So, I’m on my way to work this morning and I turn on KOGO and hear that a Keith Melville balsa board sold yesterday for $50,000! I was stoked for Keith for making a board worthy of selling for so much and for the Moores center.
I was sorry I didn’t make it down for at least the contest, but the auction must have been a sight to see. For those who don’t know, yesterday was the 13th Annual Moores UCSD Cancer Center Luau and Longboard Invitational.
I think Keith has now raised the bar for all backyard shapers - not only are his boards selling for a fortune, they are newsworthy!
Congrats Keith - and thanks again for hosting on Saturday.
After the auction, the board was signed by John Peck, Carl & Woody Eckstrom, Rabbit Kekai, Debbie Beacham, Jericho Poppler, Rusty, Robert August, Wingnut, Hank Warner, Joe Roper, Gidget, Jock Sutherland, and Micky Munoz, among others (can’t remember all of them at the moment).
Keith, I am stoked for ya’ that was a sweet looking board. Did you get to meet the winning bidder? $50,000 and it goes to very good cause. it’s a win win situation.
LA JOLLA – About $300,000 was raised for the Moores UC San Diego Cancer Center at its 13th annual luau and longboard invitational, attended by about 1,000 people Sunday.
Organizers were still counting receipts from raffles, auctions and merchandise sales, and were hoping to beat last year’s record of almost $300,000, said the event’s Jason Foster.
<img src="http://www.signonsandiego.com/images/t.gif" alt="" class="bb-image" /> <img src="http://www.signonsandiego.com/images/t.gif" alt="" class="bb-image" /> <a href="http://oas.signonsandiego.com/RealMedia/ads/click_lx.ads/www.uniontrib.com/news/metro/20060820-1641-surfbenefit.html/501629544/x32/sycuan_300x250_news_jan06/cirque_300x250_codes.html/34343663663661613430336431333530" class="bb-url"></a>Over 13 years, about $1.8 million has been raised for the cancer center, Foster said.
A 9-foot, 2-inch balsa longboard formed by Keith Melville was bought by John Moores, the Padres owner and philanthropist, for $50,000,
Keith - I want to say thank you! What you and Richard did is really great. I have a feeling that you are a humble guy who does good things because it will help others. $50 grand is just a huge amount of money, it’s shocking. What a stoker!!! I’m proud to be a cyber brother.
Keith is a hero, not only for the fact he crafted a magnificent board, but that he is so generous to many in many ways that go unnoticed. Swaylocks is rich for having Keith.
50 grand and people are complaining about chinese imports pleeeease.
now on a serious note . An old school teacher of mine said that in 10 years everyone in the class will be effected by cancer in some way, I had to sit by and watch my father die from it , totally demoralizing to watch a hard nut reduced to a shadow of his former self. he was buried on 9/sept/2001 another tragedy.
Every board donated should fetch a hefty sum , I only hope it gets ridden
Thanks guys. At the event I had the auctioneer specifically mention Richard McCormicks’ fantastic fin work. I had gotten the fin from him some time back and was saving it for something special. The board was glassed at TNT glassing here in San Diego, and they do fine work too (in fact they were VERY stoked to hear how much $$ the board auctioned for; I called them the next day). My friend Kevin Eslinger helped template and rough shape the board so he deserves credit too.
My mom died of cancer so this was very much a labor of love for me. Heck, I love making surfboards anyway, so it was not that big of a deal. I am grateful that there are people out there who are willing and able to contribute so much to funding research, and I was stoked that this board was a catalyst to keep that generosity happening…
Howzit Keith, Congratulations, must have been a awesome board and your generous contribution is true Aloha. Makes me proud to be your friend and fellow swaylockian.Aloha,Kokua
