Board Bazaar - July 2014
It's been a fine old month watching the second-hand surfboard market. As I wait for my tax return and think how I'll spend it many classic boards have fallen under the gavel. Besides the online auction sites I've also been frequenting some of the other places distinguished collector gents congregate. The Board Collector is one such site, it's run by Damion Fuller who brings an industrial designer's eye to his awesome collection. Damion was recently appointed the Australasian General Manager of Electric Eyewear so his online forays have slowed somewhat under the new workload. Still, The Board Collector has a rich back catalogue of entries.
Recently Lee Murphy started a great Facebook page, the Vintage Surfboard Collectors. It's a private page with access granted upon permission and anyone with an appreciation of surfboard history would do well to join. It's currently the one place where collectors are coming together and swapping info and photos. A few of the people in the community have jaw dropping collections, scroll back through the photos to find them.
If anyone knows of other pages or places feel free to note them in the comments. Also, if you've recently acquired a board you'd like to see in next month's Bazaar email me at: [email protected]
And with that let's get into it...
Most surfboard collectors have got their own white whale, a surfboard they would sail the world to capture and own. A surfboard that is Moby Dick to their Captain Ahab. And for many Australian collectors that board is an original mint condition Lazor Zap. Well, this month a white whale was spotted on eBay and the seller wanted a cool $3,300 for it. After two weeks not a single bid was made. Nothing like a bloated price tag to ruin the thrill of Captain Ahab's chase. Sail on bold surfboard collectors...
From the penthouse to the basement – literally. While recently surfing near home I spied a punter tying an original Lazor Zap to the roof of his chariot. Curious, I shimmied over for a chat. The fella's name was Carl and he can thank his wife for the board as she found it under her Dad's house. When I told Carl what these things were fetching online he didn't give a moments thought to profit. “I'm not selling, it goes too good," he said with a grin. Could be time to scour the bunkers for treasure.
If there's one thing I admire it's a collector with a quest, and Mal Stafford is on a quest. Mal, you see, likes Watercooled boards and the shapers that made them. A few months ago the Board Bazaar featured a Maurice Cole-shaped Watercooled (see board at far left). Mal bought that board. He then purchased a Greg Brown-shaped Watercooled. It's Mal's mission to find a Watercooled shaped by Wayne Lynch, and when he does the Holy Trinity of Victorian shapers will be complete. Amen.
It's not a Watercooled, but this Roar shaped by Wayne Lynch shares the same Victorian bloodlines - for one, Roar was started by Greg Brown. It crossed the counter this month looking bedraggled: dirty wax, terrible photos, worse description (length measured in centimetres!). Yet for all its shortcomings the only thing that had to be stated was the shaper's name and the punters started counting up their cash. 14 bids took it to $380. It'd look a treat cleaned up like new.
In a similar vein was this 1968 Hohensee single fin. It was in poor condition and the seller could’ve expected a couple hundred bucks but for the name pencilled along the stringer behind the fin – Peter Drouyn. Ol' Westerly wasn't known as much of a shaper but celebrity and scarcity guide the second-hand market every bit as much as shaping chops. 48 bids stood as testament to that, and the seller pocketed $660. The new owner is gonna have a few repairs but they'll wanna keep that name intact.
When I think of old Byrne's I immediately think of Tom Carroll, yet Kong also called upon Phil Byrne's ploughing prowess at times. And just as TC had his signature sash so did Kong often use reds and yellows in his colour palette (remember those coloured Piping Hot smoothies?). This board needs some serious TLC, the bottom is water damaged and someone glassed a middle fin as an outside fin. Never mind, 20 bids took it to $207.50 and the new owner has some decisions to make regarding restoration.
Over the years Hot Buttered had a bevy of great shapers: Frank Williams, Brandon McDonald, Grant Miller, Greg Webber etc etc. One of the more overlooked shapers is Queensland evergreen Wayne Deane, so I guess it's fitting that this Wayne Deane-shaped Hot Buttered was also overlooked when it crossed the counter. Only two people bid with the winner taking it home for $250. Probably didn't help that in terms of HB's signature style this board was practically nude: no spray, little colour, humdrum outline.
Unlike many early manufacturers Barry Bennett rode the changes in fashion and design better than most. From hollow timber to balsa to foam longboards and on past the shortboard revolution, Bennett surfboards was always at or near the forward edge of design. This early 70s single fin is true to the era and with a Surf, Dive n Ski logo marks an early foray by surf shops into board manufacture. Not surprisingly it was a popular item with 38 bids taking it to $355.
From predictably popular to surprisingly shunned. Murray Bourton has never occupied the upper echelons of shaping but he's been a consistent innovator and craftsman, his channel bottoms and quads are still eagerly sought after. Bourton started Pipe Dreams in '76 and this 5'11” thruster is dated mid 80s. Questions may be asked about providence: it says "Shaped by Murray Bourton" yet the number is only 609. Was MB's output that lean? Anyway, a reserve of just $215 wasn't reached.
Like the aforementioned Barry Bennett, Gordon Woods also rode the early changes to surfboard well. This 1962 longboard is from the height of Australian surfing's first boom and it's in immaculate condition for a 52-year-old surfboard. The seller says it's all original, untouched, and unrestored, with no twists either. It was posted on eBay with a reserve of just $1,400 which kinda puts the price tag on the $3,300 Lazor Zap in some perspective. However, just like the Zap it also received no interest.
Bonus Bazaar! All this talk of rare boards and white whales and then this surfaces: an original first gen Energy thruster that's never been surfed. Says Simon Anderson: "I’m sure there is hardly any, if any, from the period never surfed." The board isn't for sale but is currently on display at Akwa Surf in Milton on the NSW South Coast.
Till next month...
Comments
Man, now I'm wishing so much that I had hung on to all my old boards..
Great page, keep it up Stu!
Don't worry Gav, me too.
Another great Board Bazaar for July. Keep 'em coming Stu.
I'd love that Zap.
There was also a mint 80's HB board shaped by Terry Fitz that sold on ebay last week
Think I might've seen it JF, though there's been a couple of good HB's go in recent weeks. They're kinda the collectors fave so always sell for top dollar. I'd have a bid myself otherwise.
Here are a few recent acquisitions sitting in the Swellnet office. I'm stinging to get the Hot Dot at far left in the surf, it's got a great shape and foam distribution, however I'm also a bit wary as it's in immaculate condition.
Hi Stu Grant Miller shaped the first thruster I ever had when he was at Hot Buttered. He is based down around Ulladulla these days and is still producing boards under the Miller label. My wife surfs them! I reckon the Hot Dot will live up to your expectations!
I think you have spent too much time either hunting down boards or in the water - that paperwork sure looks like it's building up!
Stu have you surfed the board far right ? lots of adjustment with those fin boxes....interesting to move the whole tri cluster around, even offset the rail fins .
Eh that office is untidy.
Nah, only got that one a week or so ago Udo. It's a big beefy board with big boxy rails so subtle adjustments might be lost on it. The yellow Hot Dot though...
Its funny seeing those McCoys with the Lexan winged keels, he didn't like them, and would never make a fin like that. He made his own winged fins, that were like the gull fins, with wings, that worked really well with his boards.
McCoy gull fins with wings? Haven't seen any of those.
Anyway, I've come to believe the whole collecting thing is more about iconography of famous boards than the functionality of them.
Yeh, he made me a few of them, and I loved them and would pester him for more, but he used to hate it, so much work. 2 sizes, a little one for narrower tails, bigger boards, and a big version for shorter, wider. I got Roger (Mathews) to make few copies for me, he did a deluxe job too, but he also moaned about all the work. They were almost like a little lazor zapped shaped wing on the top of his gull wing fins, felt awesome at blacks. Don Johnson saw them in indo, and really liked the concept.
Yeh, thats also the funny thing, when Horan first used the Lexan fin, it wasn't in one of Geoff's boards, that was his own board that he was trying. They just look wrong in Geoff's boards, I used to talk to him heaps about fins, his fins, and he would never shape anything like that.
Love the Board Bazaar, keep up the great work!!
Couple of points of interest in this month's edition for me...
Water Cooled: I've got an old mid-70s single shaped by Kym Thompson in the shed. It's been retired now and is a bit water damaged on the bottom, with a couple of delams along the rails. But it still comes alive in overhead point breaks. Perhaps your collector might be interested?
It had some nose and tail damage when I first bought it, so I had it repaired at the Maddog factory about 10 years when I was still living up that way.
Which provides the perfect segueway to point no. 2.
That Maddog board in your SW quiver shot takes me straight back to the era I started surfing. There were three shops in town - Maddog, Sky and Bay Action (San Juan was still there, but on the way out by then). I always leaned towards Maddog, and all my school books, t-shirts and boards had that logo splashed across them. Got my first custom from them, had no clue back then and would have been just as well off buying off the rack.
Who's signature is on that one Stu?
Tried to post a photo, but it obviously didn't work. Let's see how this one goes...
@SS,
Mark Plater is the shaper of my Maddog. Also, if Mal Stafford - the fella keen on Watercooled boards - doesn't respond on here I'll email him directly.
Cheers.
...and nice vege garden too!
hi how do you ad photo's please
Here's some instructions billy.
Plater, of course! Memory jogged (it takes a bit this days)
Surfboards ebay; surfboard length 2450mm .
an absolute gem !
Not second hand but cheap : Simon Anderson "spudnick" 5'6 epoxy ,brand new $399 ?
Seller says even cheaper if wish to deal without Ebay and direct deposit.
Way below cost..........?
'Anyway, I've come to believe the whole collecting thing is more about iconography of famous boards than the functionality of them'
Anyway, from here:
http://www.mccoysurfboards.com/mccoy-fins
McCoy Ben Lexcen Fin Disclaimer
This statement is to inform people that the Ben Lexon designed keel fin is in no way my fin of choice. I do not recommend it to be used in any of my Geoff McCoy designed surfboards.
Never have I had any involvement with the design and I certainly have not and do not recommend its use in a surfboard.
Bizarre collective surfee ironicography.
Heres two of my old girls below : )
Energy is early thruster by scott begs, must be very early as the thruster decal is airbrushed. (even though the circle pinline thing looks perfect? well looks airbrushed and a shaper i showed it too said it is?)
The other is an 80,s Island by Tom tyrrel, with a classic spray possibly by Al Colk.
Both water tight with original fins.
Awesome boards ID. I've never seen the airbrushed '3' logo before. Might be a rare board just for the very reason. Dig the first gen Gorilla Grip too.
Here are a few of my boards. I've got two Gordon Woods' from the 60s, one in very good condition, but they're under the oldies house.
L-R: Free Spirit backyard singley
Crystal Curl singley out of Hawaii
Maddog six channel thruster
HotDot mid-80s thruster, immaculate condition
Burford six channel thruster
Cooper four channel thruster
McCoy Tri-zap
KC six channel thruster
Sky thruster
G&S shaped by Bob Hansen singley, save for one blemish it's in amazing condition
Wilderness singley.
Yeah i know there is others with the airbrushed logo, as i saw a pic and read somewhere about it online.
ha ha id like to think its very early in the thruster thing before they did up decals, but i don't know, i did read Simon didn't shape many at that stage as he was on tour and Scott begs did most of those early thruster era boards but don't know if its true.
BTW. Nice quiver, i did have a lot more but moved them on these two are just to hang up on the wall one day.
If you wanted to find out join 'Vintage Surfboard Collectors' on Facebook, then post the photo and ask the question. There's a few fellas on there - Gavin Scott, Wayne Tomassi, John Adair - who are fully fledged surfboard nerds. The kinda guys you'd have as your 'phone a friend' if there was a surf version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. They Know All.
Cheers...yeah i applied to join so will ask the question.
Actually i was browsing through the comments on early energy boards there and someone made a comment about an early energy board with airbrushed thruster logos claiming it made it very early in the thruster thing.
What about the deck grip positioning on Indo' board.
ha ha..yeah ive seen quite a few from the early days with the deck grip pretty far forward.