As I remember the boards were almost parodies of the most extreme boards that anyone else was making.
Super wide, concave, down rails, up rails, scoops, steps etc.
The guys riding them rode them very well.
I recently retired to Fl near St Augustine but my old claim to surfing fame was that I knew Poe. He joined our group when we ventured to Brooklyn to see Endless Summer. Before he became famous he surfed with us, Pete Nosco, Joe Hilberger, (he actually placed 9th in a contest in Seaside I forget the year) and Fugi ( Bill Koropatnick) and me. Pete stayed around Lavalette owned a surf shop while we all went to school. Anyone know Poes whereabouts? Balsa( Blueberry)Bill thanks for the info you sent seperately. PS anybody remember the O’Keefe brothers. They moved from Clifton to Normondy or Chadwick Beach. One was a good surfer. Thanks
Don’t know where Poe is. I was amused at the above comment by someone that he bought Surfer’s Union from the Doyles and “ran it into the ground”. Although he did leave a lot of stuff in his wake when he went out, it took him 25 years to “run it into the ground”.
I sold Pete his first board, a 9’8 G&S with a t-band stringer. I probably sold most of the guys you mentioned their first boards too.
No one has called me Blueberry Bill in a long time. That name came about because I drove a 1941 Dodge pickup truck with “Sunken Branch Blueberry Co.” painted on the door. If you drove a farm vehicle in NJ in those days (1964) you could get your license at 16 instead of 17.
I went to High School with a Brian O’Keefe that lived on Haddonfield Ave. in Lavallette, he had a younger sister Anette and they originally came from Clifton. I lived in Chadwick and knew every surfer from there, but no O’Keefe’s.
Correction…it was Tom O’Keefe not Brian.
Looks like I hit the wrong key Hope this isnt a repeat Bottom line when I moved from Jersey I found a picture of Chris Vitella( another old summer surfer) and my old 10 Ft Surfboards Hawaii and the 6"8 Bahne I bought I think from Poe Also found the Winter edition 1965 of Surfing East with your article about skateboarding at Ithaca College There was also a mention of an inland surf club in Ridgewood Do you have a copy? If not I can send a photo copy Pete Nosco now a renouned Professor of Japanese Philosophy may be visiting me We will try to travel south and stop by your shop Also saw your trunks at Aqua East, real retro You captured the 60s look JM
Maybe earlier or different guys Billy O’Keefe was the surfer He had an older brother John who attended high school with me I believe John joined the Marines At last report he was studying Russian This was back 64-66
Last I heard he was in St. Pete FL. But that was some time ago.
I had a Dusty Rhodes 7'6" that I bought from Simo. I also remember buying a hollow WAVE from him for a bargain price. He was a character. The DR was a nice board for a good price. Does anyone know who shaped Messenger Surfboards that were sold at the RIck Shop in Shipbottom in 71/72?
BalsaBill,
There were some great moments for me in your comments. I have been at the Jersey Shore for 50 years. I remember all the shops you spoke of. The comments about Simo were hysterical! I happen to have bought a Dusty Rhodes Sunshine Superman there, as well as a previous board. I still have the Sunshine Superman board on the living room wall (great art piece). We hung at the Lavallette surf shop on many a rainy day.
My last name is Kiernan. Yesterday (4/8/10), I met a guy in Fair Haven, NJ who asked me if I had ever heard about "Kiernan Surfboards". I had not. He also mentioned surfing in the 60's or 70's at a place called Kiernan's.
I grew up in Burlington County and tried surfing once, in the late 60's at LBI.
In any case, I'd be interested in any info about Kiernan Surfboards or surfing at Kiernan's.
Thanks
I believe there was a Kiernan Ave. in Long Branch and that’s where the name of the surf spot came from. Probably the name of the board too.
The “s” on the end comes from surfers proclivity to put an s on the end of the name of surf spots.
Yup. Like “Steamer’s Lane”. No such spot. It’s Steamer Lane.
EOS
Thank you, Bill & Sammy
MK
Kiernan Surfboards had a factory on Atlantic Avenue. I surfed with a few of the guys that had something to do with it.
Ted Brantley, Bob Garrison and John Goodhue. They made boards in the early 70’s out of a factory on Atlantic Avenue in Long Branch. They had some good shapes and used that Colorflo fiberglass ( the one that had the color saturated in the glass) for a while. Most of the guys still surf.
Brings back lots of memories. I do remember Dusty Rhodes surfboards . One of the only other surfers from Kinnelon HS I believe had one . Cann t remember his name . Ken something or other . Mel Pippet Mark Pop and I [Keith Farley] were the only other surfers in that north Jersey town. I bought my first surfboard [ a 9-6 G& S skeg board with black sandpaper surface front and back] , from Custom Surfshop in Lavalette. I believe it was later owned by Peter Poe who changed it to Surfer Union. I kept a decal for years. Also kepted that Custom Surfshop tee shirt with the floral wide print until it threadbear worn out. Bell bottoms were soo cool at the time. Thirteen in 1969 and now a surfer for life! Mel live in caldwell Idaho, Mark in Fla Ken ? Im in Charleston [Mt Pleasant SC ] Still surfing.
Thanks for bringing up those great memories.
Keith Farley
Mt Pleasant SC 2010
Just a note on Dusty Rhodes I think it was 1968 and 1969 they were also sold out of a little Shop on Long Beach Island. I opened my shop Freedom Surf Shop in 1969. We were concerned because the rumor was That the shop was the Hobby Write off of a wealthy Dr from up around Seaside NJ. They were selling boards at some ridiculously low prices. The shop was only open for a year or so.
My first Board was a Jersey made board a Collier built in of all places Trenton NJ!
[quote="$1"]
While we're doing' the Jersey history thing, do any of you guys remember ''Chito Surfboards'',
shaped by Chito Gebhart? From somewhere on northern Long Beach Island, late 60s....
[/quote]
Chito was building boards up in Harvey Ceders LBI He moved to Ca in the mid 1970's The last I heard was still in San Clemente. He had a business selling and installing marine electronics. He was also building his own sailboat about a 35 foot boat as I recall. He married one of my sisters best friends from high school. . It has been about 15 years since I last heard from him or Jana.