This is my first post, but am hoping someone might be able to help me identify a logo and more about this board, and maybe help point me in the right direction to find out more about these two boards I picked up today.
Take
a look at the logo of the first one. Looks likes a red “Z” beneath Surfboards, with the location (Santa Monica, CA) and the shaper (M. Olivares) on the
board. No size labeled, but I’d say its 7’0" single-winged rounded pintail, quite a few dings on the top and bottom of the board that need some TLC. I Bought this today off a guy for $60.
But, what I was really interested in was the Mickey Munoz - 5’6" Hobie “Positive Force IV” twin-fin, I bought for another $60!! I feel a little bad, but I don’t think he had a clue what he had been storing in his barn for quite a few years. He said he was looking to make a few bucks and didn’t know anything about the boards. I recognized the Hobie as somewhat of a gem (needs professional TLC), but I was psyched to see it was a Munoz.
Anyway, thought this would be a good place to start and see what some of you guys thought. Take a look at the pics I’ve got and let me know what you think.
Can you also check the amount of Cant if any and how much vee the board has?
Why would you think it is a knee board? Cause the length? This phase of twin fins were all very short but were all designed as stand up boards. I am not sure but I think yours is an earlier version than the ones in the ad. I don’t recall any kneeboards being made at Hobie when I was there.
Mickey once told me that PFIV boards like the gunny ones in the ad were influenced by boards we were making in Oregon a year earlier.
Bobby also worked at Hobie when I was there. Raymond was working elsewhere but would stop by often. They were a great bunch! Anyone know what Geoff Logan is doing these days?
Nice finds my friend! The round pin is from CON SURFBOARDS. The Z you see is the N sideways. If you look closely you will see that the logo is an N inside a O inside a C.
Like you though, the Hobie perked my interest also. Fact is, there is a good chance that I sanded that board when I worked at Hobie. If I didn’t, then likely Ronald Paterson (TImmy’s Dad) did. This was probably around 1970.
Can you do me a favor and measure the Toe In, if any, on the fin boxes. Please measure the distance from the inside edge of each box to the center stringer. Do this at the front of the boxes and rear of the boxes. Do this on each box please. The difference in the distance from stringer will be the Toe In. Thanks.
Now regarding Munoz shaping the board. You can trust that it was actually hand shaped by him. No machines, no ghost shapers. The other shapers at the time were Terry Martin and Jeff logan. They would each do about 10 - 15 boards a day each… hand shaped to perfection! All Mickey’s boards got his little logo if he shaped them.
Thanks for the info. As soon as I can I’ll get back to you with the Toe In measurement.
As far as the Con Board, I’ll be doing a bit more research to find out about this one.
The Hobie, I’m curious, is there any chance that this would have been shaped back in the early 70’s as a Kneeboard? I’ve seen a lot of this same shape for a some of the older kneeboards, but wasn’t sure if that would have been Munoz’s intention. Unless, this was something custom for someone; but maybe you could tell me more.
Thanks for the pic of the old PFIV Ad. I’m curios though, the Hobie PFIV logo on the board I just picked up is different than the PFIV logos seen here. Why would that be? Maybe a different series of PFIV boards? or earlier/later version? Interesting…
Nope. Around that time boards had gotten ridiculously short due to Australian influences. You could walk into a shop and have trouble finding anything over 6’ in the racks. Especially on the West and East coasts.
It was also the height of the original twin fin fad. Twins had wider tails and that additional volume predicated even shorter boards in the twin shapes.
The logo is obviously the original Hobie diamond outline with some new style lettering. Nothing significant about that. The pertinent thing is the Munoz lam. Can’t argue authenticity on that one.
Per your comment about Patterson, Ronald sanded my first ''real'' surfboard, shaped by Wayne Land. (with a belt sander) And Geoff Logan, what a blast from the past!! I enjoyed Ronalds friendship for many years, as well as Bobby and Raymond, all three of them worked for Hobie when I shaped there. Ronald was close friends with Al Nelson, and an entrenched ''regular'' at Windansea when I first met him. I don't recall ever seeing him angry. He always seemed to have smile on his face. I still miss him.
