Hello,
Im hoping someone can tell me if this is a legit Bill Stonebraker Lighting Bolt (the BS logog looks unique to me)??? I think it’s a 1970’s ish… Trying to figure out any info…
Thanks
Hobbitfeet
Any photo’s of the fin?
Bill here is a cleaner shot of the fin… glased on about 10" I think… with two leash string holes (weird)…
Hi, My first brand new shop board was a Lightning Bolt from the Kapiolani Blvd. shop that I purchased in 1972. I’ll confirm that the logo shown is the same one that was on the board I bought from them. It was a red 6 foot round pin. Bill Stonebraker made some really nice sleek guns and went on to ministering his Christian faith here on Oahu.
Bill also did glassing for Lightning Bolt in the beginning. He had a small shop, Island Surfboard Repair, close to downtown. Between Bill and Joe Kuala (who still went by Joe Kitchens then), most of the glass jobs in the early days were done by them. No laminates then, just the resin “Bolt’s”.
Bill Stonebreaker, Bill Barnfield, Rick Irons (Andy and Bruces Uncle) were the Christian Board builders of the ERA!
North Shore Christian Fellowship late 70’s early 80’s.
Kind regards,
surfding
Nice Bolt! I have one also, sat in a yard in Kaneohe for 20+ years. I did a huge re-model on a house and the board was just wallowing there in the rain, sun, dirt etc. it was cooked. I immediately moved it away from any construction materials, and the owner laughed. He didn’t have the heart to throw it away, it was a friend of his who left it with him many years ago. I offered to buy it, he said he just couldn’t sell it. Well, I finished that house, and the last day I was there cleaning up, he walked the 'BOLT( and an old HIC single fin) out to my truck, and said- “I’m stoked on my house, take the boards as a thanks for all the hard work, I know you appreciate them”. I just about fell over. I loved the size and shape of the ’ BOLT, and had big plans for it someday…
It sat for a while, till one day I decided to take it to a guy who I knew could restore it for me so I could ride it again…
Good stuff...
Wise Surfboards started carrying Bolts around the mid '70's, and some of my best mini guns (7' thru 8'4") were flat decked TomEberly shapes. Solid glassing, good shapes, worked in juicy waves.
Was harder to have them deliver longer guns, so had to switch out.
At the Pipemasters, where I dropped the board off with Rarick, we decided on colors, ice blue on the deck, royal blue for the bottom and rails wrap, (had to go with a dark color to hide the massive amount of foamwork) with light blue 'bolts , pinlines, and shadow detail. Keeping the old lam from the bottom wouldn’t have been feasible, so Randy called up an old friend, Bill Stonebraker himself, and got an original, rare , 'bolt lam! Oh yeah, and Bill signed the board too!
To say I was stoked would be an understatement! The 1st board I’ve ever had restored, ready to paddle out!
