Rosi Surfboards were manufactured in Virginia Beach in the early 60s, maybe late 50s (pre-Bob White). The builders were named Al Roper and Tom (I think) Simmons. Are these guys still around? What years were they in business? Location of factory? Any other info? Thanks
Tim
Hi Tim,
Did you ever find anything out about ROSI surfboards? I found this board thrown out in someone’s swale while out on a late afternoon run today on Oahu. I drove right back to pick it up. It’s 9’7".
Aloha and go Gators!
Tom
https://swaylocks7stage.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/photo2.jpg
Tom,
Great find. What are your plans for the board, repair, retstore?
I have not received any more info on ROSI. Thanks for posting.
Tim
I’m thinking of eventually having it restored, but for now I’m just trying to figure out a bit of its history.
I did find a couple of articles that mention Al Roper and Tommy Simmons:
Surfboards, Virginia Beach-Style
Based on these articles, it sounds like Roper and Simmons were among the earliest Virginia Beach shapers. I’m interested to see if anyone on the forum knows more…
There were several local (NC and VA) manufacturers that had labels using parts of the builders names. ROSI (Roper and Simmons). DanPri (Sonny Danner and Herman Pritchard). East Coast Surfboards by Hal-Lan (Lank Lancaster and Harold Petty). Lank Lancaster still lives in Wilmington, NC. These were early 60's labels.
Rossi became Roper/White became Bob White Surfboards became Bob White Wave Ridding Vehicles became Medium Between Man and Wave.
Bob was removed From WRV in the early 70’s, WRV alive and well. Bob White in Hawaii.
My father is Albert Roper. He and Tommy Simmons started ROSI boards in 1962 until about 1965. My father bought Tommy out before going in to business with Bob White. My father got a draft notice and attempted to sell his portion of the business to Bob White for $1.00, and when he returned from the war wanted to come back into the business for $1.00. Bob’s wife, Tookie got involved and my father raised the selling price. Bob paid my mother for several months and my father was bought out. My father ended up not going to the Vietnam war, luckily otherwise I may not be here.
My father went on to shape boards for Hobie out of Dana Point, California. Corky Carroll rode several of his boards. He left Hobie in about 1970 and went to work for the phone company. Years later, the local phone company published a cover with my father in red swim trunks surfing a nice wave, taken back when he still worked for Hobie. Sort of ironic he was then working for the phone company.
I would love to get my hands on one of my fathers boards.
My father now lives in Bristol, Tennessee. He is still attached somewhat to his surfing past. He is on Facebook too.
Anything else, I might be able to help… just let me know.
Hang tough, Wendy
Wendy…Thanks for joining in, and giving some accurate info here on Swaylocks. As you may well know, the internet can be full of misleading stuff and there’s many a self-appointed expert out there who shouldn’t be allowed on line.
It’s always good to hear from a person who has first hand knowledge and was a witness to the truth.
I was drafted in 1968, and also lucky that I never left the US. Those were scary times for an 18 year old. Many of my surf buddies went to SE Asia then and did not return. I’m sure the same holds true for some of your dad’s old buddies.
I’m sure the folks who own or have interest in your dad’s boards will appreciate what you’ve contributed.
Do you live near the ocean? Did you take up surfing as a kid?
Thanks again.
Hi Wendy,
Thanks so much for posting. I talked to Randy Rarick out here about restoring the board, and he was interested in the story and what I had told him I had learned here on Swaylocks. But I got the feeling the cost was out of my range. (I ended up ordering a new board from him instead!) He also mentioned that there would probably be more interest in the board on the East Coast, and that if someone wanted to return it to its home and its glory, it might make more sense to ship it back east first, then get it restored.
In any case, I just thought it was a cool old board, and I was thinking that some fine day, I’d bring it to Randy and get it restored. My interest in it is mainly just to preserve a piece of history (and maybe ride that piece of history on occasion). In the meantime, I just put it up in my attic here in Hawaii.
So I still have it. It’s in pretty rough shape (rougher than it looks in the photo). Someone at some point did a really shotty job of trying to glass in a fin box where the fin had been. It is all beat up and weighs a ton. But it is indeed a ROSI.
If you want it, just let me know. I think that would be really cool for it to make its way back to you and your father. It might cost an arm and a leg to ship it, but if the shipping is worth it to you and you can figure out a way to do that and pay for it, I’m happy to send it. Seeing it get back to the shaper’s family after all these years would be reward enough for me.
Aloha,
Tom
Wendy,
Thanks for sharing. I grew up near the Outer Banks of NC, and Va. Beach was the nearest place to get boards. Back then, it wasn't cool to have a board that was not advertised in Surfer. We all had california boards. I believe the owner of the Corolla Surf Shop in Corolla, NC has a couple of ROSI boards. I tried to purchase one several years ago, but, the owner ws not around to talk to. You might be able to convince him to sell, since you are family. Good luck.
Tim
Hey, Tom & Wendy… I will be coming over to Oahu late this summer… and could bring the board back on the plane as far as the west coast (San Diego) when I return. Would be happy to do so if that would help.
We MIGHT even find a swaylocker willing to do the restoration for cheap…I know a couple guys that are pretty talented?
You’d still have to find a way to get the board the rest of the way to the East Coast, tho… I think I’ve read that Grayhound bus is pretty cheap for such things?
aloha,
Keith
Keith
Good of you to offer a helping hand. I think it would be excellent if the Sways crew helped Wendy obtain one of her dad’s old creations. But, I don’t think Greyhound will take a longboard as freight. They may have a size limit. I only know of people shipping shortboards through them.
Hi Wendy,
I looked up ROSI here on Sways a while back after chatting with a guy who had just picked up an old board with that label here in Portland, OR. The older posts came up, but it’s fun to see it pop up again. The board was in similar shape to the one that is in Hawaii, but had the original old checkerboard stripe D fin on it. The guy who I talked to worked at a body shop around the corner which has since changed hands, so unfortunately I have no means of tracking him down. He said he bought from a buddy who collects anitiques, and that he was going to see if he could fix it up for his wife to ride. Anyway, just thought you might find it interesting that your father’s boards seem to have travelled far and wide from Va. Beach. On the off chance I see it again I’ll let you know.
Cheers,
Alex
Hey Sammy - I think you are right, I read some old threads and it seems like only up to 7 foot via bus… but I also read where someone shipped a longboard coast to coast by FedEx for $111, which is not outrageous. I’m sure there are other methods too… lots of people on Sways, somebody might be driving the whole way for a family visit and willing to strap it to their car roof.
anyway, it’s not impossible by any means.
isnt there some sort of store to store shipping program through fastenal tool supplies?? i seem to recall someone shipping blanks through them…
A long time ago (1978) I had a board built in Solana Beach. It had to be shipped to New England. Staples was the shaper, and he set up an arrangement where my board was packed with a shipment from SNI that was headed to a shop in RI.
So, there’s another option. Find a board builder/distibutor on the West Coast who ships to a shop near Wendy’s location.
Just a thoought.
I know this is an old post but I found a ROSI in Chesapeake VA. I was looking for a way to contact Wendy? It may be what she is looking for since it has “AR” as the shaper and appers to have been made in 1965. Any help would be appreciated.
That looks like a really well made board. If it wasn’t for the HDF stringer I’d have guessed it was older than 1965 due to the fin. I think you are correct about the first two digits indicating year as I doubt they made over 6000 boards over the entire life of the label.
Good luck getting ahold of Wendy nine years down the road.
Must have been in somebody’s rafters. That’s clean and a nice historical find. Would take someone who knows what it is to peak any interest.
