Is there anyone here that remembers back in the say mid sixtys a board called Caster …I believe it was made in Southern Cali , San Diego area, OB area I think !! What happened to them ?? Or were they just one season wonders or something ??
I’m sorry to say Castor passed away in the early 80’s, if I recall. Good shaper, he also had a well known rider that passed away at a very youg age. I can’t recall his name. Damn, I can recall my own name. Too much foam dust and fumes.
One of the guys from my home town, Pensacola, returned after a trip out, with a Caster board.I’d swear it was a forrunner of the Harbour Classic …3 stringer … But I have to admitt… it was shaped for California waves and not those of the Gulf Coast !!! ( lol ) Thx for the response
Billy Castor was a very good shaper in the San Diego area for many years and died after a long illness. One of his team riders was a Windansea boy named Chris O’Rourke who also passed away way before his time.
I’m pretty sure I saw a new Caster board at South Coast surf shop in Pacific Beach. So maybe someone is still shaping under the Caster name. They use to be pretty popular in the SD area.
In the mid-late seventies there were only 4 brands of “da kine” boards to ride from Black’s south; Caster, Canyon, Seagull and Frye…Downrail, pin and diamond tailed single fins.
He died of cancer, indeed back in the early eighties. I was friends with his son, David. David had a very, very tough time dealing with it for years. I always wondered if someday he might pick up and take over where his dad left off, but I don’t think he did. Very sad. He also had a line of skateboards that were becoming very popular and were seen a lot at the Del Mar Skate Ranch where Tony Hawk cut (and lost) his teeth. Caster and Canyon were the boards.
Sorry obi-wan but there were many others shaping up a storm. While Rusty, Billy, Holly, and Skip are/were great shapers Prodanovich, Little Hankie Warner, Jim Hanley, Tim Bessell, even Mike Eaton were still at it. Not to mention the Fish guys in OB.
I meant not to slight anybody but living there at that time, the cool sticks, the ones that could get you in the lineup at Newbreak, Big Rock, and Black’s on the same day were those 4. Of course there were others slaving away making as good stuff (or, shhhhhhh, even better). May the force be with you…
I had a caster skateboard back in the early eighties. I remember It was one of my favorite decks back then. Back when the firestone ramps were being built I think. Could have been the late seventies maybe. Caster deck, set of park riders, Tracker full tracks. Can’t forget the skid pad on the tail, sporting a pair of faded cut off jeans. Classic!
Yep, I still have my Caster skateboard w/Tracker trucks and “Hot Lips” Cadillac Wheels. and it’s still going strong since I bought it in 1977-78 I love the flat deck.
Hey, Good stuff here crew ! Lets all ride a wave for these two !!! Mahalo, Have a great surf ! http://www.edgefins.kauaistyle.com
caster was known as the perfectionist. and a really cool guy. he was the MAN for sigle fin swallow tails here in san diego. the FOILS is what sets his boards apart from others at the time. i consider myself very lucky to be working for a man who had direct contact with him during those days. i just love knowledge passed down from my elders. the way it should be.
“i just love knowledge passed down from my elders. the way it should be.” Yes. Without that, the spirit of custom handcrafted equipment will quietly fade away. One of the unfortunate side effects of overseas, molded mass-production boards is that the passing of knowledge, skill, tooling and stoke is coming to an end. http://neumaticsurfcraft.homestead.com/NeumaticSurfcraftwebsite.html
speaking of hand-crafted equipmentDALE; i have been cking your site and am curious, is it possible to ‘round’ the nose as utilized with surfboards, to enhance performance characteristics of the mats, or have you already tried this? sorry if the question is redundant in regards to past discussions here. ALOHA.
Shaper, Thats a good one, not a redundant question at all... because the surf mats I build are so intimately adaptable to waves and their surface texures, very little curve in the forward section is necessary. The nose rail entry allows just enough clearance to function efficiently, even over choppy conditions. If I were to build a mat with an outline similar to a surfboard, it wouldnt enhance overall performance (there would be a significant loss of useable rail line), there`d no longer be balanced handling and much less high end. My mat designs incorporate straight lines because the wave literally shapes most of the additional curves into the template, rocker, rail contour, foil thickness, bouyancy distribution, as needed while surfing. The thing to remember about surf mats is that most of their curves which are critical for control need only be temporary in order to operate effectively. Those curves become fuller when and where maneuverability is desired, and then flatter for maximum speed… all with perfect memory. So, for the given dimensions, design compromise is minimal. A very different (literally impossible) approach for any other type of surfcraft. Dale http://neumaticsurfcraft.homestead.com/NeumaticSurfcraftwebsite.html
…I knew Billy Caster from skateboarding in the mid-70s.Yes,I knew of his surfboards back then,but it was his skateboards that set him apart from the rest.He was a Skilled Master Craftsman…Take care of Ramon for us Billy, and show him the best breaks and experiences up there,He’s earned it.Herb
I still have my Caster skateboard, he and my Dad were tight. Hank Warner and Mike Slingerland made some Caster replicas to help out with the Caster family bills awhile back. Good boards! I just spoke with David, he is getting married this year. Cool!
…Boy,I haven’t heard those names in awhile,Congrats,and thanks for the info.It was rumored the family was in a bit of hard times.Good to see someone that cares.Herb