Surfboards 1959-1968
Rich Harbour with his foam surfboard 1959
The Dawn of Foam Surfboards
While balsa was the material of choice to make surfboards with during the early and mid 1950’s, Styrofoam and Polyurethane foam were being researched by a select few. After trial and error Polyurethane more than Styrofoam would become the core from which the advancement of surfing would build on. The spirit of going where no one has gone before fueled the development.
Board designs were still being developed for big waves and surfers with a go for it attitude had to make do with the boards that they had. On November 5, 1957 there were a group of surfers with that determination, Bing Copeland, Greg Noll, Mike Stange, Pat Curren, Mickey Munoz, Del Cannon, and Bob Bermel paddled out into the lineup at Waimea Bay.
Mickey Munoz was riding a Velzy Pig Model, some say he was the first one to catch the first wave there. Mickey recalls "my board pearled after the take off" and with it the wave ate his board so to speak. After the sacrificial offering and the long swim, the waves of Waimea Bay were ridden. It was a new day for big wave riding and the beginning of what would be become the foam surfboard era.
The epicenter of commercial foam surfboard building began in Southern California, where the manufacturers of polyurethane foam were all located. The characteristic of foam held promises of easier shaping, lighter weight and higher performance compared to wood. With foam came a partnership with fiberglass and resin, which made repairs easier. With all those enticing attributes, the shapers of the late 1950’s took surfing to the next level. Within the perimeter of that level, the shapers and their team riders and the independent shaper/rider were at the leading edge of the design process.
By 1959 Dave Sweet had been making foam surfboards for 3 years. Through relentless determination in research Dave Sweet was at the forefront of the Foam Surfboard Era. Hobie Alter and Gordon “Grubby” Clark were also at that early stage in the development of their foam and Grubby Clark would go on to start Clark Foam. Also in the mix was Harold Walker who would start Walker Foam. From their blanks surfing grew.
Meanwhile on the beach at Waikiki, Hawaii 1959: L-R Wally Froiseth, Johnny Rice, Joey Cabell, and Ray Clark.
photo Clarence Maki
Bing Copeland and Rick Stoners 1st Surf Shop Hermosa Beach on the strand near 14th St. 1960
From the George Lanning's Story:
One day in the Fall of 1961 John Severson came by the house, just George and Dave were home at the time. John says to George and Dave, do you guys want to go to a new surf spot. Explaining he would be shooting some film for a movie that he was putting together.
A young 19 year old George Lanning was excited with the idea and said Oh yeah great. So they went to Ehukai Beach, George had surfed Pupakea, but not the break they were walking towards, George didn’t even know that it was there. This was the first time he and Dave had seen Pipeline. George remembered it was just beautiful, overhead, good-size, big barrels, and looked like WindanSea, so they had to go out.
They went back to the car and grab their boards. Their surfboards brought over from the mainland were early 60’s variations of what was happening in San Diego. Heavy somewhat pig shaped hips on the outline and not much of a nose rocker. Not your typical Pipeline type of board. But they didn’t know any better and so they paddled out, stoked to go surfing.
Phil Edwards is credited for being the first to have ridden this new spot not yet named. Word spread around the North Shore the day before of Phil riding the new spot. The next day George, Dave and John were there ready to ride and film.
Phil had been out earlier that day being filmed by Bruce Brown before George and Dave got there. Phil and Bruce would be watching from the beach as George Lanning, Dave Willingham, Lawerance Swan and Mike Hynson would join Phil Edwards in Pipeline lore as being the one of the first to surf the spot.
Out in the lineup George said to Dave, I’ll go on this one as a set of waves approached the two surfers. George caught the wave and was thinking stall, a common maneuver when you want the wave to catch up to you. But at the Pipe that is the one thing you do not want to do if you are not an advance surfer. Since the wave is top to bottom within a few seconds. Anyway, George stalled his board as he took off and in a matter of a couple of seconds he saw his tailblock going over his head.
He took a nasty wipeout, free falling to the bottom as the top of the wave went boom on top of him. After being pushed around underwater for about 15 seconds George pops back up. Dave watching from back of the wave, waited for George to appear. Then yelled how was it. Somewhat rattled and getting his senses back, George pretending to have a knife placed in his right hand, dragged his thumb across his neck and yelled back “don’t stall”.
Taking George’s advice Dave caught a good wave and made it. George was having a difficult time. He had caught 6 waves and unable to make one wave to the end of the ride. After about 45 minutes, Lawrence came out, and joined his friends. He soon fell into the same groove George was into. He had a couple of good wipeouts.
An hour later Mike Hynson came out and surfed with the group for about a couple of hours. He was getting some good waves, but it was getting bigger and bigger. Resuming the conversation with Tony, where in Baja did you guys go I asked? Tony replied Tijuana. We both started laughing. He goes on to tell about a classic story at the Long Bar in Tijuana. After the PPSA members crossed over the border into Mexico and found a safe parking spot, they made their way to the Long Bar. Hey you guys, come on in, have a good time said the doorman in a Spanish accent swinging his one arm in a circular motion and pointing at the door with the other. The mariachi band that had been playing traditional tunes for the strippers. But when the entertainment changed from the stage to the bar floor, they began playing faster and faster until they were seen racing out the door. The noise soared to the ceiling before calm prevailed. With a few guys still pouring beer on one another, most of the guys walked out through the puddles of beer suds and went looking for some dry clothes. A fitting climax for a surf trip to Baja, the guys caught good waves down to the border and good waves back up to Santa Cruz. From the story of Wayo Whilar:
Bob McTavish Sunset Beach, Hawaii 1968 pushing the limits on his new innovative Vee bottom design.
In 1962, Australians Bob McTavish and David Chidgey stowed away on a ship bound for Hawaii. Once there they made their way to the North Shore and stayed for a short while. His story sparked the imagination of many Australian surfers and board builders. Bob McTavish would return a few more times to Hawaii and California during the 1960's and bring with him his innovative designs. McTavish not only influenced Australian surfboard builders, he influenced surfboard builders from around the world.
From Master Surfboard Shaper Jim Phillips's story:
Bob McTavish and Steve Bigler had just gotten off the plane from LAX in the winter of 1967-68. The two paddle out at Rincon, Santa Barbara on their 8’ 7” surfboards that McTavish had shaped. They had a wide full tail section, a thick V on the bottom and a large Greenough fins. Those boards were considered short. Anything under 9 feet during this time period was considered short. They proceeded to influence everyone in the water with their maneuverability on the waves. In Jim Phillips opinion, that was the day his whole outlook in surfing changed.
Read more about Bob McTavish in his new book: Bob McTavished Stoked!
Butch Van Arsdalen the first Mr. Pipeline 1963 photo by Leroy Grannis, legendary Surf Photographer. Butch riding a Hobie Surfboard shaped by Del Cannon.
Sonny Vardeman of Vardeman Surfboards. Team riders l-r Tom Lonardo, Herbie Fletcher, and Jackie Baxter 1964. Shop located on Pacific Coast Hwy. near 3rd
St. across from the Pier
Johnny Rice at his Surf Shop in Aptos 1964
Phil Edwards Hobie Surfboards 1964-65
From Tony Mikus's Story:
Pleasure Point Surfing Association produced a highly successful Surf Fair on April 15, 1965 at the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium. It was from 10 AM to midnight, during the Easter Break. The event had booths by every major Surf Shop in northern California, Surf Clubs displays, movies, dancing to live bands, skateboard exhibitions, and prize drawings every hour. General admittance was $1.50. With the proceeds from the Surf Fair, the PPSA members enjoyed a one week all expense paid surfing trip to Baja California.
A lot of surf clubs were there, The bar was filled with surfers having a good time, laughing, drinking, joking around, and talking stories. With a haze of smoke at varies parts of the bar, the ambience was right out of a B movie bar scene. The PPSA guys settled in and found some tables. It wasn’t long before the mood shifted, in other words, things started to get out of hand.
Tony standing near by heard Bigler saying something to Sultzer. Sultzer returned the compliment and poured beer on his head, what followed was the biggest beer fight Tony had ever seen. Being only 16 years old, he had something to talk about when he got back. Everybody were pouring beer on everyone, it was one soaking mess.
Cerro Azul Pier Wayo gluing up a blank 1967
The year was 1962 when Wayo was at Cerro Azul and was just about to return to Lima. He happened to notice a broken surfboard that had hit the pier and was abandon on the beach. Quickly picking it up, he took it home with him. Having done resin and fiberglass work on his cousin’s board, Wayo knew something about surfboard repairs. He peeled the existing fiberglass off and made himself his first surfboard. Wayo would make other boards and continued doing repairs.
Right to left: George Downing, Fred Hemmings,Felipe Pomar, Paul Strauch, Mike Doyle, Mickey Munoz, Ken Adler, Nat Young, and Carlos Rey an offical of the 1965 contest.
The 1960's were considered the Golden Years of Peruvian Surfing with its international surfing contests. In 1965, Peru was the host country for the 2nd World Surfing Championships which were held at Punta Rocas George Downing of the Hawaiian Surf Team had brought over a longboard with a modified pulled in nose. It was a little different than the boards he had been riding previously in Peru. Besides George, there were Richard “Bufflo” Keaulana, Fred Hemmings, Reno Abellira, and Paul Strauch. Wayo noticed the change of the outline and after the contest was over he began peeling another old longboard to reshape into a board that looked like the Hawaiian’s designs. A few of years later the mini-gun made its presents at the varies breaks around Lima.
Mike Purpus, Jacobs Surf Team and WindanSea Surf Club, Makaha 1967
Kenny Tilton 1964 Bill Shrosbree 1965
Doug Haut 1967 George Lanning 1964
