I bought this 5’9" Rick fish out in Montauk this weekend. So far I found out that it was most likely shaped by Phil Becker but I am not certain. I called Becker Surf and sent them some photos so hopefully I’ll find out for sure who shaped it and when it was shaped. I’ve never seen a fish with such a round nose before. I’m pretty new to fish history so I would welcome any insights on the shape, design details, and it’s place in fish history. Also I’d be really curious to hear what conditions or surf style people feel would most suit this board. I’m hoping to get out on it at the end of the week. Also this was sort of an impulse buy along with the spoon you can see in one of the photos. I bought them both for $600. Just curious how people think I did. Circumstantially I didn’t want to haggle although I probably could have quite easily.
Hi hippophagy, I think Phil shaped that board because I made the fins, which is a Clyde Beatty outline, above is another Beatty with more pinstrips which I made in 1975. Matt Calvanti at Bing also shapes Rick Boards today. Matt is surfing on one of the islands in the Indian Ocean till next Monday. Try talking to Matt then and he can snswer the question for you foresure. Mahalo,larry
UNLESS I AM VERY, VERY MISTAKEN(oops caps lock) a very similar board to that one was bought by Tom Curren at Surfers Supplies in Ocean City NJ----in the late 80’s—he went on to actually ride the board in a french ASP contest winning the heat-i think matt hoy was the ‘victim’–conditions were small and semi-clean—in which those board really flew!
I wish you had posted a better pic of the spoon…
and don’t just look at them —take them out and ride 'em!~
I did run across the information about Curren and a Rick twin but I assumed it was a more conventionally shaped fish. Then I ran across this video http://youtube.com/watch?v=15IPC9gnIW4 which shows a Rick twin with a flat tail. I’m not certain that’s the one he rode in France but one of the comments says it is. If you want to see more picks of the spoon I posted them in this thread http://www.swaylocks.com/forum/gforum.cgi?post=335604. And rest assured I will be riding both shortly. The Rick is coming out on Friday, and as soon as I clean up the many gaping holes along the rails of the spoon it too will be back in the water.
That looks like a fun looking fish. As for the price…I think its a fair price you paid for both. There will always someone out there telling you you paid too much…but as long as you feel good about the buy, thats all that matters. Hope you enjoy riding them both.
I rode this board on friday in clean mid to high tide semi-a-framey waist to chest high waves…paddles well and catches waves easily, very loose with an almost pivot like feel to turns…did not have the same type of down the line drive as my 5’5 Lis twin keel, but had plenty of “skate” and speed…I think that with with a few good sessions, you could easily tap into the looseness and really have some fun…also easy to “cheater five” to connect through sections…
board is very thin, with a flat (not domed at all) deck that almost has a semi-concave feel to it…and appears to be shaped this way, not due to deck caving in over time…
The board is basically an interpretation of a Cylde Beatty Rocket Fish.
Not a whole lot of them were made. John estimated anywhere from 75-100.
It was made in the mid to late 70’s.
Even though the deck is dead flat it’s probably not a kneeboard because kneeboards actually had a raised edge along the rails.
The delam repair is most likely obscuring the serial number which would date the board more accurately.
There’s about a 90% chance it was shaped by Phil Becker.
I’m surfing the board again tomorrow and probably Saturday and Sunday. It is quite honestly one of the best boards I have ever ridden. It seems to read my mind as far as turns go and it surprises me with just how quick it comes around. But it never feels wobbly or skiddish like my 5’4" single fin fish. It catches waves easily and it pumps up and down the face with ease.
