The whole Coors mystique in the 1970's was something else. Ken Holmes and I filled the floor of his van up with Coors then drove back to NJ. The Idea was to pay for a round trip to Hawaii. We could have done OK If we had only learned not to drink up the profits
I think that Adolf Coors didn't believe in pasteurizing his beer so it was hard to get outside of Colorado. At least that's what my father told me. He'd drive out to Golden to get kegs too (and maybe do a little skiing) and then bring them back to San Diego. I found a can of it in his garage the other day. It was steel with a pop top!
C
I don’t know if Primo charged a deposit, but they did pay enough to make the recycling worth it.
My father was a retired vet, so he would buy his beer and other goodies on base. I don’t know if they were bringing in prodcuts that weren’t at regular stores, but he did buy a lot of beer for my uncles and they would drink cases of beer on the weekends. So they would start stacking up high in no time. I remember that when you take the cases in, you would have to load the pallets a certain way, so they would end up falling apart.
My uncle had an old surplus Coke cooler that would chill water, and you could put at least 2 cases of drinks in there. That’s how all of us kids got our first shot at sneaking beers. Sadly one of my cousins past away this year from a bad liver. What started out as a minor thing ended up in life of alchoholism and hard times.
R.I.P. Matt.
Maybe Oneula can find a shot of the board my dad fixed up with the Primo image and post it, that would be cool. Also more ride reports would be great. I used 2 cutaway double foiled fins in my board. I never tried it with anything else, or as a single fin, which I could. It seemed to be just fine the way it was, but I’ve since made newer boards and the Thrailkill Double fin sits under the house waiting for the day it gets wet again. By the way, who made the fins for you board?
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By the way, who made the fins for you board?
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The fins were made by Fins Unlimited, and are finished with a matt finish, to enhance attached laminar flow.
enjoying all the Primo talk... now Coors being a highly sought after beer, that's surprising, have never heard it described as such, no disrespect to the product or those who enjoy it, it has always been a mainstay on the shelves in my days
just popping in for a ride report, and its not too shabby... paddled out at first light, tropical depression Nicole had now gone offshore so the wind switched offshore this morning; low tide, about shoulder to head high on the larger waves, not extrememly organized but plenty good fun..fast breaking rights and the sandbar, my front side... the board has a great 'swoop' to it in the bottom turns, you can really lay it down on it's inside rail..I just love good solid bottom turns and this board only helps your efforts...the board delivers a nice square recovery out of the bottom turn; well, long to short... caught a nice right, squared off, in the pocket, lip curled over, tubed going exceptionally fast, guy with his two kids out on the shoulder hooting... board just eating up the speed with no problem, staying right with the tube, came out and straightened out with a big hoot (yes, I hooted myself) and bailed.. could have kept going but the left coming at me closed it out eventually...so I'm all smiles, its about 745 AM.. catch a few more, get out of water about 830, same guy and his two kids are geting out at same time, he happens to be parked right next to me... as I walk up he's smiling and says "man that was the barrel of the day... maybe the barrel of the year (lets not forget this is a public parking surf spot in FL)... interesting board, sure looks like its working for ya'"
yeah, the board works.
gotta love it.
Howzit oneula, Iremember themand wouldn't be caught wearing one, they were macrame with the metal part with the name on them. Aloha,Kokua
The story I heard about why Coors was unavailable in Hawaii, was that it was a non-union product and the union dockworkers would not unload it. In Aug. 1968 I got my VW van stuck in the sand at Yokahma, at 5pm on a scorching hot 100 degree friday. Some navy guys showed up and helped get me out, and then asked if I’d like a beer. Hell yes!! So he opens the trunk of his car, and opens up an ice filled cooler, digs into the ice and pulls out a can of COORS! WTF! When I asked how that was possible, he said they ‘‘imported’’ their own on MATS flights. That was one of the best beers I’ve ever had. He said they liked to leave empty coors cans around, just to mess with peoples head.
Howzit Bill, Thatvery well could be one of the reasons because I have a friend who was a teamster rep and his dad was also a union heavy. They both went to the dad's brother's wake after his funeral and when he saw that only had Coor's beer at the wake he told the son they were out of there and no way were they drinking that beer. My friend would tell me stories about what they did to different foods in the markets that were made by non-union people, very interesting the things they would do. We were always tod that Coor's just wouldn't shipit to Hawaii or east of the misissippi. Aloha,Kokua
great read, sorry about Matt Sharky,
I reckon I have matured real quick over the past 6 months (not aged ha)…That board is beautiful, and would suit the Noosa points of Queensland perfect.
That PRIMO decal is awesome, how did it stay so shiny gold?
…I’m on a mission to get fat and cruise the points of Noosa, mmmm, thats my excuse anyway.
enough of the Beer talk $3 for a 6ey, are you kidding.
Howzit Bill,When came to military in Hawaii they had all kinds of goodies at the PX's. We coud a case of heinekin's for $ 6.10 a case in 71'. Even back then it wasn't the cheapest beer. We really had a good stash and the nomal backup inventory was 2 cs's of Coors compliments of a stewardness on TWA who would bring them in about every few weeks for me.2 cs's of Heinekins from the army pilot for the Arny Cobra's next door, Budweiser 2 cs's or Michalob. Aloha.Kokua
Thanks for clearing up OBQ. In the military it is the Officer’s Bachelors Quarters. Usually a place filled with Pogues. Really it’s BOQ.
No offense to those currently serving.
Warren,
Is the OBQ (one board quiver) living up to my optomistic name for the design? It is a real challenge for me to make a board that is intended to be ridden on the east coast. I have much more experience making boards for Calif, and Hawaii waves. Hope all is going well, as you get the board dialed in.
edit: ...for poor spelling.
Lankameese,
If I follow Bill T's math you are a 5 years younger than me. I'm guessing you are over near Poles/Playa Norte area. That being the case, I grew up 2 hours west of you and during my early years of beerdom, Coors definitely had a mysitque in these parts. Like others have reported in this string, guys would drive out to CO with the primary focus being to bring back as much as they could because it demanded such a high price (or they could take it out in trade if so desired). I think it was around 79 or 80 when it hit the local stores in this area. Ahhh memories.
You got a beautiful craft and as the others have mentioned, Bill is one of the real gems out there that we can all treasure.
Liking all the explanation about Coors, some of it now is coming back to me… I do remember it being a main character in Smoky & The Bandit (sorry, kind of corny, but God bless Jackie Gleason)…maybe I’m wrong but wasn’t that the beer they were smuggling?
Thanks for bumping the thread, as to the board, it is pleasantly living up to its namesake of OBQ, I live in FL remember so plenty 2-3 ft days, waist high stuff, beautiful weather… the board is different from anything I have owned or surfed, the shape of it, the fins, it’s paddle power is immense… I am beginning to learn to surf the board in many different ways, from gliding it and trimming it on the small gutless stuff, to jamming it and laughing my head off on chest to head high good throwing waves, like as if the board were 6 ft long; best session so far was just this past Sunday, Halloween day, and we just happened to get a nice 4-5 ft (shoulder to head high) nice clean swell with push and the lips were throwing, low tide on the morning, just the most beautiful perfect morning of surf I don’t care where you are from… I had this board so high in the face/lip just going super fast and driving the board up and down the face…I had the board’s deck at such an angle in the upper waves face that generally most boards would pitch and roll over at that point, but this board was just loving it…what I am describing is the boards deck and my feet were at such extreme angles in the upper wave face that I thought for sure the board is going to roll over my head/shoulder and me with it into the trough, but nope, just kept wanting more and it was allowing me to go from these steep high angles in upper face/lip to down into the trough and back again and just a very intense motion and tons of speed all with great control… one of my buddies happened to see me doing this on a right as he was out on the shoulder and he was hooting… paddled back out and he was “man you were jamming that wave”
the board has enough heft/width/foam to glide and the board loves anything with a face that stands up…in fact the bigger the better imo; the board has me pushing my surfing because it brings more confidence, late drops, no worries, in fact i have this vision in my head of the board being insulted by the surf I bring it, laughing at me, laughing at the surf…kind of a cartoonish interaction that starts to play in my head as the board takes me further and deeper
I got so many waves and so many tubes on Halloween I was surfed out after a little more than 3 hours
…and God damn it if I’m not still scrathcing my head at the board’s ability to turn sharply and at such extreme angles, it turns so easily and yet I can get it to turn as sharply as a shortboard… you can coax the board through a drawn out turn or you can weight your back foot and gouge it around quickly…you just wouldn’t think an 8 ft board could do such things so easily… it simply does these things and I can only try my best to express it in words.
Enjoying it all very much.
Aloha
Warren
sorry to hear of your loss, I unfortunately lost a friend to the same somewhat related circumstances in March of this year, murdered in Costa Rica…drug/alcohol addiction related; but same thing, what started out as boys being boys turned into him being a “lost soul” and ended in the most horrible demise one could possibly imagine, I mention it simply because I am still struggling with his loss, RIP Clark…he was the boy i knew since 3rd grade and we learned to surf together in Ft Lauderdale as kids… on an old Heritage square tail single fin beater with bondo all over it; somehow by talking about it this helps me deal with it in some strange way; he was an innocent harmless guy that simply lost control of his ability to control himself and ended up at the wrong place wrong time with the wrong people.
born in 70, living in Ponte Vedra and surf Poles with great frequency, was just there last saturday, and have yet to jump the inlet to Norte, but always have the best intentions to do so, soon enough I’m sure…sounds like you are near Tallahassee
Bill reminds me that good people still exist, its nice to meet a genuine person, and getting to know him, if even from afar, and him making this board for me and the experience he has provided me and shared with me and the experience he freely shares here with all of us… I would only hope to be so kind and generous.
Beautiful board…of course. Lived in Denver during the early 70’s…Coors being affectionatly referred to as Rocky Mountain Piss, a proper pairing with Rocky Mountain Oysters (bulls testicles, for the unintiated)… Coors family was (is ?) extreme right wing. About the surf…when up on the Flat Irons rock formation, by Boulder, with the full moon rising up from Kansas, you could see …almost smell…the great inland sea that was there millons of years ago. Almost went off the road first time I saw it…driving a big flatbed back to Denver, from high in the mountains.
first, this story is HILARIOUS
second, the twin single that Balsa made me kicks serious ass, Bill. he totally nailed the bottom contours and tail rocker that I was looking for and the fins are an amazing complement. for a 9’6 x 23" heavyweight the thing is light and nimble through tight arcing turns. side benefit, the lower fin profile has proven highly functional as my current spot is VERY KELPY right now. ain’t no thang!
waves are good today locally, stuck behind the literal desk. should have a good weekend of surf over here, big low going off the coast and sending us some ne swell from all I've been reading from Thurs-Sun (the hype has begun)...more ride reports to follow in the coming week
Warren
Warren,
Both you, and others on this thread, have been very kind and generous to me with personal praise. Makes me blush a bit. What pleases me most, is that the board has opened new performance levels, and awareness, about what you can expect your board to allow you to do, on any given wave. That ''adventure'' into previously unknown experiences, is such a rush, when you have equipment that allows it. Demands it, perhaps. Your reports have been a rewarding experience for me. Thank you.