I posted a picture of this board awhile back, and since then, I’ve overturned some rocks and got a real amazing story taking shape here, a movie script for a short film for sure. It involves the late Dan Calohan, one of the founders of Plastic Fantastic, and the shaper of this board. Not just any board. Dan made this one for himself, while a friend of his, equally stoked on surfing and making boards, Tom Parrish, watched him make from start to finish. This was THAT BOARD. An unbelievable chain of events has led me to this point . It’s taken a legendary shaper back to his roots, and inspiration. How I’m even in possession of this board is mind boggling unto itself. And the only way to explain it all, is that it was MEANT for me to find. It’s coming full circle now. Just wish Dan were still here to be part of it. His legacy lives on in the friends who remember him, and this, one of the boards he made…
With my Hawaiian gals one evening in Kailua , on the East Side of Oahu, last winter, grocery shopping at the new Whole Foods. As we walked over to the pizza counter for a few stiff slices, I glanced out the double sliding door to see if the Salvation Army thrift store was still open, across the street. And just at that moment, a surfboard was being stood up in the front window. I can tell a classic gun shape, like most of you, a mile away. I promised the gals I would be right back, and I ran out the doors, could see them locking up at the thrift shop so I really jammed, almost got hit by a car while crossing the street. The closer I got to the window, the more I could see the beautiful outline of a classic single fin gun. But it was hammered. Covered with old house paint, oil and probably 30 years or more worth of grime. I knocked on the window as the cashier was counting out for the day, pointing to the board hysterically, and he let me in! Walked out of there with the board for $35.00, STOKED!
So I thought to myself, I’m going to get it watertight so I can wax it up and ride it! It got stacked on a bunch of other old boards in the waiting line, so to say. A few days later my Bull Terrier Hoku, got really sick, and everything got put on hold…
We lost our 13 year old Hoku girl, during an emergency surgery. It just devastated me, and the family. She was an equal member amongst us, one of the greatest friends I ever knew, and the source of daily laughter and activity! I forgot about the board for a week or more, then got so bored one evening I decided to start cleaning it up, and this is what I found on the stringer…
" SOME FOR ME" and the initials , “DMC” written in pencil on the stringer. So I got to investigating what I had, and figured " wow, this belonged to this guy who was a shaper, and he made sure, of the hundreds of boards he was probably making that year, this special one, was all for himself! How cool! "
The leash plug is an obvious add on later in this boards life, other than that, original fin, original banged up condition! But, no delam, minimal foam missing, and all in all a very solid and straight board!
I sent a few pictures out via Facebook, and a friend of Bill Furys said he told Bill about the board, and he was going to let Danny know, an old one of his had been found! What I didn’t know yet, was that Danny was living his last days on earth that week, surrounded by his family, and holding onto the memories he loved, especially, the " good old days of surfing!" I was hoping to send some pictures so he could see it, but it was too late.
Almost a year later, and the board has been sitting at a clients house on the North Shore until I decided if I was going to have it restored, repaired etc. You see, this client of mine whose house I was helping to renovate with legendary carpenter and big wave charger Gary Speece, was Randy Raricks Sunset Beach home. Randy remembered Danny, and thought I should paddle the board out at least once, in his honor. That will happen this winter. I recently got in touch with Danny’s family, through a website tribute page ( please, if you knew Dan, find the page by googling his name, and leave some kind words for the family, and help them get a part of their history back) I sent some pictures of the board to Dans daughter Jodi and her family, and they were just so stoked! You see they recently got the family and some friends together to celebrate Danny’s life, and they don’t own any of his surfboards. They had to borrow one from a family friend that Danny had made for him, to be part of the display of his life’s loves and work. I told Jodi, and will stick to my word, her family will never have to borrow one of his boards again. I’m going to give this board to the Calohan family as soon as it can be arranged! This is my part of the story, where I fit in, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Jodi shared some wonderful and touching pictures of her dad, and some of Danny’s friends left some nice messages on the tribute page. One of which I found very intriguing. It was written by “shaper to the stars” Mr Tom Parish, and he left a really nice message citing Danny, as one of the biggest influences on him as a young shaper. So I said to myself, " I bet Tom would appreciate seeing a picture of this board"
Within ten minutes I got a reply, and we started a conversation with each picture I sent. Real chicken skin kine stuff. I told him it was an 8’6", but I hadn’t actually measured it yet, it was up on my rack next to my 9’ longboard so I guessed that number. It was 3am Hawaii time and I was typing in bed! Tom said, " Wow! I had Danny make me an 8’4" that looked just like that, I liked the one he made so much, I wanted one exactly the same."
Well my girlfriend wasn’t too stoked the glow of my iPad at 330am might as well been a flaming torch! I couldn’t resist I got a tape measure out, turned a light on, took the board down, and this is what it read… “holy sh!t” I yelled!
“It’s an eight four!!!”
I almost had to sleep in my truck, got one mean Hawaiian stink eye! but this was a special moment! This board is a TREASURE!
Took a pic with the iPad immediately, and fired it off to Tom…
I also sent Tom, a picture of the script Danny had wrote on the board, and the next email I got from Tom made my jaw hit the floor…
"The hair is standing up on my neck, and the chicken skin is running all the way down my shoulders! "
" SOME FOR ME! I WATCHED DANNY SHAPE THAT BOARD, START TO FINISH! I WATCHED HIM WRITE THAT ON THE STRINGER! I have forgotten so much over the years, but I remember that LIKE IT WAS YESTERDAY! UNBELIEVABLE!"
130 am as I type, da Hawaiian is gonna hit me lol. To be continued…
Kenny
Great stuff…I have sat a few times there in Kailua…with a beer and pizza watching the action at the Salvation Army store…good eye to catch that board!!
roger
WOW, very very cool!
looking forward to hearing more!
Great story. Great find.
Great Story.
Definitely some Surf Mojo happening.
Perhaps you might think of writing it up in a piece for TSJ…
When I used to be associated closely to “surf shops” I would try to get the owners to understand that surfboards were special and not just there to help sell clothing wetsuits etc. To most of the shop owners surfboards were just a hunk of foam that took up space and had a low profit margin. Surfboards are special to a real surfer and so many of have a story. Good job dusting that one off and sending it home.
I agree. You should put a piece together for TSJ. So many great elements to the story. $35 SA find, and the Parrish connection/verification. Can’t get a better provenance than that!
Man, both Ace and Sammy get it.
So cool to see and read stories like this.
I guess this internet stuff is actually for something good after all.
You paying attention kids?
Well said Ace. I also think this would makea good story for SJ or some other Surf Publication.
I’ve been thinking about a few ways to share this, and I think what may be really cool, especially for Danny’s family, is to get the guys together who knew him, do a talk story about the board, and the man! Me and Mr Parish are going to put something together really cool. Got Rarick on board too. The family actually is just learning about Danny’s part in the history of Surfing, and about his surf bros from back in the day, and they are so stoked and grateful to have any info we can gather! Here is a pic of Danny and his daughter, from back in the day. She is now a grown woman, and soon to have Danny’s surfboard to forever cherish …
What a fantastic and meaningful piece of family history for them, and what a treat for the rest of us! Those types of stories, ones with depth, personal insight and a little bit of the past are treasures; go the distance, it belongs in TSJ.
I’m real sorry about your Hoku girl.