If nothing else, Shred Sledz is here to document classic longboards when they appear on the internet. Pictured here is a 9’6″ Bing Surfboards David Nuuhiwa Lightweight Model shaped in 1967 that was listed on Craigslist. There is no shortage of beautiful and significant surfboards in the 60s, and even in that crowded field, the Bing David Nuuhiwa Lightweight stands out.

First, some background and history on the storied Bing David Nuuhiwa Lightweight. Bing Surfboards began producing the David Nuuhiwa Lightweight model in 1967, and then updated the board in 1968. According to this comment by Tom Moss in the Classic Bing Surfboards Facebook group, the 1967 DN Lightweight has a yellow logo and a yellow t-band stringer; and the 1968 version of the DN Lightweight has an orange and yellow logo and a black t-band stringer. The vast majority of 1967 DN Lightweights came with a glassed on fin, like the board featured here. Of course, there are almost more exceptions than rules: some DN Lightweights came equipped with pintails, like this board; and A handful were produced with W.A.V.E. Set fin boxes, but only starting in December 1967. Here is an example of one of the last 1967 DN Lightweights with a W.A.V.E. Set box, shaped in December of that year; and for contrast, here is a Bing David Nuuhiwa Lightweight from 1968 with the updated logo.

For those who don’t know, Moss is a longtime Bing collector with an encyclopedic knowledge of the label and its history. I dug up another comment online about the origins of the David Nuuhiwa Lightweight, which is attributed only to “Tom” on an old message board, and I figure this has to be Moss as well:

The DN Lightweight was the premier high-performance surfboard of 1967, designed for easy turning and greater speed, all in response to the huge shift in surfing from noseriding to a more radical surfing style of deep bottom turns, roundhouse cutbacks, and roller coasters. The 1967 DN Lightweight had the same template as its predecessor, the DN Noserider…, but it was built much lighter, using a smaller stringer set (3 bands instead of 5 bands) and lighter fiberglass. A lot of work went into shaping this model – I’m not sure how to define the flow of the rails, combined with the changes in the thickness of the board and its rocker, but from a purely aesthetic viewpoint, this is one most beautifully sculpted boards of the period. And, it worked.

BoardServer

Back to the board featured in the post: it’s a gorgeous 1967 Nuuhiwa Lightweight, as identified by the logo and the glass on fin. Not only is it in great condition, but the seller took some top notch photos that demonstrate the various aspects of the board. It’s a beautiful stick: check out that blue resin tint and the red pinline, and then the matching yellow fin and Lightweight logo round out the primary colors palette.

As always, I love seeing all original boards. This David Nuuhiwa Lightweight isn’t as “perfect” as a glass off restoration, but it’s in fantastic shape considering its age. I much prefer vintage boards like this one to their fully restored counterparts. I’m happy to trade condition for original parts, and I also don’t mind older boards that have some scars from years of faithful service.

The seller is asking $1,850 for the Bing David Nuuhiwa Lightweight pictured above. It’s a lot of money, to be sure, but I think it’s also reasonable. A 10′ 1967 Nuuhiwa that belonged to the man himself sold at auction in October 2021 for $6,500. In April 2021, a 9’6″ 1967 Nuuhiwa sold for $5,000. As always, buyer beware, and buying a board without seeing it in person first is always a roll of the dice, but I thought these were interesting comps.

You can check out the Bing David Nuuhiwa Lightweight on Craigslist in Los Angeles here.