I was wondering if anyone could help me with any details reagarding a board I picked up the other day. Its a 9-0 Russell. Redwood stringer with either balsa or basswood on either side and has a tail block w/ orignal wood fin. I sent Russell Surfboards in Newport Beach an email but though maybe someone here might be able to fill me in on some details like when the board was made, etc. There are no signatures or dimensions written on the board. However, there is a number “28” located on the top side where the stringer meets the tail block. Perhaps someone knows what this is referencing? Any help is appreciated. Thanks in advance. -Steve
Howzit sjyardan, I am a good personal friend of Russell but not sure how much time he spends on the computer, so his wife spends more time on it than him. We were talking about this in the spring when they were here, he owns a house in Wainiha and will probably be here at the end of this moth or next month because they come in the spring and the fall. Is there a number on the board or take a picture and post it and I can try and get some info for you. He is a busy guy but I have his cell # but don't give it out for obvious reasons. I will go by the houe and ask Bobby Allen when Russell ( his real name is Bob) and find out when he and his wife are coming. The boar sounds like one that was in his shop in 96 when we were hanging out together while I was on vacation. Aloha,Kokua
[img_assist|nid=1046336|title=Russell Fin|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=640|height=480][img_assist|nid=1046337|title=Russell tail|desc=|link=none|align=none|width=434|height=640][img_assist|nid=1046339|title=9-0 Russell surfboard|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=640|height=480]
Wow, thats awesome. Thanks for your quick reply! I’ve posted other photos in the thread but here is the only number I could fins so far. It is definitely under the glass. Looks like it says 28 could be 29. Hard to tell with the scratches. If you look at the other photos, you’ll see that there is an green/blue opaque resin job on the deck. This looks to be sprayed as the tape lines are really well executed and there is no overlap step from the color section to the clear sections. Who ever did it, did a nice job. [img_assist|nid=1046341|title=number on tail of Russell|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=640|height=320]
Definitely not sprayed. Standard pigmented resin panels for the period. Done by hand, with tape.
That logo is probably as early a Russell lam as you’re going to find. Given the very low number, I’d say it’s from the first year they were in business. Also, that tail outline and wood fin with ‘halo’ would certainly make it pre-1965. My guess is 1963-64. Kokua, or some of the other guys from the West, would know.
That is some intriguing information. I had a feeling the 28 may refer to the board number in sequence but I thought perhaps it may also be a “model 28” as a pop-out shape which might explain no signature/dimensions. I’m sure someone will shed light on that.
Just curious; Were resin panels often painted at a shop during construction or was it more common that the owner-to-be would paint them on the board later? I have an old 9-3 by Atlantic Surfboards (florida) which came with the Russell and it looks like the resin panels were more of an amateur attempt with bled tape lines and heavy pooling around the edges. Again, thanks for your quick reply, Steve
Once again… Nobody put a sig or dimensions on boards in the Sixties. You might occasionally see a guy’s initials on the stringer, or a single letter or mark indicating who shaped it. But, the whole ‘sig and dims’ thing didn’t really become common until the 80s.
Like I already said, resin panels were pretty standard practice in the 60s. Some folks might
have attempted their own version, post purchase. The color on your Atlantic may well have been done by the builder. Many EC labels in the 60s were kind of primitive and done by newbs. Just because it looks sloppy, doesn’t mean it was done after the fact. Is there a gloss coat over the color?
Do these 12 Hobies built around 1965 look like they were done by the owner?
I was able to post some pictures of the board in the thread, if you haven’t already seen them… The kid who sold it to me was doing so for his dad and wasn’t familiar with the board or surfing for that matter so its been a mystery up to this point. By the way, I happened to find this board in Old Saybrook, CT
Howzit sjyardan, I saved the pictures in my documents and will print prbably the third picture of the whole board and take it to Bobby Allen since he ran the factory for Russell and then when Russell shows up I'll show him. Russell will be here on the 22nd of this month and he has some work for me I just found out from Bobby. what email address did you use to get to Russell, Bobby says he doesn't have an email address but Bobby could be wrong.Aloha,Kokua
That sounds great. Thank you for making the effort to find out more. It is really fascinating to learn about the history of the Russell label. . I sent an email to russellsurfboards@gmail.com which I found on the website and assume it just goes to a factory employee… Although, I haven’t recieved a response yet so I have no idea. Shortly thereafter, I posted here so it hasn’t been too long yet.
Howzit sjyrdan, I have no idea who checks that address but it may be either his wife since I have never seen a computer at the factory or the retail shop so it hs to be at his home. I would call him but I am so busy working that when I get home my brain is just a mass of gray matter. Like I said he will be here in 2 weeks and he has some work for me and we always spend time together since he and his wife are good friends. Aloha,Kokua
Update: I just discovered that below the laminate, “RICKY” is carved/imprinted vertically in the stringer. The stringer is really dark and with “rootbeer” glass condition it is hard to see but, who ever shaped this board, must have done so for that dude…
Howzit sjyardan, Stopped by and spent a couple of hours with Bob( Russell) but we got into talking about so many things that I forgot to ask him about the board. But don't worry I will be seeing him alot and wwill make sure I ask him. He was more interested in how I was doing than anything else and that was the gist of our discission.Aloha,Kokua
Howzit sjyardan, I had big plans for when I got here on the mainland but since my health condition has not been the best I have not gotten over to Costa Mesa to see Bob. He doesn't do the computer so I can't even send him the picture of the board but I did tell him about it one day when we were talking on the phone a while back and he was interested. The board definitely looks like a speedster that was made for charging racy waves and would work well in Hawaii. He was gone for for the end of October and all of November vacationing on Kauai where he has a home that he and his wife spend about 6 weeks in the spring and again in the fall every year. I know he told me he missed me on the last trip. Good thing is I went to my new ENT doctor today and he says he might be able to fix my throat so I can chew and swallow food, that would make my life a lot better and I could do some traveling then. Aloha,Kokua
