Tag: skip frye

Weekend Grab Bag: Donald Takayama Scorpion & More

Greetings, Shredderz! By now you should know the drill: it’s the latest edition of the Weekend Grab Bag, where I spotlight some great boards I have seen listed for sale. As always, all of the postings are live as of the time the blog post was published. Onto the fresh batch of vintage sticks, beginning with a Donald Takayama Scorpion in clean condition.

Donald Takayama Scorpion (Craigslist San Diego)

Donald Takayama Scorpion.jpg

The Donald Takayama Scorpion just might be one of the most famous models from Takayama’s long and distinguished shaping career. The vast majority of Takayama Scorpions I have seen are the epoxy versions, which were obviously not hand shaped by DT. (For what it’s worth, I borrowed a friend’s epoxy Donald Takayama egg once and absolutely loved it.) The Scorpion featured above is 7’4″ x 22″ x 2 7/8″ and the seller is asking $800. Takayama himself signed the board in pencil on the stringer. I have also heard that some of these later-era DT boards were shaped with the assistance of a shaping machine. I would guess this board is late 90s to early 2000s, given the FCS fin boxes for the side bites. Either way I think this is a nice price for a very cool board.

Vintage Skip Frye Fish (Craigslist San Diego)

Vintage Skip Frye Fish 6'6" .jpg

The seller claims this vintage Skip Frye fish hasn’t been surfed in at least twenty years. As for an exact date, I’m hard pressed to tell you anything. I want to say most Skip Frye fish I see have wooden Gephart keels, but this example has fiberglass ones. Here’s what the seller has to say about the fins: “This board has great fins a modified Keel fin template by JB that is less deep then (sic) a normal keel and rides more loose in the water.” I don’t know who JB is, but I dig the vintage-ish date of the board. It’s 6’6″ long and looks super fun, and the posting has some great pics of the owner surfing it, too. Seller is asking $2,500, which is not cheap, but I have yet to see a bargain on a Skip Frye shape.

90s Hobie Phil Edwards Longboard (Craigslist Orange County)

You can click on any of the photos above to enlarge. I have written up the Hobie Phil Edwards Model a few times, and it remains one of the most classic nose riders ever made. The board you see above was shaped by Phil Edwards, but it’s not a Hobie Phil Edwards Model. For starters, the seller claims the board was shaped in 1995. It also has some interesting details that make it very different from the classic 60s Hobie Phil Edwards Model, such as a triple stringer setup, a wider center stringer, and a different logo. At some point during the 80s or 90s, Hobie also reissued the Phil Edwards Model (with the help of Stewart Surfboards, I believe), that had an imitation foil logo on it, as well as a different outline from the board you see above. So then what exactly is the board above? I’m not sure — it may have even been a custom. The seller refers to it as a Classic Model, but I have never seen that mentioned anywhere. As always, if you have any clues, let me know!

Morey-Pope McTavish Tracker (Craigslist Los Angeles)

Last but not least we have another creation from the mind of Tom Morey, who remains one of surfing’s foremost mad scientists. One of the coolest features found in the Morey-Pope McTavish Tracker model is the psychedelic graphic design of the Slipcheck patterns. The McTavish Tracker was designed by Australian shaper Bob McTavish, and it remains one of the standout shapes of the Transition Era. According to surfresearch.com.au, the Morey-Pope McTavish Tracker was created during a trip McTavish took to visit George Greenough in Santa Barbara, and the rest is history. I actually wrote up an earlier Morey Pope McTavish Tracker here. The earlier post features another example of the board and links to some resources with some history behind the groundbreaking shape.

Social Media Roundup: Tom Curren Skip Frye Fish and More

Greetings, Shredderz! If you don’t already follow me on Instagram, I humbly ask you to check out my IG page, where I post a vintage surfboard daily. More to the point, here are some of my favorite Instagram posts from recent history:

Here’s a great post that shows some detailed pics of the famous Skip Frye fish that was surfed by both Tom Curren and Derek Hynd. Curiously enough, I can’t find a ton of definitive info on the board, which you would think would be pretty easy, considering it had two well-known owners and was featured in Andrew Kidman’s “Litmus.” The Frye fish is also not to be confused with the Tommy Peterson “Fireball Fish” that Curren famously rode in maxing Indo in the mid-Nineties. (There’s a long thread on the Surfer Forum that contains some additional context.) Finally, Kidman’s site has a pic that indicates there were two Skip Frye fish shaped for Curren and/or Hynd. Long story short, I might not have the entire story straight yet, but you can’t go wrong with a pic of Tom Curren holding a Skip Frye fish! Photo at the top of the page by Ted Grambeau and originally featured in Surfer Magazine.

Sometimes I can’t shake the feeling that Tom Morey, despite his status as one of surfing’s all-time innovators, is still underrated. That board looks insane even from a cursory glance, and when you realize it was made in 1969 that’s when the alarm bells start going off. It’s a gorgeous photgraph, too.

And while we’re on the subject of fishes, here’s a stunning board posted by Orange County surfer, artist and shaper Tyler Warren. I love the Yater-style logo, and the red color is just too clean and classy. If you dig into the comments there’s a bit of lively debate about the board’s origins, and it seems like the board could have been shaped by Rich Pavel, not Steve Lis. Regardless of the back story, I’d love to have that sled in my quiver.

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And then there were two. Lucky enough to score another Rainbow Hynson this week. The one with the opaque deck shaped in 1970, spray by Ogden and pin line by @tapedoff . Board #100 The other is also a 1970 Rainbow Hynson airbrush John Bredin board #126. Reached out to John Bredin and this is what he said about the board: Ahh, thanks Luke, yes that’s definitely one that Hynson and (Steve Moray possibly) shaped, I sprayed and Peter Pinline did the ink work on for Rainbow. The 7 chakras leading to expanded consciousness. Looks like it had the nose weight slot? Take a shot of it straight on for me if you can. Looks pretty faded which is unusual, they seemed to hold up pretty well. Have you shown it to John Frazier? He’s got several of the old ones too. Currently owns Rainbow label. I love getting the credits from Sam Cody and Peter St. Pierre when people ask about the old days. It all started in the Surfboards Hawaii factory. Takayama is still using the logo I did for Donald back in that factory. There were some really nice Casters done after the Rainbow era. I did some for Chris O’Rourk. There were some private ones that Hynson shaped and I sprayed for locals we knew that we ran through the Bahne shop that had no logos on them. A couple for a guy named Hopper with the infamous “black dot” crew’s logo. One of those found its way through Steve Clark to the surfboard history museum in Oceanside. Steve had to explain to them that the black dot WAS the logo. I tried to get into selling my work to the photoprint process but didn’t have much luck at it. I’ll attach one I did for that. Also check my site for more recent commercial work and fine art painting. I collected a few images of Rainbows I did when I came out there for the California Gold Surf Auction and they auctioned off one of Johnny Gail’s personal boards that had that sort of pinlining on it. #vintagesurfboard

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Finally, we have a pair of Mike Hynson Rainbow Surfboards sticks with some truly next level airbrushes. As far as psychedelic artwork goes, I’d have to say that Rainbow Surfboards probably takes the cake. The caption contains some nice history on the Rainbow label, too.

Price Checks: Skip Frye Glider Edition

First and foremost, because surfboard pricing can often be a sensitive subject, and because Shred Sledz is a blog that celebrates surfboards and the craftsmen who make them, please do not interpret this post as a criticism of any sort. That said, I wrote this post because it seems like the prices for Skip Frye’s boards have recently reached new highs. Few, if any, shapers generate as much interest about pricing as San Diego’s very own Skip Frye. Most of this is due to the fact that Skip’s boards aren’t available to mere mortals like myself. The most realistic option for buying one of Skip’s boards is on the secondary market, putting regular joes like you and me at the mercy of those lucky enough to have a Skip board to list.

Skip Frye’s surfboards command a premium thanks to the sheer difficulty of getting a board made, and of course his stature as one of California’s premier shapers. That said, I was still taken aback when I saw the prices for a trio of Skip’s boards that ended up at Mollusk Surf Shop in Venice.

Starting from left to right — the red board with the thruster setup is a 10’6″ Skip Frye Magic model. The board is no longer for sale, and the last price listed on Mollusk’s site was $4,375. The green board in the middle — which I am guessing was never even surfed, as mentioned in the caption on the Mollusk Instagram post — is an 11’2″ Skip Frye Eagle glider, and the price was $5,625. The Eagle is no longer listed for sale, either. Finally, the board on the right is a 8’6″ Skip Frye K Model. The K Model is still for sale and the price is $2,500. All the photos above are via Mollusk’s website.

From what I can tell, these prices are the highest I have ever seen for any of Skip Frye’s boards on the secondary market. It should be noted there’s a chance that the boards sold for cheaper than what they were listed, and only the folks at Mollusk will know for sure. (Side note: I believe that Mollusk lists a lot of boards for consignment, so I imagine these prices were set by an independent third party. Either way, if it is at all unclear, Mollusk is a super rad surf shop and you should definitely support them, even if it’s not to the tune of a $5K surfboard.)

I recently wrote up some Skip Frye boards that were listed for sale, and many of them are still up for grabs. For starters, there’s still a 7’6″ Fish Simmons in pretty good condition for $2,000, which you can find on Craigslist in San Diego. The last time I wrote up the Fish Simmons the board was listed for $2,200. Look, $2K is still a TON for a used board, but relative to the ones at Mollusk, I think that represents a bit more bang for your buck. I also think that you should expect higher prices for boards being sold at retail, as a place like Mollusk obviously has to pay for rent, etc., which your usual Craigslist poster does not.

Skip Frye Eagle Glider 2

Skip Frye Eagle Glider Fins.jpg

And even if you want to go the ultra premium route, there’s a beautiful 11′ Skip Frye Eagle glider for sale on Craigslist in San Diego, priced at a comparatively cheap $3,500. The Eagle pictured above has been listed for sale for some time now as well.

Hopefully this has been a somewhat informative post. It’s hard — frustrating, even — to try and apply some consistency around surfboard prices, as it’s definitely more art than science. Either way, though, I think we can all agree that Skip Frye surfboards are things of beauty, and they’re not cheap for a reason!

Photo at the top of the post via Waves Forever.

Price Checks: Skip Frye Fish Simmons and More

Greetings, Shredderz! As many of you know, I’m a keen observer of the Skip Frye secondary market. Unless you’re a plugged in San Diego local, the only way to get one of Skip’s creations is to find someone who’s willing to get rid of one. (I’ve also heard that you can place orders through Waves Forever, but I haven’t spoken to anyone who has actually gone through with an order.) The good news is there are a few of Skip’s boards listed for sale on Craigslist right now, including a very tasty looking Skip Frye Fish Simmons. Anyway, scroll more for the rundown on the boards, and some thoughts about the pricing. Also, it’s worth noting that since these boards are listed on Craigslist, I can only tell you asking prices. As for how much cash actually changes hands, your guesses are as good as mine.

Skip Frye Eagle Glider ($3,500) & Skip Frye Egg ($3,500)

Both boards are being offered up by the same seller, and both are in pretty gorgeous condition. The pricing is interesting in the sense that the seller is asking $3,500 for each board. The egg measures in at 8′ and the Skip Frye Eagle glider is 11′. In terms of pure foam, you’re getting more bang for your buck out of the Eagle. As for whether or not each price is “fair”…well, stop me if you’ve heard this one before, but it’s really difficult to say. Either way, I’ve seen people charge way more for boards that aren’t in perfect condition the way these two are.

Skip Frye Fish Simmons ($2,200) and Skip Frye Egg Longboard ($1,800)

Just as we saw with the duo above, there’s another seller in San Diego who’s getting rid of two Skip Frye boards at the same time. The one pictured directly above is a 9′ egg shape with a 2+1 fin setup; the board above it is the famous Skip Frye Fish Simmons in a thruster configuration. PThe seller has kindly called out a repair that was done on the bottom, but other than that, it looks to be in pretty good condition. One interesting thing to note: the Skip Frye Fish Simmons was glassed at Pacific Surfglass, which I feel like you don’t see all that often. The egg was shaped at Moonlight, and it has the famous frog logo on the bottom. Looks like the egg was actually sold by The Board Source earlier, for a cheaper price as well.

Miscellaneous Used Skip Frye Boards

Finally, there are a few more boards floating around on Craigslist, all in various states. None of these boards are quite as nice as the ones above, but I still think it’s worth reviewing the prices.

8’1″ Gordon & Smith Skip Frye Pintail ($1,300): This board is being sold by The Board Source. It has been professionally restored.

7’6″ Gordon & Smith Skip Frye Single Fin ($650): If you’re wondering why this board is so cheap, well, it has had some big delams repaired, and the thing has been put through its paces. That said, it’s still the cheapest option by far. I can’t really say when either of the two G&S Skip Frye boards listed here were shaped.

7’6″ Skip Frye Magic Model ($1,250): This is also being sold by The Board Source. Likewise, this board has seen a decent amount of repairs.

8’0″ Skip Frye Egg ($1,150): Yes, it’s also being sold by The Board Source, who seem to have cornered the market on used Skip Frye sticks. Like the other ones, it has been repaired a decent amount.

First and foremost, please don’t interpret any discussion around the pricing to be a criticism. The Board Source sells a ton of rad boards and you should definitely give them a visit! That said, personally, I think the cheaper Frye boards inhabit an awkward area when it comes to pricing. I’m not saying the prices are wrong, but I would much rather shell out as much as an extra $1,000 to have the Skip Frye Fish Simmons, for example. Then again, that $1,000 could buy a different new stick, so I completely understand why people would disagree with that stance.

The moral of the story is pricing boards is hard, and it’s even more difficult when dealing with Skip’s boards, given how few exchange hands. As always, if you have a Skip Frye you’re just dying to give away, you know where to find me. I hope you enjoyed reading this post and found it somewhat helpful in gauging the market for used Skip Frye surfboards.

Skip Frye K Model and More: Weekend Grab Bag

Greetings, Shredderz! As always, here’s a collection of vintage surfboards that have been listed for sale online recently, including a lovely Skip Frye K Model thruster. Usually I like to link directly to sale links, but in the case of this edition, not all of the boards are still for sale, and some just might be more fun as mysteries. Anyway, keep scrolling for some selections.

Skip Frye K Model Thruster 8’6″ (No Longer Listed)

This board was listed for sale on Craigslist in San Diego and the asking price was $2,850. Yes, you will have to pay an arm and a leg for one of Skip’s boards on the open market. The Skip Frye K Model was developed in the late Seventies. I have probably linked to The Surfer’s Journal feature on Skip’s boards more than any other article, but nonetheless, it’s worth checking out. According to TSJ, the K Model was created in conjunction with a local San Diego surfer named Timmy Kessler, although many incorrectly attribute the board to Barry Kanaiaupuni, who was in Frye’s graduating high school class! This board is just too pretty.

Canyon Seventies Single Fin

Canyon Rusty Priesendorfer Seventies Single Fin

Sorry, no hints yet as to whether this board has been listed, although all I will say is that it’s up somewhere on the internet. Like Skip Frye, Rusty Preisendorfer is another San Diego surfboard shaping luminary. Early in Rusty’s career he shaped for Canyon Surfboards, among some other labels. Sadly, the Canyon name is now being slapped on pop-outs, but that doesn’t diminish the coolness of the board above. I’m not 100% sure if it was shaped by Rusty himself. The board isn’t in perfect condition but I love the colors and that awesome gradient Canyon logo.

Greg Liddle Smoothie 7’11” (Craigslist LA)

Greg Liddle Smoothie .jpg

Here’s a neat Greg Liddle Smoothie, measuring in at 7’11”, with a 2+1 fin setup. The seller is asking $900. I can’t say this is a fantastic price, but it is a great opportunity to look at an earlier Liddle shaped by Greg himself. There’s a photo of the typically hyper detailed signature on the board (I don’t even understand half of the dimensions listed.)

Del Cannon V Bottom (Craigslist Orange County)

There is no question this board has seen some finer days, but I am a sucker for all things Transition Era, including the mighty v bottom design. If you can’t handle all the scratches and weird patches on the board above, then check out Gene Cooper’s Instagram, where he has been glassing some truly gorgeous modern v bottom boards lately.

Social Media Roundup: September Sticks

Greetings, Shredderz! It’s time for some more vintage surfboard selections from the interwebs. Keep scrolling for more…

The Surfer’s Journal recently ran a great feature on Skip Frye’s boards. It’s among the best surfboard-related articles I’ve ever read. Photographer and TSJ Photo Editor Shawn Parkin will occasionally post nuggets from this incredible shoot. I still can’t get enough of that lineup of pristine Skip boards! Just gimme one of those, Skip, and I swear I’ll die I happy man…

Good luck finding a photo with more surfboard shaping firepower than the one featured above. Skip Frye and Donald Takayama is a combo that’s hard to beat!

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Good morning With @davidnuuhiwa

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Is David Nuuhiwa the most stylish surfer of all time? He’s gotta be in the conversation. I don’t have the stones to show up to a surf spot rocking a vest without a shirt underneath, but then again, I don’t surf nearly as well as Nuuhiwa does! I wish there were more photos of the boards in front of Nuuhiwa. If you look closely at the one on the far right, it looks like it has the red and white yin yang David Nuuhiwa logo, similar to an earlier Nuuhiwa single fin surfboard I wrote up.

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Nice Liddle 8'0" Find .

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This is an older post — it’s over two years old — but vintage Liddles are timeless. I’ve featured vintage Greg Liddle boards many times on the blog before. The vintage Liddle that Kirk Putnam posted above is one of the cleaner examples I have seen. I love the smaller logo, set perpendicular to the stringer. This is a somewhat unusual setup compared to Liddle’s later boards. The red coloring provides just the right amount of pop, too.

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It’s been a while since I posted a board. ~1976 Gordon & Smith, Steve Griffiths Bonzer 7’3, 20’1/2, 2’7/8 it is beat up, got fungus in the top 1/3 had the leash plug removed and repaired in a seriously dodgy way but wouldn’t change a thing. Speed more speed and a little more speed on top of that, wide point is pushed back for the period and is at 3’3 from the nose. The double concaves start in the nose and are quite prominent down the the entire length of the board narrowing and deepening between the bronzers. It is an awesome board for the era. It is now a favourite to take out Long Reef Bommie @gordonandsmithaustralia @houseofbonzer #bonzer #bonzersurfboards #bonzersurfboard #whatsinyourquiver #stevegriffiths #elouraboardriders #cronullasurfers #gands #longreef #longreefboardriders #longreefbeach #toomanysurfboards #myshaperisnotacomputer #handshaped

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Finally, I love these Aussie Gordon & Smith Bonza boards (AKA Bonzer for my fellow Seppos.) “Curvaceous” is the word that comes to mind whenever I look at those swooping bottom channels.

 

G&S Skip Frye Longboard

Happy Frye-day, Shredderz! Apologies in advance if today’s post makes you weep for missing out on a great deal on an even better board. That’s right, the G&S Skip Frye longboard featured here was listed on Craigslist for a mere $800. Getting one’s grubby paws on a Skip Frye board is hard enough as is, but deals on these coveted sleds are even rarer. Look no further than The Board Source, which has reasonably priced boards: they have a vintage 8′ Skip Frye egg thruster for $1350, and then an 8’1″ G&S Skip Frye egg thruster for $1400. The longboard on this post is in better condition and a good couple hundred bucks cheaper…but that’s all water under the bridge, as I’m pretty sure the board below has already been sold.

Anyway, enough about price — let’s take a look at the board itself. Like all of Skip’s boards, this thing is an absolute beaut. It measures in at a very healthy 9’6″ x 21 1/4″ x 2 3/4″. The board was posted on Craigslist somewhere on the East Coast a few days ago. All pics in the post are via the original listing. The seller claims he bought the board used in San Diego in 1984. It looks a little older, but beyond that I don’t have any information.

Honestly, I’m starting to get upset as I write this post, wondering if I should have called in a favor for some acquaintances who live nearby where the board was posted. Click on any of the photos to enlarge. I particularly love what looks to be a pretty flat rocker on the board — dare I say hull-like on the bottom? — and the amber-colored glass on fin is gorgeous.

G&S Skip Frye Longboard Signature.jpg
Close up of the signature on the G&S Skip Frye longboard. This is unusual for a Skip signature, with way more detail than I have ever seen on any of his boards.

What’s really interesting is the signature on the board itself. I have seen a variety of Skip’s boards both with and without signatures, but never one like this. One of my all-time favorite boards I have ever written up is this insanely clean 1984 Skip Frye pintail, which has a detailed inscription on the stringer, but none of the little drawings like the board above.

If you have any info about this board, definitely let me know! Either way I hope your Frye-day brings you an abundance of vintage sticks and tasty waves.

Social Media Roundup: RIP Charlie Bunger

Greetings, Shredderz! As always, here are some of my favorite social media posts I have seen over the past month. Keep scrolling for more.

I hate to start off with one of my own posts, but this time it’s important. Sadly, Charlie Bunger, one of the true OGs of the New York surf scene, passed away earlier this month. The only reason I included my own post is, well, it’s my favorite photo of a Bunger surfboard. RIP to Mr Bunger and thoughts and prayers to all his family and friends.

If, like me, you have an obsession with both Skip Frye boards and their opaque pricing, you’ll also enjoy the post above from Bird’s Surf Shed. (Roperized, for those who are unfamiliar, means the board was fixed up by San Diego local Joe Roper, who runs one of the better-known repair shops in town.) The Modern Machine is a G&S model, not a Skip outline, which Joel Tudor referenced in another recent Instagram post. Anyway, the G&S / Skip Frye board was listed for $1,200, which seems extremely fair to me.

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First gun I ever shaped, in Sumer of 1988. …30 years ago. @renoabellira was in San Clemente, building some boards @herbiefletcher SurfShop ( now @catalyst_sc ) that summer, where I worked. He gave me a little help with the outline and rocker. I took it to Hawaii (on my first trip ever) and surfed fun sized #SunsetBeach…as well as the best #Laniakea I’ve still ever seen to this day. I ran out of money and sold it to a used board surf shop in Honolulu. In 2005, on Hawaiian holiday with my family, I found it sitting in the used racks @ #SurfandSea SurfShop, Haleiwa ( remember that @crawford.eddie ! ). Ofcourse I bought it, and brought it back. Here it is now, sitting in the lam room, @catalyst_sc , exactly where is was first built. Home 🏠. #PacificCoastFiberglass #Suds #MickyT @astrodeck

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Is this pushing the limits of vintage? Maybe. Do I care? Not one bit. I hardly ever write about high performance thrusters — mostly because I can’t surf them! — but I am an unabashed fan of Matt Biolos and his Lost Surfboards label. I’ve never met the dude but he seems knowledgeable without being the least bit pretentious. Anyway, this board has some nice history, as it not only involves Mayhem, but also Reno Abellira and Herbie Fletcher.

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Surfed out Al looking at his watch, futility trying to convince Shaun that he needs to get back to the shaping room. Shaun almost smirking, “as if.” Low tide and firing. 5 minutes later Shaun and the professor are walking back up the point for another go. • These early 80’s session, “Shaun at the Con” with Al are legendary. Al has often cited these surfs as some of his most cherished surfing memories. The presence of Shaun, his board, his surfing were all out of place, not Rincon's status quo. This one seemingly basic image of two guys talking, of cobblestones and sticks, red single fins, of black wetsuits and mustaches at the foot of the cove where the trail empties out, this one simple image represents a relationship and the flash point of all that was to come. • #almerrick #shauntomson #rincon #twinfin #santabarbara #surfinglife #surfphotography #cisurfboards @cisurfboards @cisurfboards_sbstore @oneill #adayatthebeach #cobblestone #mustache #allday @cisurfboardssantamonica @cisurfboards_europe @cisurfboards_japan @cisurfboards_africa @cisurfboards_oz

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Jimmy Metyko is a photographer who has been sharing some real gems on Instagram lately. I urge you to give him a follow. He has chronicled some of the great moments in California surf history, with a particular focus on Santa Barbara and legends like Tom Curren and Al Merrick.

Finally, Pat Rawson is well worth the follow. Despite having a resume that any shaper would envy, Rawson is still going strong. He shares a lot of posts on his modern shapes and the details behind the boards, rooted in his deep knowledge of the craft.

Skip Frye Bonzer 5 Conversion

I’m usually hesitant to share pics that have been posted on other sites (except Craigslist and eBay posts, of course). When I stumbled across this unusual Skip Frye bonzer that’s currently listed for sale, though, I knew I had to share the good word. First, news of the board’s sale was originally posted to Surfer’s online forum (link here). You can contact the seller via that link. Second, the photo of the Skip Frye bonzer was originally shared on Surfy Surfy’s awesome blog. You can find the original Surfy Surfy link here. Hit up Surfy Surfy’s site for more pics of the board. And if you find yourself in sunny Leucadia, Surfy Surfy and its sister coffee shop — yup, named Coffee Coffee — are worth an in-person visit.

As for a bit of background on the board, you can find a more detailed rundown in the link to the Surfer Forum post. The Skip Frye bonzer measures in at 6’10” x 21.5″ x 2.5″ (apparently ‘just shy of 2.5″‘, according to the seller). I freaked out when I first saw the board, as I have never seen a Skip Frye-shaped bonzer before. However, turns out that the board was originally shaped in the Eighties as an egg with a thruster fin setup. The board was later converted into its current five fin iteration. The other interesting thing about this Skip Frye stick is the prominent Moonlight Surfboards logo. I can’t recall off the top of my head if I have seen any other of Skip’s boards with a similar laminate, but it’s definitely unusual.

The seller doesn’t list a price with the board, and I think it’s safe to assume that he’s expecting a Godfather offer. I hesitated to even call this guess an educated one, but I would be surprised if the Skip Frye bonzer changed hands for less than $1,500. As for my personal preferences, if I were to shell out the money for one of Skip’s prized sleds, I would prefer an all-original fin setup. Then again, that’s just me, and that’s not to take anything away from this neat Frye bonzer.

Anyway, you can check out the Surfer Forum link here to contact the seller, and make sure you check out Surfy Surfy’s blog here for more pics of the Skip Frye bonzer.

Gordon & Smith Skip Frye V Bottom

Greetings, Shredderz! Today we have an awesome example of one of the greatest Transition Era boards of all time: the Gordon & Smith Skip Frye V Bottom Model.

I’m not sure exactly when G&S produced Skip’s signature models, but they were somewhere in the 1968 – 1969 range. (Sadly, Stoked-n-Board continues to go missing from the SHACC website, though I have been told that there are plans to revive the site).

Pictured below is a Gordon & Smith Skip Frye V Bottom that is currently listed for sale on Craigslist in the Santa Cruz area. You can find a link to the listing here. Longtime readers might actually recognize this board from when it sold on Craigslist a little over a year ago and I wrote up a brief post on the board. The asking price for the G&S Skip Frye V Bottom last year was $850, and now the seller is asking a cool $3,500. (More on that later).

There are no two ways about it: this is a bitchin’ board with a lot of neat bells and whistles. Check out the W.A.V.E. Set fin, and the colorful G&S logo on the bottom of the board is an insane trip back to surfing’s psychedelic roots.

As you can see, the Gordon & Smith Skip Frye V Bottom is in very good condition, and there’s even a serial number on the deck (#3153).

Gordon & Smith Skip Frye V Bottom 11.jpg

Now, as for the price, well, I think $3,500 is a bit ambitious. Now, don’t get me wrong: any example of a Gordon & Smith Skip Frye V Bottom is going to fetch a nice price. And I can’t begrudge the guy for pouncing on the board at $850 a year back, when it was clearly worth a LOT more.

The California Gold Vintage Surf Auction just closed up a few weeks back, during which  another nice G&S Skip Frye V Bottom board went on the block. You can find a link to the auction board here. I’ve also embedded a photo below.

The auction Gordon & Smith Skip Frye V Bottom ended up selling for $2,000, a good deal cheaper than the $3,500 that’s being asked for the Craigslist board. (Note that there are fees with the auction board, but it still ends up being cheaper.) The auction board looks to be in slightly better condition, too — note the visible discolored repairs on the bottom of the Craigslist Skip Frye V Bottom.

That said, I personally don’t have a problem with people buying boards on Craigslist and then re-listing them for more. I know it sounds kind of crazy, but I don’t think a Skip Frye board should be cheap! Boards like the one posted here are genuine pieces of surf history. Now, do I think it’s worth $3,500? Probably not. But either way it’s a rad board, the Craigslist posting has some great photos, and if money’s no object, you can even take the board him with you. Check out the Gordon & Smith Skip Frye V Bottom board for sale on Craigslist here.