I have to good fortune to have a great-riding Yater step-deck in my workshop (garage), number 7912 written on the high-density foam stringer just under the logo on the deck. Seems to be a standard 9’6" (actually closer to 9’4" after many years of badly repaired nose dings!) with a “custom” asymetrical tail reshape from some point in the past, and two converging 1/8" redwood stringers with the foam insert between them. Tailblock in green high-density foam as well.
This board is in the middle of a long-overdue restore: removing two layers of tinted resin and one of paint, taking off the seventies black plastic rake that was glassed on as a replacement, and lots of little ding repair. This board spent years on an exposed balcony in OB, with all of the sun and water damage that go along. The work’ll be followed by resanding and retinting/glossing with a replacement fin closer to the original. I’m not going for historical perfection, just to keep it a clean, watertight rider for myself.
Any information on the board would be appreciated. Anyone familiar with the Yater numbering system that could indicate a date or shaper? Original fin shape? I love this board, and would like to have a bit more history on it.
I’ll post pictures once the restore is done, though it may take a while!
thanks for the address pierre I needed to thank yater for the t-shirt I won at the raffle at big sur and I was thinking about how to connect all day … as the instrument of providence you have excelled … ambrose … aloha from waipouli
Inquire directly at the source? No, much too simple for me. I may, however, make an exception. Any info from members, is still more than welcome!
About surfing, no, it’s been about a week now. This onshore wind is getting old so I am thinking about a run down south sometime next week. Interested Pierre?
jeffrey , the numbers go with the invoice number, Rennie still has the same old silver aluminum invoice box, gotta be from the 50,s. He threw out all the old order forms the last move to his current shop a few years ago,to bad . Post a pic and I can tell you close to when it was made.What letter is with the number if any? also whats the sticker look like?
Balsa, thanks for the reminder. Looks like I’ll be hoping for a shorter session up here unless my better half steps in with an offer to watch the kids. Down South was going to be somewhere in your area; I’ve had my eye on an Avalanche or Halcyon session lately. (Of course, you would have been invited, some local knowledge is always welcome.
Kirk, thanks for the quick input. I’ll take a picture in the morning and post it: the lighting shot for the day. You’ll see that this board is in quite a state, but it still rides well. I just double checked and the number has no accompanying letter, just the hand-penciled number placed vertically under the number. The logo is the simple two-tone triangulish shape with Yater Surfboards in the transparent upper section and Santa Barbara Surf Shop in the lower silver section. Any ideas?
If you can check and tell me what type of box it had if any and if the foam in the tail block is high density or just a foam stain, you can sand it a little and see if its hard or just the same as the blank. Also try and get a close up of the logo and numbers.Never say later to a Yater!
A friend found this at the dump recently. He came by and gave it me - “Hey THANKS!” (?)
It has 4 coats of paint, a recently(?) installed fin box, a fairly gnarly twist and weighs a ton. The shape appears to be pre-spoon and from what I can see of original glass, it was glassed heavy. I’ve been able to determine that it is in fact a Yater by the ghostly outline where the logo used to be…
There has obviously been extensive repairs and restoration attempts made in the past. Here is an example of the nose where several repairs have been done, including the lamination of a turtle image over repair itself. Note paint (or pigment) layers…
Anyway, you get the idea… Never say “Later” to a Yater. Maybe he’d take it in as trade for one of those balsa/abalone inlay models?
I’ve taken a few old relics over to show him, he just laughs…when I brought my friends board over (in good original shape) he zeroed in on the stringer wood, the same tee-band as in your pictures. He told me of how long it took him to get the guys at the mill at Ambrose Lumber, in Santa Barbara (now long gone), to get the vertical grain on the narrow dimension for stringers. They naturally wanted to put the vertical grain on the wider face. He remembered the fins, stringers, and some of the numbers were traced to the old Summerland shop.
Hey John, I love that paint job. Those old logos didnt have the best paper and they pop up if left in the sun to long . Thats a keeper, better than the dump! Let me know if you want another laminate for it I have a few.
A real logo would be nice. I thought about trying a bootleg scan and printing out on
“El Protecto” toilet seat cover. One problem with restoration on this “beauty” is that what appears to be stringer at the nose and tail is actually painted on. I suppose the only thing to do is get out the grinder and see what’s really under all that paint. After 4 coats, I’m afraid I can only assume the worst! I’m sure that with a complete 100 grit grind, an opaque hot coat and buff out, it would look OK. Weight would still be close to a ton and it would still have that twist.
John dont worry about twist, waves are twisted, some of the best boards I have had were twisted all to hell. What do you think Velo did when loaded up 2 Gs on a big base HERO!! wave.TWIST…SNAP !!!. Dont think that old dog is going to be doin that but you get my drift.Ill get you that lam. Start gindin!!
Okay here goes for a couple of pictures. I was feeling really lucky after seeing the other shots, with only 3 coats to sand off and no twish my board is looking better and better!
Kirk, I’m not sure about the original density of the tailblock. It’s soaked up a lot of water over the years and is rather crumbly. Whether that’s high-density crumble or stained crumble is hard to say at the moment. I’ll dig a little deeper tomorrow.
Nice to hear that Yater is keeping a sense of humor and of proportion about the old boards. As much as I love my job shaping, and as much as I love old boards… they are surfboards after all. I remember reading recently a Mr. Phillips quote that said that if your not surfing it, it isn’t a surfboard (probably more eloquently stated of course)
Jeff I got the pics. Dont bother with the tail block. That is a old spoon if it has the step deck 65 to 67 ,very cool a real keeper. Old isotholic resin.By the numbers the way there done it could be a Rennie or John Thuston or John Ikert They used to put there last name letter on the board right under the bottom of the logo, but I dont see it in your pic, a Y or T or I who cares that baby is a RIDER! dont run the sander on the logo to long as they will pop up with to much heat.Do you need a og .fin template ? if so I got it.Take your time on this its worth it!!
Hey Kirk, I concur with you on the vintage of the board in the pictures. Also the lack of rocker is a give away on approximate age. Who is the consummate restoration expert? I used to marvel at the work that Bradywicks pulled off on museum pieces that looked totally destroyed when they got them. I’ve often wondered about a similar approach to board resurrection. Saw B today. He is going to Phoenix again in 1 week. TB
Kirk, thanks again for the info! And yeah, it has the step deck. As you say, its a rider, and I am looking forward to getting it back in the water once its done. The board always felt a mite heavy, and with all the tinted resin I’m taking off its loosing weight quickly. Planning on doing the fill coat and then gloss coat in tint to cover up the greater part of the repaired damage and give it some depth. I’m definitely not in a rush; having seen too many botched “restorations” in the past.
If you have a fin template that would be great. I did a glue-up for a sunburst the other day alternating balsa and a reddish wood with light flakes (something West African, but I’m blanking on the name right now.) Depending on the fin shape, it could be a good option.
I probably won’t be able to get in the water until end of the week (time to recover from my toe injury). But in any case, let me know if you’re going down south.
Pierre
Here’s what I foud on yater web site (but you’ve probably already know this) :
In the fall of 1959, Renny opened Yater Surfboards on Anacapa Street. Here he established the famous Santa Barbara Surf Shop logo, an insignia synonymous with Yater surfboards. In 1961, he moved his shop to Summerland where it remained until 1964, when zoning regulations made it impossible to stay. In 1965, Yater moved his shop to Gutierrez Street while at the same time opening up a retail surf shop at 401 State Street which would be in business until 1971. In 1967, Yater moved his shaping and glassing facilities to Gray Avenue.
<span style="font-style:italic">It was during the 1960s, that Yater's two most popular surfboard models were conceived. From 1965-66, he shaped the Yater Spoon, one of the most innovative surfboard designs of the time. He produced this model until longboard-style surfing went through an evolution in 1968. From 1969-72, he produced the Pocket Rocket, a surfboard designed with Hawaiian surfing in mind, riding the crest of the short board era.</span> </span>
