Wow, those side fins look like butchery. I recognize the butterfly. I have an iron butterfly c.c. rider hanging in my garage.
Is anyone else noticing how modern that outline for the “butterfly spear” looks for an early 70’s board? Very clean!
Somewhat the same design style as Barry Kanai’aupuni’s “narrow baby gun” style, though Barry’s was quite a bit narrower ( 16- 17 inch’s ) and a hard pintail design. A true pocket-rocket for the early 70’s. Barry’s " Sunset " surfboard hangs in the Hard Rock Cafe just outside of the entrance into Waikiki.
PPK
I talked with Tak just recently. He was doing fine. This is an entertaining thread …
well, i suppose i should have said this but i thiught it was obvious that the board was complete delam around the ORIGINAL boxes.
it was filled in to ride as a single but gave up. THERE ARE NO OUTSIDE BOXES IN THE PIX. JUST SCRIBBLED PEN MARKS GENERALLY WHERE THEY WERE.
and yes the where all waveset boxes. This was confirmed. Being very familiar with the bonzer set up, yes they were angled in that way and generally
in the same area!
sorry for the confusion.
end of transmission.
This thread is like a time machine. We were a water family, I was a kid, and circumstances forced us to move inland to Tallahassee in '65 where I’ve been ever since. But we spent '64 living on Pensacola Beach, having moved from Cherry Point, NC. The beach had the least expensive housing available! Difficult to imagine that situation now. It was like a ghost town, but fantastic. I remember one of my older brothers getting a book about surfing about that time and to this day I remember the boards were by Con. That book, and by extension Con surfboards, was my connection with surfing dreams for years. Decades really. I managed to surf for 5 or so years in the last half of the '70s, but went back to school and it vaporized. I forgot about the ocean. Completely. Had to. Fast forward to this century. A few years ago when I rediscovered surfing, due to a young guy my company hired, I ended up getting a 9-10 Con pin from Fin Alley. It may seem dumb but when I saw the logo, that was it. I was terrible but after a while, once I quit questioning the board and “did my laps” in the soup, I figured things out. It’s a sweet board, not my only one, but in the right surf it’s a treat. And quick. So, fast forward a little more and a couple of nights ago I was digging through boxes, getting ready to get rid of stuff, and out pops “The Young Sportsman’s Guide To Surfing”! Whoa! Browned pages, but there were all the photos that had been embossed on my brain, more than 40 years ago. Looking through it just today and I found myself wondering who the shaper in the photos was. Just curious, was I. Based on this thread it looks to me like it was Tak Kawahara. I didn’t know any of these guys, obviously, I wasn’t part ot that scene, but still this was a touchstone. It’s pretty cool to have names and lives attached to the photos now, and to see others finding old treasure like the subject of this thread. I keep wondering where the board in the photos is…probably in a dump somewhere but I’ve been thinking about that stick for nearly half a century. Suddenly, I feel like driving to Saint Augustine tonight but it’s a washing machine and I’m on dog duty. Got some nice small waves over there two weeks ago…but I took the Anderson, which I think has some related, if later, genetic material. The Con is going next time. Thanks for the memories.
John
PS: Somewhere, in some box, is a photo of my maternal grandmother surfing Waikiki in the late '20s or early '30s. I need to find it.
Hi Guys, Im new to this forum and really late for this party. I believe I have 68 butterfly spear and its incredible how ahead of its time it was.
Here is a little history on my board. I bought it here in Phoenix in 1974 at a yard sale for $10.00 at the age of 15 . I used it surf at Big Surf in the 70s ( I learned to surf in 68 at Matachen Bay Mexico). and a couple of times in San Diego. it hasnt seen water in 30+ years. From what I was told its a late 1968 Iron Butterfly Morpheus Super Lightweight. It is 7ft 2 inches long, 20 inch width, approximately 2 3/4 inches thick, and approximately 11-12 pounds. The fin is still there and its an adjustable fin/box system that allows the fin to move forward up to 6 inches. It has no leash plug or leash system.
I hope to get pics up in a day or two. Im gonna need some advice on repairs or restoration and if I should surf on it again.
Thanks, Dave
Not sure if I can resurrect this old discussion. But will give it a shot. An old friend had this Con Butterfly “The Auzzie” model pulled out of storage. Can anyone ID that fin box type? Dims: 6’4 x 21" … 16" (1’ from nose) … 14" (1’ from tail).
It’s a Guidance finbox. They were only in business for about two years. Roughly 1969-71.