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24.01.2022 Another great homage by Mike Davis!!

24.01.2022 From the realms of when too much is never enough!! This early 70’s pintail Rainbow from Woy Woy just pushed the bounds of how far you could go. Presumably designed to chase big walls at Forrester’s or the Box, she defines the term weapon exquisitely!! It’s in superb condition and carries its thickness right through the foil. I’m tickled by the hole drilled in the fin for an early 70’s legrope as I can’t think of anything scarier than this tail coming back to visit after the legrope being stretched to its limits!!

19.01.2022 Midget Farrelly was a master craftsman and his guns are rare to find. This beautiful early 70’s example ( C1970?) represents a reflection of Midget’s time in Hawaii, when Brewer & Reno Abellira, BK and Ben Aipa amongst others were pushing the boundaries of how lean a gun could go. I post this board as a tribute to Mick Hall R.I.P. who passed recently. Mick was one of the great unsung shapers from the 50’s and 60’s who worked through the Brookvale factories, finishing his Syd...ney based shaping time at Midget’s in the early 70’s. Mick Shaped for Gordon Woods from the mid 50’s, through Keyo, Shane and Farrelly. The Brookvale decal suggests it was shaped just after Midget moved to the hallowed Northern Beaches strip from his prior Palm Beach boatshed premises. Who shaped it is anyone’s guess, but Mick’s daughter mentioned to me that Mick did a lot of the custom shapes and I imagine an 8’0 gun would have been a custom, so I’m crediting this board to him, not knowing otherwise. The S type foil is classic 69’-70’, akin to the 1968-69 Brewer mini gun accompanying image. The Brewer is 7’8 x 19 x 2/7/8. The Midget - 8’0 x 18x3. I’ve previously posted images of an amazing BK / Country Surfboards stiletto from the same period, from when BK was Da man at Sunset - power surfing incarnate. She sits on display in front of my Brewer/Hobie 1965 10’4 Rhino chaser as a counterpoint...a reflection on the 4-5 year development that changed surfing forever. Thanks to Levi Jones for his beautiful restoration work. Love the patina and character kept in this board.

18.01.2022 Only thing better than a Sting, is a Sting shaped for someone of note!! Lightning Bolt Sting shaped for Buttons, possibly by Danny Nicholls, in Hawaii in 1974. No real way to confirm it but the split panel spray looks much like the spray on the right hand board in the quiver shot of Buttons with Ben Aipa. Who knows?... Cool stick nonetheless!! R.I.P. Buttons, you were an amazing surfer!! See more

18.01.2022 MR was synonymous with Lightning Bolt and the StarBolt off shoot!! StarBolts weren’t specifically made out here from what I’ve managed to find out; however there seemed to be a short run of these classic twinnies made here in Australia. From what I’ve discovered these were made under licence at the Northern Beaches of Sydney by Hor Buttered!! Quirky in that they are more an example of what Terry Fitzgerald was shaping at the time for Derek Hynd than what MR was riding. TF’s ...twinnies we’re narrower and a different set of fins and tail area than MR’s. I’ve only seen two or three of these boards, having years ago owned another that was very clean. Sadly I had to lose her, so it was with great pleasure that I swapped with my friend Damion Fuller. Thanks mate!! It’s also believed that the Underground Dee Why surfer/shaper Jim Beardsley shaped them. Has another else got one of these classic Lightning Bolt twin fins?

18.01.2022 Aipa appreciation #1 - the Stilletto!! ( in no particular order) Forgive the average images taken years ago please. Don’t forget this board though...it’s one of my all time favourites and yet I’ve never taken decent shots. ... A very rare 8’6 swallowtail shaped by Ben Aipa which Ben says he shaped in a period between shaping stints with Surfboards Hawaii and Wavecrest, around 73? I believe? This is a classic gun design, purely for down the line speed. Hard dropped downrails feature. With really pulled in nose and tail. Ben took the twin pin concept of the 60’s Mirandon Bros and made the swallowtail his idea with more development in the early 70’s. The low cut long base fin is also a 60’s speed fin design. The almost Bronze style patina’d resin panel is also quite unique, can’t say I’ve seen one elsewhere? Thanks Ben for your beautiful shapes.

16.01.2022 Great description of fin design Mike Davis’s posts are really worth reading

13.01.2022 Aipa Appreciation #2 Lovely 6’4 Surfboards Hawaii swallowtail This board represents the peak of performance in 1972-73 in my eyes!! A sleek swallowtail shaped by Ben at a period when he was pushing the envelope of performance. His budding connections with Bertlemann gave rise to the Sting in 74, and this hard-downrailed stallion can easily be seen as the template for that outline.... The little nuances such as the cut out fin which dropped some weight and the Swallow emblem in the decal highlight a gorgeous original condition board. Notice the lean, narrow width in the nose to aid top turn whips, which must have been driven hard off the tail as evidenced by the area where the delaminations were repaired by Levi Jones the wizard!! I imagine riding this board would have been akin to driving a sports car at the time!! Another beautiful Aipa shaped swallowtail like this has recently been found in Texas and it was shaped by Ben for the Zephyr label. Please see this post - https://www.facebook.com//35937/permalink/670135410248576/.

10.01.2022 Cool interview with Gerry Lopez by Andy Bumatai...enjoyed listening to this while working https://www.facebook.com/AndyBumatai/videos/610909659588685/

09.01.2022 Jim Pollard was an innovator, more well known for his work with Col Smith ( Redhead) in creating amazing channel bottom boards!! Originally from Newcastle he moved to the Sunshine Coast in the early 70’s I believe? This great example of an early 70’s narrow tailed gun has always struck me as suck a beautiful looking board, from the outline to the wide based fin and the colours in the artwork!! ... The inscription seems to say JP’s suggesting one of Jim’s own boards? I can only imagine some of the great waves ridden on her!!

08.01.2022 Great insights into the down rail development, a key innovation that pushed performance surfing. Mike Davis’ insights are spot on and great to read

06.01.2022 More stories of Mick Hall

04.01.2022 Recently we lost a great surfer by the name of Mick Hall. Mick lived here in Pacific Palms for many years and was highly regarded. He was 87 when he passed on the 14th Sept. Mick was one of the early Brookvale surfboard shapers working for Gordon Woods after being involved in 1956 Olympics and having met the US team that brought the Malibu balsa chips with them. Mick had previously been known for his riding of the old 16’ toothpicks. His memorial service is today in Forster.... Thought I’d share some great anecdotes from others who knew him in his early Manly days.