Have an opportunity to swap for a 90’s re-issue of the Hobie Phil Edwards model and can find little info (beyond dimensions) on this or other sites. Could someone take me to school regarding how the board performs…its limitations, strenghths, weaknesses, etc… Any/all info appreciated.
I used to have a Hobie Phil Edwards Model #31. I loved that thing, but was hurting for rent money and sold it for $1000.
Dave
and i bought it! (and even fixed the delam)
The edwards models were old school shed sticks, made for powerful surfing. I have owned three over the years and have always really enjoyed surfing them in larger clean surf, its my opinion that they are not that much fun when its small or crappy
Hey Gabe, do you still have it? I’d like to see some pics!
I have some pics of me and a buddy riding twin edwards at a big day at swamis, Ill post em up when i have a chance, classic water shots, your board does the trick!
I had lunch with Terry Martin a month ago and the Phil topic came up, Hobie paid Phil for a shape and a fin for each one. After about a month, Phil said keep the extra 2 bucks and supply your own fin, then he asked Terry if he wanted a few dollars more to shape the Phil’s.
Hobie, in the last few years, was building a similar 3 stringer board for Japan, the japanese importer listed it in it’s web site as the “Hobie Phil Edwards Model”.
Eventually Phil saw the ad and came unglued that Hobie was buiding the board and had not asked for permission to do so.
It was not the same board and having his name attached to it was too much for him to bear
Jim, how were the Japan boards different from the original Phil and Gabo, what keeps them from performing decent in smaller stuff? Thanks to both of you for the history and the feedback. Gabo, post those pics!
Was there possibly some sort of contractual thing between Hobie and Phil Edwards that gave legal rights of all Phil Edward’s product development to Hobie? I think Phil Edwards played a huge role in the development of the catamaran line, the Power Skiffs and of course, the signature surfboard. Ironically, there is no mention of him on the Hobie website and I’m pretty sure all the work he did on those other products as an employee is in the Hobie vault - not owned by Phil Edwards.
I had the opportunity to speak with Phil Edwards once while he was on a shop tour with Mike Eaton. At that time I think he said he was a product development guy. What role he might have played in the rest of their stuff is anyone’s guess.
For Hobie to be distributing the Edwards model without the signature seems like a slap in the face but is it possible he doesn’t own the rights to his own model anymore? I don’t think the Beatles were very stoked to have “Revolution” played on Nike commercials but they don’t “own” that song anymore. Doesn’t Michael Jackson “own” most of their music now?
More importantly, would Michael Jordan ride the Phil model or feel that it bogged down in waist high point break and pick up a Frye instead?
This is the board. They’re basically saying that the Legend model has been carefully reproduced after the famous Phil Edwards board of 1963.
No doubt Phil would be pissed about his model not being his model and sold without his knowledge or royalties in Japan. This was probably one of those things that happens in conceiving the board model “hey can you make me something like the old Phil Edwards model with same stringers and lam placement? We’ll call it the Legend.” Then once the boards arrive over in Japan they get “marketed” as a reproduction. They’ve been selling “100% hand shaped by Dale” boards for years when Dale hadn’t touched a board in years.
Looks like a very nice board regardless.
Hobie and Terry in no way were attempting to backdoor/pirate a Phil, it was a three stringer from Hobie and the Japanese distributor represented it on their web site as “Phll Edwards Model Hobie” surfboards.
Phil was less than understanding, explanations fell on deaf ears and feathers got ruffled
The Ledgend has a much fuller nose than the Original Phil’s, wide point in more centered
I can see where the placement of the deck logo might make it confusing. The Phil Edwards models typically had the logo off centered like that. Did any of the other Hobie models have the logo like that?
Quote:
The Ledgend has a much fuller nose than the Original Phil’s, wide point in more centered
Jim - this is from the `89 reissue run. Do you know if Terry worked on these, or PE?
This one has a down turned tail . signed Phil
I don’t know what the arrangement was, it has Phil Edwards signature, in '89 he was still shaping customs.
In 1964 while working for Dick Metz at Hobie Honolulu, a shipment came in from Hobie and one of the boards was a custom for Paul Gebauer, but it was a pin tail Phil Edwards Model, Dick said it was the only pin tail Phil had ever shaped as one of his models.
Dick over heard me re-telling this and hush-hushed it right then, I guess he did not want anyone ordering one again.
Another board came in that summer, a 9’4" by 19-1/2" wide longboard for Blue Makua, the thought of such a narrow board was unfathomible at the time.
I remember the original order card on it was from Blue’s girl friend with the instructions to make it “black like his skin”
John,
Though the placement might confuse, the PE lam says “Phil Edwards Model” with the Phil Edwards being a reproduction of his signature…that’s from my early/mid '90’s re-issue signed by Phil along the stringer on the deck by the lam. No other markings on the board at all, top or bottom - serial #'s, measurements, etc.
Jim P. is correct too that the PE nose is narrower than the Legend board shown.
I remember some sort of connection between Phil and Bill Stewart during the time the re-issues were available during the '90’s. The boards seemed to be available through Stewart - if I recall. Could have my head up my ass on that but, I seem to recall seeing Phil’s boards in ads with Stewarts (too lazy to search through old mags).
Pete
Hi Pete -
Yes, I have a 6 page fold-out brochure that shows Bill Stewart, Phil Edwards, Mickey Munoz and Herbie Fletcher - each with their product line but apparently out of the same factory.
On the back it reads that all the boards were glassed at the Surfglas factory. Also mentioned are the rest of the shapers…
Terry Martin, Jeff Widener, Bill Shrosbee, Rick James, and Ron House - “with collectively over 200 years of experience.”
I think that as with some other brands, once ownership changed hands, a brand was more a label than anything. Was Hobie Alter involved in any way shape or form at this point?
EDIT: There was also a “Phil Edwards Collection” which included the “Hobie Classic” and “Classic Replica” along with the signature model and custom wood boards. Even Greg Noll is listed as a custom wood board shaper.
I gotta say it’s a little spooky when throw away brochures I pull out of my pile of crap can be used for historical reference.
Jim, while we’re on this subject, and since you were there and paying attention,
what was the stringer set-up on the original Phil models? I know they had a lot of
wood in them, wasn’t it multiple T-bands or something?
The reason I ask is because Gordon Clark always used to use these boards as an example
of how futile it was to try to increase ‘‘break strength’’ by using more or bigger stringers.
As Gordon told it, these boards broke with regularity, in spite of all the stringers. They
apparently were very thin for their time, and thickness plays a much larger role in ''break
strength’’ than size or type of stringer.
footnote: I’d use the proper engineering term of ‘‘load bearing capability’’ instead of ''break
strength, but every time I do, a certain crazy Kiwi thinks I’m talking about load bearing like
a wall in a house, not load bearing of a composite beam like a surfboard. (Just kiddin’ ya, Paul)
Hi John:
Thought I would post a picture of the Phil’s I rotate riding. The one one the left (9’8" three stringer “Phil”) and the one on the right (9’6" four stringer) are customs that Phil shaped for me during his working stint with Stewart and I think it was around 1995-6 (too lazy to look up the receipt right now). Phil was a real nice guy to give me the time of day on those two.
The one in the center I bought from the old Hobie store off the rack first in 1992. The other two I have been able to pick up used after I had the customs made.
I am addicted to the shapes. Each has a nuance in the case of the pointed “Phils” that is all its own. Later after these I had a custom 10’6" made by Terry Martin and he can really shape the rails close to Phil’s where they kinda’ creep over the deck almost and stay thin at the edge. I have included that picture as well.
Tom
