Sad to report, Gordon (Gordie) Duane passed away on July 27, 2011. Another pioneer has slipped away from us.
Well I can say I am sad to hear that the leader of the “hole in the wall” gang, Gordon Duane has passed away. Gordie was as colorful man as I have ever known, and as a surfboard craftsman, he set the bar higher than anyone, and earlier than just about anyone. When Harold Walker started making blanks in his parent’s chicken coop in Costa Mesa, it was Gordie who was with him, and became his first customer, in around 57-8. When Gordie opened his first shop, a few months later- it was under Huntington Beach Pier! When T’kill states he was a pioneer, you better f’n believe it.
Gordie’s boards were known as made with the best materials and craftsmanship especially during the sixties and while not as well known as Velzy, Jacobs, Hobie, Noll,or Weber, his boards were made at a higher level than those guys mentioned. Now that’s a pretty bold statement meant to create dissonance for the neophyte, but let me explain. Gordie didn’t take shit from anyone, and his personality at times put kindly was difficult. He would rather send a customer down the street for a board if he felt they were unworthy of his work. A real, no BS straight shooter, which explains why he may not seem to get the same recognition as the others mentioned who definitely had the gift of self-promotion. As a kid, I felt it an honor to be in his company, and at least he let me hang out, And yes I saw him personally drive people away on many occasions.
What a bitchen guy; the last time I saw him was at the memorial for Jim Fuller at the pier around ten years ago. I guess I will going to another one. If you want some insights into the g’rat’s style you can blame it partly on Gordie, but he did it way before me and way better; I guess I am just to soft.
I now know what people mean when they say: “They just don’t make them like that anymore…”
One of the best surfboard logo’s ever.
To say that he was gruff, would be an understatement.
Lost another classic. Aloha Gordon, R.I.P.
some bad information regarding Gordie surfing Ole's contest. It was the Greek. Auwe. I apologize.
Long may you ride
I know a guy who has a Mark V. I’ve been trying to wrangle it off him for years. It hasn’t seen water in at least three decades. Shame.
he was a good friend.
i'll tell fury.
herb
Aloha Herb,
Please say hello to Bill Fury for me. Tell him I still remember him charging Pipe, in 1963.
bill remembers you.
said you charged sunset,he did.
also mentioned the house you shared with like 8 others on the northshore.
i'll let him know you said hi.
herb
when I was just a young grom of 13 years old I wanted a Gordie Just because I liked the Logo. Since I couldn't find one in NJ, I never did get that Gordie.
Gordie was a really interesting guy. Alan Heath in Oceanside first introduced me to Gordie in1998. Alan was building some Gordie’s and I was doing some fancy pinlines for him. I remember talking to him about the hey-day of surfboard building in the 50’s and 60’s. He told me a lot of really cool stories. He loved my tattoos and my airbrush art He really liked my Agave boards. He gave me a fiberglass cast of an big eye tuna. Made with some hand shaped fins. I still have it to this day. He inspired me to do my stringer work on blanks. They don’t make 'em like that any more! Im sure he’s give’n them hell werever he’s at. Aloha Gordie…
Hey Barry, I have to say you kind of remind me of him, without the give’m hell, personality. Go back another 30, no 40 years, from when you met him,and that guy ruled. Still does in my mind. Sad to not hear anything about a memorial. I talked to Rockin’ fig, on his cell phone,about what he knew last Sunday, and he didn’t know anything about a paddleout, and was burned out because he is announcing the US open, and I know how hard he works during these things, so I am not going to call him again till the thing is over. The Velzy memorial at Doheny will never be duplicated, and if you weren’t there, it was amazing. Gordie was his equal, and deserves the recognition.
Howzit Herb,I met Gordie at the little diner next to the Golden Bear. We used to eat breakfast there a lot and he did to and one day I just said Hi on the way out. The next time I saw him there he said hi first and I replied with the same. Talked to him a few times on a casual basis and that was about it since I could see he was a serious kind of guy. When Katin had their first contest the first prize was a Gordie Lizard board. Aloha,Kokua
Kokua, your a cool guy, and I love when you share stories. I have nothing but love for Gordie, partly because he let me hang around, and showed me some stuff about making surfboards. His sanding pads were the best for shaping because they didn’t have the recessed edges like the Power Pads, and we never let the machine run too fast so the edges would gouge. Yeah, the old 10 amp 1450 milwaukee, and the little speed control, used to be a secret that only a few people on the coastline knew, back in the day. I still remember Fuller watching TV, shaping and smelling up Gordie’s shaping room, ahh, the smell was wicked coming out of there- alcohol sweat, and Fuller working was a bad combination. Sadly the last time I saw Gordie was at Duke’s for Fuller’s memorial paddleout. I rode with Russell, and Larry Sargent.
His Obit was in the L.A. Times a couple of days ago. Not much written, but did put him in the company of Velzy and Hobie as a pioneer in the business. Also credited him as being one of the first to use wooden stringers at the dawn of the foam era. No mention of a service or memorial.
Howzit grat, thanks for that and I wish I would have gone by Gordies shop more often since H.B. was our home base. Our surf club was sponsered by Katin's so we spent most of out time there just sitting around and talking story. Aloha,Kokua
nancy katin ,now there's a gal with Aloha !
from time to time , i use to pick up nancy's dog from the groomers in seal beach for her.
you and the nancy's dog share the same name,kokua.........lol.
i remember you saying how you use to talk with nancy in the shop.
me to !
but probably a few years further down the road.
with nothing but my board under my arm and a wetsuit jacket and longjohns on,i'd ride my bike from seal or longbeach to huntington or newport,surf for 2-4 hours then ride back.
i'd stop at katin's and nancy would feed me those old hotdogs she had(you remember those)and some hot choc. out of a old coffee mug.
i painted her some pictures and she proudly displayed then for many years to come and go.
i could go on...........she always spoke highly of greg loher and jimmy cartland.
a life of a surf gremmie............wouldn't have changed a thing!
herb
Howzit Herb, The years we were sponsored were from 65 to the beginning of 68, by that time most of us in the club were surfing for Uncle Sam in South East Asia but during our time we were there every weekend unless we went north to surf or were in Mexico. Her and Walt were a class act for sure and when they held the first Katin Contest one of our club members came in second and they were so happy to see that and every club memeber made it to their second heat. That was such a fun contest. Aloha,Kokua
I feel strange reading these posts, and thinking of Gordie with the buzz from the corporate circus of the US Open still ecohing in my head. still picture from the pier the dust from the crowd rising like some consumer fueled Hades Gordie in the Golden Era was surfing in HB. How many of the crowd, (or even the contestants), knew who he was. Even here, factoring in the repetes, a couple hundred member reads? Hell yes, a paddle out for the man.
He sold me my second surfboard 9'6" round pin, "Jet Tail", he called it, bought used from team rider "Frog" (John Van Oflan) sp? in 1963. I rode it way too long, over a year, I think.
sickdog