a few weeks back when I was talking to my surfing buddy, I mentioned to him that I was doing that restoration of the 1957 Bill Wallace hollow toothpick, he thought for a sec and then said “I think my dad has a Bill Wallace longboard”, well I almost clobbered him then and there for keeping it a secret for so bloody long! I told him to bring it around for me to see, he came right back with it, I thought I would share a few pics to see if anyone has any idea of the age of it.
it has been partly restored at some stage, a layer of resin over the bottom and cut(taped off) lapped around the rails and then painted, deck still looked original. I’m guessing the fin box isn’t original though?
ok so here’s the numbers: 9’1", 17 7/8N, 23 1/2, 17 7/8T, 7 pod, 2 7/8 thick.
stringerless obviously,
VERY rolled bottom right through, very thin 50/50 rails.
in the centre of the deck it also has a 117 next to the 9’1", could this indicate board number 117 of that year?
any ideas on age? and how much it is worth? not that he would sell it coz I think I have hooked my mate on longboarding now! which is good… we can both learn together!!!
I’m no expert but judging from the shape, it appears that it might have been shaped somewhere around 1966 or 1967. Looks like what they were riding shortly before the shortboard revolution and vee bottom period. The only thing that seems odd is that the fin box looks like a modern day fins unlimited type box. It’s possible that the original fin was removed and the box installed. Looks like a fun shape…ride on.
I’m no expert but judging from the shape, it appears that it might have been shaped somewhere around 1966 or 1967. Looks like what they were riding shortly before the shortboard revolution and vee bottom period. The only thing that seems odd is that the fin box looks like a modern day fins unlimited type box. It’s possible that the original fin was removed and the box installed. Looks like a fun shape…ride on.
Unfortunately, Stoked-n-Board has only the most cursory entry on Bill Wallace boards, listing one year -1964; and one confirmed serial number - 4385 (almost certainly not reported from the same board), with a very low estimate of reliability. Looking at the shape, it certainly could be from 66-67, but if it were a US-produced board, I would widen that range a bit. Here on the East Coast I recall seeing Bahnes (and maybe Surfboards Hawaii models) with similar outlines and thickness flow from as early as 1965 to as late as 1968, although step decks had become common by the very end of that era.
I’m thinking around 65/66. It is pre the V-bottoms but not by far. It is similar to the board Midget won the 65 nationals on. So there may have been a bit of hype around the board, and other manufactures in Australia may started building boards similar to it. G&S were making the Midget Farrelly Stringerless in 1966.platty.
