It’s the first Social Media Roundup of 2019, and today we’re focusing on some recent posts that delve into the rich history of Santa Barbara surfing. Alright, enough from me, and onto the pics…

View this post on Instagram

This is a photo of an early eighties shaping machine – Al Merrick. I wish I would have shot more of Al actually shaping. Using film back in the day to shoot in the shaping room, you really needed to spend time setting up lights to do well. It is a room design to absorb light not bounce it. Film and cameras just did not have the ability to capture motion in that type of lighting conditions without some form of strobe. Very much different than the cameras now. The full lighting setup took too much time and when shooting Al or any shaper in high demand, you were stopping production, literally. Shooting Al was usually a 30 minute disruption max with one hand held strobe. Al was always great about it, never pressured me to hurry. The rush was always self imposed. This shot is outside of the old factory. It’s an insurance shot in case the one strobe did not render anything desirable. • Shaper, board, and rider • @cisurfboards #almerrick @curfuffle #tomcurren #surfboards #surfboardshaper #surfboardshaping #surfphoto #surfphotos #surfphotographer #surflifestyle

A post shared by Jimmy Metyko (@metykojimmy) on Jan 7, 2019 at 5:43pm PST

I’ve featured his work here a few times before, but I can’t help doing it again, because Jimmy Metyko is a must follow! His Instagram feed is a who’s who of the Santa Barbara surf scene back in the day, and he’s also a very talented photographer. You should check out a recent slideshow of his photos on Surfer Magazine’s website. This portrait of Al Merrick is simple and striking. I’m assuming it’s from the same shoot as the featured photo at the top of the page. Make sure you scroll through for the bonus shot of a young Tom Curren riding a Channel Islands shape.

View this post on Instagram

| YATER | . . . #vintagesurfboard #vintagesurfboards #traditionalsurfboard #surf60s #surf70s #oldsurfboards #yatersurfboards #santabarbarasurf

A post shared by MUNI SF (@muni_sf) on Jan 3, 2019 at 5:25pm PST

The black & white Santa Barbara theme continues, but this time around we have a very clean Transition Era Yater hull / vee bottom board. Wish there were some dimensions listed on this bad boy. You don’t see these late Sixties Yaters everywhere, but I think they are among some of Renny’s coolest shapes.

View this post on Instagram

California…. surfing outabounds 1975…. if u no u no….. that's a liddle….. #surfing #vintagesurfboards #liddlesurfboards #vintagesurf #californio ?bongo archives. Photo: the Bogwon?✌️

A post shared by Alan Neal Casagrande (@bongobay) on Oct 14, 2017 at 7:00am PDT

Alan Casagrande is a talented artist who has a long history with Liddle Surfboards. I was blown away to discover that the board he’s holding in the picture is a Liddle. I can’t be sure but it almost looks like a sting! Either way the outline doesn’t have much in common with Greg Liddle’s famous displacement hulls.

View this post on Instagram

ABALONE SPOON YATER LOGO

A post shared by Bob Haakenson (@haakenson_fiberglass) on Dec 10, 2018 at 12:29pm PST

And what better way to introduce a little color to this entry than by way of a stunning abalone inlay on a Yater Spoon? Abalone was once plentiful up and down the California coast, and I love how Bob Haakenson, one of Santa Barbara’s finest glassers, still uses it for special occasions. This is a subtle but awesome touch to add to a custom Yater, if you ask me.

Photo at the top of the page by Jimmy Metyko; via Surfer Magazine.