Bob first surfed in the early `60`s with Bob Groves and Bill Davies, learned to make boards with them around Gosport & Lee-on-Solent in Hants, then made other boards including this body board in 1965 at his Bath, Somerset home. “ I had a little flat beside the railway line in Bathwick, and my landlady lived downstairs. Any boards I made were shaped and glassed etc. on the landing . Despite this, somehow I never got thrown out ! “
At the time the only boards apart from Malibus were plywood bellyboards. Bob says “ I wanted something to ride that I could catch a green wave with, using a pair of fins. We were aware of Paipo boards in Hawaii from the magazines we had imported but had never seen one, so this is my own design.”
It`s quite heavy, but pretty robust with a thick stringer and a laminated hardwood/softwood tailblock.
The fin is a pure resin moulding from a pattern Bob made himself, with no fibreglass cloth in it . “ Because of this it snapped off near the base. Tony ground the base and bottom of the fin flat and glassed the two back together just recently, so it`s left the fin about an inch shorter but it`s still original, and that`s the main thing .”
Bob kept the board for 48 years before parting with it recently . “ Henry made me an offer for it, I didn`t argue or send it to Ebay as it`s important to us old guys that someone who appreciates our stuff gets it. The only thing I requested was that if it`s displayed it`s got my name with it .”
Henry`s now loaning it to Alex Williams and Al Lindsay, to go on display in the “ Endless Summer 2 “ exhibition which will be on throughout the summer at Truro museum. It`s believed to be the earliest GB Paipo board .
( New photos : Ace surf photographer Alex Williams. Article and old photos : Tony Cope. )
To check out some other 60s paipos go to - http://www.vintagegregnollsurf.com/bellyboards.html
Is Bob Redlands still alive?
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