I was wondering if anyone had any infomation/pics regarding Australian surfboard logos, especially ones using mostly type. ie… McCoy ect. I am doing a design project for uni exploring the way in which typography has been used in an interesting way in Australian culture. Id love to know why certain elements have been chosen, things like the typeface or how it has been made, hand generated ect… I believe shapers and designers have used very unique and interesting typography on their bords, wheather being just the shapers name or the brand. I am not too worried about the big names, (mainstream), such as ripcurl or billabong although the old stuff is cool. I would love to see some underground stuff, the stuff backyarders put on thier boards. I love the stuff people like chipfish put on their boards. Also if anyone has any knowledge on materials or methods used to generate the type, whether it has been hand generated, spraypainted or digital. I know of a few local shapers in Melbourne Australia, who have some really cool stuff and Ill try to contact them or maybe someone could give me a contact… sheesh! sorry this is so long but I have so many ideas but havn’t really seen much. so, any info or pics or books anyone knows of would be of real help. thanks
[it was under “manufacturer / shaper index” , under their awesome catalogue [which show each board , and their logos …you might like to go through that , too …IF you have a few weeks to spare ?!]
thanks everyone, thats an amazing start and heaps for me to look at. thanks for the feedback. i have found another shaper in melb oke surfboards(Neil oke), awsome surfboards and a great shaper. ill try to speak to him about logos and stuff.
another thing, would anyone like to post or email me some drawings, sketches or pics of of the logos or type they have designed for thier boards. as i said the stuff you guys design is really exciting different. anything would be great.
i live in the states,in virginia beach,virginia,my first new surfboard was a surfboards austrailia,bought it in 1972 it was twin fin and had removable fins,the logo on it was the outline of austrailia with the aussie flag covering it,don’t remember who made it,last year i was in a north carolina surfshop and saw a brand new one,but the manager of the shop said the chinese bought the copy right and are producing them,and selling them real cheap,i will not buy a chinese board!
…my first new surfboard was a surfboards austrailia,bought it in 1972 it was twin fin and had removable fins,the logo on it was the outline of austrailia …
Mine’s sure not new, but I think its what you’re talking about…
thats unreal, thats sorta thing is perfect. i spent some time going through all the logos on the links you guys gave me, there were some amazing stuff on there, love all the old graphics. the reason i am doing all this is for a calender design in which uncovers or shows people a certain aspect of australian design, epecially typography. surfing is such great sourse of design and i think its such a huge part of aussie culture… once again if anyone has any cool stuff they have designed themselves or some sketches you have done id love to see them. (ohh and i will not use any of these designs in my work cos of copyright and stuff, its all just research)
Benny, the photos of this John ARNOLD shaped twin fin rang a bell in my memory. I think I remember a board very similar to this one being stolen in Guéthary from some visiting aussie, then recovered, the thief turning out to be a guy I knew at the time. Is that board yours first hand or did you buy it from someone? Do you by chance know its “background”? The coincidence would be incredible, I know (soooo many years later: must have been around 1975…) but I swear that this board looks pretty much the same as the one I remember of…
I got it second hand at best, probably more like 3rd or 4th. I’ve been told I can assume its from the early '70’s. I bought it at a garage sale in Oakland, CA in about 1982. Its 5’2" or so by over 3.5" thick. In ‘82, although I was only 13, I was already 6’ tall and I never did surf it well. But for some reason, I never wanted to get rid of it, either. So there it sits, behind my garage (in the shade) to this day.
What I’m sure of is the board was a John ARNOLD twin finner but now that I think of it, it may have had a tinted yellow or red pinline on top. Same shape, very short and thick. Incredible. What a piece of memory… Thanks for that.
Its hard to see, but that ‘stringer’ is just a blue-green tinted resin line. No wood. Leads me to believe that the fins are original, as they match the stringer
benny1 i dont know if that is the same shaper who made my twin fin, the company name and label was Surfboards Austrailia,using the map of Austrailia with the aussie Flag in the background, Gary
