Austin Baird

Archive 1999-2004
1

Looking for all info on Austin Baird. He shaped out of Sunset Beach, California in the early 60’s this is all I know. Please help. http://www.reason4productions.com/baird/

2

I don’t know of that label… the hyphenation of the name suggests that perhaps Austin and Baird were two people operating as partners?

3

Bo Baird, AKA Baird of Austin-Baird writes:

Mike:

My son, Austin Baird, found your site and some postings regarding

Austin-Baird Surfboards. As I was the “Baird” in Austin-Baird, I can tell

you a little about our boards. Bob and I were in the same surf club–West

Shore Surfers in Long Beach, CA. Walt and Nancy Katin (Kanvas by Katin Surf

Trunks) were our clubs sponsors. Both Bob and I made our first surfboards

and lived just two blocks from each other. Walt & Nancy had a small shop

for rent on the side of their building and when Bob and I heard the rent was

only $50 a month, we started Austin-Baird Surfboards. That was September,

  1. I bought out Bob’s share of the shop about a year later as he

returned to college. He is now retired from the US State Department and

living in Virginia.

I kept the Austin-Baird name and even named my son after my old partner. In

January, 1966, I was drafted into the US Army and spent two years at Ft.

Carson, Colorado. The surf was not too good in Colorado so I took up

skiing. After the first year in the Army, I discovered that my shop manager

and bookkeeper were ripping me off. I came home on leave, had a “fire sale”

and closed the shop for good. I resolved never to be ripped off again and

started studying accounting and business. I am now a CPA, and Vice

President of a private professional college.

I just signed up for your site, but have not been able to explore it much.

If there is any information or photos you would like concerning Austin-Baird

Surfboards, please let me know.

Bob Baird

AKA Baird of Austin-Baird