your favorite board?

This is an extension of the “guilt” thread, below, but a completely different question…one for ALL of you. What WAS (or may STILL BE) your (absolute) favorite board of all your life? Mine…a 7’ 2", yellow hobie “eastern star” - circa 1971 - which, despite it’s wide width - I have ridden at small pipe, medium - large Haleiwa, and good size Lani’s. In the ‘70’s I had that thing all around the world and it rode unbelieveably. (yes, I still have it, but don’t ride “her” much, these days). I currently ride a 5’ 11" tri, and it takes me some amazing places…but I still reminisce about that big, goofy old lady in the garage. SO…WHAT ABOUT YOU!!! T.

I had a friend of a friend make me a 7’9" funshape. It was one of his first (under 20) boards. It came out looking like a mini longboard thruster. I was a bit disappointed at first, but I took it anyway. That board worked great for me in all kinds of conditions. I got it wired and rode it until it started to fall apart. When it was a lost cause to fix it anymore, I stripped the glass and shaped my first board out of it. A super flat 6’5" rounded pin single fin. From that point on I have never bought a board from a shop or factory. That was 6 years ago. Although I don’t ride it anymore, that board will always be my favorite.

In around ‘79 or so, I had this one twinny, a progressive 6’ winged swallow. It was pink and blue and my friends made fun of it, but I rode it better than any board I’ve ever had. One day while surfing a low tide sandbar at El Cap Beach I pulled into one I shouldn’t have and after a short tube I got sucked over and landed on the board, driving it straight into the bottom. A 20" section of rail at the wide point got crushed so bad that both the bottom and the deck delaminated. The thing was lopsided after that. My Mom drove me to SB later that same day and I traded it in for a 6’2" single fin.

A 9’0" Takayama. This was back in 1986 or so. I went in and talked with Donald and he looked over the other DT I had recently broken in half and made some changes and delivered a magic board for me. It was a favorite for quite a few years and it’s demise was due to a worthy cause. I took it to Mexico in 1998 and we caught some great surf there during while Hurricane Mitch churned. Midweek during the trip we happend upon a car wreck off the side of the hill. It was drizzly and wet and we were the only ones around. We managed to pull everyone back up on the road except one girl with a back injury. I took the fin out of the Takayama and some towels and we slid it under her like a stretcher and tied her to it. After a sketchy climb up the wet clay slope we got her out of the jungle growth and back into the daylight with her friends. We had flagged a truck with a military troop over to help. The Takayama was loaded on board with Lucy tied to it for a 2.5 hour drive to a hospital. I kissed it goodbye. Late that evening we were in another village about 45 miles away up in the hills getting supplies. I rounded out of the Paleteria with a handful of mango and tamarindo fruit bars and saw a truck with a cage full of pigs in the back, sticking out of the top was the Takayama! I found the truck parked at the cantina and the driver had pulled over to quench his thirst. He had instructions on how to find me and was returning the board. After I returned from that trip I just parked it in the corner and had some fond memories to look back on. The bottom had dozens of dents from the asphalt road, two indented channels from sliding it in the truck and a pig hoof print neatly through the deck. The girl, Lucy was fine and had no permanent spinal damage we were told. Tom>>> This is an extension of the “guilt” thread, below, but a > completely different question…one for ALL of you. What WAS (or may STILL > BE) your (absolute) favorite board of all your life? Mine…a 7’ 2", > yellow hobie “eastern star” - circa 1971 - which, despite it’s > wide width - I have ridden at small pipe, medium - large Haleiwa, and good > size Lani’s. In the ‘70’s I had that thing all around the world and it > rode unbelieveably. (yes, I still have it, but don’t ride “her” > much, these days). I currently ride a 5’ 11" tri, and it takes me > some amazing places…but I still reminisce about that big, goofy old lady > in the garage. SO…WHAT ABOUT YOU!!! T.

A goofy looking 6’4" Caster tri that had a wide plan shape, flat bottom with a little V in the tail. It had an awful pink and yellow pattern airbrush that just looked so fruity… but - What a great board it was. It was the go any where, do anything, ride anything, type of board. Just fast and skatey and positive. I had some of the best walled up waves out in Montauk, L.I. on that board - remember my friend saying that I looked like ‘that cover of Surfer Magazine’ on one wave. He meant the somewhat-famous cover shot of Thorton Fallander in Nias. That comment set me up for a few years…! I sold it on consignment at a local shop (stupid - Stupid - STUPID!) and bought a horrible little board that was like a sized-down gun - brand withheld to protect their rep - It was too small and thin for me, but after the Caster I thought I could rip on anything. yea, what a wake up call.

My favorite board is a 7’ Bruce Jones that I had shaped for me in 1978. I had moved from Long Beach Cal to Santa Cruz and my old board was not made for point/reef breaks. I tried boards from local shapers but they just didn’t have it. I called Bruce and told him I wanted something for point break waves and he shaped me a 7’ rounded pin tail. I have used that board in all kinds of waves and all types of conditions and it has always worked for me. It now hangs in my office and is retired. Its last ride was overhead Tres Palms in Puerto Rico the winter before last. I currently ride a 6’2" fish that I made for shitty East Coast surf. It was one of the last boards I bought before joining the “made it myself” crowd.

This is an extension of the “guilt” thread, below, but a > completely different question…one for ALL of you. What WAS (or may STILL > BE) your (absolute) favorite board of all your life? Mine…a 7’ 2", > yellow hobie “eastern star” - circa 1971 - which, despite it’s > wide width - I have ridden at small pipe, medium - large Haleiwa, and good > size Lani’s. In the ‘70’s I had that thing all around the world and it > rode unbelieveably. (yes, I still have it, but don’t ride “her” > much, these days). I currently ride a 5’ 11" tri, and it takes me > some amazing places…but I still reminisce about that big, goofy old lady > in the garage. SO…WHAT ABOUT YOU!!! T. I have been lucky to have shaped a few good boards for myself so far, but my all time favorite board would have to a 7’0" bonzer mini-tank/hybrid thingie I shaped back in '92. Nose- 15 1/2" Width- 20 1/2" Tail- 14 1/2" 5" square I don’t surf much of anything over six feet and this board would handle juice, mush and anything in between…a very fun board to ride.

Right on Tom! Awesome story! If there was ever a good reason to sacrafice a surfboard, you just described it. Donald should give you a replacement board. Speaking of Donald, I heard he doesn’t do custom orders anymore? Anyway, you got the real aloha spirit and showed what it truly means to be surfer.

great story, tom. thanks. kirk

Tom, That is an awsome story! I hope you dont mind me passing along. Cheers, Scott.

I have been lucky to have shaped a few good boards for myself so far, but > my all time favorite board would have to a 7’0" bonzer > mini-tank/hybrid thingie I shaped back in '92.>>> Nose- 15 1/2" Width- 20 1/2" Tail- 14 1/2" 5" square>>> I don’t surf much of anything over six feet and this board would handle > juice, mush and anything in between…a very fun board to ride. I have had some all time boards made by Paul Gross and Greg Liddle ( all of which that KP guy has somehow managed to ride and ding).However, I think my all time favorite is the Greenough spoon I just took posession of-it’s awesome just to look at and ponder how he arrived at that complexed of a design almost 30 years ago-just amazing.

my fave is my newest shape-7’2" pintail, 19 3/4" wide, 2 1/2" thick. 18th board, best yet, i’ll try to post a pic soon. interesting how many favorite boards are right around 7’…by the way, great story tom.

My favorite all time board is my 6’-1" Supercharged fish that’s listed on the board page under,“Experimental”.This water reflective airbrushed missile has boosted me some 3’-4’ airs as well as just managed to snow under any board that I have tried to replace it with.It’s going on 3yrs old and has had all it main fin FCS PLUGS replaced due to one crazy stunt or another.That was a year ago,just recently I did a total tail patch with “s” glass 4oz. on the bottom side, with added individual patches over each plug set.Also I added a lg. nose patch on the bottom.With all this reconstruction going on I was sure to kill “The Magic Board”,but with the added new tipped foward chargers,the board rides better than ever.In fact just today I caught loads of waves on it with one good overhead wave that went down the beach so far that when I kicked out all I could do was laugh out loud.The guys standing in the parking lot were rubbing there heads and hooting. I originally glassed this board with a single “E” 4oz.top and bottom with a small tail patch on the deck…The board was made to be a disposable. My other close 2nds are my 8’-1" S.C.gun this board has gotten me stand-up(straight up right)overhead barrels in the witness of my peers,and my 6’-9" S.C. RocketFish(revised)This board is my point break board and will perform in 1’-10’+ .Herb.

I have had some all time boards made by Paul Gross and Greg Liddle ( all > of which that KP guy has somehow managed to ride and ding).However, I > think my all time favorite is the Greenough spoon I just took posession > of-it’s awesome just to look at and ponder how he arrived at that > complexed of a design almost 30 years ago-just amazing.------------------ Hey Matt, If your buddy hasn’t already stole that spoon, would you be willing to post a picture of it? Thanks, Scott

welllll my favorite board would have to be the one i learned on 8 years ago and still ride quite frequently. it’s a 7’10 E.T. funshape circa 1981. round tail, single fin, real thick… the whole deal. it works in anything. most fun board i’ve ever surfed

my fave is my newest shape-7’2" pintail, 19 3/4" wide, 2 > 1/2" thick. 18th board, best yet, i’ll try to post a pic soon. > interesting how many favorite boards are right around 7’…by the way, > great story tom. I’ve had a love affair with just about every board I’ve ever owned or own.I have never had a board shaped specifically for me (maybe a mistake)or have never set out and said “I’m buying a board today”. My method of purchase is the “Buy me method”, that is I could be in the shop just browsing boards and the board jumps off the rack and screams buy me. My wife happened to be with me, the last time I purchased a new board. I pull the board off the rack, touch it, examine it. About 1/2 hour goes by, we are talking with owner, as we are talking, my wife notices, with-out me realizing I’m stroking this board as one pets there dog. Needless to say, I bought that board.

Yeah, as soon as KP and I get a camera we are going to post pictures of our boards,including the Greenough spoon.

This has been a great thread…That was a beautiful story, by the way, Tom. You’ve definitely got a good heart, bro. I’ve been noticing that most of your favorite boards have not been “site specific”, but good “all arounds”… see a trend, here?!..operative word…FUN!!! Dig it! By the way, I forgot to mention that “'ole yeller” in the garage (a diamond tail) had a GUIDANCE fin system. remember those?! It was great! for you younger bros, the fin (a perfect and flexi NYLON job) was inserted into a variably notched - for position - center fin box. When you got to your desired position, you’d insert these green plastic inserts where the air spaces would be. To this day, I still miss the ease of that system. The only time I lost a fin was at Kaiser’s - 8 foot day, and I scraped it off on the reef at the bowl doing a deep bottom turn. Bummahs!!!

About 18 years ago I met a guy at HB after a great session. He had a board that was 6’ 2", a pintail thruster,and had a wider than ‘normal’ nose for that period. It was quite wide but it was very thin with a flat bottom (I believe – this was before I looked at the bottoms closely). It had a deck and bottom laminate that said “Duke” in cursive. It was THE MAGIC BOARD. I borrowed it every chance I got. I rode it at Rincon, HB, Ofre, Trestles, and it just kicked ass!!! My bro broke it in two during a major swell on the south side of Seal Beach and had it repaired but it had lost something. He later traded it in and didn’t tell me about it as I would have scooped it up in a heartbeat. Here is my request: Who knows anything about that label? I’ve never seen another one, nor did I look to see who built it when I had the chance. Of course I realize that the fond memories of riding this Magic Board have probably gotten better every year as time marches on, but the hoot factor was ON with that stick! So does anyone have a clue? Anyone? Anyone? … Buhler??? Magoo

About 18 years ago I met a guy at HB after a great session. He had a board > that was 6’ 2", a pintail thruster,and had a wider than ‘normal’ nose > for that period. It was quite wide but it was very thin with a flat bottom > (I believe – this was before I looked at the bottoms closely). It had a > deck and bottom laminate that said “Duke” in cursive. It was THE > MAGIC BOARD. I borrowed it every chance I got. I rode it at Rincon, HB, > Ofre, Trestles, and it just kicked ass!!! My bro broke it in two during a > major swell on the south side of Seal Beach and had it repaired but it had > lost something. He later traded it in and didn’t tell me about it as I > would have scooped it up in a heartbeat. Here is my request: Who knows > anything about that label? I’ve never seen another one, nor did I look to > see who built it when I had the chance. Of course I realize that the fond > memories of riding this Magic Board have probably gotten better every year > as time marches on, but the hoot factor was ON with that stick! So does > anyone have a clue? Anyone? Anyone? > … > Buhler??? Magoo I’LL ASK AROUND,Herb.