The first surfer to ever be generally referred to(at least in the surfing mags) as the worlds’s best was Phil Edwards.
The surfer considered as having the greatest style was the “stylist” Phil Edwards.
The first surfer ever to surf the Pipeline (1961) and actually named it was Phil Edwards.
The first surfer to appear on the cover of "Sports Illustrated was Phil Edwards (7-18-1966)
The first surfboard manufacturer to introduce a signature model board was Hobie’s Phil Edwards model (1963).
I was recently told that this model was only available as a 9’8" with 3/4" center stringer and two offset 1/4" stringers. Do any of you happen to know the dimensions (nose, mid, tail, thickness) of the original signature model? Anyone remember it, ride it? Was it just a marketing gimic like Noll and Dora’s black cat (never really ridden by Dora) or did Phil really ride the sig. model?
I’ve owned a couple - one original and one reissue. According to a friend who worked in the factory, he shaped all of his recent signature models himself. Rumor has it that he also shaped Joyce Hoffman’s model and probably a large number of stock and custom Hobies in the old days.
I’m pretty sure he has mostly ridden his own boards.
What I think is curious is that the current Hobie website makes no mention of him whatsoever. I was under the impression that he had a lot to do with product development for the Hobie line of watercraft including the cats, the power skiff, etc.
Not sure if he actually shapes current Hobie boards. They don’t appear to have his model available on their website but do offer the Classic and Retro-Classic which appear similar to the ones Phil Edwards was doing several years ago.
when I shaped for HOBIE in the spring of 1965,before HANSEN hired me away for two dollars a board more, I had an opportunity to get familiar with the EDWARDS MODEL. At HOBIE we had a shaping “pit” with about eight racks in one large room. I had Phil and Ralph Parker on one side of me, and Terry Martin on the other. Terry shaped a great many of the Edwards models for Phil, Who was working on his catamaran at the time. Customers could order various sizes. Typical dimensions for a 10’0" would be: 16"/17" nose, 21"/22" wide point (5% behind center), 15"/16" tail to a 6"square tail. Thickness 3.0"/ 3.375" depending on customer weight or preference. Pay attention to the 5% behind center for the wide point, as this will keep the proportions correct for various size boards. Good luck.
Thanks very much for the info! How great to have been there doing the shaping in the day. I rode my first wave two years after his sig. model was introduced, but never had the opportunity to ride that model as John Mellor has and you no doubt did.
I just finished the glue up for my next balsa board and decided to do the shape and dimensions as near as possible to the original Hobie Edwards sig. model. Wish I had access to the original or an exact template! With all the respect the original deserves, I do plan to soup it up a bit by adding nose and tail blocks and a tripple t-band center stringer with double offset stringers of mahogany (total of 7 strings). I’d like to think of it as the board I would have shaped (or you guys at Hobie would have shaped) back then for the client who wanted the luxury liner (though balsa would have been behind the times for about three or four years).
Thanks again for the great information and thanks also to John Mellor for his first-hand info, and to soulstice for the photos of the modern version.
If Bill was there in '65 and saw Terry Martin shaping P.E. models, that must be the case. My friend worked at the factory when he was doing re-issues like this one…
I have a 9’6" re-issue (nose and tail blocks) and according to a source at Stewart’s, was built in mid to late 80s. According to Phil, during this time, Terry Martin was shaping them. As of Nov 2001, the last time a spoke to Phil, he was done with shaping. He had already had rotator cuff surgery and started shaping again. But, now he was glad to have time to spend on other interests (traveling, Neato).
I had a chance to talk with him when he was on a promo tour of sorts with Mike Eaton who was delivering some of his boards to various shops.
He said he remembered shaping mine because it was one of the few orders for the glass-on wood fin. He also described the cervical fusion surgery that had been done recently on his neck. He was very cordial and gave me some autographed black and white prints for me and my son. Was also kind enough to autograph a couple copies of “You Should Have Been Here an Hour Ago.”
Just curious - did he sign the blank on the reissues that Terry Martin did? Any idea on numbers? Mine has his signature and 176 on the deck. The number 0255 and my name on the stringer on the bottom.
Jeesh - I’m becoming more disillusioned by the minute.
Yes he did sign. I will have to climb up in the barn to get number. Mine has a fin box. With the exception of nose and tails blocks, it is pretty stock. I purchased used in 1995.
If he remembers yours, I think you can count on him being the shaper.
I was aware that he had problems with his neck. It was the result of crashing a cat in the surf, with Mickey Munoz I think. He avoided heavy surf after that. I was not aware of his surgery. I last talked with him about 2 years ago. I try to stop by and see him and Mary every time I make it to the west coast.
Hey guys… I just traded 3 boards (10’ Hanky Triple Stringer Singlefin; a board I shaped and glassed, and a restored 9’ Late 60’s popout) for a Hobie Phil Edwards Model 31, with Phil’s “Phil” signature and the date “06/88” laminated under the glass. It’s a 9’0" Triple Stringer with a singlefin box. I saw it in the window of a local antique shop and I had to have it. Is the “31” a special model or does it stand for the 31st board of that model???
Sorry I can’t help you, but I picked up one w/ the same sig. only dated 8/89. Yellow tint w/ red resin pins / w/ down rails in the tail - 9’ 6". Scored it for $200. from a down sizer that didn’t know what he had.
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As best I can remember, my 9’7" # 67 (?) had a 16" nose 22" wp and 15" one foot from tail.
I ordered it in 1963. Phil shaped some of the boards, Terry Martin shaped the rest. Two different templates - the Phil 1 for mainland and the Phil 2 for Hawaii - more gunny for the country. Two different fins - the standard and the swept back for nor cal kelp. In '65 (?) Terry shaped some Phil template boards with 1/2" center redwood stringer and redwood rails. I got one with a yellow and green glass sweptback fin - a work of art.
Just a quick Phil Edwards note. In addition to his model he was the first shaper to dish out a concave on the bottem of a long board. He did this for Mickey Munoz and Corky Carrol for the boards they rode at the Morey noseriding contest in 1966. Soon after Bing and everyone else caught on to this design. Hobie marketed it as the Noserider.
Phil has to be one of the best shaper/ designers of his era.
