance to get face to face with the evolution of British surfing.Details to be finalised, it will happen on a sunday morning in late june/ early july, Newquay area.For enquiries email me at alasdairlindsay@aol.com . If the waves are good afterwards there will be a vintage surf session, beaver tails optional !
The value of nothing: Daily Stoke interview
" So you think you’re a shaper? Roy Stewart is the real deal, his best work to date took 4 years to make! We sat down with Roy to hear why he thinks many of you are a “circus full of performing monkeys”, why the Olosurfer is the Sport of Kings, and how he plans to “reinstate the Sport of Kings to its rightful spiritual eminence.”
As you’ll see, Roy represents the opposite of mass production, and it’s as if Roy jumped in a time capsule from the 1900s on his wood board, looked around, and said I like it the old way, thanks very much! "
http://www.dailystoke.com/2011/05/interview-with-zen-master-shaper-roy-stewart/
EVO5/6 longboard bonzer glassing
Dilemma… I wanted a resin tint and a clear nose concave. The only way I could think how to do this was with a 3 stage glass job on the bottom. 4oz nose concave panel. Next week I'll tint the bottom with 6oz but cut out the panel. Then I’ll put a 4oz patch over the whole thing. The end result will be minimal extra weight and a nice clear spoon concave within the tint.
early 80s Ocean Magic quad
A super light Ocean Magic 6 footer by Nigel Semmens. It has the requirements of the day - fluoro spray, channels, four fin set up, lots of volume and hardly any weight. A flying machine of the early 80s made in Newquay for gougeing fistral Semmens style. Big leading fins gave good holding power, followed by smaller trailing fins. A couple of pairs of hips kept the volume pumped up forward. A classic shape of its era.
Wavelength 1986
Ocean Magic team sponsered up, mid 80s.EVO5/6 bonzer
EVO6 set up with FCS plugs for a whole heap of flexibility. Wood EVO bonzer sides in American Ash.
I think that is an Campbell Bros Russ Short above it.
Pinkie perky
Had my first surf since Frosty’s revenge (dislocation of my little pinkie at a nearby reef) at my local break the other day. Have to say the surf was really bad, on shore slop AND backing off in all the gullies… BUT it was great to paddling around in the ocean again. Hope to get back to normal in the near future so postings should be on the rise again.
Here’s a pic of my local break on a BIG day back in February… think 3 times overhead and no one out.
Asher Pacey and Rhythm: The Sound of Change Episode 1
More Surfing Videos
Watch Asher Pacey, Harrison Roach, Dane Peterson and Neal Purchase Jnr having fun their way in Rhythm Clothing's: The Sound of Change Episode 1
ISA - World Juniour Surfing Championships
The More Things Stay the Same
My first surfboard was a quad, but after an unfortunate encounter with the inside rocks at Rhode Island's P__n_ J__i__, it was a twin. I was fifteen years old.The board was not what some would describe as 'good,' or 'capable of being surfed,' but it was my first board, and it was pure love despite its coffee-colored foam, its delaminated deck, and its tendency to spin out even when paddling. Eventually, a dude at Warm Winds surf shop took pity and gave me two salvaged fins and some roving, and I restored my beloved quad to her former four-finned glory.
But not before scoring some great rides. So, like many first loves, our relationship was a complex stew of the sublime and the awkward. It was clumsy, it was ugly and awkward, but so is every first love. Remember middle school dances?
Exactly.
It's the shape I return to when I think of my favorite surfing moments, and the one I try to reproduce the most in the shaping bay.
And this one comes pretty damn close--the TwinFin Jet Pony which, now that I see in print, is a terrible name for a surfboard model.
Aside from having two fins, this stick differs from its predecessors in almost every other design element: rocker, fin placement, bottom contour, rail shape..etc. What it has in common is glide and effortless speed. What it adds is hold, drive, and a thruster-like positivity without the drag. It recaptures the feeling, but thankfully not the actual experience.
If it looks like there's wax on it, that's because I waxed it. Then I rode it. Then I cranked some Black Sabbath for the drive back home and, for a moment as I passed through a eucalyptus grove with the windows down, I almost believed that there was a lukewarm case of Black Label beer in the trunk and I was going to get busted by my parents for missing dinner again.Some things change for the better.
stand up / sit down combos
Board by Tris, chair by Robin Day
Board by Tigger ,chair Danish
Board by Graham Nile, chair by Olivier Mourgue
Lie down/sit down combo - board by Wavemaster, chair ye olde EnglishA meeting of two long running collecting habits. boards and chairs. The wierd things people collect .Peter Walker Exhibition
Peter Walker, a Sydney-born surfer, divides his time between Adelaide and working as Associate Professor at the Rhode Island School of Design in New York. Always fascinated by hand skills and fine craftsmanship, Walker’s awareness of the complexity of surfboard performance and design led him to start making his own wooden surfboards – embellished with the work of leading Australian contemporary artists.Walker has researched and references notable surfboard designers from the past with his series of new hollow boards. Tom Blake, an American who lived in Hawaii in the 1920s, was an early proponent of the surfing lifestyle. He invented the ‘skeg’ or fin which helped to stabilise a board through the water. He also refers to Californian Bob Simmons who in the period immediately following WWII incorporated the new technologies of fibreglass, Styrofoam resin and plywood construction with his experience as an aircraft engineer to experiment with the dynamics of drag and turbulence. The beautiful boards are all meant to be used – yet they take on a presence of sculpture within the gallery space.
The exhibition is open from 28th May to 10th of July at the Gold Coast Arts Centre.On Saturday 9th July 3 - 5PM Join Peter as he discusses the design and shaping process of his surfboards and collaborations with other artists.
RSVP P 07 5581 6567 / E gallery@theartscentregc.com.au
Keith Novosel | Liquid Salt
(Keith riding his Almond at Malibu, photo Lightner)
Thanks to everyone
Well the journey of the Earthquake Surfboard has now had a happy ending. We wanted to thank everyone for the support and well wishes over the past few weeks.
We were amazed at the unfolding events of the auction. This resulted in having 9974 hits on Trademe with over 100 people watching the auction, which far exceeded all of our expectations. The final bid was $2061.00 NZD, which will be making its way to the Red Cross.
The winner of the Earthquake Surfboard and handmade wall racks is a Cantabrian surfer. It is pretty fantastic to think the board will go to someone who has personal attachment to the City of Christchurch.
We are eternally grateful to those in the surfing community both in New Zealand and internationally who embraced this cause. It was also humbling to get so many heartfelt messages from those people who told us they were not from a surfing background, their sentiments expressed to us greatly contributed to the significance of the Earthquake Board.
Once again we wanted to thank everyone!!
Thanks to everone
Well the journey of the Earthquake Surfboard has now had a happy ending. We wanted to thank everyone for the support and well wishes over the past few weeks.
We were amazed at the unfolding events of the auction. This resulted in having 9974 hits on Trademe with over 100 people watching the auction, which far exceeded all of our expectations. The final bid was $2061.00 NZD, which will be making its way to the Red Cross.
The winner of the Earthquake Surfboard and handmade wall racks is a Cantabrian surfer. It is pretty fantastic to think the board will go to someone who has personal attachment to the City of Christchurch.
We are eternally grateful to those in the surfing community both in New Zealand and internationally who embraced this cause. It was also humbling to get so many heartfelt messages from those people who told us they were not from a surfing background, their sentiments expressed to us greatly contributed to the significance of the Earthquake Board.
Once again we wanted to thank everyone!!
