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"Dick Keating also made an oversized kneeboard in the late 60's with a steering wheel on the front mounted to a pulley with cables going back to a smaller pulley which turned the rotating fin"
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Yeah, weird stuff for sure. Especially liked your mention of a pivoting fin. I have wanted to try something like that, just for the fun of trying something weird. Maybe without the steering wheel, tho, that's too funny.
LeeD,
first saw DK with the kneeboard while hanging in the sand dunes of Wander Inn, north end of Pedro, warming up after a surf session…DK dragging this weird board by the steering wheel up the beach, swim kick it out, and proceed to tear it up. “WTF?”
Fred Windisch, who made The Natural Art, died not too many years after the movie was made. He was a huge guy who could surf surprisingly well for his size, and always had a smile on. Gotta think the original must be in some family members hands. First saw it with a small group at the old Pedro firehouse, just after he had made the final edits. Would love to see it again.
Big VFW meant the middle of the beach was huge…very few if any takers these days, the big wave chargers head to Mavericks…
Apologies for any percieved hi-jacking of this thread…a very rare occurence on Sway’s… 
If you remember it, you weren’t really there 
1969-ish. Tom Overlin 6’1" twin fin, made in Santa Cruz in his shop on Swift Street. Went to a fish two years later, Dyno, 5’9".
Don’t have the twin anymore, but do have the fish. Don’t ask me to try to ride it anymore.
Tom
I tried to teach myself 3d illustration about 10-12 years back, and one of the first things I tried to draw was the Keating steering-wheel board. I submitted it to swaylocks back then. Might still be in the archives. But now I think it had handlebars. I drew this at work today but am sending it now from home. I’m no good at posting images. Good luck in viewing it.
Hmm, I can see it…
you’re right, it did end up with handlebars…the wheel was too slow to turn, and not enough leverage…great drawing, pretty much nailed it…at least what I can recall from 4+ decades ago…lol
being a surfer during that time and in that place was pretty damn bitchin…makes the aging ride a lot easier if we select to keep the good stuff and fade the not so good…