I picked up a 7’3" stringerless Vardeman today. It came with the fin. Four small dings plus the nose/tail need fixing and it’s water ready. Maybe 4 pressure dents on the deck. Any idea of a more approximate year? Roughly any worth? Any stories/history about Vardeman? Also, I know this type of fin box has been on sways before but I can’t remember what post that was so if you can provide the brand of fin/box, that would be great. Thanks.
My plans, fix up the dings and make a new fin for that box.
Fins Unlimited Vari-Set. Board was probably made in 1969. Everything about it says it was made before the 70s.
Sonny Vardeman started in Huntington Beach, then moved to Hermosa around 1970. He ceased production by 1973.
Can you find a serial number anywhere? He did a sequential numbering system almost from the get go in 1962.
Thanks for the info so far. Heck yeah I have a serial number: 1243
Also, what’s the difference between the phase I and phase II fin?
EDIT: I have a 10" fin, so it looks like I have phase I
Also, what’s the deal with stringerless boards at the end of the 60s? I have three boards, two made in 69 and one in 68 and they’re all stringerless.
Nice purple skeg! Lucky those screws weren’t rusted in…
Everybody was giving stringerless a whirl back then. Gordon and Smith to backyarders. There was no “Surfboard Specific” fiberglass cloth yet. We went from double 10 oz. to a single 7.5 Volan. I don’t really remember much talk about “flex” when it came to 7–8’ boards. They weren’t stepdeck noseriders. I think it was an attempt to lighten up boards. Saw a lot of “Gluelines” too. I’m sure that improvements in Blanks-Resin-Cloth started to get a handle on the “Strength to Weight” ratio. I think the number of snaps brought the Industry full circle and back to stringers. San Diego was a hot bed for all of it 1967 thru 1970.
