First of all I’m stoked to have picked up yet another vintage board! This one came to me in great shape but all the owner could give me on this one was it was from the 70’s! Any old schoolers out there know who was spraying for Bobby back in the day! Can’t wait to show her off in the lineup! The fin is a repop my buddy made. Seems like a perfect fit for this destined board to fall into my hands.
Two possible choices, John Bredin, or Gary Brummett. The stencil technique was pioneered by john, Gary did a lot of art with a Dolphin motif. Hard to choose between the two of them. Both were absolute masters of the craft. If I had to make a wager, I’d put my money on John Bredin.
Interesting and I’ll have to look into both of them. Got in touch with the guy I bought it from and he believes it was a Jack Meyer’s job but he couldn’t get a full confirmation from his family as he is no longer with us. When he dropped the board off to me he had forgotten that bit of information but quickly sent me that info once he got back home to his computer. I will look into those other two guys you mentioned however and delve a little deeper.
Look right in front of the ‘‘C’’ in Challenger, on the surfboard. There appears to be the initials JB have been penciled in. What do you think?
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It just so happens I bright the board with me to work today to take to boardhouboa here in the beach town i work in to see what the old guys that run it can tell me. I’ll have to get a closer look on my lunch break.
When I shaped for Hansen, Gary Brummett was one of the glossers there. Later, when I had the SURF SYSTEMS company, John Bredin did a considerable amount of airbrush work on our boards. I have first hand knowledge of the work of both of them.
John Bredin’s stencil work. Brummett hadn’t yet started airbrushing at that time.
That’s a John Breeden. How do I know. That Orange Sun with the Blue Halo. He would be very stoked to see that Board. He told me He lost most of his photos in house fire.
That’s unfortunate! I will have to get in contact with him somehow then as it appears the initials match up! I would really love to have confirmation on it from the actual artist. I took it by the board house in Port Aransas just now and the two young kids working the counter today had no clue what i had but we’r willing to offer up a trade on any board in the house lol. I told them I’ll give it a bit before I am willing to go and make that exchange lol.
I believe that board was shaped by Bill Caster not Bobby Thomas. Caster was building them in the early to mid 70’s.
I agree. When I saw the photo, my reaction was that it was a copy of a Caster. That planshape has Billy written all over it. Very pleasing to the eye.
So it’s been confirmed as John Bredin contacted me back this morning and thanked me for forwarding the pic over to him. I really appreciate all the knowledgeable people on here helping me understand what exactly it is that i have. For now this board hangs proudly in my living room amongst my most favorite’s!
If I were a betting man I would bet the farm or in this case the Beach house that it was a Caster shaped challenger.