I have a friend, Fenton Scholes, 90 years of age, and an original member of the Palos Verdes Surfing Club in 1936. I was at his house this week looking over his vintage boards from over the past 65 years.
One in particular caught my eye, a 10’ balsa, the last to come from Meyers Buddy, famous maker of Pete Peterson’s 30’s-40’s paddleboards.
Fenton had it varnished, but in the late 40’s or early 50’s, took it to Dale Velzy, and had it re shaped: 1/3nose,1/3middle, 1/3 tail, and glassed, which makes the board one of the first balsas to be fiberglassed, as far as we can tell.
Fenton loaned the board to the Huntington Beach Surf Museum about 10-15 years ago. When he called to get it back last year, they said that they couldn’t find it! After many phone calls and visits by Fenton’s son, the board was found, covered in dirt, in a storage warehouse, at the bottom of a large stack of boards, with the small half moon shaped skeg broken off.
Fenton was happy to get the board back, along with an early 1950’s Hobie.
The reason for this post, after the lenghty background, is to find out if there is any recourse, for the mishandling and poor treatment of this vintage board. Fenton, being 90 and in ill health, does not want to pursue the matter. His son, and his friends do.
Swaylockers, what would you suggest we do?
