just wanted to ask if there were any variations to the Greek Maui Model made? were there any made after 1970 with a newer design than the late 60’s version?
my reason for asking is that i bought an old board cheap a few years ago (i have ridden old boards since i was a kid) but it was covered in this hideous paint job. i am sure the person who did it loved it but i didn’t. i left the board standing in the shed as i had others to ride and looked at it recently and decided to remove the paint job and see what was underneath. i new there was something as i could see the original glass at the nose with a thin red pinline.
so i laid it on the racks and did some sanding and thought i’d check the deck about a foot or so back from the nose to see if there was anything there. it had “Maui Model” over a small map-like shape and then underneath it said “by Greek”. i knew of the Greek name from the other models like Eliminator etc. so i checked on the internet and found out they were a late 60’s type shape from around 67 or 68 but this shape is definitely 70’s. it has a number on the deck also. i took a couple of pics with my phone but am on my wife’s mac at the moment and don’t know how to use it properly.
the interesting thing is that i live near Newcastle Australia so i have no idea how this board got here.
i am just wondering if someone has any info. i guess it could be a reshape but if it is they have done a really good job of it.
thanks again SammyA, i have used the fin screws with the tab on the end so you can adjust fin position during a surf and don’t need to worry if you can’t find a screwdriver before paddling out either. i can definitely see the benefits of those things.
thanks SammyA, the fin box is quite short, i think only long enough to fit the fin without any real movement back and forth. the rail shape and template would indicate more 74 or so to me but that’s only going on Australian shapes from the time.
It would be correctly called an eye bolt. They were marketed under the name “Wonder Bolt”. Not to be confused with fin system used in mid-Sixties Dewey Webers. Also called “wonder bolt”
The original intent was for leash attachment. Pre-dates the leash plug. Found to be a bad idea, as the leash would yank the bolt out, or just tear through the rail ( pre “rail saver”, too).
I have used them for decades, as it is the most convenient way to attach a single fin in an FU box. No screwdriver needed. I’ve even picked a nail out of a piece of driftwood on the beach, and used it to spin the bolt out for adjustment or fin swap.
Hi Lucas. Not being actually a Maui Model specialist but I’m very interested in it, having owned one in the past and recently starting to collect them. I can tell you that there were important variations from the early models to the last ones, although I’m not sure of the date when production was discontinued. I believe that the model was introduced in 1967 and it appeared to be a sleek longboard shape (not unlike the Bing Pipeliner) featuring a pintail, rather pinchy egg rails and the famous “tigertail” fin. The model then started to evolve, following the trend to shorter boards and I remember an ad in Surfer Mag (probably around 1968) that went: “The Maui Model has gone beyond old-school surfing” and featured, side by side, the old model and a much shorter, wide square-tailed one.
I personally own a strange variation on the model that is 7’11" and features a rather gunny shape together with a very thick tail that tapers into much thinner rails. My friend Jeffrey did a full restoration on this one and contacted Bob “The Greek” Bolen for info. He was told that this precise model was one of a very few made for the team and that it was designed to ride Sunset Beach. I also own another version that is 6’8" with an entirely different outline, and I have seen photos of others, too…
Here are a few photos of mine. First, the original that I owned in the 70s (that’s the one on the left):
Then, the one that Jeffrey restored (before/after):
This is the latest I scored. It’s in pretty bad shape and I’m currently working on it to try and make it better looking:
The famous tigertail fin:
That’s all I can tell, but you should ask Greek for dates and details. He always was very helpful with me and he would be the one to ask about all the model’s variations.
thanks for the info and it looks like you have some nice boards. this is the first Greek board of any model that i have seen in Australia but i am not really a “collector” as such. i love old boards and their history but my real love is in riding them.
i was talking to a good friend this afternoon and we talked about the Shane White Kite boards that Ted Spencer designed. they started originally as transition boards in about '68 and then kept changing through til about '72 or so. i have seen a few different versions of those and i had wondered about whether the same went for the Greek models. it would seem to be so in this case.
thanks again for the details and for showing your boards. if i wanted to contact Bob (the Greek) how would i find him?
