Chapter single fin

This is Dan's 6'3 Chapter, shaped in around 1980 and still in amazing condition. It was custom made for the previous owner, who then put it in the attic for 30 years ,hence the condition. Chapters are probably less well known for these high quality custom boards - advertised then under the dubious sales slogan 'probably the most expensive custom boards available' !! Chapter had real success with their pop out moulded boards which included all models from a longboards, MR style twin fins to kneeboards , usually with the retro arrow design on the deck.

Chapter was started in Braunton by Mervyn Beard in the mid 70s , who had shaped with Tiki before that. They started out making normal boards, and with the help of John Stacey perfected a way of making cheap and improved moulded boards in 1976 , producing upto 25 a week through to the 80s. Mabye its because Chapter is so synonomous with pop outs that collectors have overlooked them and quality boards like this 6'3 come as a surprise.

1981

1981

1979 .Tad Ciastula of Vit Sea with kneeboard and singlefin moulded boards

Tiki shaped by Mervyn Beard, late 60s

1970 Bilbo and OM

A couple of interesting boards from around 1970 , when the shortboard revolution was taking board design to new levels of performance. Problem was in the UK - only the best surfers could surf them ; so by the early 70s board lengths crept back up again, ruling out the need for the cumbersome s-deck. This board in its lovely full purple tint is a Bilbo recently bought by Alex. Its one of their early s-decks , early because of the old fin box and large 60s fin , which was replaced by Bilbo's slimmer fins and adjustable boxes by around 1970/ 71. It also uses the Bilbo logo from '66/'67 which is a bit unusual for a later board. Perhaps it was a custom order and the guy preferred the old logo . The board is 6'6 x 23 and pretty light. They got quite a bit shorter than this, mainly in the 5'10 to 6'2 range.Thanks to Alex for the photos.

This is an early Bilbo ad from January 1966, must have been mabye their first in a national magazine. The mag choice is a bit strange though, Queen magazine was geared towards the womens market and was a fashion , beauty and travel magazine ; so the Bilbo ad is next to bra and wig adverts !

 

This is a very unusual and pretty experimental OM ; as you can see its wafer thin , kind of an s-deck but with no nose kick; the bottom is super flat. It must have about as much foam as a big spoon. So who made this radical sled ? For me, it points towards a guy who was working with Bilbo in the late 60s who went off to do his own thing in the 70s - Pete McAllum. In 1972 early Ocean magic ads were calling the label just 'OM' , so it seems to make sense that this is an early and experimental ocean magic made around 1970/71, possibly as one of Pete's personal riders, trying different designs out to see what worked. All part of evolution.
If anyone knows more about this board let us know, cheers to Paul for the photos.

 

1972

ding repair boards

 A visit to Paul at the local ding repair usually turns up a few old boards ; heres some that were on the racks..

 Piran of Perranporth, late 70s

Tyson's  early 80s New Wave twin/3 fin with channels, I think these were made in South Wales / Swansea ?

 Jonathon Paarman South African twin fin around 1980 , don't see these over here often

 Acid wash on the Piran bottom

Not many waves that day though, back to work

Classic Yardbirds live 1965

Early Tris Cokes

This must be one of the first boards Tris made, probably around 1970 when he was in his teens around Porthtowan . Nice bird logo painted on tissue paper by one of Tris' friends, pretty large so its done well not to delam. The board is a classic 1970ish s-deck design which labels like Bilbo were producing in big numbers at the time, its 6'6 x 22 inches so pretty floaty. As you can see its had a hard life and is looking a lot happier since Ryan got it restored and made watertight. Tris went on to produce one of our most successful and best loved labels of the 70s so its good to see this rare example of where it all started.

Tris at Porthtowan with early twin fin, 1971

Tris surfboards better known logo , 1973 - 1979

1973 Surf insight magazine

surf meet at Braunton photos

Great surf meet again on sunday, lots of new stuff to see .Thanks to everyone who took part ,the boards all looked amazing, and special thanks to those who took the effort to write a bit about the boards so joe public knew what they were looking at. Any grass verges were quickly snapped up so only the latecomers had to set up on tarmac, but there were no dings that I know of. Was good to look round the museum at last, thanks to Pete and the museum for hosting us and we'll hopefully back  again same time next year.

 

 Aussie Damion - boardcollector.com - was over from California and looking for something British to take home. This McCoy was too much like coals to Newcastle .

 The 60s beach boys - Alan Kift (north Devon surf pack leader in the 60s ), Tony Cope (Westcoast surfboards and blog contributor), Bing Copeland (Bing surfboards USA) ,Alan Brooks (Chapter surfboards 70s) and Bob Powers (Powers surfboards 60s) all holding a Powers longboard.

 Phil Jay checking out one of his early 70s boards

 Alex, Paul and Tony

 The man with the beard - Shaun with those Bickers

 Aussies stick together -Damion and Pete

 One of Alex's recent finds ,a 1962 Harry Stanbury mal made in Plymouth !

 Phil Jay again. He shaped the board 40 years ago in London, a stones throw from the Putney bridge ! In a mews called Weimar st , in an old and large stable block, now demolished . Phil also had shapers John Hall and Kevin Cross (pre Creamed Honey) working for him in the early 70s.

 Rare Space Gypsy with nice spray

 The loudest car on the lot

 Freedom by Bobby Male, the loudest board on the lot

 Ryan and collection

 Spoon love

 

 

 

 Has anyone heard of Clan surfboards ? a rare Scottish label !?

 Bing twin fin early 70s