More Bilbos

Some more Bilbo longboards beautifully preserved in the Gul collection, showing the variations in stringers, logo and design.

I think this is the original logo with slanted lettering.

Chris Jones shape from the end of the 60s with wild west style lettering.

Rod Sumpter model, if anyone has one of these tucked away in their garage let me know.

Two stock Bilbos and a 1963 hollow ply board built by Newquay carpenter Tony Brewer. Thanks to Gul and Alex for the shots.

Bilbo longboard

Here's my first vintage board, a Bilbo 1966/7 longboard, 9'8 x 23 x 3, shaper unknown. It says Roy Clerk on the stringer, CJ says thats someone he went to school with so its probably who the board was made for, not the shaper.
I got this board around 1994 when I was up at my dad's friends house in the lake district. We were walking round the garden and I saw a large mound of moss with a pink fin sticking out. I asked him what that was and he said its a longboard he bought 2nd hand in Newquay in the early 70s, and if I could fit it on my car I could have it. Lengths of rope and string later it was tied to the roof and I was off to sample 60s surfing. I loved surfing it but didn't get my next old board for a couple of years.

It nicely has its original Newquay UDC malibu registration no 0010 , no date on it but its an early one. Other nice early features are the double stringer and gelcoat union jack - CJ has another couple of bilbos with similar jacks on. It a great board to surf, virtually no rocker on the deck and slim 50 50 rails.

A stack of Bilbos leaves the factory, mid 60s.

Me in 1994, proud new owner of a vintage Bilbo, the best things in life are free.

Pair of Bilbos, I found the other one in a garden too, and sold it to my mate Nick.

Atlantic surfboards St Ives

Living near to St Ives you'd think I would stumble on the odd Atlantic every so often, but no they remain very elusive. Atlantic was a smaller venture than say Bilbo but it still was producing boards for around ten years so where are they all ? This board was sent in by Gavin, he bought it ten years ago from a guy who had it in his garden and thought it was from Hawaii ! She's an old girl, stringerless 8ft x 22 'shortboard' from '67 /'68 ,with a very rolled hull. Gavin's going to put her through a well deserved restoration.

The early Cornish surf scene was strong in St Ives; Britain's first proper surf shop the Surfers Store was opened by Keith Slocombe in 1963. James and Peter-George Williams set up Williams surfboards around this time in Lelant with help from Keith and sold boards through his store.

In around 1965 Charles Williams as head shaper started Atlantic from a cottage in St Ives, with Colin Pryor making blanks from refrigeration foam and Dave Griffin as glasser /sander. Vietnam draft dodging Aussies Neil Redding and Chris Cannings brought experience to the factory where they worked part time. In 1968 the factory was burnt down but a government grant alloweed them to rebuild a state of the art factory which produced top boards for another seven years. Charles Williams was a strong competitive surfer, runner up three times in the British title and a member of the British team through the 60s.

Ad from Graham's British surfer from around 1970.

Heres a really nice singlefin with s deck from around 1970 with rasberry ripple resin tint and bubbly logo, a time capsule from the psychadelic era. Shaped by Kid Speed ,this one is from the Gul collection, photos by Alex . If anyone else has an Atlantic please send it in .Thanks to Gavin, Alex, Graham and Gul for sharing the elusive Atlantics.

Charles Williams

British airline poster , late 50s.

Early twin fin

Here's an unbranded early 70s first generation twin fin from Alex's collection. I say first generation loosely as there was the odd twin fin existing as far back as the 40s , but '69 /'70 was when it started to seriously take off, although not at the huge scale of later in the decade. This one is 6'1 and pretty wide, looks similar in shape to Phil Jay boards of the time, and also the twin fins that Tris was making.

Tris Cokes, early 70s with one of his twin fins. photo courtesy of Tris.

Campbell brothers, 1970 with their first bonzer, 5'4 , and a 5'2 twin fin patterned after Terry Fitzgeralds boards.

Exhibition paintings

At the moment I'm working towards an exhibition at the Cornwall Contemporary gallery in Penzance , titled Paths Across Water which opens on May 28th. I don't usually include surfing in my paintings but the title seems apt and I've been doing these compositions based on a visit to Stinson beach in California a few years ago. I really liked the lifeguard hut and its base reminds me of Eames chair legs. The proceeds of one of these paintings will go to Surfers Against Sewage. www.cornwallcontemporary.com

Freedoms by Steve Harewood

-Nice pair of Freedoms from the 70s, firstly this mid 70s 7'2 singlefin from Alex's collection, clean lines and clean condition, a fun board for overhead waves, possibly made for sale in France as Alex thinks the bird was the logo of the Atlantico surf shop in Lacanau. Freedom had a strong prescence in France with a shop in Biarritz.

Dressed for a night on the town are top Jersey surfer Gordon Burgis, Freedom co founder Barry Jenkins, co founder of BSA Dave Grimshaw and last but not least Steve Harewood, late 60s. With guys like these its no wonder Jersey had a strong surf scene.

Steve Harewood 6'3 twinnie from the late 70s ,bought by present owner 2nd hand from Tiki surf shop , Braunton in 1984. Obviously not oversurfed and with nice original multi fins.

Steve outside his shop with a lovely stinger.

Surfing on vinyl

As well as collecting boards I'm also a bit partial to old lps and here's a few surf related ones. Above and below, Beach boys and the Ventures from the roots of the surfing boom 1963.

Smooth and classy West coast jazzing from Bud Shank for Bruce Brown's barefoot adventure.

Bruce Brown again from the late 60s on this rare motorbike film including Steve Mcqueen and with endless summer style commentary , take a look www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyjtpB6AFuI . Its got a couple of good crossover funk tracks like sunday drivin' - www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hVF4u01kKs .

Blues from Otis Spann from 69.

Classic from George Greenough with Nat Young and a musical appearance from Pink Floyd. Heres a great wave all to themselves, www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdzB6dg2Ros .

Great film by Hal Jepsen and great soundtrack by Dennis Dragon etc , www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NLGPTfkxug .

Classic indie lp by Ride from 1990, cover photo by Warren Bolster.