Does anyone out there know what happened to Santa Barbara shaper John Bradbury?
I heard he passed away? If so when ? I have read such great things about him as a shaper would like to know more.Thanks
John passed in early june 1999,cancer . Brad was a great surfer and a truly gifted shaper.John was a member of Hope Ranch surf team in the 6o’s and a original member of the Santa Barbara surf club.He also worked at Yaters as a glasser till he started Creative Freedom surfboards around 1968 69 . Brad truly had the Santa Barbara style and life style and way ahead of his time .
Just a bit to add about Bradbury. John designed and built beautiful and balanced pitail and round pintail guns. He had a big influence on the big wave boards I built for myself. I glassed Johns boards for a while when I had the Monticito St. shop and used to marvel at his talent for flowing lines. A surprising way in which John impressed me was observing his passion for baseball. I have thought about him from time to time as I have coached my own kids over the years. The last time I saw John was in 1984. I came down after Tanner season and he asked me how I escaped from surfing…I told him I did’nt…
I lived in Pismo/Central Coast for a number of years. I was one of the few guys from my area who would go south to Rincon, the Ranch, El Cap etc. I had heard about John for years. I was working construction in Arroyo Grande in ‘99 when John passed away. A carpenter friend of mine had seen my board on my van and bagan to tell me that he used to surf in Santa Barbara. He reminisced about the "good old days’ for awhile, then asked me if I had ever hear of a friend of his by the name of John Bradbury. I did not make his day when I told him his good friend had recently passed away. McDing
His passing was pretty public, in that he knew it was coming and lots of his friends were able to share their love and respect during his final months. There was a very lovely write-up in The Independent, if I recall correctly.
He asked me to help re-design his logo in 1983, and I had such difficulty. He was a legend to me, and as far as I was concerned Mike Drury’s original drawing was the epitome of his image. JB wanted something very modern and commercial, very 80s, and after 3 or 4 go 'rounds I finally surrendered. Instead he got a decent solution from a local ad agency. I thought about it a lot over the years, why couldn’t I help him commercialize his image, since I’d done it for quite a few other people? I dunno, I just couldn’t tamper with it.
Dirk, you did the right thing ,Mike,s drawing was so perfect . I never liked that new logo. I always loved the og name Creative Freedom.I hope some day Josh will pick up his dads tools and keep it going .
Hi Kirk,
You know when I think of Bradbury nowadays? We go up to my Mom’s house for Sunday dinner every once in a while, and she asks me to go out and pick some bay leaves for the salad dressing or whatever. I typically get lost amongst the trees, examining each bay laurel leaf, trying to find the perfect Bradbury shape!
In the seventies I was surfing the ranch alot by boat.John had a orange VW squareback always there,always. Sometimes it would just be the two of us at R&L or L drakes . He seldom spoke to me as I was aboater and a long haired kneeboarder kid on a lis fish. This one time I was getting super deep tubes at R&L and came out of one just flying. He really smiled and said what a bitchen tube it was.I still remember how that nod from him was so cool. He was the real classic soulful ranch guy almost always alone in that squareback.We always went where ever we saw his car cause he had the place so wired. His boards were THE ranch guns.
A sweet memory, liquid…that’s where I was coming from, too.
Dirk,
Thanks do much for the info about John Bradbury. I would love to see his og logo.
Also would like to know if you still do logos? I would like to make my own logo better.
Let me know.
Thanks,
Doug Felts
I saw John often during his last couple of years. He’d love to come by and see his buds where we worked on Yanonali St. He was close to Max, Clyde, Rennie, and Wayne Rich; he even had Wayne make him a longboard after recovering from his last surgery. I can remember an S –SE hurricane swell that made its way up into northern Ventura County, surfing together in a small group, hooting and smiling. His stoke had been rejuvenated and you could tell how much he loved soul boards, and soul builders.
His memorial service held in town had everyone coming out of the woodwork. The paddleout, with hundreds circled around Josh was truly a moving moment for our community. The party on the beach at Leds stirred up young and old alike with vintage Creative Freedoms perched up on every palm tree in the park. John’s friends cooked up unreal food and played music all day.
He really spanned the generations in our local surfing circles, influencing many of the contemporary greats. I too agree that it will be great when Josh picks up his Dad’s tools because now and again those beautiful semi-guns filter back for repairs or repros. Those boards do stop you in your tracks when your eye catches them.
That was a nice day.Eastern that was the last time I paddled out with Kevin Sears also .
yes- that celebratrion was ovewwhelming- it was obvious, by the number of people there, that John was a very respected and loved member of the S.B. community…(and thoose elsewhere who where privvy to his craftsmanship and spirit)
feltser, why don’t we talk via email? My address is on my profile here.
I thought I could get my hands on a Creative Freedom with the old logo, but today my friend told me that the neighborhood kids have inherited his. I’ll keep my eyes open, or maybe someone else has one.
Dirk, I got him one.
there was a time when localism was strong in SB and the mesa guys ruled on Bradburys to see Robby M and Broeffle dueling tube rides at sandbar on those pin tails was a sight,and of course the mysto man Claffey, 2 to 4 guys out and we were pissed cause it was crowded.RIP Robby and Terry the pit crew the mesa lane guys,had a few Bradburys ,Wilderness ,Sundance Spindrift ,Tustin Davey Smiths Owl, Yater the old guys would vibe you off the indicator Bradbury and company and you would have to move to the river mouth or cove and were talking maybe 6 to 7 guys out, how thinks change so we would crack of dawn it before those guys showed up cutting school. .somebody would resin the lift at gaviota mad dogs,John’s super suit mishap at El cap pinned on the bottom as he told it,went to see him at his house after about 1year in the 80’s when he started the epoxy thing told me he was finally making great boards that was a revelation of his shaping evolution his son was still a little boy.Let all those great board go along time ago.just great memories now…
I miss that guy. A straight ahead no BS good guy who loved life, and was an original Surfer/Shaper/Craftsman/Innovator. The real deal.
Creative Freedom mini singlefin
'69, before his meeting with Brewer in Hawaii.
Maybe the first shortboard, ever.
