Keoki surfboards

General Discussion
1

Hi Everybody, This is my first posting…a friend of mine bought a old victorian house here on the island,he said there was a surfboard way back in a corner of the attic and asked if I was interested.Well we were in a local pub and I’d had afew so I said I’ll give you $100 sight unseen for it…and lets go get right now…

Well this is what I got - It says Keoki Surfboards Calif & Hawaii with the number 169 96 681 onthe stringer

Does anyone care to tell me anything about this Board ? Thank you , Jay

PS I hope the pix work !



2

Keoki was a popout label made in Paramount, CA, by the Sportways company. They

were typically sold in hardware and sporting goods stores, for less than $100. Surfers did not buy them, beginners did.

Yours is somewhat unusual, in that it has a different logo from most I’ve seen.

The typical Keoki had a label that said “Honolulu, Hawaii”. Which was total fiction.

Another thing about those, is that they were really notorious for turning brown in a very short time. There was one for sale on Ebay, recently. The seller didn’t know too much about surfboards, and claimed the board had mahogany panels. What he was actually seeing was the deep brown foam, due to inferior materials.

If you really want a board to use, that will last, I’d suggest selling that one on Ebay, and using the funds to buy a real surfboard. Since that board is unusally white, and has a rare logo, there’s probably some ‘completist’ collector out there who will pay $500 or more, for it.

BTW- Which “island” are you referring to?

3

Thank you TonyM,

I wasn’t in the market for a board to ride,like I said a had a few ( too many ) and wasn’t thinking all that good.In the morning I was curious about it.

I must admit I hoped for a better history than the dreaded pop out. a Ace Hardware board how sad.It didn’t seem hand shaped. i think I’ll hang it someplace it is in mint condition…as for the island I’m sad to say galveston,island,texas.I thought it would show up in the margin, first posting.

Well thank you again,now I know…Jay

4

Popout or not, that thing’s in great shape. I’d be way stoked to have picked it up for $100. If you want to double your money, let me know.

I couldn’t care less what something originally sold for - its just about how much I like it now. And that one, I like. :slight_smile:

5

Thanks Benny1…I needed the lift…I’m gonna hang on to it…it is a sweet old board for a c-note…

6

I agree, anything that old, in that kind of shape, with white foam, is a pleasure to see.

7

I know Keokis were popouts, but that looks like a nice board, doesn’t have that mat-glass look - at least not in the pictures. Maybe some backyard guy in Galveston copied a Keoki a long time ago!

8

I’d Take it out and see how it rides. Rides good keep it. pulls up the face and wabbles sell the mother. But it looks kind of cool.

9

looks like it should work shweet on some long mushy waves… galveston eh? don’t they ride supertanker wake there? Guess that would be a great test… wide point towards the rear, nice old school fin… damn I dig an old log…

10

I agree with Keith - no matt. Plus that tail rail just looks way too refined for a pop-out. And too much work went into the fin. Not to mention a ‘real’ stringer and not a veneer inlay…

11

That’s a great score for a hundred bucks. The tail foil looks pretty refined for a popout. Maybe its a high end model. I have a popout of similar vintage by Dextra. They apparently had a higher end line that featured more refined rail designs and foils. Mine unfortunately, does not.

12

Leave it nice like it is. Don’t ride that one.

I’ve got my Dad’s first fiberglass board, an old Gordie. It’s pretty much the same pop out shape w/ a laminated wood fin. I hear they were produced by the 100’s.

Save that one to look at, it’s too pretty.

13

You Guys are Amazing,

Thanks again for all the info, so I have a high end pop-out…cool…maybe it was bought through a Sear’s catalog? It doesn’t have a glass matt like todays pop outs, It was a fun treasure hunt . I always wonder about things like this,how does a like new board get stuck away in a attic for…what 40 years…I don’t know anybody thats sticks new boards in the attic?Now I’ve made a few that I felt like burying someplace,but I’d rather not talk about them…

I hope something bad didn’t happen to the person that owned it?ie Vietnam…I guess I could research the house?

Anyhow back to happy thoughts…I’m not going to ride it…No way can it compare to the modern-lite-weight-handmade longboards that I ride.

I’m going to hang it up in the billards room (my living room) and tell people tall tales about it,Maybe it belonged to …Made by…

Once again You Guys Are Something Else…Jay

14

Hi Jay,

Check this site out: http://www.malibulongboards.com/surfboardmuseum.html

there’s an old keoki on there that sold for $400. Seems similar to yours.

Cheers,

Rio

15

Thanks Rio,cool site…saved it…yeah, mine is way nicer than that one…I just wonder what was doing in that attic? Probably never know…

Thank you again for the site,someday when I have a lot of time…I 'll read the history of surfing…yeah…jay

16

My Grandfather George “Keoki” Krock and my Dad built those boards in Santa Ana, California from 1958-1968. Their shop was called Krock Kustom Fiberglass. Surf Shops and Hardware stores all over Southern California sold them. They were even sold in White Mountain Ski shop in New York. 

My grandfather was a United Airlines Pilot who’s route was LA to Oahu. That’s how he came up with the name Keoki which is George in Hawaiian.  

 

Do you still have the board? Would you be willing to part with it? 

 

 

17

Yeah after 14 years they may have tired of it.  Thanks for that history on the brand.