Can anyone tell what year this is and possibly the shaper? I just got it on craigslist and want to make a rider out of it. It just needs a few dings fixed. Knowing a little of the history behind it would be cool if possible. Serial # is 13322. Its the only thing I see written on it. Thanks in advance.
Serial numbers on Hobies don’t help much. They are not sequential after a certain point in the label’s history.
By the looks of that board, I would date it around the early 60s. The fin shape is from that period. Also, the shape in general is not as thick and bulky as earlier foam Hobies. Rough guess…'61 to '63.
Any one of a number of guys could have shaped it. Hobie, Munoz, Edwards, Nelson, Martin, Gray, Cannon, Parker, etc… all shaped at Hobies during the early to mid 60s.
A good photo of the label would help. Certain styles were used during specific periods.
Thanks, I figured someone on here would know. Heres the label.
I’d guess roughly '62 to 64.
Again, the serial numbers are no help. I have a Hobie with serial # 26482. I know it’s from right around 1965, but that’s because it’s an original noserider model. Like many bigger labels, Hobie’s number sequence came from order slips that were generated by a vast network of dealers. Boards from the early 60s may be more sequential, as the label hadn’t ‘blown up’ on the East Coast by then. By about 1966, most of Hobie’s orders were shipped East. That lasted through the final years of the longboard era. By 1969, their EC dealerships had dwindled significantly.
Thanks for taking the time SammyA. Interesting info. Its older than I thought.
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...I just got it on craigslist and want to make a rider out of it. It just needs a few dings fixed... [/quote]
That looks like a good find, and a bit of a project, for you! From the look of the pictures, I'd say it needs more than just a few ding repairs to make it seaworthy again. Check out these blogs, you should find some inspiration and helpful info
Thanks for the links Huckleberry. There was a picture of a board on one of them that looks exactly what I envisioned mine to look like. mines not really that bad I think the shadowing from the leaves makes it look worse in the pics than it does in person. The tail and nose are in pretty good shape. Theres a few places on the rails where it almost looks like the glass is worn off instead of the normal dings you would see. Maybe thats just what a normal ding looks like 40 years later?
If I could get it to this condition I would be really happy.
Update: Who says you can’t polish a turd?
