Category: Blog
6th April
Nat Young
Nat Young has lived the surfing life for almost half a century. He is recognized as one of the great surfers in the history of the sport. His motto is and always has been to ” make it a beautiful life ” he believes you have only one chance and you had better make it a good one. Nat was an integral part in the redesigning of the longboard in the late 60s and a co-founder of the longboard renaissance in the early 80s. The four times World Champion still lives his life totally devoted to riding waves, surfing either a long or short board at every opportunity he gets.
KEY: O= Original, R= Repaired, RF= Refurbished. Condition of board rated: 1(worst)-10(best)
3rd April
Op
Bill Stewart shaped and airbrushed this board back in 1980. Without a doubt the San Clemente shaper was also the airbrush guru of the day. Most of these OP boards ended up as wall art for the O.P. shops and never ridden. Bill Stewart has been shaping boards for over 30 years. He started out in 1963 with Rick James where he learnt all he could about building surfboards, painting and shaping. Bill was one of the first people to air brush surfboards and got his big break when he started airbrushing hundreds of boards for OP. Bill was hired by South Shore and then Hobie before starting his own surfboard brand in 1978.
KEY: O= Original, R= Repaired, RF= Refurbished. Condition of board rated: 1(worst)-10(best)
2nd April
Michael Peterson
Without doubt the greatest competitive surfer of the ’70s, Michael Peterson set all of the standards for the birth of pro surfing’s world tour, even winning its first official event — the Stubbies Classic at Burleigh Heads in March 1977. Creatively, he bridged the gap between the Nat Young/Wayne Lynch shortboard evolution of the late ’60s and the dynamic superstar performers of the ’80s. He demonstrated a full-power style that combined an acute tube sense with fast, deep rail carves. Yet Peterson — known simply as “MP” to the core Australian underground surf community who idolized him — never converted his legend to a long-term lifestyle, and it has been many years since he’s ventured out on a board.
By 1972, Peterson was Australian champion, and over the next three years, he won every major surf … Read More »
1st April
Jeff Hakman
The dark side doesn’t sportfish. It plays for keeps rather than releasing its catch back into the wild. Far too many top surfers have taken the evil bait and ended up mounted on a wall, but not Jeff Hakman. The teenaged North Shore sensation turned world’s best big-wave surfer turned surf business pioneer lost everything to the all-mighty high. But before he lost himself, he found help. Thanks to family, friends and surfing, he lived to tell the tale.
Hakman started surfing in 1956 at age eight in Palos Verdes, California and at the age of ten moved to Hawaii with his parents. He surfed Waimea Bay at fourteen years old and at seventeen won the prestigious surfing title, Duke Kahanamoku Invitational Surfing Championship. Hakman graduated from Punahou … Read More »
30th March
Con
Compared to many of his counterparts who built surfboards in the 1960’s, Constantine “Con” Colburn could almost be considered a senior citizen when he began surfing at the age of 22, in 1956. And though Con may not have been known for his surfing prowess, he made significant contributions to the sport as a product innovator.
A savvy young businessman, Con quickly recognized the growth-potential of the surf industry, and opened his first surf shop in Santa Monica, California, in 1958. Called the Surf House, it was originally a ding repair shop; by 1959, Con had changed the name to Con Surfboards, and operated three retail locations. The legend was born.
Along with his Con Surfboards business, he also started ConTrol Products, a company dedicated to developing new products for the surfing industry. Between 1966 and 1971, ConTrol introduced … Read More »
29th March
Natural Progression
KEY: O= Original, R= Repaired, RF= Refurbished. Condition of board rated: 1(worst)-10(best)
Board Dimensions
Length: 7′ 9″
Width: 19″ 3/4
Thickness: 2″ 7/8
This 1970’s chambered triple stringer wood mini-gun is extremely light, maybe 5lbs. Eye stopper balsa grains. Great wall hanger, if I had only space. Need to upgrade and buy a bigger house soon. Natural Progression was out of Malibu, Ca.. I could not find much history on NP. If anyone can enlighten me, that would be greatly appreciated. I bought this from Pintail-Mike in a bulk purchase. I love my 70’s wood ! All original, almost 10 condition. (o) 9.5/10
Board Dimensions:
Length: 7′ 7″
Width: 19″
Thickness: 2″ 5/8
I acquired this … Read More »
28th March
Mark Richards
“My shaping career began at age 13, when I got an electric planer for Christmas. There was no such thing as Pro Surfing in those days, and if you surfed, the dream career was to work in the surfboard industry. Only surfing in a few of the World Tour events gave me time to hone my shaping skills. During this time I was fortunate to work with, and learn from, some of the world’s greatest shapers, including Geoff Mc Coy, Ben Aipa, Jim Richardson, Tom Parish, Gerry Lopez, Spider Murphy, Reno Abellira and Dick Brewer. Spending a month working with Dick Brewer in Hawaii at his Chuns Reef shaping room in the winter of 1976/77 was when it all gelled. I shaped the original Free Ride Twinfin during the winter of 1977 in Newcastle. It became … Read More »
27th March
Hawaiian Tropic
KEY: O= Original, R= Repaired, RF= Refurbished. Condition of board rated: 1(worst)-10(best)
Board Dimensions
Length: 5′ 11″
Width: 20″ 5/8
Thickness: 2″ 5/8
I bought this on impulse. I guess growing up as a grom, I loved looking at those Hawaiian Tropic ads in Surfer Magazine. All those hot babes with brown skin with oil dripping off, mmmmm. Thus, is this board collectible? probably not. but, I have not seen another one. Clean 9 all original condition. Looks like a fun rider. Unknown who shaped it. Late 70’s. (o) 9/10
26th March
Natural Art
Owners and East Coast legends, Deb and Pete Dooley, grew up surfing in Central Florida and have brought that knowledge of finicky Atlantic surf into the shaping room to produce high-quality hand shaped Natural Art surfboards for a variety of surf styles and abilities.
Opening their first surf shop in the early 1970’s and launching the Natural Art Brand, the Dooleys are regarded as pioneers within the surfing industry, and were recognized this past year with Pete’s induction into the East Coast Surfing Legends Hall of Fame.
KEY: O= Original, R= Repaired, RF= Refurbished. Condition of board rated: 1(worst)-10(best)
Board Dimensions
Length: 5′ 7″
Width: 21″ 1/4
Thickness: 2″ 3/8
1970’s Keel Fish in almost perfect condition. All original,with wood, fiber glass fins. Fat boy rounded nose, … Read More »
25th March
ET Surfboards
Pat Ryan was born in San Diego in 1953. At age 11 he moved to Manhattan Beach where he learned how to do a lot of things, including surf. At age 15, Pat got a job working at Greg Noll’s shop on PCH. It wasn’t long until Greg himself began teaching Pat the art of a shaping. By 1970 Pat was shaping short boards for Greg Noll.
In 1971, Pat and Eddie opened E.T. Surfboards not far from its current location on Aviation Boulevard in Hermosa Beach. Pat shaped all of the boards for the shop, “mostly round tail single fins, wingers and diamond tails”.
KEY: O=Original, R= Repaired, RF= Refurbished. Condition of board rated: 1(worst)-10(best)
