re Surf Spot

Firstly happy new year to everyone out there, hope its a good one ; and thanks to everyone who has helped with the blog during 2010, its more fun when you're showing me your stuff too. Back to the Surf Spot post from the other day, Alex Williams has some good memories of owning one in the early 70s , which sounds great after surfing an awkward bilbo . Above is Alex's mini in '75 with his Spot on the roof rack, just before he replaced it with a Creamed Honey.-

'On seeing you latest blog board, it brought back good memories. My first new board that I bought in October of '73' Was a board from the spot in Bude for £29.50. I remember well the drive up to Bude, in my mini, it took an age! as it was rainy and misty. On getting there I was taken round to the factory store to look at the boards that were for sale. I remember Nigel my mate and I going to the shop first and the owner whose name escapes me jumping into his min van, he was 6ft 4'' as I am, so anybody seeing the pair of us getting into these two small cars must have been creased up with laughter. Then we hammered off from the shop to the store. It was a 6'7'' clear board with a green glassed in fin that I chose from many boards there. If you have my book? I think you told me you had? there is a shot of it on my mini at the back of the book.

My first board was a 8'6'' Bilbo which I got in 69/70, that seemed to nose dive however you took off (it was like an ironing board). The 6'7'' Spot board was a revelation! My first surf was at North Sands in a howling offshore surf, that made takeoffs late and instead of nose diving I got to bottom turn on my first wave and promptly fell off with the surprise! that I had not submarined the bottom turn.'

Surf Spot Bude

Back again now although still up north; we hade two weeks in Lanzarote and the only day it was really firing was the morning we had to leave - bloody typical. Hope you all had a good very white christmas anyway.
Here's a board which surfaced in Manchester, a long way from its original home. An early 70s diamond tail singlefin made by Surf Spot in the north cornwall hot spot of Bude. Surf Spot was one of Bude's first surf shops and they made a few boards but not many, and the finish wasn't as high as say Bilbo , Tiki or Creamed Honey, but they were a small production I guess. An interesting board though, yet another small board company which makes our surf history so varied in the UK.
This one has no leash fitting, a nice bright yellow tint, and no stringer, just a band of glue. It has a transfer logo and a hand drawn pencil teardrop on the deck. No shapers name but it would have been made by one of the hot surfers in the local area, many of which shaped. For an old board it has really thin glassing on the underside so its done well to survive - I think it has been in an urban loft for 15-20 years as is often the story. The previous owner has done a couple of beauty repairs in the bodger's fave grey car filler, and don't they look nice. Apart from that its in pretty good condition and if I can get it watertight I'm surfing it on thursday. 7'3 x 21 1/2 x 2 3/4 - I think it'll float me.

I did get to surf it yesterday, and the annual christmas time surf in north wales with Matt came up with the goods again this year with shoulder high glassy waves, no wind, fish jumping and a stunning sunset at Hells Mouth near Abersoch. The surf spot cruised admirably on possibly its first surf in 20 years and is ready for more .

As this photo by Alex shows, the surf at the moment is tempting but a bit on the chilly side, so I'm off somewhere warmer..

some classic ads late 70s - early 80s

From Atlantic Surfer, Surf Scene and Tube News lent by Pete Frost

cloud bottom Bilbo

Another interesting board from Jason, a '68/'69 Bilbo shortboard in nice condition with original large spray on the underside, unusual for Bilbos. Made from a stringerless blank, just a line of glue , shaper not known but its finished to a high standard, mabye a custom.
'Heres another unusual one of my Bilbos. I call it the cloud bottom. Bought it on main beach Wooly, the seller wandered off to buy a 'Bic' ,I guess we both got what we wanted !' - Jason.
Bilbo or Bic ? No comparison there !

Bilbo team rider and Welsh shop manager Dave Friar comes off the top at Tolcarne , july 1967.

Dave again, pot hunting with the classic Bilbo van, 1969.

Zippy sticks by Roger Cooper

One of my most recent finds is this Zippy Sticks diamond tail, from the early 70s with a beautiful eggshell blue/green tint. Shaped by Roger Cooper, it feels like quite an early one it being quite narrow with a ply and resin fin as thick as my finger, and the tail shape looks early. This board had sat in an attic for many years and I think this year is its first out of Wales ! It is 6'10 x 19 3/4 x 2 1/2.

Bilbo and Circle One

Here's a couple of unusual boards sent in by Jason. This one is an early 70s Bilbo shaped by Danny Garland. Garland was a bit of a character and also shaped Space Gypsy boards in the early 70s at the St Merryn site where Fluid Juice stands today. Jason says Danny was a bit of a legend in north Cornwall and there are some great stories about him, waves, drugs, unpaid tax, police , dead bodies! Not sure how true the dead bodies story is but Adrian at Fluid Juice had the old bill round his factory about the tax !

The board has a classic early 70s logo of a woman riding and eagle and smoking something long !

Here's a beautiful mid 70s Circle one made in Devon. Not just any Circle One though, beautiful tropical lineup artwork, double srtingers going to the points of the swallow tail and very unusual bonzer style twin fins - and cheeky naked bum too ! If Jeff Townsley made it it would be interesting if he remembers the history of it. I'm sure you wouldn't forget making a board like that. Thanks to Jason.
Jeff Townsley has got in touch and says-

'Yes I do remember this board, one of my first air brush designs, using cans of car paint, and pieces of cardboard. Made it in my little lock up workshop in Exeter, beginning of the 70s.'

Thanks to Jeff - for one of your first air brushes its a great result, what about the cheeky bum ?

board store

Jason from Woolacombe way has sent photos of his board collection - lots of sweet looking British singlefins with special focus on Bilbos, check out the Bilbo logs in the roof. I've heard and seen a bit of Jason's collection before so hopefully look forward to showing some of his favourite boards in the future.

Circle One by Jeff Townsley

Here's a very clean, or very well restored Circle One from the Gul collection. Shaped by Jeff Townsley, who started the company in 1969 in Exeter and it still goes strong today. Circle One were one of Devon's top producers by the early-mid 70s when this board was shaped, making boards, wetsuits and surfwear. Jeff traveled abroad a lot surfing and it shows in the tropical logo.
This is the last board of the lot that Alex photographed, so thanks to him and Gul for sharing them with us. Condition of the Gul boards is pretty amazing really, well restored by Fluid Juice and Beach Beat.

Above and below, Jeff early 70s

Hal Jepsen

This flick has some great moments and a classic soundtrack, which gets into its stride half way through this taster

Great British logos part 2

Back with more classic logos which I had overlooked first time, plus some sent in by Henry. Above the parrot on Henry's early 70s Tiki pig, a very unique logo. Birds seem to feature on lots of surf logos. May be something about a bird's freedom and grace which connects with the act of surfing a wave. Or thats what we'd like to think

The early Tris logo, early 70s when his address was Porthtowan, not the later Mount Hawke.

Cosmic lettering from Martin Geary's first label

The Freedom power turn logo, mid 70s

Rare OM logo from the mid 70s McAllum/Semmens days, on a singlefin stinger.

Which by the early 80s had been refined to one of the best logos of the era.

A somewhat unreadable logo at first glance -Tig surfboards by Tigger Newling from 1970.

This is the first Bilbo diamond logo, with the earlier slanted writing, from '65/'66, on one of Henry's longboards. U.S. Walker foam was used on quite a few Bilbos at this time.

Another cool drawing I think by Keith Flack , who also did the iconic Tris logo. This one is for Chris Jones' Newquay label Alias, early 70s.

Henry's Conway singlefin shows the unusual logo placement John gave his boards, often near the tail. Feels a bit more artful.