Mike Hynson
The name Michael Hynson conjures up images of a red hot regular foot surfer gliding effortlessly at St. Cape Francis in the movie Endless Summer. Mike’s association with the film is something that will always influence the way people perceive him, just as it has influenced the course of his life and career. However, to truly understand Mike is to dig beneath the Endless Summer aura. It is to understand the contributions he considers his most important to our sport. It is to understand his passion for shaping, his instrumental and incredibly influential work on surfboard research and design, and his place in our collective history on a scope that goes beyond his long past travels with Bruce Brown and Robert August.
Now in his 60’s, Mike has found a niche that allows him to continue to pursue his passions for shaping and R&D rigorously, and the work he is doing is creating a near tangible underground buzz in the North County San Diego surf community. With an incredibly well received line of progressive and inventive keel-finned fish and four-fin twinzers, Mike, for the first time in decades, has people talking about his work. Sean Mattison, manager and resident board expert for Surf Ride in Oceanside, calls Mike’s new endeavors “magic,” and another surfer, who wished to remain anonymous due to his associations with a shaper other than Mike, excitedly exclaimed, “I went out on a Hynson twinzer and tried not to like it. But after a few waves I realized this thing was just so good there was no way I could give it back! It goes like butter. The speed, and the float, and the lift you get in the tail, it’s just incredible!”
www.michaelhynsonsurfboards.com
KEY: O= Original, R= Repaired, RF= Refurbished. Condition of board rated: 1(worst)-10(best)
Length: 8′ 10″
Width: 18″ 3/4
Thickness: 3″ 3/4
I must say , these are my top picks of my gallery. I just love art boards from the past. These air sprays all have meaning of which is over my head, 420 and psychedelic. This 1970’s Hawaiian Gun hand-shaped by Russell is just dynamite!! All original with the Weight cup at the nose for lead weight to be inserted on those bigger and windy days for nose drive. Rainbow and with Brotherly Love. (o) 9 Pintail Mike Collection
Length: 7′ 6″
Width: 18″ 7/8
Thickness: 2″ 1/2
Another Pintail Mike Collection Piece. What a master piece of Art. A spiritual and doomsday spray . Designed and Hand-shaped by Mike Hynson, This is all original and I must say one of the best conditioned 1970’s Hynson;s I have seen. You? How many hours did it take to complete the artwork on this board? I want to know. Again, Lead Weight hull on the nose. I wonder what these guys were smoking wihen the Lead Weight Idea popped? (o) 9
Length: 7′ 6″
Width: 18″ 3/4
Thickness: 2″ 7/8
Ebay Purchase, This is another example of what these hippies were designing during those days of spinning. Shaping and designing these master pieces in such a fashion as if they were unfinished, yet that was the point of their vision and state of mind on the substance. All Original – What is your state of mind in looking at these?(o) 8
Length: 7′ 2″
Width: 19″ 7/8
Thickness: 2″ 3/8
This is subtle yet grabs you. I love it!! Purchased this thru Jim W. Auction 2008. Bobby Digital Collection. All original and special. You just don’t come across these often and when you do you better grab them, as the masses are searching high and low for these vessels of love. Dolphin Rainbow Art. (o) 8
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Sleepyhollow
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robert mccarty
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Richard Creel
The airbrush on the Mike Henson boards took about a week to create; they were painted in Encinitas/ Cardiff area
by various artist which originally were contributed by LUNA LAGUNA, NUBULA, and STAR.
STAR has had a booth at the Sawdust festival in Laguna Beach
Not far from where the photograph of Johnny Gail, David Nuuhiwa, and Jimmy Yurka are pictured with various surfboards at the top of the page
The weighted Nose on the Larger boards was a concept that Nuuhiwa wanted to use because on larger waves he complained the smaller (era) boards did not release fast enough upon entry . If you remember he was from the old school of Long boards (heavier) and later gave up the high flotation and stickiness of the modern gun shape, and adapted his style to the more maneuverable fish twin fin design.
Aloha, can you tell me where the photo is of John Gail ? Roberto in SD
I remember seeing the Endless Summer in 1964 in Long Beach, when Bruce Brown narrated it there in person. We were all amazed at the film. I have it, also the Endless Summer II, and a nice poster of the first one upstairs in my condo. I’m 79 now; and can’t surf anymore; but I will always remember, esp. the summer of 1964.
