Approx $$$ for new Surfboards: Mid 70's, 80's, 90's

I can't really say, because we would get lots of good deals. I reckon SA legend weasel would know. He did all sorts of customs, for all sorts of waves, that he could surf too, including bamboo, epoxy, pioneered things, did anything and everything right through that era.

http://www.100percentsurf.com.au/SURFBOARDS/SURFBOARDS/ABOUT.html

So would this guy. Been doing customs forever.

https://surfbunker.com/listing/sfd-surfboards-port-macquarie-nsw-au-709

https://www.facebook.com/SFD-Surfboards-262276280450052/

My old man finally gifted me his 9'6 Don Burford, which he bought in '67 (50 years ago!) for $20 from Don direct. I am astounded at how everyone could ride these heavy, legrope-less boards in challenging surf. Must have taken some punishment.

First custom board for me was a 6'4 Power Plug, shaped by Andy Inkster, probably about '89 or '90. Can't recall what I paid but I recall custom boards being about $450 then. 

5'10" twin fin with fin boxes from Sam Egan for $235 in 1978. Remember the price because it cost more than my first car got a few months later for $200.

First custom in 1978 a Paul Gravelle 6'6" pin with colour $180.
Next one 2 years later from Paul also, shockingly the price had risen to $210 for a 7 footer. Third one in 1980 $220.
He can still do a great board with a great glass job for under $700.
Mark Virgo 6'3" in 1981 $180.
Have paid close to a grand each for 3 customs in the last 4 years from Grant Miller

Crystal Curl brand new from Woolworths for $75 was my first new board.82/83.Ben was that first P.P custom you got get the "Ben Blue" paint job?Haha

Ha! No it wasn't FG. Those boards came a few years later. Though for for my first one I remember it had a wicked rail spray.. jagged lightning bolts down the side. Will see if I can drag up a photo.

BTW my first board (not a custom) was a 6'0 Jack Howarth, purchased from Island Surf in late '86. Was $350 brand new I think (combo of birthday and Xmas presents and pocket money!)

Be a good to interview the Spirit Filled shaper...the early days in the industry up till now..The Talking in Tongues church stuff..
Gravelle also ...knocking out boards in the dusty desert since mid seventies.

Yeh, that halleluja era was classic. Quite a few of them were tongue tied. I got some customs off him years ago, before Spirit Filled. He's a real craftsman, makes very high quality boards. Some interesting stories for sure. Bows and arrows at triggs.

Weasel was doing customs for everyone at one stage. The Cutloose saga, God knows. That's surfees for you. Would have some epics. Living in his hut dug into the side of the hill at doilies. That everyone claimed. He took DK on a shaping sojurn around Australia. Classic. DK wreaked havoc on the east coast. Not that that's hard. And not in the same vein as JB, who just took over the whole circus. More like gorilla boy, and likewise, not his fault either.

I recently got a custom from Grant Miller. Epic quality and workmanship. Worth every cent and more.

Spirit Filled, Greg Frost? Mate still has an old custom board from Greg when he was still in SA, horribly asymmetric, wasn't intentional haha.

5'11" Magic Island custom for $350 in 1985, then a Shaping Co. with lemon coloured rails for about the same in '86.

Don't know what I did with either of them. Probably gave them away, I've given away lots of boards over the years.

Edit: First board was a red Bill Wallace popout that dad bought us when I was about 10. Had a wicked black fin like a scythe.

1973 trigger bros. shaped by Paul.we were getting changeovers every 3 months for about $20.

March 69 $55 for a near new 7'8" Carroll from the factory
October 69 $95 for a new 6'8" Bennett roundtail- clear, volan deck patch, tri colour pinlines and SAFE set fin
1970 $35 2nd hand 5'6" egg
1972 $55 new 6'2" La Jolla "speed shape"
1973 $45 new 6'4" diamond tail bought at the Farrelly auction - clear
1974 $90 for 6'10" Keyo custom sq tail -coloured bottom and rails, double pinlines
1975 $95 7'0" Crozier custom diamond tail- coloured deck panel, black pinlines and the best glass job going around at the time
1976 $105 6'10" Crozier pintail - deck colour with a fade spray on rails and bottom, pinlines
Most recent- May 2015, 6'9" Miller VSkate, deck spray and fins $850
The major differences in prices I have noticed these days, colour, pinlines, gloss coats and FINS
Hope this helps with the original question and fills in a few gaps

Classic read on Trigger Bros site : celebrating 50 yrs of surfing
The original 1968 reply from Midget to John Jolly re a board order $115 for a custom / add $4 for a pinline. A great read !

There has been too many to remember but this forum topic reminds me of the thought I have sometimes and that is if I hadn't surfed I would be a wealthy man.

First board
5'3" Crystal Curl single fin 1983 from Sportsman's Warehouse on the Goldie. Xmas present of $125 because my Dad was a tightarse and wouldn't pay $220 for a Brothers Neilsen.

Second board.
'85 second hand Pipedream 5'5" 6 channel thruster $170

Third - Fifth boards.
Customs from Dominic "Zappa" Wybrow. 1986-88 $400

Next 23 years.
Pipedream from Muzz.
$300-$600

2011-2015
Bushman.
$300-$500 US

Now
Bryan Bates surfboards
$650+

Good read Udo. As is this:

http://www.triggerbrothers.com.au/midget-farrelly/

Speaking of things historical and Midget, I was reminded of something that was on his web-site. I had a look quite recently (like on the weekend!) but the site's now suspended?!

I cached the article and edited it a bit. And included the pic of the board in question.

The Australian Vee Bottom.

The 1967 photo by Dick Graham had great significance. Dick took the shot at the Palm Beach, Windansea vs Australia contest in November 1967. When Dick shot this image there was not another board even slightly similar to it, in Australia or any other country.

By comparison surfers like Nat and McTavish were still riding 9 foot plus. Nat was still riding 'Sam', his long round bottom Woods board design. McTavish had never seen a vee bottom until November 1967. The board McTavish saw in November 1967 was made in July 1967 at Palm Beach, NSW.

The board was on the cover of Dick's mag Surfing International.

Midget's board was only 8 feet long by approx 22 inches wide. The bottom was heavily veed through the tail half, the nose was concaved and the fin was deeply cut away to allow tail drift. The board was specifically designed to ride waves less than head high.

The California media of the day tried to suppress news of this design as local advertisers had thousands of very long boards in stock ready for the northern summer. Dick published an extensive story on the vee bottom in April 1968 and the effect was amazing.

Gordon and Smith in San Diego made thousands of Midget's vee bottoms. They were very well received on the east coast USA where wave height on average is below head high.

Dick Graham was in Australia for approx one month beginning Nov 1967 so he had a chance to see the vee bottom explosion. Midget's one off vee may have been the only vee at the time of the Windansea vs Australia contest, however two weeks after that event just about every competitive Aussie had a vee in some form or another.

This suited Eric Blum and his Hollywood camera crew and so the Fantastic Plastic Machine storyline fell into place and at last he had a script. Basically Nat and McTavish dictated it for him. Petey Johnston (California) and Midget were sitting together one day listening to Nat and Bob sound off when Petey turned to Midget and said "think I'm gonna be sick I gotta get out of here".

As good as the vee bottom design was in small waves it was a disaster in overhead waves. The tail was meant to facilitate slide, which was great fun in small waves, but a nightmare in large waves. View any footage of the design (copies) being used in Hawaii and you will see the riders losing control as they attempt the turn. The design had a fairly short life as longer, streamlined shapes (Dick Brewer) proved more versatile in all waves. Midget only made one of these vees! He rode it for five months or so before moving on to pintails.

Whilst Midget may lay claim to an original, the 1967 vee bottom, a shorter board in a time of longboards, he denies any connection to the achievements of those who created the shortboard revolution of the 1980's. Time had yet to roll through all the outline, rocker and fin developments that led to where the multi finned boards emerged.

More from Midget's web-site:

How did this nonsense happen?

The past and current shameless hijacking of history has prompted the above. As surfers age and the real facts slide into the foggy past it is easy for the snake oil salesmen to hoodwink the public at large with books, dvds, mag articles and 'pop out' festivals. Those, with little or no talent are able to capitalize on designs created by others, present themselves as gurus, then lend their names to mass produced 'poop outs'.

Worse still, Australian schools and museums are treating the hijacking as fact. Australians and then those who follow (around the world) are parroting a nonsense as reality, on websites that espouse surfing history.

Mainstream print media play up this nonsense and align it (authoritatively????) to a small group who manipulated the sport in the mid to late 1960's. A classic example of pure bullshit! Hard to believe this made it into Surfers Journal. Even harder to believe that Tim Baker promotes it in his 2013 Century Of Surf!

"Truth should never get in the way of a good story"? Better still... "People love a mischief"!

Check out this for some in-depth-ness.

http://www.surfresearch.com.au/1967_VeeBottom.html

And Swellnet of course!

https://www.swellnet.com/news/talking-heads/2014/01/29/tim-baker-centuri...

When I first got back from overseas a few years ago (Wow! 2009!!) and had a bit of spare cash, I had a little project of sorts to get some customs from shapers I'd always admired. I got a few over the next several years (Al Byrne, Glen Winton, Neal Purchase Jnr, Jim Banks) but one I didn't get around to was a board off Midget.

Regarding this thread, I've been trying to jog the memory and am finding it pretty hard. And that's just with the boards and shapers, let alone prices?! Impossible. Maybe pen to paper, or rather, writing on here can aid. Forgive my indulgence.

My first board/s were alternating between a 7'6 Don Burford (that I shared with/stole off my brother) and a Gary Timperley Sky twinnie (another bloke I would've loved to get a board off!)

I'm not even 100% on my first custom. Shane Ellis or Andy Inkster? Though I got a shed-load of boards off 'em from then on. Still got an Andy Power-Plug in my riding quiver now.

Other customs through the years: Alan Bruse, Spiced Hot. Jumped ship there for a bit. Great boards too. Marty Littlewood, Delta. Got one in my quiver right now. Got a coupla rippers off Clair-Dog too, one for painting the outside of his house. Matt Barrow when I was living in Croyde, Devon. Factory 52. He learned to shape at Gash in Vicco with Greg Brown and Mark Phipps. Leroy Stacey, when he was at Six Star and now his own label. Had one ripper I surfed everything from Croyde to J-Bay to G-Land till the tail fell through and off. Always one in the quiver. SA Great! Oh yeah, had a Skye Bourton round about the same time. Fucked it when I was living and working in Fuerteventura. NPJ, 2 + 1. Snapped. Bummer. Glen Winton, six finner! Steg! Sick! Still ride it. Al Byrne 6'10, 6 channel pin. Byrning Spears! Siiiiick! Taking it to the G again soon. Jim Banks 9'0 quad. Beautiful board but sold on. Bit fine and refined for my neck of the woods. Webster 9'0. As chunky as me! Hang on, I forgot Rosie! Hah! Nathan Rose. Top boards of course, of all descriptions. His 2 +1 that replaced the snapped NPJ is an Indo staple. Going to the G as well soon.

Um, I reckon I've forgotten something. And that's just the customs.

The off-the-rack numbers that stick out: Wayne Lynch GASH, 7'0 diamond tail. Beauty that I snapped in three at my old local reef/bombie. Mick Button Rusty, 6'8 pin. Picked up in surf shop in the north-west. Fucken magic. One of the best. Anyone that ever had a go agreed. Rode to near death, even then still swapped it for an air-ticket from the Goldie to WA! It was that good! TF Hot Buttered in UK. Shaped by the man himself. Surfed throughout Europe, Canaries, Morocco, even Yorkes! Actually, I traded it in to get the Wayne Lynch in Torquay!

Ah, all a bit of self-indulgence here, but the memories are back. Kinda. Revived at least. Cheers.

' A classic example of pure bullshit! Hard to believe this made it into Surfers Journal.'

Ha, I've read some hilarious shit in there! Who could forget the 'burly hulk' article! We never let him forget! Half a hulk perhaps? When he's wet?

Then of course, won't mention any names, its too embarrassing, when a pissed acquaintance convinced a Surfers Journal writer that he discovered most of Indo and the West Coast, presto, article extraordinaire, snakes alive!

Some classics in there turkey. My first was a klemm bell, off MT, when he was in Adelaide. However a memorable new board was a showcase in JA's, a Mctavish Bluebird. It looked amazing. However a mate's brother who had been living in a house with Steven Cooney in Angourie, came back for a visit and had a Wayne Williams semi keel egg. I had a shot, it went heaps better than the bluebird. He saw the bluebird, and without trying it begged me to swap. Then spent twelve months begging to swap back. Guilt finally got the better of me. I sold it and got a guy named Aldo Bratovich, who made back yarders called Liquid Honey to copy the Williams. That board went insane. Frost grabbed it one day, and wanted to copy it. When it finally crumpled, I got him to. And that one was even better. I was learning drafting then, and did all these fully detailed scaled drawings for him on chronoflex drafting film. He thought that I had discovered a mysterious new flexible fibreglass. History in the making. Except it wasn't.

JA. John Arnold. How large did that guy loom in the history of Australian surfing? Yet how many surfers, especially on the East coast, have even heard of the guy? I was reading an obit on Jack O'Neill recently in Surfing World, and it relayed how JA became the first international licensee after visiting O'Neill in Santa Cruz...in 1961! My first wetsuit was an O'Neill bought from John Arnold's shop in Adelaide 20 odd years later!

Anyway, talk of Wayne Lynch and John Arnold has got me thinking of the connections in the surfing world.

Here's one for ya, Herc. A certain board I bought second-hand but brand spanking. The bloke who was getting rid of it had it shaped specifically to tackle a certain wave at its biggest and thus gnarliest. He was a big bloke and so it was a big board: 8'7. Top-to-Bottom, shaped by Maxy. Said pilot got fucked up before he got to give it a go. I heard from my mate that spent a bit of time at the spot in question that it was available. He rode those boards. Another mate rode them. His brother rode them. I'd ridden theirs. Great boards from an underground champ. Anyway, me and old mate were heading across from the West, and I was in the market and keen for this board. In fact, correct me if I'm wrong, but a good samaritan even transported it down to another mate of ours in the other surf town further south for pick-up. Which I eventually and gratefully did.

Me and him and his other half then had a go at 'farming' on the coast between the two surf towns, but it was doomed to failure. But that's another story. Back west we went.

Anyway, great board. One of those magic ones. Whoever rode it thought so. Even if I didn't know about it! One bloke said it was the best board he ever surfed on the reefs at MR. Years later, he still enquired about it. By that stage it had been from MR to Madeira to Ireland. And to my knowledge it's still in the UK village I was living in for a time at a fellow Madeira-surfer mate's place. Maybe he takes it across or busts it out at their mysto-bombie when it breaks?

"JA. John Arnold. How large did that guy loom in the history of Australian surfing? Yet how many surfers, especially on the East coast, have even heard of the guy?"

Yeah, I don't know. Not like there's that many surfers that care about surf history anyway, but those that do are aware of JA. His name has made any list, book, or article that matters.

I recently had cause to go through my old mags and there's lots of info in there about board prices - old ads with prices for boards off the shelf, custom, with a spray etc. If you're really keen to get market prices then dig up old mags.

Third - Fifth boards.
Customs from Dominic "Zappa" Wybrow. 1986-88 $400

Ha, had some classic customs off Zappa. One of my all time magic boards, waited months and months......Zappa was on a bender, had to chase him around the nightclubs of Surfers/Broadbeach...he was up on stage with his harmonica going nuts. He thought he was a rockstar.
Had to beg for the board.
It was a beauty.

Had some beautiful customs off Geoff McCoy. eight-o pintail guns, shortboards, mini-guns. All with paddle power when boards never had none.

First fibo a round pin single flyer Bare Nature shaped by Tony Cerff, one of the south africans who came over with Gunter and Derrey Stark to live at Lennox. Master fisho as well as very underrated shaper. His son Jason was a loose cannon, as wild as they come. Went too far off the rails and never came back. Macheted his finger off in front of his parents.
I got the bare nature third hand off Jack who got it off Peter Box, the best surfer on the Island.
Poor Peter started hearing voices and smoking too much pot. Wagged school one day with Dixy and hung himself from a pandanus tree. We never got over that.

Wayne Cleggett custom what year /cost was that Freeride ?
i had a Cleggsy around 1985...about $390...wafer thin 6'4...shaped out of Shaping Co shed

Got me thinking about old boards now. Not an unpleasant way to pass the time.

Seemed to have a board every year at school, all second hand: Emerald, HB, G&S, Force 9, KC, and in year 12 I had a Nev shaped for Sunny Garcia. The guy I bought it from told me he bought it from Sunny, but it wasn't till later I found out he actually stole it from Sunny in Bali. I rode it for a while and fortunately never bumped into the original owner.

First new board was a 7'2" Banksy bought for $500 from his old store in the main street of Cronulla. It was my first year out of school and I was earning $135 a week - no idea how I afforded it. Found out recently a mate of mine still has it at his house.

I didn't get my first custom till a few years later and 25 years later I'm still geting most of my boards from the same guy - Stuart Paterson at Cronulla. The wife and I are doing a 'buy no new shit' trip this year so this is the longest I've gone without ordering one off him. Prolly good for the environment.

Got a few ideas for next year tho'...

Are 2nd hand boards ok ?

Is it no shit new to YOU or no brand new shit ?

Emerald surfboards have been rebirthed

No brand new shit, so second hand is OK. Been getting a few old boards from eBay, and shirts, jeans, undies etc from the Salvos.

Undies from the Salvos......hope there white Y fronts with a yellow piss stain

Yeh shats, max's top to bottom's acquitted themselves exceptionally well. Legendary waves. The big bloke caught the best bomb I've seen there, best he'd had he reckoned. The other team rider stones caught some reef shuddering beasts too. They kept each other on their toes. And poor max. The big bloke went power crazy after the bomb from hell. I was there for some of the calls to the legendary max. Poor max. He started getting tips from the big guy on how to make them cheaper. Even though he was already getting ludicrous deals. On how to make them faster. And how to freight them into the desert faster and cheaper. One shipment/quiver came that contained a subtle message as well. It took for ever to arrive. 3 half finished boards arrived. Heaps of sanding to do. The big guy didn't know which side of the paper you are supposed to use. Lesson learned.

Stones had a bit of a smirk going when all those max's went on the market. Some gems like you say, unridden. An auction on the oval. Cold, ruthless grins. Hands in pockets. Cunning bids of a few dollars. A lone, tall figure silhouetted, almost roo like, on the desert oval, in the sunset. Fully aware of that cocky smirk, amongst the stones. A shuffle in the order.

I think I recall the latino playboy saying that max doesn't shape anymore. Never met him, but his boards spoke heaps about his ability.

Yeh, JA was massive. Set legend Wayne Dale on the path too. He was Golden Breed as well. The east coast? History? Does south wall really break like blax? Does lennies break like sunset? Shaw's like ulu's? Drugs will do that to em. You wouldn't want to do the drive, or flights over thinking those historical utterings are fact. Especially not now, that the pointers have moved in. I mean, its one thing to roll a Ferrari, and go down at 200 odd clicks. That sounds ok at the wake. Reasonable trade off. But rolling ya simca aronde, and it bursting into flames? The wake? Gorilla boy believed those historical utterings are fact. He believed the tales, the 'history'. Caught the jet plane east. Its sad seeing a grown man cry. Twinnie ledge junior loved watching it. And that big guy was there laughing too. I had to laugh too. We laughed with him, not at him though. Over east.

Herc has delusions of grandeur .
Surfing waves of 6ft @ 13 seconds ,
The Australian teahupoo yeh right ? !

Only Teahupoo gets 30 times Bigger and heavier !

I can't comment on the 70's and 80's but I bought a pipedream 6'4" for $450 in 1999 with a V tail. Before that I was riding a Paul Gravelle that I was given by an uncle or a cutloose my mate had spare. Pretty much everyone I knew was riding Cutloose or Gravelles and I think they were around the $500 mark.

I've bought loads of second hand boards on gumtree just to try out the different shapes and sizes without losing too much cash in the process. I think 2nd hand is alright, but I don't think I'd be taking them on an indo trip and expecting them to come home.

Anyone here bought a Gravelle recently? I think he still shapes but I haven't seen anyone riding one for a long time.

Ha, had some classic customs off Zappa. One of my all time magic boards, waited months and months......Zappa was on a bender, had to chase him around the nightclubs of Surfers/Broadbeach...he was up on stage with his harmonica going nuts. He thought he was a rockstar.
Had to beg for the board.
It was a beauty.

Ha...I was lucky the first board...my first ever custom arrived right on time...4 weeks to the day...picked it up on a Friday arvo after school with my Mum in the car...when she gave me the cash to go and pay she gave me a cheque instead...when I went in to the factory and picked it up I can still clearly remember the moment, the smell, the feel. 5'9" * 18 3/4" * 2 3/16" with a Tom Carroll stripe. Pure Bliss! Still to this day one of my favourite boards ever. When I pulled out the cheque you could see Zap's face sink...nah mate I don't usually take cheques he said...but to his credit seeing my grom stoke he let it slide. I only realised later I was his drinking & partying money for the weekend. The next two boards were chronically late...I thought it was punishment for the cheque at the time! Exchanged a few messages with him a few months ago...living up Noosa way...not shaping anymore...can't take the chemicals and resins he says...

Gravelle is still shaping. Mainly functional guns for the desert but he's including lots of resin art and adding strength with carbon meshing. Axial carbon I think it's called.

Spent a week out west a few months back and saw some beautiful boards of his.

just got a new Gravelle gun for indo next month. Paul makes some good boards,nice glass jobs .strong been surfing his boards for 30 plus years always go better than i can surf.

My first board was a secondhand board a 5,8 trueblue thruster can't remember the exact price around one hundred and something that was in maybe 87-88

Then i got a new custom in 89-90 a 6,1 island thruster it was only $300 though because i got mates rates, and i bought a brand new Damien hardman full deck gorilla grip for her, and for about a week while it was curing i put it in my bed and sleep on the floor.

I didn't get a new board for a few years after that and that board got a full work out, once i finished school and was on the dole, i saved $50 a fortnight from my dole payment once it went up from $150 a fortnight to $243 (not sure why i remember the exact figure)

When i saved up enough on the dole i then bought another Island for $400 a 6,0 it was in the second hand racks but brand new custom, some guy got made but it was too small for him, i remember boards at the time were about $500+ that was about 93-94

Then for years my best mate then worked at one of local surf shops so we basically had a supply of test boards etc to ride and i got heaps of his older boards and some cheap customs.

After that its all a blur short boards and step ups for Indo, had maybe 30 to 50 boards since then at the moment I've got a quiver of five here and three in Indo and then vintage boards.

These days I'm happy to just grab a board of the rack and mix up designs and normally get mint boards secondhand that have only been ridden a few times for about $400-$500 although i have spent as much as $900+ on a new board a few times in the last five years.

First board a 6'8' round pin Hot Dot single fin, $50 Second hand 1975. First custom 5'10 single flyer swallow tail single fin, 1978 $120, from Steve Griffiths Emerald Surfboards, Taren Point. got quite a few from steve in the ensuing years, worked there for a while too, glassing and sanding, at the time Peter Smith, Gary green, Ross Marshall and of course Jim Banks were all there shaping and team riders. Last Board I got from Steve was a six channel single 6'4" around 1983 about $320 from memory. Since then mostly been making my own, tho going to get a Jye Byrnes Bonzer5 for summer.

My first board as a 13 year old was a 7:10 G&S in 1967. From memory Ross Longbottom shaped it and Dave Wilson was the glasser. Think it was about $80 which was a hell of a lot of money then earnt by selling papers before school. Me and some mates used to carry the board about 7kms leaving home about 2:30am from Gymea and walk to Cronulla to get the sunrise and the early before the first train got in. Twas the full duffle bag days and no wetties in the winter. From there its been relentless from singles to twins to thrusters and bonza's and to put a list together of boards I've had with costs I'd need an actuary actually!! For what its worth I've always had a twin along the way. Best thing is still getting out there every day when possible!!
PS: Stu I've got some second hand undies you can have!!

7'10! I just bought a 7'10 Wayne Dale classic. Good nick. Good price.

Wayne Dale. Another under-appreciated SA legend.

In 1965 at the age of 8 the old man took me down to Burfords which was a tin shed in the backyard of a house and I chose a second hand 9'6" log from the rack, it cost 8 pounds.
Wayne Dale oozed class, never losing speed through turns as if his board was on roller bearings. He was a true craftsman. I believe he's in big demand for building golf courses these days.

Had a Burford Warrior 6'1" diamond tail from Ron Moirs top of South Road$60 second hand early 70's. First custom Wayne Dale 7'2" for $110 Flyer based on a Tracks photo of what Terry Fitz was riding at Sunset. Used to sit outside Middleton dreaming I was surfing Hawaii. Remember going to his shop/ factory on the Port Elliot - Victor Road and watching him cutting railbands with a planer and being mesmerised with his skills and the magic voodoo cast by the sidelights on the blank in the shaping Bay. Best board was a second hand 6'11" Pipedream singlefin pin that Peter "Punk" Vickterson had in his shop. Said it was one of Murrays personal quiver fresh from Bali late 70's. Magic every where from Yorkes, West Coast and first trip to Bali. Was there when they had the first Bali Om Richo and Fitzy in the final but "Chappy" killing Racetracks on a "Noddy"5'11". heaps of AB's and Pipedreams thro the 80's. Started whitleing my own from early 90's in the shed when boards went narrow and thin couldn't get anyone who would do a 191/4" for a while. Shaped lots of pigs but also nailed a few beauties over there the years. To quote Miki Dora " Life's a waste of time so why not waste it surfing."

Yeh, Wayne dale was deluxe. On top in the desert too. And a clever shaper, top craftsman. He had that era where he shaped all those epic boards for bucky, and set him on the road too. Barry Dale could surf too.

Herc, I don't know if u remember He won The Seniors in the Aussie Titles (over28's) in 1974. Surf was huge at times Had some heats at Kings Head. Was closing out between Wedge Island on the sets. PT was disqualified for surfing with boots with suction pads on the bottom! Dump was 8'+ remember Narrabeens Col Smith Trying to get out and getting smashed. Ripped when he got out. We had a rental shack overlooking "Bullies" for the week. Didn't even knew it existed until looking out one morning and Ian Cairns and PT out carving. Never saw it that big again. Wayne Dale tore up his heats they'd never heard of him. Terry Richo and Guy Ormorod in the Juniors getting barrelled on Middleton lefts.

Yeh, I remember that well middy. How are you anyway. Some of the young interstate crew freaked at kings. The mags described it as 'Waimea like'. Terry Fitz loved it. The dump shorey slammed a few didn't it. That was a one of freak swell hey. Dale was charging, ripping. A standout. Cairns was a strong paddler. He and narrabeen Smith had those orange monaro's doing burnouts up and down the street. Smith had the best rubber. Poor punk. He was under lots of pressure that week. MP was being heralded and promoted relentlessly in the press. Everyone came to see him. I saw MP roll up at dribs breaking 5 miles out to sea, a day late, in a taxi, look out the window and speed off, nearly running over poor punk. He should have commandeered one of those monaros and gunned him down. Vince Ryan wanted to. He would have run them off the road easily.

'Wayne Dale tore up his heats they'd never heard of him.'

That kind of stuff happens quite a bit. Bucky did the same against Wayne Lynch once at parsons, do you remember that? Bucky could surf hey. And Roger at pumping ulus's in a bali om. No one had ever heard of him. Got fleeced. Not in the boy's own annual script. Old dog was pretty handy too.

I have to go and get a workout in, going os saturday, hanging. Have a good one middy.

Thanks Herc, back West after a few years in Adelaide. Lost my surf fitness was just surfin a mal and an old sup occasionally. If I was a bit closer I come see ya for some tough love workouts. Used to run in to old dog and Wally at Gulls lookout occasionally. Lots of those guys in the Aussie Titles surfing boards they shaped themselves including the winners Fitzy in the Opens and Dale in the Seniors. Probably Cairns, mp if he'd surfed, Col Smith, possibly PT and heaps more became shapers like Richo. If u could get all those boards together now they would all look completely different to each other. Lots of those SA guys like Bucky and Roger, old dog could hold their own plenty of others too. Still amazes me 40years later that that swell coincided with The Aussie Titles. Seeing all those Pro's at one time was a big deal for South Aussie surfers back then. Love to see some old photos remember Surfig World running some shots of The Dump.

Stoked middy, you must feel good being back, I know how much you love it. Yeh you are right about those guys and others. Went to gulls with a mate last xmas, how different hey! But, he and my wife still had some nice ones at secrets to themselves. I'll be away a while, but when I get back, I'll try and get up and visit, haven't seen you for yonks, just show you simple stuff you can do up there, its important to stay fit, and not so hard. Have a good one.

Sweet Herc, I was just about to grab a Tim Tam with my morning coffee. I'll put em back in the fridge.

Haha! I'm heading back to work! Rather be sitting in the sun at redrocks!