Everybody…well, at least everybody who was already surfing during the 1970s…remembers having their jaw drop over BK’s go-for-broke antics at Sunset back in those days.
The guy was already ripping on logs before that. Pretty amazing surfer during his prime, especially when you consider the limitations imposed by the equipment in those days.
San Clemente-1964
When paddling out at Sunset, I used to sit in the channel and watch BK. Always a good primer on how the place was breaking that particular day. I have to admit, I was in total awe of his mastery of the place.
BK made the bottom turn into a legitimately radical manuever; he “invented, and perfected” burying a rail. His edge control, on specious equipment (by today’s standards) is still unparaleled.
Here’s BK at Trestles in the mid 60s. I’m going to guess he’s riding his own model, the Rick BK Model, which was a triple stringer. It’s probably a 9’8", or so. Still, he’s got the damn thing layed out.
B.K. - 40 years ago:
Hynson model.
What makes you say that? The BK model was a three stringer and this photo was taken during the time he was riding/designing for Rick.
in the mid 90’s, went to BK’s shop at the beginning of a 3 week north shore stay to order an 8’0 semi to take home for bigger SF OB, hopefully get a few sessions at Sunset on it before pau…BK said he’d have it done in a week, two weeks max, so pre-paid for the board thinking it would prioritize the build…wrong…took me 5 months to get it, finally shipped to be me back in the bay area, freight collect, and only after a series of phone calls to the shop…the ultimate power surfer of all time…not the most reliable shaper of all time…nice ride though… 
When he was in San Diego, he attended Mission Bay High, (G & S country) was running around with Hynson, and I saw him on more than one occassion riding a Hynson model at Windansea. The Hynson model had 1/8th inch center, and 1/2 inch offset stringers. Like the photo. The photo could have been taken well before the publishing date.
DropKneen That bottom turn photo has to be one of the best from that era in Surfing.
artz,
Direct your kudos towards Jeff Devine for catching that moment.
Right. And the Rick BK model looked like this:
Sammy,
Was that photo taken by Neil Norris?
If it was, that may be the clue to determine what year the photo was taken.
Sammy,
I recently had the opportunity to check out a board by Jim Phillips that is based upon the Rick BK Model. Jim worked his usual magic and the board is super nice.
The original Rick BK is one of my personal favorites from the singature model era. That and the little known Hobie Leroy Ah Choy model were gems.
The one at Trestles? Not sure. It’s an older scan I’ve had on my hard drive for a while. I may be able to find the source. Maybe not.
I remember the B.K. Sig Model. I could’ve had a mint one for $15 in about 1969 when I went shopping for my first shortboard in H.B… The racks were full of virtually-unridden longboards that nobody wanted anymore. They couldn’t hardly GIVE the things away. I could’ve scooped up a few dozen of them if I would’ve had more money and a bit of foresight…but NO: I HAD to have one of the hidious shortboards that were all the rage at the time. Wound up with a nearly unrideable 7’10" Soul pintail “minigun” instead.
A person could’ve RETIRED on the proceeds if he’d bought up a bunch of those classic, unblemished logs on the cheap back then, stored them away carefully and unloaded them when the market peaked a few years ago. Ah well…coulda-shoulda-woulda…
Neil took some classic photos in Southern California in the early sixties. He has had some exhibitions here where he has displayed many of the the photos in his collection. The photo you posted of BK at Trestles looks like one of them. If so, probably taken in the early to mid sixites, and, as Bill said, it may be a Gordon and Smith. BK was riding for G and S during his early days in California and this photo, if taken by Neil, would be in that time period.
Yes. A friend of mine started buying up longboards before the vultures swooped in. He shipped about 20 to the West coast and put them in Alan Seymour’s first auction. He netted about 30k on that one auction. I doubt he paid more than $100 for any of the boards. He once got a red Greg Noll Cat at a flea market for $75. It was in 8/10 condition.
Compare the nose of this board, to the nose of the board BK is riding in your post #3 on page one. The above board has a more rounded nose, the board on page one has a more pointed nose, consistant with the Hynson model.
