Tracking on my wife’s question about changes in surfing over the past 50 years, I got to thinking that back then there were no long boards…. there were no short boards either. No, just plane ole surfboards. They were a bit long though.

As well, it wasn’t until 1967 that there was much thought to how much your surfboard weighted. I can’t remember ever actually weighting a surfboard back then but, all the major labels started making what everyone called a light weight model. Instead on 30 lbs maybe they were 25 lbs. I really don’t know… never weighted one. By today’s standards even the light weight boards were heavy though. Of coarse today’s short boards may be a little under 6 lbs, but even a modern long board could be just under 14 lbs. 

Until the mid sixties when Morey Pope started distributing removable fins all surfboards had glassed on fins. So what ever fin was on the board you had that was that.

When you got a new board you learned how it rode.  If it wasn’t going to well when you first started surfing a new board you stuck with it until you figured out how to handle the thing. 

I don’t remember hearing anyone say “this board doesn’t work”.  All surfboards worked and if your surfboards didn’t work then you had to figure out how it worked. And once you figure out how it worked that was that.

In the old days we were a little concerned about how well your board floated you.  We didn’t have much in the way of wetsuits so when it was cold you would paddle on your knees.  If your board floated you good then the deck of your board would be above the water, knee paddling meant that you would not get wet working your way to the lineup. Not getting wet meant you would stay a little warmer and could stay out in the water a little longer.

The way we made boards back then was different too.  Back then there were no surfboard specific materials. All the fiberglass materials we used were barrowed from the boat industry.  It wasn’t until the late sixties and into the seventies that we began to see surfboard specific materials.

Now with the retro movement guys want that old look to some of their boards. Getting that old look with the new materials is a whole ‘nother story.

D.R.

My story post 56

50 years ago I had a skate board I made myself.  My brother David made one too.

These boards were nothing like what you see today… not even close.  Why?  Because what you see today didn’t exist.  My skate board was made with a 2 X 4 and a single metal skate the would normally strap onto your shoe. David made his board from the other skate in the pair.

We took off the part on the front of the skate that was a clamp that would grab the front of your shoe and we flattened the back part of the back section of the skate so it would mount flat to the 2 X 4.  With a few nails those old skates were fastened to the 18 inch piece of wood and off we rolled.

What a treat… side walk surfing.  Only when you fell you hit concrete or asphalt not water, and that hurt. But we could not be stopped, on the prowl for streets with a slope. Long gentle slopes were nice but after awhile the challenge would grow and we wanted more thrills.  Like the guys riding big waves in Hawaii, we started looking for those steep hill streets.

I don’t remember how long we’d been using our skateboards, working on what to do when you’d get the wobbles or how to control your turns so the metal wheels wouldn’t slide sideways on you and land you on your butt.  The day did come when we decided to ride our bikes with our skateboards up to this street that was really steep and tackle the big stuff.

We talked about doing this for maybe months and finally got the nerve. After biking to the hill and parking at the bottom of the street we stood looking up the hill and discussed how we should take the drop. “ maybe we should go about half way up and call that good, what do you think” I asked.  “How ‘bout we just walk up a short distance and do a test run”? David said.  “Good idea, lets go”.

So we worked up to going about half way up the hill a do the serious run. Walking a ways up and stopping, giving a look down, then a little farther, a little farther, …OK here. We set our boards down and stepped on to them. Take a little angle to the left then the right and before we knew it we were racing down that hill, and going to fast to make any more sideways moves to slow down. Then we both got the wobbles and that was it.   

This was a long time ago and I still remember the look of the asphalt as I hit it. Hands first to break the fall, then the elbows and finally the shoulder we both went head over heels as our skate boards rolled past us.  “Are you ok”? “I think so”  OUCH! Oh man, as we worked our way back to our feet and hobbled to reach our skate boards and get to our bikes for the painful trek home.

Skateboarding really was birthed from surfing. 50 years ago it was way different than it is now.

D.R.

Last week my wife asked  “what is it like having been surfing and making surfboards for 50 years?”

I thought What?... oh wait… it’s 2012, I started making my first surfboard in 1962, so I guess it has been 50 years.  Then she asked “how have things changed, you’ve kind of seen it all right?”

The question has been rolling around my head since she asked. And right now I know I can say this about being around surfing this long. When I got started the guys making surfboards were in their twenties, a good 10 or more years my senior… so now after 50 years, getting up there in years.

After losing Harold Iggy the first of the year, now this week Terry Martin passed away.  I was not fortunate enough to have ever met Terry Martin. Of course I knew who he was and what he did. Thinking that he is now gone and will no longer do what he did gives me a very sad feeling that I’m not sure I can explain. I’m not sure words can adequately express the loss to surfing and the surfboard craft.

Terry Martin was woven into surfing history.  You really can’t talk about the history of the surfboard shaping craft without his name being brought up. And of course the name Hobie Srufboards is world wide. Hobie Surfboards for the most part was Terry Martin.

RIP Terry Martin.

D.R.