The Cribbar

Here are some awesome photos (from http://www.inkydeep.com/ ) of the Cribbar in Newquay being ridden by tow in crews yesterday. The swell was reading 13 ft at 13 seconds and conditions looked near perfect with some inside barrels on offer for the brave.

Back in sept 1966 a similar huge swell went trough the Cribbar and a few surfers went out and made history as the first to ride it. Back then things were a bit different of course - a long paddle out , single fin longboards - 10 or 11 ft , no wetsuit, no leash and no back up if things went wrong. Losing your board meant a long and dangerous swim round the headland - and a mashed up board . Needless to say it was surfers from overseas who pioneered the Cribbar , who had grown up surfing big waves. They included Hawaiian Jack Lydgate, Australians Bob Head, Johnny McIlroy and Pete Russell and Rod Sumpter.

Johnny McIlroy on a Cribbar beast 1966, above and below.

unidentified rider, Cribbar 1966

margaret river early 70s

I like this amateur footage of Simon Anderson and Terry Fitzgerald at the Aussie titles in 1973 ; what a peak !As you probably know theres been a big swell coming in today ,and even the sheltered spots were a solid size. How crowded ?! It was zooed out at hawkes point this morning.

Keo surfboards

Charlie has sent in photos of this Keo which his dad bought in Newquay in around 1972. Keo are probably more well known for producing pop outs from the early 70s, but there were some good custom boards made as well, mainly by guest shapers rather than Stuart Keogh himself. Keogh owned a surf shop in Newquay's Fore st and was based in Newquay and for a while Holywell bay, and he also made moulded kneeboards and ply bellyboards.
This Keo is shaped by Greg Stokes, who doesn't ring a bell with me or a few guys I have asked, so he is most likely to be a travelling surfer from abroad. Google says he's from South Africa and still shapes today - although it might not be the same Greg Stokes. Quite a few of the hot travelling surfers who came through England shaped a few boards to make some money to keep travelling. So this board could be an example of what the South Africans were riding at the time. Wide and rounded it looks a nice flowing shape.

This is Henry's Keo, made in the same period, not sure who shaped it but its probably by a local . Its a popular shape of the time, narrower and with the wide point higher up the board. Nicely made with colour overlays and resin tints, and Australian Barry Bennet foam.

thanks to Charlie and Henry. If anyone remembers Greg Stokes please let me know.

1973 from surf insight

vintage graphics

Jersey late 60s

St Ives mid 60s

early 80s

1971

1973

'73

'73

Ocean Magic in the early days, '73

'71

Rod Sumpter's Freeform 2 1970

Waves in Jersey late 60s

late 60s

A talk by Surfers Against Sewage legend Chris Hines, at the Poly in Falmouth, tomorrow night 8pm.A good bloke who has done a lot of good for all of us.

Museum of British surfing & Coventry transport museum

Fulmar quad by Graeme Bunt

This Fulmar quad belongs to a friend in North Devon, who grew up riding these 80s shapes around north cornwall and Devon. It was made by Graeme Bunt, who started shaping in 1979 and was based in Polzeath and Wadebridge. He now shapes for his Local Hero label which has been running for many years . If anyone knows more about Graeme in the late 70s/early 80s please send it in.

This design is from the early 80s, with the classic swallowtail , quad fins and channels which was a popular option at the time, plus the new needle nose or 'no nose' which came over from Oz and the US , and signalled the end of the late 70s wide noses ( which I personally prefer). The quad set up here is bigger main fins and small trailing fins. Its interesting that there is a Schroff graphic on the underside of the board. Schroffs were from California and in the early 80s were very cool boards with some top underground riders. Graeme probably saw them in Surfer or Surfing and was influenced by the squares graphic.

1981

1984

Early-mid 80s Californian Schroff blaster with wide lazor zap - type tail and 'no nose'. From boardcollector site.

Ocean magic by Nigel Semmens

Here's a lovely Ocean Magic from my friend's collection in north Devon. It was made in 1981 or 82 by Nigel Semmens and has the look of the time - short, wide, twin fin and channels, double hips and beautifully finished with stylish graphics. These were the sort of boards which built on Ocean Magic's reputation to make them possibly the most successful label in 80s England. Added to this came Nigel's contest prowess on his boards, with many victories including British and European champion, plus a strong team of mainly Newquay based riders.

This board has quite an unusual sharks mouth spray and looks like it spent some time in Jersey.

Nigel 1978, the classic Semmens cutback- body low, arm high, plenty of speed and power to work that twin fin back into the pocket.

Nigel at Fistral 1984 .These photos by Alex Williams.

OM team rider Grishka Roberts, fistral '81. Photo by Geoff Tydeman