I am trying to find some additional information regarding a vintage Gordon & Smith board I learned to surf on 30+ years ago. It has Frye wings, but does not have the Frye name anywhere, so I am not sure if it is just a vintage G&S or something more significant. Photos are attached.
It acquired a ding while sitting in storage (it has sentimental value and broke my heart) and I am trying to decide whether to repair myself so I can teach my kids on the same board I learned on, or it should be professionally repaird and stored away. Any info or thoughts would be really appreciated.
If it has those wings, it’s a Frye. Does that mean he shaped it? No way to tell. But the wings indicate it’s one of his designs. As far as value goes, a 6’10" Frye design is kind of rare, but not as collectible as his longer or older shapes. Probably made around 1970. Under 7 ft, but no leash plug. Fix it and ride it. Not a big ticket item at all.
Agree with the previous replies. Nice, functional board. The late '60s and '70s were mostly fads of crap boards that didn’t work but were hyped to style victims/suckers, but this brief period had some very nice, very good boards. Sold a bunch of them.
A few thoughts-
Unless you’re pretty good, I’d have a pro repair it. Won’t cost the world and you won’t have to look at it and regret.
Get an eyebolt type replacement fin screw and use a leash with a rail saver, that way you won’t have to get good at ding repair or ask for a quantity discount at the repair shop.
Likewise, get a padded board bag and use it. The vast majority of dings happen on dry land. As you found out.
As I said, nice, functional board…for somebody about 150 lbs in a fairly good wave and possessed of some skills. For a kid learning, not so much. Rent a somewhat bigger foamie to teach them the basics, you won’t be wincing every time they fall off and they will be having fun from the get-go on an easy board to use. Rent, don’t buy. with any luck their skills will blow right by the foamie quickly. And on to boards that perform incrementally better, step by step. which you also rent if you can. By which time it will be them telling you what sort of boards they want.
And you can keep this one for yourself. For good days. When you surf with your kids.
Worth getting Professionally repaired and taken care of. Nothing wrong with riding it, teaching the kids on etc. but it is such a clean and barely yellowed board that it is worth the price of a “day bag” for storage and transport. I understand the sentimental value, so take care of it. If you decide to use a leash with it (kids), there are glue on leash tabs that can be glued at the tail of the board with 5 minute Epoxy. They hold very well and are easily removed. Can be pried or ground off. The wings were used on G&S boards to designate that a particular board was a “Frye” Design. Eventually after leaving G&S, Skip used the wings formally as His logo.
Looking closely at your pics; Is that a fin box? If so, it would have been one of the early Bahne boxes like we used to buy from Mitch. It’s possible the board could be as early as 1968. By 69 or 70 Skip was hanging with a group of guys who shaped boards for Select Surf Shop and customs for individuals. They were shaping and living in a series of garages along Mission near Select. It is possible he may have been doing a few still for Larry Gordon. Not sure. But I am guessing this was shaped just before he more or less left G&S. I think my quess on the time frame is very close. I lived just a block away and would see that group of guys hanging out there almost every day. Lowel
Thanks for the thoughts and additional background. It has a fin box. I am certainly enjoying learning more about a board that was purchased at the side of the road for fifty bucks many many years ago.
…that is a big board for a 150 pounds person, as mentioned. Only to ride big surf in that case. For a daily rider; you need more than 85kg to surf that board on an easy way. I am talikng about a guy who can surfing…
I do not see many boards of that time with the dimension. Dimensions “boom” was later.
Not really. When this was made a typical board was around 7’. Most of my friends were riding boards in the 7’2" to 7’6" range. I had a 6’8" as my daily rider and a 7’6" for a winter ‘step up’ board. I weighed around 150 at the time.
Could be. Boards of that style and design were certainly around at that late date. But I remember seeing boards like that as well in the time frame I have referenced. Mostly at Select and G&S boards down at Pacific Beach Surf Shop. What year do you think that Bahne fin box came into fairly widespread use? I know I bought them at Mitch’s in '69 & '70.
Could be. Boards of that style and design were certainly around at that late date. But I remember seeing boards like that as well in the time frame I have referenced. Mostly at Select and G&S boards down at Pacific Beach Surf Shop. What year do you think that Bahne fin box came into fairly widespread use? I know I bought them at Mitch’s in '69 & '70.
