I’ve had this picture for quite a while, but can’t seem to find much info on it. All I know is that it belonged to Bunker Spreckles and was sold at auction for $10,000(at least that’s what the caption said).
Any info on board history/construction/etc…please feel free to share.
J.
ask steevie
or ben ferris
or riddle they would know…
…ambrose…
kokua show this picture to riddle
i’d be keen to hear too.
Bunker Spreckles wiliwili wood board shaped by Bob “Wolfman” Stay 5’0"
1974 This is an incredible piece of history. From the late Bunker Spreckles, comes his personal fish, made of wiliwili wood (equivilant of Hawaiian balsa). Shaped by the legendary Bob “Wolfman”" Stay of Country Surfboards. Bunker took this board to Jeffreys Bay and said that it was one of his favorite boards of his extensive quiver. Classic fish shape, black glass on keel fins, fiberglassed wiliwil. Pre-auction estimate $5000-$10,000.
2005 Hi. Islands Vintage Surf Auction
got any dims for that?
did he kneeboard it? i hear he wasn’t averse to various forms of wave-riding
if anyone has that bruce browne and drew kampion surf culture book, and a scanner, could they please post that photo of bunker at backdoor (got to be the sickest surf photo ever in my opinion) and the one showing the size of the board he’s doing it on, amazing surfer.
if no-ones got the photos i’ll try to get them posted.
tom
south wales (old)
From my understanding he would sit way out the back at jeffries and drop in on his knees, hit a bottom turn, then stand to drive down the line.
does anyone know of any existing footage or pics of his surfing??
i’ve never read through surf culture, but i’d love to see that photo. please get 'em up if you can
i’ll try to get someone to scan them from my copy.
the board he’s on at backdoor looks like it may be sub 5.
tom
I think theres a book comin out on Bunker with a lot of Art Brewers stuff.
australiansurfing.net/features/bunkerspreckles.html
Bunker Spreckles with his Alma board
A.B. Spreckels III grew up in the lap of luxury. From an early age, Tom Tom Mathews and the beachboys at Waikiki’s Royal Hawaiian Hotel taught the lad the intricacies of fishing, canoeing and surf riding. Little A.B.S. III’s family was revered by the native populace in the land of Aloha because they had supported Kalakaua in his battles against the interlopers. He was taught things few would ever learn because of his lineage. Old Kahunas proclaimed that he was a reincarnated Hawaiian prince.
Back on the mainland, Spreckels became a highly skilled surfer, practicing in the manicured perfection of the private-access beaches of Point Dume. The boy was universally called by the family-bestowed nickname of Bunker, and society columnists charted his every move. He dated Miss Teen California, was an Olympic track National Archery champion, had a tenure position nailed at the Pacific Stock Exchange and seemed doomed to the sweet ride of those groomed for success.
When he was ten, the world’s most famous man became his step father. Clark Gable schooled Bunker in the arts of hunting and revealed the illusory insanity of the image factory to his young charge. Later, following Gable’s death, Spreckels would use Clark’s Oscar as a doorstop. He would also turn his back on the family fortune and return to the North Shore of Oahu, where he became a penniless itinerant surfer. Surviving by building surfboards and living by his wits, Bunker pioneered a revolutionary approach to board design and wave riding that has never been equalled. He crafted radically short, hard-edged planing devices which he rode laying down , on his knees and standing up, oftentimes changing to the most effective body position several times during a single ride.
Traveling the world first class and fast.
On line to be in Kenneth Anger’s Lucifer Rising.
Cut off at the pass, dead at 27.
C.R. Stecyk III
http://www.newyorksurf.com/modules/ipboard/index.php?showtopic=735
Does anyone out there in internet land have a copy of The Surfer’s Journal Vol 2, #1
article entitled “The Player” Profile on Bunker Spreckles by C.R. Stecyk??
If you do, i’d love to see a pdf copy, or make other arrangements, as the back issue is no longer available.
thanks
interesting point…
just a personal preference…i just like working in a darkroom, and haven’t jumped on the digital bandwagon.
it has it’s obvious advantages, one of which is being able to post photos and articles on sites like this, but i am not a big fan of computers in general. i don’t actually own my own, my job gave me one, so i am learning how to use it more every day.
i can’t say one day i won’t make the switch, but i like the gear that i have, and being in the darkroom is a lot more relaxing than being on a computer.
don’t hold it against me…
You shouldn’t apologise…
I never even touched a PC until I was 46! I also enjoyed years in a darkroom when I was younger, and I dearly miss my 35mm equipment (all manual control). But these days I no longer can justify the costs and time associated with conventional printing and developing the number of photos I take. Plus, digital editing is an incredible tool.
A week after I purchased my first digital camera I’d shot something like 700 photos! A few too many, but I was intoxicated with the potential… even though I ended up keeping only 25! What a luxury! Ha ha
that ‘alma’ board is the one he’s riding at backdoor, looks about three inches thick and in a better photo the fin looks real fat and stubby. sorry to go on about photo’s i can’t post, for a couple of days any way.
i love the way he changed positions on one wave, photo’s anyone, please.
tom
Here’s one
what an incredible charecter! his 5’ “space sticks” with rope handles were interesting to.
that’s the one, such a perfect barrel, such a crazy board, what a guy. heroin overdose aside.
tom
pander
Thanks for pointing out that photo of Bunker at Backdoor.
I’ve had that book for years, but never noticed how small
that board was. He was one of a kind.
paulie
Howzit pander, Yes the heroin overdose was a real bummer since Bunker was an amazing guy,unfortunately he had a very dark side to him that most people didn’t know about. Up ti the time he inheirted the big money from the trust he had his feet fairly close to the ground but then he just went ballistic. Still trying to remember if the last time I saw him was either surfing the Bay on one of his little boards or the time he draggged his wife out of the restaurant by her hair. Aloha,Kokua
yeah, that certainly is a darker side to his personality. shame.
but kokua, i love the idea that he rode the same board in many different positions on the same wave. anybody got any photos, dims, anecdotes etc (not of the wife-beating variety though)
cheers
