new paintings

Beach cafe


I am showing a couple of recent paintings in an exhibition at Falmouth art gallery (above the library), starting 25 June - 10 sept ,free admission. One is a surfing related painting - South coast surf. It was a bit of an honour being invited for this one as they show a pretty high standard of work, and I used to go in there loads for inspiration when I lived in Falmouth.

South coast surf

Above Perranuthnoe

Here are another couple of newly finished paintings for a show in september based around Mounts bay and St Ives bay...

Allotments ,Longrock

Surf meet update

Time for a surf meet update and here's a taster -above and below- of some of the boards which will be up for sale or swaps on sunday morning. The weather forecast's looking good so far, and there's a good number of collectors coming including full attendance from the Braunton crew - Skelly, Jay and Pete. So there's going to be some stunning and historically important British boards on show. It doesn't have to be 100% British though, I'm bringing a couple of Aussie boards. If you're bringing boards along its probably a good idea to get there before 9.30 to set up.

Skelly has put in the request that he's after clean Bilbo longboards, so if you've got one to sell or swap bring it along. He's got a choice of three beautiful Creamed Honeys up for swaps, two by Kevin Cross and a Dick Harvey.

Kevin Cross with stinger. nice bottom. Photo by Graham Quick.

Ted Deerhurst twinnie by Nev

Ted at Fistral 1985 by Alex

Wayne in Australia has dug this board out from storage under his house. A Ted Deerhurst twin fin from around 1981 ish, and I was excited to see this as I thought it might be one of Lord Ted's personal boards . Wayne though has the explaination -
'The story as I know it re the Ted Deerhurst surfboard. While he was in Australia, to make money while travelling up and down the East coast, he commissioned Nev Hyman (founder of Firewire Surfboards) to make 50 boards of his design, which he put into board shops up and down the East Coast.
The board I have, is number #26. I was told that at one stage, Nev was buying any of the boards if they became available. Mind you this is all hearsay.'
I didn't know about Nev shaping Deerhurst models but the story makes sense and fits in with Ted's entreprenurial approach. Whether many of these boards still survive and if any made it back to blighty I don't know. Looks a classic shape though, thanks to Wayne for the photos. Wayne has also dug out a Simon Anderson I will feature soon.

Ted around '79 photo by Wavejunkie

Stuart surfboards by Moony McAllum

I've never had a Stuart on the blog, and actually have never seen one before, which reflects their rarity. When Paul sent in these photos I told him I'd never heard of them, so I googled them and the only thing about them was on this blog a year or so ago - I guess I should read my blog more often.
It turns out that Stuart was the first label (along with Nomad) that Pete moony McAllum set up when he came over here from New Zealand. This was in 1967 and its a typically Aussie inspired 8ft v bottom of the era. Mooney was living in St Ives and joined forces with Aussie Neil Reading to produce these boards. It looks as if this one has been used by generations of groms in St Ives and beyond. Pete moved onto work at Atlantic in St Ives in 1968, and I've seen very similar Atlantics to this with the same heavyweight cloth; then he went to Bilbo in '69 as the boom hit, before starting the legendary Ocean magic towards the mid 70s.
It looks like Pete was aware of the history of cornwall in his logo - or mabye he felt patriotic towards it - he lived here for many years. The logo is part of the coat of arms of Cornwall. 15 golden balls representing the ransom raised in Cornwall for the Duke of Cornwall (not prince Charles) , captured by the Saracens during the Crusades. Never knew that.
Thanks to Paul.

Moony in the early 80s with one of his Hot Buttered driftas. Photo byAlex.

from British Surfer 1969

Ocean Magic union jack thruster

Popped round to my friend James' house yesterday and checked out this lovely Ocean Magic. Its an early 6 ft thruster, from '82 ish shaped by Nigel Semmens of course ('Handcrafted by Nigel Semmens' written in italics ) . Its got some unusual features - the big and bold union jack on the underside - carrying nicely on from the britannia post last week. Its also got two fluted channels wrapping round the side fins, which you don't see very much. The fins are early - G&S star fins, and nice to see an unbroken set ! The rear fin though is one of the more keely jam in star fins, so mabye the original did break out. The boards in great original condition with gloss finish, nice and light and a stunner. It has the Lane, Newquay address. 30 years old and going strong.

Nigel and Carwyn, Fistral

Nigel, mid 80s

Cool dudes in tight shorts - Nigel with Steve Daniels

Nigel in 1983 at Leven ? Photos by Alex Williams

first boards

If you remember the days when everyone in the lineup looked like this then you are probably what they politely call 'middle aged' by now. Crazy to think that this board and suit are 30 years old ! The suit has a fetching front zip for showing off the hairy chest /medallion, or possibly avoiding wee in the wetsuit .I think the board could have been made under licence at Ocean Magic.

When I got my first proper surfboard we were just at the end of the neon/ fluro era ( early 90s). This is me and my friend Ed in north wales ( predictably onshore waves but good fun if you didn't know any better) and I'm holding my first board - I'm the one with the camp stance. It was a Spider Murphy 6'10 ish with gloss coat and bright pink fins which I bought at a surf /skate shop in Manchester. Ed had one of those fluoro Sessions boards and caught twice as many waves as me.

By the mid 90s I was on skimpy things like this Pottz and getting used to my future home break of Godrevy.

but soon after a friend gave me this Bilbo which was basically buried in his garden which was a eureka moment - old boards work, float, are fast and fun and cheap and beautiful ......

Alex's painted lady

As we all know by now there are lots of old boards lurking under resprays, and here's one Alex uncovered recently. When he bought it resembling some sort of weird biscuit with yellow and brown stripes, he thought there might be a more pure board underneath. And after a visit to the doctors at Fluid Juice out it came in its original state, a late 60s Chris Jones model Bilbo, looking fresh and ready to cruise after shedding its brown skin. Good work !

Thanks to Alex for the photos.

Bilbo brochure mid 60s

hank

My vintage board collection first started via my hunts for jazz and other lps at car boot sales, with friendly competition from Myles and Nick. Whenever I saw an old board I thought - why not, although holding it may hamper carrying lps. Boards back then were cheap - if someone was asking for more than £40 it spun me out and I walked away. Bit by bit the boards grew and I started surfing them more than my modern shortboards, and when I found a wide Freedom dark blue singlefin by Bobby Male that was it - love at first ride.
So thanks to Hank and others for kick starting the board habit. I remember one day at the boot buying a british jazz lp by Tubby Hayes in a box labelled 'rare jazz' for £4, and ebaying it to a Japenese gentleman for £560 , funding a few more old boards. I still see the old guy I bought it off and still feel the guilt.

speak of the devil ?

One reason I love doing the blog is that I never know what's coming in the next email. After my last post about Rod Sumpter's britannia model, an email came out of the blue yesterday from Jersey with this recent find. A mid 60s Keyo longboard made in Australia but with britannia artwork which judging by the permit stickers and condition was done in the 60s. Although its not a Bilbo did Rod use a Keyo as a personal board ? Would be a great find if it was and well worth the restoration on the fin and rotten stringer.
News came back from Rod though as a negative - colour and taping in not right, and more importantly - he never rode a Keyo.
Ah well, the search continues. Thanks to Jean Pierre, who still has a very interesting old longboard.
Thanks also to Henry for this link - http://surfworldgoldcoast.com/?p=982 to one of Rod's surviving boards, in Australia in the the collection of his brother David. This says Rod started using the union jack at the 1966 worlds at the insistence of his patriotic father. Although on second look this doesn't seem to be a 60s board - leash plug and too much nose rocker ?

Rod Sumpter

Some rare footage of the stylish Rod Sumpter at 0:51 ,on one of his Bilbo Britannia models, 1967. These boards, if they still exist must be on the most wanted list of most collections. I'm pretty sure at least one still exists - no not the one at Gul, that doesn't seem to be the real mccoy.

north shore

Arizona haole Rick Kane works his way through Chandlers quiver, form weighty d fin logs to singlefins to dayglo thrusters - a very classic clip.

surf meet Newquay

poster above available for £10 incl. p&p ! see below

A bit more on the upcoming meet-
This could be the UK's largest get together of vintage surfboards from private collections, with an estimated 100 + boards expected. They will map the evolution of surfing in Britain, from the wooden bellyboards of the 30s, 40s and 50s to the first fibreglass longboards of the 60s. Then the transition to experimental 6ft singlefins and twin fins at the end of the 60s. Then through the artful tints and logos of the 70s and into another time of change, the 80s , which heralded neon twin fins to quads to thrusters and more.
There will be notable boards by legendary UK surfer/ shapers Rod Sumpter, Chris Jones, John Conway, Nigel Semmens,Tigger Newling , Roger Cooper, Tris Cokes, Chops Lascalles, Steve Harewood, Tim Heyland and many more.
A rare chance to see beautiful boards which are usually tucked away out of view in private collections. The museum of British surfing also plans to bring some of their favourite boards.
The boards will be predominantly collectors favourites for show, although there will also be vintage boards for sale or swap. Where better to start a collection than here where you can weigh up the board and chat to its owner . Or if you have a vintage board (pre 1990)you'd like to sell ,bring it along, plonk it down and wait for the offers.
Lusty Glaze in Newquay are kindly providing the area for the event, which is a free event except for a small charge for parking. The nearby facilities including a cafe on site and bar/ cafe / restaurant by the beach will be open. There are also award winning toilets - should be worth a visit .
Hopefully some of the 60s/ 70s legends will turn up to see how their boards have fared - who knows.
A very limited run has been made of the lovely poster by Nick Radford aka frootful.
Its A3 size and on heavyweight 300gsm paper, see on the board above. Available for only £10 including p&p ! (to mainland UK). If there are any left they will be for sale on the day too. Contact me at alasdairlindsay@aol.com for a copy.
One last thing - this is an outdoor event and if mother nature intervenes with gales or full on rain we may have to cancel. If so I will post a cancelation on the blog the day before. Fingers crossed.