I did a bit a long while back. Unfortunately I live in Brooklyn NY and it’s a little more difficult to get out. My sisters boyfriend surfs and I have been meaning to try and get out some. It’s been a while though. My dad and I bought the board years ago down on the Jersey shore in the late 80’s for $20-30. We had some fun with it for a few years.
I asked because I’ve never heard a Tiki referred to as “nice looking”.
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I've never heard a Tiki referred to as "nice looking".
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Amen!
An easy fix would be to; First deal with the fin to put it back as it orignally appeared. You are fortunate in that you have someone who saw the board in new conditon and can give you an accurate description. Either remove the fin or rotozip the glass off without removing the fin and re-do as your Aunt remembers. Repair all dings top and bottom. Prime top and bottom of the entire board with a hi-build automotive primer. Fair and sand as necessary Tape off the bottom for the turquoise color. Using a flat acrylic paint the turquoise bottom. Pull tape at the deck and tape off the rails and bottom. Paint the deck with an off white or creme that resembles foam as per you Aunt's decription. If the inlaid stringer looks good enough tape it off. If not . Faux a new stringer. Glass the entire board with your new printer generated lam/logo 4 oz.. Hotcoat board. Gloss and polish.
I just picked up a Tiki Surf Board for 36 bucks. It was painted and looked pretty bad but when I scraped the paint off it is in amazingly good gondition. I guess the paint protected it. Thing weighs a ton but I am gonna clean it up and fix a couple little dings and try and ride it…[img_assist|nid=1063914|title=Tiki Surf Board early 60's|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=67|height=100]
Well I get the theory - for nose riding maybe but Yikes! Must have been interesting to paddle.
Mine didn’t have much rocker and with every edge generously radiused it was a bear for me to maneuver. Mostly just angled my take off & hung on. Paddling out was a dream though - would punch right through most any wave.
All this info is very cool. I never dreamed I could find so much information about ol “Big Red”
I got my Tiki from Big 5 Sporting Goods in 1962. It was $80 and the only way I could afford to get onto the waves.
It is red top & bottom with 2 roughly 2" wide white “stripes” (actually taped off allowing the white foam to show through clear resin on top). I don’t think it has any kind of stringer at all (based on a few dings in the nose) but with the number of plies of what seems to be pretty heavy glass cloth it never showed any signs of strength issues.
1963 we conned a teacher to chaperon a surf trip to San Clemente when a storm surge was pushing through. Somehow we got out but my first take off ended in a near freefall and being pinned to the bottom. Out of 5 guys no one walked away from that trip without some damage ranging from severe bruises to missing teeth! Wasn’t enough to keep us from continuing surfing though. More importantly the board suffered no damage at all.
I still have it and after reading these threads have been inspired to do some clean up on hastily done ding repairs and give it an occasional ride. It was always stored inside so the overall finish is still pretty good.
Thanks again for all the info and bringing back some great memories!
I seem to remember the popouts being available in Santa Barbara at “Montgomery Wards”.
You could also get a negative rockered “BORM” popout in Goleta.
They were especially horrible.
Funny thing is I remember my big brother’s friend having a “Ten Toes” and the nose kinda slumped down negative in the sun one summer. I got to ride it becuz I was a grommet and would borrow any board the older guys would let me use. That thing rode the nose really well at Campus Cove… maybe it was inadverdently a forerunner to the Peck Penetrator and Blud Machine.
Well finally getting to restoring my Tiki (Big Red). Got the wax striped off & ready to get the color matched. Many more compression dings than I remembered especially from the tailgate of the stationwagon. Here’s some before pictures including the logo circa 1962. Haven’t decided whether to leave the stripes natural foam or paint them white. Also added the stripe back then for a jazz it up a bit. The original white stripes were pointed in front & notched in back like arrows but I carefully removed the red gloss coat to extend them to the belt line.
If that’s the original lam, then I doubt it’s from the same factory as the other Tikis posted in this thread. Never seen that one before. I am inclined to think it’s not US made. Not sure why, just a ‘gut’ feeling.
SammyA, Yes it’s original. Always stored inside so that may have helped. I wouldn’t know if there were other competetors using the same name. Back then tiki’s were a rage so could be. Not sure about foreign made but could be. The lack of good edge finishing sounds similar to what other’s have written. Bought it at Big 5 in So CA and all I know is it gave me a chance (albeit limited) to get into surfing. (Couildn’t afford a Hobie, CON, Dewey Webber, etc.)
Kauai Surf Hotel on Kauai had several lite blue pop outs as rentals in 1963.
They bent in the sun laying on saw horses on the beach . :-)
Did I read you correctly? That board is pre-restoration? Geez, it looks in excellent condition!