This board was made by Simmons and shipped to Florida from La Jolla sometime in the 1950s Twin keel fins lots of belly and a lot of kick in the nose.
I have no idea why but sometimes the photos post and others you have to open the photos.
I am certainly not calling BS but that is pretty freaking shiney for a 60+ year old Simmons. The fins look a little too big also.
According to the Florida Surf History museum. This is one of two Simmons bought in La jolla and shipped to Palm Beach by a wealthy young lady. I took the Photos at the History display at the Orlando Surf Expo.
Verrrrrry Interesting.....
After volunteering there for a few years, I was recently made a docent at the Surfing Heritage Foundation.
We have a very good collection of Simmons' boards and I've handled them all many times.
I wouldn't call Simmons a hero but I am an ardent student of the work he did in his too short life.
If that is in fact an authentic Bob Simmons board, in obviously near pristine condition, it's truly a priceless gem...........
Any idea of the dimensions artz?
Is the board in the Florida Surf History Museum collection?
Maybe its a “restored” bord. That is, someone cleaned it up and put a gloss coat on it. I don’t think you could polish up 50’s resin to that high a gloss. The Simmon’s I’ve seen have tabs rather than fins. The scarfed nose and rest of the shape look right though…
That board looks like it been restored. I remember seeing an original Simmons very similar to that one getting restored at Channin during the late 90’s. Maybe it’s the same board.
Last pic my personal PG repro-porn…at 10-4…very similar foil, rocker etc…but pulled in tail and lite @ 34pounds…
Atomizer, As far as I know that board has been in Florida since it was new. I can't say if it was or was not restored at some point.
The Lable on the Board said it was owned by Dave Aarons, Might have been on loan for the Surf Expo.
I'll see what info I can did up on the board.
It’s probably just me, but that board ceased being a Simmon’s the second some idiot slopped a half a gallon of Reichhold Gloss on it. If someone was going to take the restored board out in the water and surf it, that’s another story. But to hang it in a museum and call it an original Simmon’s doesn’t seem right. It’s like brushing some Varathane on a pre-War Martin because it wasn’t shiney enough…
Hi Lee -
It's just you. HAHA
Seriously, most collectors have no issues with freshly polished gloss coats. Plenty are happy with full pigment cover-up re dos.
Whaddaya say we call it a restored 'genuine' Simmons?
Well, John, you know me…
I’m not being argumentative, just curious. Why would surfboard collectors veer 180 degrees from collectors of everything from baseball cards to automobiles? Once you restore something, especially if you do not use period materials, it loses most of it’s collectability. You don’t put airbags and catalytic converters on a Duesenberg, you don’t brighten up a Monet with some enamel spay paint. As soon as you refinish a Louis XVI sideboard you are fucked.
Modern gloss and a new foiled fin says “refurbished” not restored.
OW!!! I just twisted my ankle from falling off my high horse…
My dad’s Martin Uke is from about 1941 or so, a nice one with the ivory colored binding. The finish is all cracked, little lines running everywhere. We took it to our friend at Kamaka Ukes to look at and he said to leave it, its shows its age, and if we refinished it, it would lose the historical value. That Simmons board maybe nice and shiny now, but a Museum collector would feel the same as LeeV.
it’s an abomination
…might be not only the gloss but all the glass work, I mean, in these pictures you cannot see pretty well, but great % of those very old boards did not have premium fiberglass…cause did not exist at that time; however, the photos show totally clear and pristine glass work.
and like LeeV says the fins look new
A Simmons just chilling at Bird’s. He paid something like $300 for it. Water logged weighing 12.5million pounds. Still a cool board
The Hawaiian auction board looks like of Randy’s frame off resto’s, it does NOT have original glass on it and the rope around the fin is too clear
I can’t remember where, possibly San Fran, maybe Monterrey, I walked into a surf shop that had all kinds of beautiful classic old boards hanging aross the rafters above the new stuff on the floor. I saw some of those old simmons style boards, may have been some others too. The shop was along a main road and down below across the street there was a market. My wife went to the market and I went to the shop.
In Collectible autos you do not have to have a rust bucket. They can be and are restored using original and may have some new original parts. Body work is often done with newer products, Paint on the other hand should be the same type used in the era if not by the manufacturer.
As for the Simmons presented here we have no idea what was done if anything. Who knows if could have been wrapped up and sitting in storage for the last 60 years. Besides sanding and a catalyzed resin coat would be consistent with an early fiberglass board.
My last bit on this…
First off, I am not critical of artz. You just posted up some nice pics of the board. I am critical of the museum or owner claiming that this is an “original Simmons’” board. While I’m no expert in Simmons’ work, I’ve looked closely at 4 or 5 of his boards including balsa’s and composites. All of them were not “restored”. None of those boards had a finish anywhere near the board you posted. The glass work would not meet even backyard standards today. Simmons didn’t have the materials as they hadn’t been developed. The resins didn’t have the clarity of todays. You can see and even feel the weave. Most of the boards were opaque or were glassed over painted wood.
As far as cars go…no, they don’t have to be rust buckets. But they follow a fairly strict code of how to restore the car. Every time a non-original part is used, the value of the car can be affected. Two Duesenbergs, side by side, all else being equal; the one with the most original parts is going to be worth more.