Well, now that he’s grown up (15 years later) I’ll probably get my ass kicked for this.
It was a fun father/son project at the time… we cut down one of my old 7’4"s and I let him have at it designing some graphic samples on paper. After a quick air spray and glass job he had a new board.
He still has it.
John,
Don’t ever let him get rid of that board!!
My story: My Mom bought me a cheap pop-out in ‘64. Parents didn’t want to spend too much until they saw if I would stick with it or if it was just a fad. Sold it a couple of years later to a friend. A few years later, I saw him and he said he still had the board under his folks’ beach house and I was welcome to it. Now, I still have my first board, still surf - but not on that pig - but I’ll never get rid of it.
Son’s story: I was never going to push surfing on him - just let him know it was there and if he wanted to give it a go, I had a pretty 6-4 Plastic Fantastic single fin egg type S deck that was a favorite board of mine from '71/'72 that was his to try when he was ready. He got started on Boogies, learned about the rhythms of the ocean then said he wanted to take the Plastic out. Sanded it and put a fresh gloss on it and took him out. That was almost ten years ago and now when I get to the beach late and he’s already out I’ll spend more time watching him than I do in the water - as much for how good he is as for being my boy. He’s got almost as many boards as I - though very different style - and the Plastic is in a place of high honor and not going anywhere.
Have friends who I grew up surfing with who’s kids would rather play tennis than surf - I feel very lucky…
Pete
pete thats a pretty similar story as my dad would tell.
my first board is either his 6’2" MR or his 7’2" g&s magic.