Tag: Surfboards Hawaii

Surfboards Hawaii V Bottom

Greetings, Shredderz! Today we’re going to shine a spotlight on one of my all-time favorite Transition Era boards: the Surfboards Hawaii V Bottom, or, as it’s technically known, the Surfboards Hawaii V.

The Surfboards Hawaii V bottom you see above (click photos to enlarge) comes courtesy of Shred Sledz reader Bobby. Thanks for sharing the photos of your beautiful board! As you can see, Bobby’s Surfboards Hawaii V is in pretty great condition. The fin — I’ll be honest, I always mix up my Transition Era fins, and I always guess W.A.V.E. Set when it’s not, so I’ll just pass for now — in particular stands out, and you can see the dramatic vee in the tail. (Update: I just asked a far more knowledgeable friend, and he confirmed that the fin is an early Bahne / Fins Unlimited design.)

I’ve heard some people say that the Surfboards Hawaii V doesn’t surf all that well, but I’m not one to judge. Rather, I tend to appreciate the unusual lines and dimensions of the board. I always trip out whenever I see a close up shot of the tail of a Surfboards Hawaii V bottom, like in the photo below. I’m always struck by the sheer amount of foam packed in the back end of these boards. The Surfboards Hawaii V bottom is almost reminiscent of a Corvette with its bulky, high tail. In addition to the dramatic vee on the bottom, you can also see how the tail section on the deck has been carved out, too. I love the black pinline on Bobby’s board and how it accentuates the Hawaii V’s angular lines.

Surfboards Hawaii V Bottom Tail.jpeg

There was another Surfboards Hawaii V bottom that was posted for sale on Craigslist earlier this month. I have reproduced some of those photos below, which give you a good idea of the rocker and outline of the board. You can click on the photos below to enlarge.

One thing I have never been able to track down is more information on who might have shaped the Surfboards Hawaii V bottoms. As many of us have been known to do, Bobby sought out the counsel of Bill Thrailkill on Swaylocks. According to Bobby, Thrailkill told him that there’s a good chance Ed Wright, who was on the Surfboards Hawaii label in the late Sixties, shaped a number of these boards. If anyone knows more, hit me up!

Last but not least, here’s a cool Surfboards Hawaii V bottom ad, courtesy of the @vintage_surf_ads account on Instagram. I love how the ad turns up its nose at the competing “mild V-bottoms on the market today”, and touts the fact that the Hawaii V is for “experienced surfers only.” It’s also interesting to read that these boards were apparently made with fiberglass stringers, too.

Thanks again to Bobby for sharing photos of his beautiful Surfboards Hawaii v bottom board, and I hope you enjoyed the post!

Grab Bag of Gratitude: Pre Thanksgiving Edition

Greetings, Shredderz! As we close in on a classic holiday here in the States I thought it would be a good time for another Grab Bag entry to shed some light on some noteworthy vintage sledz up for sale. Keep reading for more, including a lovely Rick Surfboards UFO Model…

Hansen Master Displacement Hull (Craigslist Santa Cruz)

 

I actually featured this Hansen Master hull on my Instagram earlier this week, and it’s still up for sale. I think the $1,100 price tag may be a shade on the ambitious side, but hey, pricing surfboards is hard no matter the circumstances. I continue to have a soft spot for all kinds of Transition Era boards, and this Hansen Master displacement hull definitely fits the bill.

Surfboards Hawaii Longboard (eBay)

I love the Surfboards Hawaii label. Sadly, there simply isn’t a ton of information about the brand that’s readily available online. Someday I’ll write a Shred Sledz Deep Dive on Surfboards Hawaii, but until then, I’ll continue to feature any of the interesting boards I come across. The seller claims this is an all-original board from the Sixties. Love the beautiful stringer and volan patch on this thing. I’m not sure if all Surfboards Hawaii boards with Encinitas in the logo were shaped in California — if you have any more info, I’d love to hear it.

Con Surfboards Steve Bigler Model (Craigslist Santa Barbara)

Con Surfboards is another Sixties surf label that I love. Their circular logo with the classic red coloring is still one of my favorite designs ever. I have actually never seen the Con Surfboards Steve Bigler Model before I came across this one. This particular example isn’t in perfect condition but it’s in more than sufficient shape to showcase the cool design elements that went into the board. I wish the seller had posted a close up of the logo on the deck, but I guess beggars can’t be choosers.

Rick Surfboards UFO Model (Craigslist Orange County)

We’ve got a bunch of classic Sixties longboards today, and the Rick Surfboards UFO Model is no exception. Seller claims the board is from either 1967 or 1968 and it measures in at 9’4″. Make sure you click the link for the posting, which also has a very cool closeup of the tail. The seller is asking $750 for the Rick Surfboards UFO Model.

Miscellaneous

  • Rick Surfboards Single Fin (Craigslist Orange County) — Love the colors on this one. Very different from the Rick Surfboards UFO Model above, but I love the contrast of the navy blue Rick logo against the rest of the board.
  • Hansen The Master Longboard (Craigslist Providence) — This thing is very clean, an the seller provided some great photos of the original fin that comes with the board.
  • Seventies Freeline Single Fin (Craigslist Merced) — If you saw an ultra stoked kook out at Steamer Lane last Friday, well, that could have been me! And in honor of Santa Cruz here’s a very cool Freeline single fin. I don’t see a signature but it’s likely a John Mel shape, and it has a neat glass on mahogany fin to boot.

Surfboards Hawaii Glass Slipper & Hydro

Greetings, Shredderz! Today we have a contrast of two very different Surfboards Hawaii sticks. I love Surfboards Hawaii, and it’s maddeningly difficult to try and find information about the brand. Sadly, once SHACC took down Stoked-n-Board, researching Surfboards Hawaii got even harder. All I’ll say, though, is that Surfboards Hawaii was once home to both Dick Brewer and Ben Aipa, and that should settle any outstanding questions about the brand’s pedigree.

There are currently two very cool Surfboards Hawaii examples on sale on eBay. I wouldn’t say either is a particularly “classic” example from the label. I want to say the most coveted Surfboards Hawaii boards are the big elephant guns and noseriders from the Sixties, but don’t quote me on that. The Surfboards Hawaii vee bottom model — I have seen it referred to as the Hawaii V model — is also popular.

The first board in question is a Transition Era shape that’s currently listed for sale on eBay. It’s actually a Surfboards Hawaii Glass Slipper model, and you can find a link to the board here. The Glass Slipper surfboard is another well-known board with a history that’s tough to track down. Donald Takayama’s website credits DT with inventing the Glass Slipper during his days surfing Ala Moana Bowls on Oahu. I have also seen a Glass Slipper created under Takayama’s MTB label. The Glass Slipper surfboard pictured below was almost certainly shaped in the late Sixties, given the pronounced S Deck and the dimensions. It measures in at 7′ x 20 1/4″ x 3 1/8″. The seller claims it was shaped in 1969.

The photos above are courtesy of the eBay listing. There are some interesting things going on here. First is the unusual Surfboards Hawaii logo that reads “Just Honolulu, Hawaii.” For some period of time Surfboards Hawaii boards featured both Hawaii and Encinitas on their laminates. According to the seller of the Glass Slipper, during the late Sixties Surfboards Hawaii was sold back to someone in Hawaii, who then had new laminates printed up reading “Just Honolulu Hawaii.” Either way, I love it!

Surfboards Hawaii Logo .jpg
Here’s an example of a Surfboards Hawaii logo that has both Hawaii and Encinitas in the rectangle. Note that this one says “Haleiwa Hawaii” whereas I have also seen examples that say “Honolulu Hawaii”

The seller of the Glass Slipper is someone who has sold many vintage boards on eBay, and he clearly has a great collection and a ton of knowledge. He believes the Glass Slipper was shaped by Ben Aipa. However, I’m not as sure. All the Aipa / Surfboards Hawaii boards I have seen were all signed by Aipa and/or had different logos. Of course, it’s very possible that Aipa shaped boards for Surfboards Hawaii that didn’t have any markings. Therefore I’m not ruling out that the Glass Slipper was shaped by Aipa. But given Takayama’s involvement with the Glass Slipper model later on in his career, I’m wondering if this board wasn’t shaped by Donald.

Surfboards Hawaii Ben Aipa 1970s 8'2" 2.jpg
Yet another example of a different Surfboards Hawaii laminate. You’ll see this one still has the “Just Honolulu, Hawaii” text, but then it clearly credits Ben Aipa with having shaped the board.

The other Surfboards Hawaii example listed for sale on eBay was shaped much later by Mike Slingerland. You can find a link to the board here. At some point, and I don’t know when, Surfboards Hawaii seemed to move most of its production to Southern California, enlisting shapers like Slingerland and Rick Hamon. Hat tip to Matt Johnson for giving me the heads up on the board!

The Slingerland single fin measures in at a tidy 5’11”. Judging from the seller’s comments, the board was purchased brand new in Laguna Beach and has been kept since then. It’s in stellar condition, with a few minor snackles that could easily be cleaned up. Oh, and as a diehard airbrush aficionado, you know I’m stoked about the spray job on this bad boy! I love the alternating patterns between the deck and the bottom.

What’s interesting to me about the Slingerland board is that it doesn’t have any Hydro branding. Many of Slingerland’s shapes for Surfboards Hawaii featured similar channel bottoms, and these boards often had Hydro laminates that touted this design. See below for another example of a Slingerland / Surfboards Hawaii board, with the exact same channel setup.

Surfboards Hawaii Hydro Mike Slingerland.jpg
Another Surfboards Hawaii / Mike Slingerland Hydro board. Check out the channel bottom and yes, the exceptional airbrush as well!

Surfboards Hawaii is such a great brand with incredible history, and I love that there are two boards currently listed for sale that illustrate the variety of shapes made under the label. You can check out the Glass Slipper Model here and the Mike Slingerland single fin here.

 

 

Surfboards Hawaii Aquarius

Greetings, Shredderz! Today we’ll be featuring another unusual vintage surfboard: the Surfboards Hawaii Aquarius Model.

The Surfboards Hawaii Aquarius pictured above is actually still for sale. I won’t put the exact link here, but the board is not mine and all photos in this post are via the listing. Happy hunting.

f you look at the photo on the left (click to enlarge), you’ll notice the Surfboards Hawaii text running horizontally, with the Aquarius text running vertically. The Surfboards Hawaii Aquarius is packed full with all kinds of groovy touches, as it was likely shaped during the late Sixties, or perhaps early Seventies, during the Transition Era. I can’t tell whether or not the board is stringer-less, and of course, that psychedelic paint job on the bottom is awesome. The deck patch looks a bit like similar patches you’ll see on some Surfboards Hawaii Vee Bottom boards.

What’s really interesting to me about this board is that it has a different logo than just about every other Surfboards Hawaii Aquarius I have seen.

Every other example of the Surfboards Hawaii Aquarius I have seen has the logo pictured above and to the left. (What’s up with the devil just hanging out near the cornucopia?) I was also able to dig up a cool example of an old Surfbards Hawaii Aquarius ad from a Swaylocks thread, which is above and to the right. It’s interesting that the logo above indicates the Surfboards Hawaii Aquarius was a series, as opposed to just one model. However, that’s all the info I have on these boards.

As always, if you know more about the Surfboards Hawaii Aquarius, please let me know!

 

Surfboards Hawaii Longboard “Blank Logo”

Greetings, Shredderz! Don’t let the tongue-in-cheek name of this humble blog fool you: we are huge fans of classy, old school surfboard brands, too. There are few labels classier than Surfboards Hawaii. For starters, Surfboards Hawaii boasts an incredible collection of shaping talent, from Dick Brewer to Ben Aipa and Donald Takayama. And if history really isn’t your bag, well, Surfboards Hawaii boards happen to look great, too. Today’s post features a vintage Surfboards Hawaii longboard with an unusual touch. Keep reading below for more…

Surfboards Hawaii Longboard 3

The Surfboards Hawaii longboard pictured above was recently listed on eBay. It sold for a tidy $899, and someone almost certainly paid shipping, given that the board was located in Indianapolis, of all places. The board has an absolutely gorgeous stringer setup with a simple but striking red, white and blue color scheme. I’m guessing it’s high density foam sandwiched between two wooden stringers, but I’m not sure.

Surfboards Hawaii Longboard.jpg
Close up of the tail and the fin.

The fin looks to be all original as well. I’m not sure what these fin boxes are called, but they are fairly common on boards from this era. I would guess the Surfboards Hawaii longboard featured here was shaped sometime during the mid-1960s or so.

One odd touch about the Surfboards Hawaii longboard in this post is the logo, or, to be exact, the lack thereof.

Surfboards Hawaii Longboard Logo.jpg
Close up of the logo on the Surfboards Hawaii longboard. It’s interesting that there’s no text anywhere in the logo; just the iconic outline of the island of Oahu.

The board’s logo is the classic Oahu outline that you see on many Surfboards Hawaii boards. However, there is no text on the logo, which is unusual. If you look closely in the photo above you’ll notice there’s a little rectangle that is less faded than the surrounding area. I’m guessing there may have been a smaller laminate that was originally located in this space, but somehow got removed or fell off.

Surfboards Hawaii Nose Rider Logo .jpg
An example of another Surfboards Hawaii logo, taken from a “Nose Rider” model. You can see the text in the Oahu outline on this board.

Pictured above is another example of a Surfboards Hawaii longboard, which comes from a “Nose Rider” model. The Nose Rider has what looks like a high density foam stringer sandwiched by two much thinner redwood stringers. One small touch I found interesting was the difference in the Oahu silhouettes in both Surfboards Hawaii logos. The blank logo has more detail around Pearl Harbor, towards the south western corner of the island.

No one loves surfboard minutiae more than I do, but with surfboards, unlike cars or watches, there really doesn’t seem to be a rhyme or reason for many of the unusual variants that pop up. I’m not quite sure how to explain this Surfboards Hawaii longboard and its blank logo. I think it easily could have been a mistake at the factory, and it’s also possible that the text was somehow rubbed off the board, too. Regardless, it’s a very cool example of an original board from a classic label, and I’m not surprised to see that it got snapped up quickly by an eagle eyed collector.

Dick Brewer Gun for Rabbit Bartholomew / Darrick Doerner

Vintage Surfboards Hawaii surfboard by Dick Brewer shaped for Rabbit Bartholomew

Greetings, Shredderz! Those of you who follow me on Instagram may recognize the photo above from my Instagram account, where I posted it a few days ago. (You can check out the official Shred Sledz Instagram account here.) The photo was taken by Tom Servais on the North Shore of Oahu, and it features none other than Aussie legend Rabbit Bartholomew posing with some beautiful big-wave guns. As soon as I posted the photo, the current owner of the yellow board — a Surfboards Hawaii gun shaped by Dick Brewer — reached out and was kind enough to send over some more pictures. Thank you to Luke Carter for supplying the pics. If you’re interested in vintage surfboards and fast cars, give Luke a follow on Instagram!

As you can see, the board is still in great condition, even after all these years.

Rabbit Bartholomew Hawaii Dick Brewer Gun 3.jpeg
Close up of the Dick Brewer signature on the stringer. Pic via Luke Carter

You can see a clear example of a Dick Brewer signature on the stringer, alongside some measurements. At 9’5″ x 20″ x 3-1/4″, the gun was clearly shaped for waves of consequence.

Rabbit Bartholomew Hawaii Dick Brewer Gun Fin Close Up.jpg
Close up of the glass-on fin on the Dick Brewer Rabbit Bartholomew gun. Pic via Luke Carter

Luke was also kind enough to point me to a photo that gives some indication of when Brewer may have shaped this board. The photo above was supposedly taken at the opening ceremony for the Eddie Aikau contest at Waimea Bay held in the winter of 1989 / 1990.

Rabbit Bartholomew Occy Dick Brewer Eddie Aikau Ceremony by Joli.jpg
Occy (left) and Rabbit, showing off some sweet Dick Brewer guns. It’s interesting to note that Occy’s board has the 1980s Brewer laminate, while Rabbit’s board has the Surfboards Hawaii logo. Photo by Peter “Joli” Wilson / Joliphotos.com

I actually found a copy of the program for the 1989 / 1990 Eddie Aikau contest on eBay, and neither Occy nor Rabbit Bartholomew were invitees. Nonetheless, given Occy and Rabbit’s ages in the Joli photo above, I believe the photo was taken sometime during that decade. I suppose it’s also possible that Occy and Rabbit could have showed up to the Eddie’s opening ceremony with their boards in tow, but that would have been unusual given that is usually reserved for competitors.

Per the title of the blog post, Luke also tells me that apparently the board was originally shaped for Hawaiian big-wave charger Darrick Doerner. This theory makes a ton of sense. For starters, Bartholomew’s brash attitude initially made him a target in Hawaii, as documented in “Bustin’ Down the Door” and even a sketch on “Drunk History.” Moreover, Doerner was something of a Waimea Bay specialist — for which the Brewer board would have been an ideal fit — and also boasted a long association with Brewer. How the board would have made its way from Doerner to Rabbit is a mystery to me, but I’m glad it did, given the rad pictures that resulted!

I’d also love to know what happened to the other board in the picture at the top of the page. I love the splash of color on the Surfboards Hawaii logo. I’m assuming the board Rabbit’s sitting on must be another Dick Brewer, but without a picture of the stringer, there’s no way to be sure.

Thanks again to Luke Carter for the pictures. You can follow him on Instagram here.

Shred Sledz Presents: September 15 Grab Bag (Hawaii Edition)

Greetings, Shredderz! Welcome to the latest edition of the Grab Bag, where I’ll be featuring some of the more notable boards I have seen listed for sale over the past few weeks. Today’s entry has a distinct Hawaiian flavor , as all of the boards covered below are from famous labels that hail from the birthplace of surfing.

Lightning Bolt Rory Russell Twin Fin (eBay)

This thing is KILLER! First, it’s in excellent condition. Actually, let me back up: first and foremost, the board just looks awesome. Even if you didn’t know the first thing about Lightning Bolt or Rory Russell, this board makes you stop and look. Maybe that makes me shallow…or maybe I just have impeccable taste when it comes to vintage surf craft. I’m always a sucker for intricate details, and I love the Clark Foam and Rory Russell Model laminates on the tail. The board is 5’4″. Is this considered a fish? I never see the Rory Russell twin fins referred to as such, but they seem pretty fish-like to me. Bidding is already hovering near $700 with four more days to go. Pics above via the eBay listing.

Surfboards Hawaii Owl Chapman Gun (Craigslist)

I love the old school Surfboards Hawaii logo, which is one of my favorite surfboard labels ever. Apparently this board was shaped by none other than Owl Chapman, uncle to current North Shore pro Kalani Chapman, and all-round Oahu fixture. I asked the seller if there’s a signature anywhere on the board, but I haven’t heard back. I’m not sure when this board was made, but I am guessing very early 1970s, based on the shape of the pintail, what looks like an after-market leash plug, and the glass-on fin. I have never seen a straight up Surfboards Hawaii Owl Chapman surfboard before. The pairing makes sense, given Chapman’s association with Dick Brewer, and the fact Brewer founded Surfboards Hawaii in 1961. The board is 9′, the board is located in Los Angeles, California, and the seller is asking $900.

Dick Brewer Gun and 1970s Single Fin (Craigslist & eBay)

There are currently two great Dick Brewer boards for sale. The first, pictured above, is a 8′ x 19-1/2″ x 3″ gun with glass-on fins in a thruster setup that should be ideal for the upcoming winter. It is being sold in Orange County, California. You can find a link to the board here. The seller is asking $600. I think that price is extremely reasonable, given that the board looks to be in excellent condition.

You want a Dick Brewer signature? Great, then how about another one? It’s a little odd that Brewer signed the board twice, but either way, I feel confident in saying the board was shaped by Brewer himself.

There’s a 1970s Dick Brewer single fin available on eBay that also bears two Dick Brewer signatures. Pic above is via the listing, which you can find here. The seller is asking $1500 for the board. The 1970s single fin has a wonderful old school outline and glassed on fin. Unfortunately, the pics provided with the eBay listing are pretty poor, so I have omitted them from the post. Still, I encourage you to click through and check them out for yourself.

As for the price difference, the best I can offer is that Brewer prices can be all over the place. I think one should expect genuine 1970s Dick Brewer single fins to command higher prices than newer boards. The gun on Craigslist is clearly newer (I would guess mid-1990s or later) and in better condition, but I imagoine 1970s single fins have more cachet.

Lightning Bolt 1970s Single Fin by Darrell Beckmeier (Craigslist)

Darrell Beckmeier was a fixture at Lightning Bolt during the 1970s. There’s a beautiful example of one of his boards that currently listed for sale on Craigslist in Orange County. Pics above are via the listing. The board is 6’6″ x 19-1/2″ (no dimension listed for thickness). The seller is asking $750. I’m honestly not sure what to make of this price, and how Beckmeier’s boards compare in value to other Bolt shapers. Still, it doesn’t get any more classic than single-fin Bolts!

Surfboards Hawaii Mike Slingerland Shortboards

There are few things more uncomfortable than watching an established older brand clumsily try to adopt a recent and unfamiliar trend. It’s the branding equivalent of a middle-aged guy rocking a pair of fancy jeans with embroidery on the back pockets. (I love Harbour Surfboards, but their 80s logo redesign is not my favorite.) Like any rule, though, there are exceptions. Surfboards Hawaii Mike Slingerland surfboards stand out as the rare example of a venerable old surfboard that managed an elegant transition into producing “modern” shortboards.

There are two Surfboards Hawaii Mike Slingerland shortboards currently up for sale on Craigslist, courtesy of Shred Sledz favorite “Jeff in LA”. I know nothing about Jeff except that he sells a lot of reasonably priced vintage boards on Craigslist, oftentimes with interesting SoCal pedigree. You can see his seller page here. The first board, pictured above, is an 80s 6′ quad fin, and the listing can be found here. Maybe my fondness for these board betrays my love of 80s surf graphics above all else, but I think this thing is so cool.

The second Surfboards Hawaii Mike Slingerland board is a 6’6″ thruster (really a 2+1…or if you want to get technical, a 1+2), and the board can be found here. The “red logo” board has a bunch of Slingerland trademarks, including channels on the bottom with a complementary airbrush, and then a cool fan logo I had never seen before. Neither of the boards is expensive, either: $240 and $225 for the quad fin and the “red logo” thruster, respectively. These aren’t in mint condition, but I think a watertight board without any major surgery for under $250 isn’t too shabby.

Sadly, there is very little written online about the history of Surfboards Hawaii. Founded by Dick Brewer, Surfboards Hawaii produced some of the most elegant longboards of the 1960s. At some point, Mike Slingerland began to shape for the brand. My guess is that was sometime in the 1970s, and he stayed on at least through the 1980s. You don’t see a ton of Surfboards Hawaii examples from the 70s and the 80s, and of the ones I glimpse, many of them have Slingerland’s name attached. Most recently, Slingerland has been shaping boards for San Diego surf shop Surfy Surfy, and I believe he currently lives in San Diego.

The Surfboards Hawaii Mike Slingerland boards could not be more different from their prececessors. And while the Slingerland examples are a far cry from the noseriders and subtle logos of the 1960s, they are undeniably rad in their own distinct way.

Shred Sledz Social Media Roundup (June 25): Schroff Single Fin and More

Greetings, Shredderz! Hope your respective weekends are all going exactly as planned. See below for your irregularly scheduled dose of social media from the wonderful world of vintage surfboards, including a cool seventies Schroff single fin.

Now THIS is cool! This is a trippy Wave Tools Sting shape combined with some truly out there Jet elements meant to route the water flow. To top it all off, the gradient paint job on the board is beautiful, too. Make sure you scroll through all the pictures in the gallery above — this is a must-see. Congrats to @thevintagesurfboard for scoring such a rare and interesting gem.

 

Hope you’re not sick of me mentioning Bird and his eponymous Surf Shed yet, because I’m not stopping any time soon! Anyway, Bird has a few more recent Dick Brewer boards for sale. They’re not cheap, but quality never is. These boards aren’t technically vintage, considering they were built in 2001-2002, but they are beautiful nonetheless. I love the Surfboards Hawaii logos towards the tail, too. The Brewer boards are also a nice modern complement to this week’s earlier post about Terry Fitzgerald and Dick Brewer. Note that all three boards above were all glassed by Jack Reeves, too.

 

I’m not sure who Hemisphere Cargo is, but if he doesn’t work for Schroff, at the very least he has a fine appreciation for Pimp’s shapes! Everyone goes crazy over the Echo Beach Schroff thrusters with the checkerboard logos, and rightfully so, but I’m really digging this Schroff single fin. Relatively speaking, it looks a little restrained when compared to Schroff’s more out there looks, and I’m into it!

 

If you’re not familiar with Rich Harbour and his legacy, I have one small request for you: close this window immediately, read up on the man, and then beg the surf gods for forgiveness over the fact you were reading Shred Sledz instead of learning some history.

Actually, you can do one better, as the Surfing Heritage and Culture Center, located in San Clemente, CA, is currently exhibiting a retrospective on Harbour’s career. The exhibit opened yesterday and it will be going on for three months. Harbour is a legendary California shaper, and it’s rad to see him get some shine courtesy of the awesome SHACC.

Surfing Heritage and Culture Center Rich Harbour Retrospective Poster
Poster for the Harbour Surfboards Retrospective at SHACC. Photo via Harbour Surfboards

 

Luis Real has a truly staggering collection of vintage surfboards, and he frequently posts about them on Instagram. Pictured here is a rare bit of Dick Brewer trivia — one of the few boards Brewer shaped under the Greek label.

Shred Sledz Presents: 5/16 Grab Bag

Greetings, Shredderz! I hope the stoke levels are high and climbing for each and every one of you. First and foremost, you may recognize a slight name change to our Peabody Award-winning series (Editor’s Note: definitely not), the Shred Sledz Weekend Grab Bag. We’re dropping the “Weekend” part of the moniker, given the fact our editorial staff moves with all the speed of a line at the DMV on a sunny Saturday. It shall henceforth be known as the Shred Sledz Grab Bag. New name, same collection of cool sticks. Anyway: onto the good stuff.

Sunset by Bill Shrosbree 1970s / 1980s 6’1″ Single Fin (Craigslist — Santa Cruz)

This thing was originally posted a few days ago, and then posted again without that lovely Rainbow Fin you can see in the third pic. Luckily, Shred Sledz goes to great lengths to preserve any evidence of rad surfboards online. Board is listed at $350 (without the fin, though!), which I think is quite fair given the board. Shrosbree is a favorite of surfboard aficionado Joel Tudor, which means he’s good enough for me! Check out the board at the link above.

 

Surfboards Hawaii Semi-Gun by Mike Slingerland (Facebook)

This surfboard is unlikely to win any awards for political correctness any time soon. (Check the cartoon in the third pic, alongside the “Charlie Don’t Surf” lam). Questionable laminates aside, though, it is a beautiful example of a later-era Surfboards Hawaii semi-gun that looks to be in awesome condition. Love the colors alongside the stringer and the beautiful, era-correct Rainbow Fin, too. Original post seems to have been taken down, but I linked to an earlier one in the title above.

 

Channin / Diffenderfer 1969 Transition Board (Craigslist — Raleigh, NC)

Can’t say this thing hasn’t seen better days. But shout out to the seller for being as up front as possible, going as far to recount a story about how the board flew off his roof rack while going 70 mph! There’s something sad about seeing someone sell a cherished board, but then again, it’s also an opportunity to score a funky little transitional shape for under $200 ($195, to be exact).

 

Gordon & Smith Magic Model (Craigslist — Orlando)

Cool little transitional shape for sale in Florida. G&S has a little info on this board on their own website. The Magic was invented towards the end of the summer in 1968. It was largely invented by Dennis Benadum, but apparently none other than Skip Frye also chipped in with the board’s design! See below for a picture of the original ad for the board, published sometime in the late 1960s, I believe. Seller is asking $500.

Gordon & Smith The Magic Ad