Yes, an interesting thread. I am trying to put the timeline together in my head now…
Midget was already making the stingerless boards for himself in Brookvale when I immigrated to the US in ‘65. I spent a bit of time hanging out at the G&S shop in Dana Point during that time and I didn’t see any Midget models. During a contest over there one morning Larry Gordon did discuss with me the possibility of setting up their brand in Australia (which he later did at Cronulla). He didn’t mention the Midget model. During this time the G&S Hynson model was ’ the’ premium board in California. I did not see any stringerless boards in US during that visit (although I did briefly ride an Australian Midget model at Pipeline that winter…) In '66 Skip Frye and Mickey Munoz visited Australia with the Windansea Surf Club to participate in a movie ‘Plastic Fantastic Machine’) and it was then that the visiting shapers/surfers realised that all their boards were effectively obsolete with no V and too long. I have never seen that G&S stingerless logo before, although I’m sure it’s genuine (possible '66-'67)… ride the board!
had a little chat with Midget about this board and here in short his comments. he was in the US in 1966 for quite some time (I knew that much), mainly for competitions. as the boards he used performed very well and as he also won some competitions with them while in the US, it created a big interest and demand and G&S took templates off the boards and did sell the models. Midget was paid on a royalty per board basis. he thinks this specific model was especially popular on the east coast as it performed well in small to very small waves.
I guess it could be worth a bit of money but its certainly worth a lot more in the water. have fun
I have one as well…if it still qualifies. It was a 7’10" “Farrelly V-bottom by Gordon & Smith” according to the lam. I broke the nose off - really just the deck glass & foam, the bottom glass was still there - in high school & filled it with bondo. Then a big part of the deck delammed & I just slapped a new piece of glass on there. It had a hole punched through for a leash before I got it. I added a leash plug but didn’t fill the hole (!). Then the original finbox broke out & I put in one from a sailboard shop & a fin that looked as much like the old one as possible. Now that finbox is broken out too - it went in with bondo, no glass or anything under or over.
What can I say, I was in high school & there was no Swaylocks!
Its in the attic of my garage now. Some day I’ll give it a nice restorative treatment like Tomas did to his. Its also stringerless & was originally tinted kind of orange. I’ll need some kind of stringerless donor nose…
your board may look a little used but I have a gut feeling that it could be a very interesting (and important) piece of surfing history. there must be people around who know about the design changes is 65/66/67. its the time when the V-bottom was invented and the length changed radical (I think). in case your board still has a serial number the building date could be traced back and some records about who did what and when might need adjusting. maybe this thread can give you those information, I am too young…
I have one as well...if it still qualifies. It was a 7'10" "Farrelly V-bottom by Gordon & Smith" according to the lam. I broke the nose off - really just the deck glass & foam, the bottom glass was still there - in high school & filled it with bondo. Then a big part of the deck delammed & I just slapped a new piece of glass on there. It had a hole punched through for a leash before I got it. I added a leash plug but didn't fill the hole (!). Then the original finbox broke out & I put in one from a sailboard shop & a fin that looked as much like the old one as possible. Now that finbox is broken out too - it went in with bondo, no glass or anything under or over.
What can I say, I was in high school & there was no Swaylocks!
Its in the attic of my garage now. Some day I’ll give it a nice restorative treatment like Tomas did to his. Its also stringerless & was originally tinted kind of orange. I’ll need some kind of stringerless donor nose…
I’ll trade you a keg of beer and a sleeve of cups for that board.
No thanks on the beer, although the offer’s tempting I’ve lugged this thing around for 20 years. I even surfed it as recently as 7 or 8 years ago. I don’t think I could let it go…
I fully understand Benny1, I have an old 6’6" Webber Performance Squareback. It is an ugly rendition or it’s former self, but I will never let it go further than my cousins. I just got it back after a few years of gromits learnig on it. It has weathered that time well, but needs some tender ministrations. I cut my teeth surfing and fixing boards on that thing. As I like to say, I’ve been surfing for 16 years. Fixing surfboards for 15 years 11 months! Don’t matter what they look like so long as they’re watertight i guess.
Benny I have a nice 7’11’’ miget stringerless real close to that , but it s from Aus.it was in the surf culture show in Laguna and went all over with the art show for 2 yrs , maybe you saw it? Its really fun in small junk surf. Cooperfish is makin some nice boards of this type with updated rocker and better fins.
Kirk, I’m sorry I missed the show & your board. Is it in the Resources? I’d love to see it.
I have certainly noticed the similarities between the Farrelly v-bottoms & their tails and some of what Cooper is doing now. Even the old Device had a cupped deck on the tail, like the Rick UFO, and like the Farrelly. But now, with the Malibu Foil & the V-bottom, he’s really taking that old shape to new places.
One things sure - they go rail to rail as quick as any wide board ever! Do you ride yours?
I’ve lugged this thing around for 20 years. I even surfed it as recently as 7 or 8 years ago. I don’t think I could let it go…