A few weeks ago I purchased an G&S 7’8" single fin. Its a bit beat up, but lightweight and serviceable. It doesn’t have a leash plug, but someone drilled through the fin box to attach a leash. The only writing on the board are the numbers “416” and “78”. Anyone have any idea 1) approximately when it may have been built; 2) whether it is a specific “model” or whether it was a one-off; and 3) who might have shaped it? Any info would be greatly appreciated.
The guy I bought it from said he bought it in the mid-1980s to try to learn to surf, took it out a few times, and then stuck it in his garage for the past 25 or so years. He said he thought that it was made in 1978 because of the “78” written on it. I’m not so sure, because the board is 7’8". In any event, I’ve taken this board out a dozen times now, and really enjoy it. It is a wave catching machine, and once I got used to it, have found it turns reasonably well.
From what I can recollect, that board looks like a G&S Modern Machine, a model that was introduced in the mid 70s. Kind of like the predecessor to the present day funboard/hybrid shapes. It was long enough to catch waves easily, yet still fairly manuverable.
doc, i agree. i’ve been riding it all summer, and ended up picking up another at a garage sale. it is the perfect board for a wave i like to surf that rolls a bit and gets crowded. last winter i would bring my longboard if i anticipated a crowd, or ride a 7’6" hank warner funboard i have that is a bit higher performance than the modern machine, but doesn’t catch waves nearly as easily. we had a NW swell that lit up the winter breaks a few days back, and i rode the modern machine there and it filled the gap nicely. i could compete with the longboards to catch waves, but had a lot more fun once i caught them.
TonY staples is still Building boards in San Diego. He makes some of the best Egg shapes you will ever see. Lots of good shapers and glassers got their start at G&S.
