Picked this board up and trying to get an idea of its autheticity and age. Doesn’t have a model name but there is a S/N (9650) and initial “S” on the tail. Pics attached. Has been a wall hanger since 1970 in this guys basement stored out of the elements. I am planning on taking a spin back to the San Diego area soon, and want to reintroduce this board to the waves.
That’s a pretty unique board. Multiple wedge cut foam stringers are a rarity. Also rare to see the glasser’s name written on it.
Foam stringers were quite popular just before things went short. I’d date the board around 1966-67. Do the outside stringers also have balsa strips?
Buzzy Smole shaped it.
Mr Thrailkill may have more to add, if he sees this post. I think he was shaping for Hansen when that board was built.
Here is a closeup of the underside of the nose, and the top. Appears to be six wood stringers. I wasn’t sure if this is the real deal since I can’t find one like it and I was unsure about the 4 stacked Hansen logos that seemed to be missing the blue colored shadow portion of the logo. This has only a few pressure dings, and the foam is just barely discolored. Thanks for the reply!
Extremely unique stringer setup. What you have is three foam/balsa t-band stringers.
Cool. I am a bit of a rookie so I appreciate the help! The guy I bought it from was calling it a six stringer, but now I know what a foam/balsa t-band stringer is.
I was curious about the 4 stacked Hansen logos that don’t have the blue colored shadow part of the logo? That seemed unique as well. It is a great looking board and hasn’t seen the water for at least 44 years. Any idea on the model type? 50/50? Classic? Custom build?
Has to be a custom. Might even have been for a friend or employee. The logo is not that big of a deal, but the combination of stringer job, unusual logo placement, and the glasser’s name sure marks it as a custom. Not every board made in the 60s was a “model”. Some were just called a “surfboard”.
That colorless version of the Hansen label is pretty common.
They guy I got it from was named Gary and worked at Scripps until about 1970. He said there is a picture of him carrying the board at the Birch Aquarium. Another interesting thing is that the skeg is glassed into the fin box, that doesn’t affect the sentiment, but I thought it might be something to point out. Cheers!
Post a clear photo of the fin. I’m about 100% certain there is no “box”. When that board was made, Hansen had their own proprietary removable fin system. It had a bolt through the deck. That board probably has a routed in glass-on fin
Still hoping Bill T chimes in, but I think I’m on the right track.
T band stringers are done in a variety of combinations. The term stands for triple band. Typically, a center strip is sandwiched between two other strips of different material. You will find 60s boards that have redwood/balsa/redwood, or the reverse of same. Plus, foam and wood was fairly common when colored foam stringers appeared around 1966-67.
I see what you are saying about the lack of an actual fin box. The fin that is on there isn’t the shape or style of what I generally think of on 60’s longboards. The glass is chipping a bit at the base of the fin on both sides. Does this appear to be a replacement fin?
Typical mid 60s fin shape. The fin may well be original and someone did a lousy repair job. Is the fin solid glass? The photos don’t reveal a whole lot.
Hi guys. The board number, 9650, says 1966 to me. The fin does not appear to be original to the board. typical fin material, at that time was two color glass on. Brown and white. Black and white. The S with the ‘‘dot’’ on either side of it, was the way Fred (Buzzy) Smole, would sign his personal surfboards. So, that identifier, and the truely custom glueup tells me this was one of Buzzy’s personal board. As a bonus, the board was glassed by Gary Neves. A fellow well known in the local industry, at that time. Seeing that board was a trip down memory lane for me.
Bill
So, my guess that it belonged to someone who worked at Hansen’s was pretty good, then? That kind of fancy stringer and the sig from the glasser led me to believe just that. Almost no one signed boards back then, and certainly not glassers.
Nice call Sammy. That is a nice board. Most Hansens are fairly generic. I would even go out on a limb and call it “rare”. I wonder if it would qualify for one of the vintage surf auctions?
Thanks Bill, Sammy, and Cleanlines for triangulating all the details and info and educating me. When I took the board home I thought I might eventually haul it back to San Diego for a surf. Knowing it is rare and might have some significance I am not sure what to do with it. Would this be a museum quality board, or collector item? Are there surf museums that take loans to display? Thanks again!
Dan S,
#1 Find a pro to repair the board leave the fin in (you have a sorry job on same) with some attention to details.
#2 Rub it out only don’t polish.
#3. Pick a nice sandy beach and low crowd and surf the thing!
IMO before you hang it on da wall you have to appreciate it.
Also the Heritage surf museum probably would be interested up 2 U
Could that possibly be the original fin that someone repaired and pigmented black?
