Would appreciate any info anyone could provide on this Hobie. My Dad purchased it in 1970 at Dana Point surf shop and I’m guessing it was shaped mid to late 60s. Believe it or not my Dad still has the original receipt somewhere in his house but have been unable to locate it for years. The board is a 10’ 6".
From what I understand, the Hobie serial numbers reveal very little as to when it was shaped. Was hoping someone could lend insight to the model and likely time period the board was shaped. I realize it could be a number of shapers from that time period that might have shaped this board.
I agree with Gene. Pretty much a pre 1966 stock Hobie. A beast at that. 10’6"?
I had an early Hobie noserider that was about 10’2" and the damn thing weighed a ton. Rails were so thick I could barely get my arm around it. Sold to a sucker for three times what I paid. Haha!
Pre 1965 most likely. The pig outline gives it away. Most likely Ralph Parker or Terry Martin. There were others in those bays as well. Bill T. was there early on. Phil didn't do many of the "stock" shapes by then. Hell Hobie might have shaped it.
My dad has an old hobie. Solid balsa. He picked it up around 1955. Around 1975. he took it to Jeff Ho in Venice, and had them strip it down and re glass it. It has never been ridden since. Just left it in the Garage rafters collecting dust.
So now, what’s it worth? No logo, resin swirl bottom and rails, and clear deck.
Well----------- you may know the history on that board from day one ----But; Even if you had paper work from Ho; No lam/logo and a resin swirl kill it. Just a piece of Balsa that was made into a surfboard. Without a Hobie "Stamp" "Mylar" or rice paper lam it's nothing. For all any interested buyer might know Huck could have shaped it.
It is worth a hell of a lot less than if it was simply repaired and left all original. I’d say that the re-do by Ho essentially ruined any real value it once had. It is basically no longer a Hobie.
And, why would anyone do a resin swirl on a 50s balsa board? Makes absolutely no sense to me.
Believe it or not, what is called resin swirl today, were called ‘‘abstracts’’ in 1957,'58,'59, and were quite popular. Hell, I even had one in 1958, to cover up massive dings in the bottom of my solid balsa board, from losing it into the rocks at Windansea. It was consistant with the era.
They did the resin swirl to match what was originally there. Not so much a swirl, but more looks like a series of brush strokes with different colored opaque. It was badly delaminating and Dad wanted to ride it again. But he never got around to it.
In 1963 when I was 13, my Dad and I went to the Hobie shop in Dana Point and bought a 9’1" board, very plain with green glass skeg. It has serial number 12116. This board resides in my garage. My 15 y.o. niece who is on her high school surfing team keeps trying to get me to go out with her at San O and bring the old board… Anyway, does anyone have any input regarding my Hobie? Thanks.
Those are some pretty nice old boards. I had a friend that had a Hobie with the 1" balsa like that and I remember thinking it was really cool. Probably 1964 or so.
In a lot of the old movies, Bruce Brown’s early ones, Walt Phillips, Bud Browne, where they’re riding balsa boards you’ll see some of them had abstract pigment jobs. usually on the bottom. Some of the balsa boards in those movies even had solid color pigment jobs. I guess balsa was so common that some just wanted something different.
My neighbor back in the late fifties had a balsa plank that was solid red pigment. I think the balsa had a lot of dings and dents and it was repigmented to cover it up.
I do. That board is beautiful! Classic example of the period. Stock board w/ 3/4" redwood stringer and glass skeg. Is the bottom as clean as the deck?
Do it! Surfboards are made to be ridden. It’s not a museum piece or historically significant. Use the thing. Let your niece ride it. Catch a few on it and let yourself drift back to when you were thirteen.
I started surfing in '63, but didn’t get a board until two years later because I could not afford one of my own. Even then, I had to go halves with my older brother and it was a used board. You were one lucky thirteen year old.
Thanks for the input! I was very lucky to get that board... it was for Christmas and the best present I ever got! and, yes, the bottom is just as clean. My Dad was an old surfer from the 30's. Attached is a pic of his Pacific Systems Homes Waikiki that is also in my garage. Now I am inspired to take my board out again... Thanks very much for the input.
