3/4 of a Space Gypsy

Boards on the Space Gypsy label seem to be as elusive as the man who made them. After years of waiting for one to turn up, I was donated this board recently by Gee, who knew of its rarity, but also what a project board it was. Of course originally it had another foot or so of tail with a single fin and probably a narrow delicate swallow tail. Problem is -as you can see - someone converted (chopped, hacked whatever you want to call it !) it to a twin in in the early 80s . It now needs a tail rebuild, god knows what that will cost or how succesful it will be, but I've been told it can be done.

Space Gypsy has been regarded as an underground collectable label for 15 or 20 years, and a couple of mags in the late 90s wrote about them being rare and sought after. Danny Garland was shaping them at a farm near Watergate bay in 1976, and a year later moved in after Tigger to a space at St Merryn airfield . After Danny left , Adrian Phillips and Fluid Juice moved in .
The boards were thin and light, with little volume at the rails ;cool sprays (see above) and fades , and the logo was like a mix of Dick Van Straalen and Jimi Hendrix.
Danny was a stylish surfer too, starring in Rod Sumpters 'Pipedreams 2' of 1976 , showing footage of him and Tigger surfing favourite north Cornwall spots. He also worked for Bilbo in the early 70s making a few signature models.A young Nigel Semmens and Lenny Ingram were team riders.  Then by the late 70s he hits the road, finishes board production, and goes abroad. Rumours linger about drugs charges, tax evasion and, but noone knows the definitive story..............

Billy Cowie at the Space Gypsy factory, 1976

This Space Gypsy turned up on ebay a few years ago. Also had been messed about with fcs added.

1976

Danny surfing abroad late 80s