Was Butch Van Artsdalen ever involved with board building? Did he favor any particular shapers or ride shorter designs?
Thanks
Calling Mr Thrillkill…
I think he just rode, surfed the snot out of his equipment, drank and fought. One of my all time favorite surfers. From what I hear I might have a different opinion if he and I grew up in the same era.
Looking forward to seeing the replies to your question.
Come on Bill!
Bill has been getting kicked around in Surfer Magazine’s “General Discussion”:
http://forum.surfermag.com/forum/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=1125512&an=0&page=0#Post1125512
Howzit August, Boy you weren’t kidding about bill getting kicked around, they are pretty vicious over there. What got me is the guy saying that here at Swaylocks we are mean to the older guys. I don’t go the the Surfer Mag site and after checking out the thread i now know why I won’t go back there, seems like they aren’t into research and design but just dissing on people.Aloha,Kokua
Quote:
Howzit August, Boy you weren’t kidding about bill getting kicked around, they are pretty vicious over there. What got me is the guy saying that here at Swaylocks we are mean to the older guys. I don’t go the the Surfer Mag site and after checking out the thread i now know why I won’t go back there, seems like they aren’t into research and design but just dissing on people.Aloha,Kokua
Same here, I checked it out last night and was so amazed at how a lot of guys are on multiple sites going back and forth and back again dissing Mr. T.
I was ashamed to be connected to it and came back here and started deleting posts I had made. Too thick for my blood. Weird!
Weirder still, Bill probably knows more about Butch than anyone
Butch at Sunset Beach in 68
how vast is the potential?
how pitiful the humanities . . .
revere the higher form.
ignore the debasements
perhaps in time they,whomsoever they might be,
will just cease to exist.
when are the blessed
greeks gonna inherit the earth?
something good is coming
I can hardly wait.
…ambrose…
a culture fixated on arguing
and execution and divisiveness.
grim. Bill 's O.K. in my book
shame on the surfer mag moderators
they should be banished to the elcamino real in san mateo
where everybody is from MAVERIX.
but really surfs the breakwater …
if you dont know the geography,thats an insult.
Bruce,
I don’t recall Butch ever being ‘‘hands on’’ involved in surfboard production. As you all know, or should know, Butch was a superb water athlete, and boxed well enough to be invited to compete in Golden Glove competition. Butch could, and did, ride ANYTHING he chose to. His roots were in long boards, but after initial resistance, moved into the ‘‘mini boards’’ of the day. I don’t know of a favorite shaper of his. It might have been Diff, in later years. They surfed together for years at Windansea. And both were skilled surfers, at the highest level. And had similar, and shared experiences. Butch once asked to borrow my personal 10’ board to ride in the 33rd Annual Stone Steps contest. I was pleased to allow it.
I apologize to the Sways community and Bill for the whole thing here and on Bill’s thread.
Greg
Janklow,
That Surfermag board seems like a good place for you - to stay. You and Roy showed your true colors there and should be embarrased to even log on to Sways. I know I was embarrased to even read your chidish, bitchy tripe…couldn’t wait to log off.
Just saw the Thrailkill thread…though I stand by this…nuff said on the topic, time to move on…
As for Butch V. In the late 60’s he was involved with the brief “Design One” endeavor. It was based on the East Coast and I believe Butch was brought in to advise on design with Charley Bunger as the primary shaper (Rodney Sumpter and some others were also in on it I think). Butch and Charley I don’t think hit it off too well - as the history/rumor goes. They did produce some decent boards for those early short board days but the deal didn’t last long. Too many cooks in the kitchen kind of thing I think. Charley and his son are still cranking boards out in Babylon, NY.
Pete
At request, let’s let the topic remain on Butch, a freakin’ hero. They don’t make 'em like that anymore. We’re all too damn soft. ha!
One thing:
More Butch pics!!
Respect to Grannis, copyrighted material, do not reproduce for commercial gain etc
Greg
Howzit janklow,That picture is a great example of how good a surfer Butch was, how many surfers can ride waimea switch foot.Classic picture.Aloha,Kokua
Kimo Hollinger has written a few interesting things about Butch- check his books or Surfer’s J articles. Nice take on Butch from a close friend. Nice to Mr. M. Slim appearing back here too.
Anyone ever seen the Duke “Butch Van Artsdalen” signature model ? Not a pop-out and pretty rare.
I was thinking the same thing Kokua mentioned. I only know a few that can swithfoot in small California stuff. Switching at Waimaia. Sheeeet! What a great surfer! A natural goofy foot I think. Mike
Are you who was looking to see if anyone had seen a Butch Model Duke K board? I saw a board in a guitar store in NY it was a Duke K with Butch stenciled on the nose. The guy at the store believes it was his. I got a photo but it’s still in the camera.
This one wasn’t a stencil - it was a production model as in a Bing David N Lightweight, Hansen Mike Doyle, etc. Looks hand shaped to me - not a pop out like the other Duke K models.
I know that Butch worked for a short while in the early1960s at Larry Gordon’s surf shop in Pacific Beach. It was “gofer” work mostly, according Gordon, who I interviewed years ago. More sweeping up shavings than actively engaging in shaping and board design. Word has it that Gordon let Butch go for partying with friends in the shaping room. Bear Mirandon of Surfboards La Jolla said he shaped boards for Butch with Butch’s input. I wonder if he’s still around. Carl Ekstrom would be another good source. He has a treasure’s trove of great stories about Van Artsdalen. One of my favorites placed Butch at Waimea Bay on an insanely big day, admiring one of Pat Curren’s famous rhino chasers. Butch asked if he could take the big wave gun out in the giant surf, figuring Pat would surely say no. The joke was on Buth though, when Curren gave him the nod, forcing the surfing legend to swallow hard, save face and paddle out into the menacing soup.
