Bob Simmons, was putting concaves in the bottoms of surfboards in the Fortys. Simmons application was different than Phils’.
Aloha,
In an effort to give credit where credit is due, I will point out that the template for the board and the “reverse fin” came from Bill Thrailkill. Having worked in the Hobie shop back in the day, his input was a great help. John Mellor offered template help also. My experience with balsa boards began with Jim Phillips’ advice - he coached me into my first balsa board several years ago. Deffinitely a Swaylocks inspired board. When asked how long it took to craft the board, my usual answer is 30 years - the years I’ve been a woodworker. I’m very slow!
In answer to the questions: yes the skeg, noseblock, and tailblock are each made of koa wood harvested from downded trees on the Big Island - my source for all the koa I use.
The seven stringers are ripped from one 8/4 12" wide Honduran mohogany board for consistent color and grain.
Dimensions: Length 9’6", N: 16 1/2", W: 22 1/2" at 5 1/2" behind center, T:15" (6" tailblock), Thickness:3 1/8", 50/50 rails very slightly pinched.
If Mr. Edwards gets over to Maui, I’d sure be honored to have him sign the board!!
Mahalo to all,
richard
…and I thought I knew a few things about woodworking…
OK, let’s start all over again.
RichardMc pleeease ride that beauty and let us know how it goes. Beautiful board mate!
richard- now THAT’S a surfboard!!! beautiful!
Mr. Richard Mc- San –
I’m wondering if you have weighed this one. Also, if you will, how did you acquire, or how did you approach your koa connection?
Like a lot of people here, I feel so lucky to be able to ask questions to craftsman at the top of the heap.
Aloha’
ep
Right, I forgot I’d read that somewhere.
Were Simmons’ under the nose or tail?
roughly mid(or a little aft) section through the tail
mcmalibu,
Simmons would run a concave almost the full length of the board. It would begin about where the belly of the nose would begin to blend into the bottom planeing section, and continue through the tail. The few I’ve seen were all fitted with twin halfmoon fins. The Surfers Journal did a story on Simmons a few years back that was very informative. A long time freind, and surfing buddy, Jim Fisher, lived and surfed with Simmons, Trent, and Walt Hoffman in the early to mid 50’s in Hawaii. Jim has always been willing to talk story about those days, and I’ve always been willing to listen.
I don’t know who took this pic, but I love it.
Hey Bill, my brother has just brought back a Hobie , Phill Edwards model from the Phillipines. I think it’s 9’8", real nice looking long board. He says it had been under this house over there for twenty years, before he started going, about 12 ago. It’s got Phil Edwards signed on the deck, near the tail on stringer. It’s got four stringers, fair bit of restoring, but looks like it would go well. Joe Larkin, one of our 60’s manufacturers around here, checked it out and reckons it’s the real deal, said it was a gun, I thought that too. Maybe it was one of the American servicemen’s boards, cheers, J.H.
Harrisj,
I’d be keen to see a photo of that board, as well as the fin on it. Any chance of that? Does it have the Phil Edwards Honolulu decal, or just the signature on the stringer? If no decal, it may have have been a personal board. If so, it’s a real find, and a real keeper!
Hey Bill, I don’t know how to do the photos, nor have a camera at the moment. It has a Hobie Phil Edwards model, and his signature on the deck, near the tail. I have it in the roof of my factory at the moment. I will bring it down and look at it further today, I think the fin is out of it, it does need some work. We have some guys in my alley way, who do restorations and my brother took it up there to start with, then we thought , too many experts, who did’nt really know , so we brought back to my shed and put in the roof, it just looked like it would go , a really nice shape, design. This time you ARE the expert Bill, I will try and get a photo, and or any more info, thanks, J.H.
Gawd, I hate stories like that! Why can’t I find a Phil Edwards under my house? ( Oh, I forgot. My house is on a slab).
surfsensei,
I like the sense of humor. It was the first time I LOL to myself in a long time.
Should be right for termites in your floor, to Bill as well, did’nt have time to get it down today, we think it’s 10’0" by 22 , 15 1/2" nose, 14" tail, 2 stringers in the guts, about 2" apart and another 2 stringers about 6" on either side, that sounds a bit how you going, it looks like the kind of board you could go on, there was some reports from other friends that hang in the pines that there was this Japanese guy there with some 90’s knockoffs, we are pretty sure it’s not one of those,now this is pretty good fun and not a tunnel fin to be seen, J.H.
Hey Bill how much would a 10ft 60s Phil Edwards weigh
About the weight of 2 pigmy goats and a small to medium breadfruit.
Ike,
Hard to say for sure, but given the construction methods of the day, double 10oz Volan top and bottom, probably the weight would be around 32 pounds +/- 2 pounds.
see just what i said.