small world
as Brian’s our cousin and was one of our surf hero’s back then.
He never did get the recognition he deserved even though he was one of the best back in the days of his peers Gerry/Rory/Reno. The old timers at Bowls know, he was a hero to many of them back then.
in 1974 I was already leaving surfing for snow skiing and surf skating on my Bahne flex being stranded 100+ miles inland in the drizzling rain.
Most of my mad scientist stuff was based off of Ho, Morey, and Brewer inspirations Funny that I bought both a Jeff Ho Sunset Beach big fish and Brewer stingfish many years when I returned to surfing.
Back then we experimented like crazy trying all kinds of stuff trying to make boards faster and spin out less. Fins, bottoms, coatings you name it we did it. Even built the first ding strings out of parachute cord/rope then a combination of surgical tubing and parachute cord tied to a hole drill in your fin.
I thought Hyson’s “Dol-Fin” was unique as was Greenough’s stuff but we were too dirt poor back then to by any of the stuff or make boards. We did a way better job at repairing them though.
Paid my dues on an indestructible egg railed Dextra for many years till I could afford a custom. We bodysurfed and paipo boarded plywood craft and rode woolworth cooler foam boards till they broke until we had enough funds to buy a real board. Even worked a whole stinking summer at the pineapple cannery so I could buy my first custom from harold Iggy.
things were definitely different then
we used to sit in front of country surfboards eating shave ice and dream of being able to afford one of those boards.
never understood that fin design I think Greenough’s Paddle Fin is a better interpretation.
I ate it big time when that fin snapped off and I lost it on a big backside bottom turn. Took the whole face flat on my back on my face and then got sucked over then falls upside down afterwards. Not a pleasant memory.
It worked great in the small 1-2’ stuff with its spring back though
I’m in the Griffin G10 school these days.
No flex
all release
all drive
but 30+ years later I now weigh 60lbs more than when I was in high school
