From The Miracle Of Instagram

Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus, and hulls run parallel to the wall...

Mystery Hull

No info as to dims, who shaped it, or rider feedback. Twinnie set-up looks interesting...

Another French Connection

Fast forward some 5 decades from the last post...A concept board from the engineers at Peugot.

Let's let the Peugot people explain...

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Peugeot design lab displays GTi surfboard concept at the Goodwood festival of speed

Peugeot Design Lab is a Global Brand Design Studio. Our 200 years of industrial experience and 120 years of automotive know-how is available to outside clients• The GTi Surfboard Concept celebrates thrill seekers who attend Peugeot stand• Many performance Peugeot cars are displayed at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

Commissioned to coincide with the presence of Peugeot at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed with its thrilling on stand Flowrider Surf Machine, the Peugeot Design Lab has produced a unique ‘GTi Surfboard’ Concept. The design was inspired by the thrill from driving Peugeot’s latest performance products, most notably the new 208 GTi and also saluting the new RCZ R and exclusive Onyx Concept Car.The Peugeot Design Lab Surfboard Concept blends the traditional wood of a classic surfboard with the latest carbon fibre technology, as applied extensively to the Onyx Concept Car. Quad fins fluidly placed along the edge of the scalped tail are designed to give a responsive, exhilarating and agile ride quality.The ‘coupe franche’ (clean cut) design separates the two ends of the board, the ‘Motion’ end is a precise, hi-tech shape optimised with a carbon fibre tail piece while the leading edge nose is beautifully shaped with ‘Emotion’ from natural wood, embellished with its brand signature ‘Peugeot GTi’.Visitors to the Goodwood Festival of Speed can see the Peugeot Design Lab GTi Surfboard Concept next to the Flowrider Surf Machine on the Peugeot stand, itself located at the centre of display activities.

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I'm not taking this seriously until I see one in KP's garage...

Summer, 1968

Right in the heart of the shortboard revolution -- 1969 -- Surfer Magazine published an article following the French leg of the shooting of MacGillivray/Freeman's "Waves Of Change." (Which was later rebranded and re-released in 35mm as "The Sunshine Sea.")

This photo was one of the more prominent non-surfing images accompanying the piece, and while it was interesting enough at the time, it's a treasure trove of information when viewed through 20-20 hindsight.

The surfers pictured were Americans Mark Martinson (with the glass of wine...how very French), and Bill Hamilton (reading surfer magazine), along with the late Australian, Keith Paull. This was in the summer of 1968, and they were riding first and second generation shortboards that summer.

The distinction between first and second design generations is key. Both Martinson and Hamilton were on their first shortboards...relatively crude American interpretations of the Australian V-Bottoms. Keith Paull's green roundtail was the next step in the evolution, and although it maintained the wide tail of the Deep V's, the roundtail was a quantum leap forward. Plus Keith's board sported a glass-on fiberglass fin, while Martinson ad Hamilton were still using the WAVE Set fin system with molded plastic fins left over from the longboard era.

So here, captured in one image, are Nat Young riding an early V at Honolua Bay (in the magazine Hamilton is reading), two early American V's, and one of the very first roundtails. And 3 world class surfers. (4 if you include Nat Young.)

Plus, a bitchin' VW Combi Van...

From Bryce

Volan Cloth? Check.

Cut Laps? Check.

Clear layup? Check.

Patch over fin box? Check.

Sanded finish? Check.

Fin set 13" Up? Check.

Pat Curren, 1981

Photo: Art Brewer

Neat shot of Pat Curren in Costa Rica in 1981, on what clearly is a short hull.

6'6'' x 20.5" Gordon Woods

8'4'' Hobie Silver Bullet

Late 1960's, Guidance Systems fin box, looks piggier than the version of that model in the ad.

From Greg Hall

Greg with Phil Edwards tranisitonal shape, 1971.

43 years later!

Hey Paul,

I was stationed at the Submarine Base Pearl Harbor in68/69. Shortly after I arrived, I ordered the Phil from the Hobie shop on Kapiolani, I remember at the time thinking, I didn’t know if I wanted to go that short (8'10'') . The short board revolution was underway. I surfed that board all over Oahu, even small back door.

Brought the Phil home, by then it was a long board. Found out later that Bosco Burns did the fin.

Still have it hangin in the rafters.🌊😎.

Surfs up, Greg🌊

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More on Edwards transitional shapes here ...

8'3'' Hull For Bryce

Hi Paul,

I picked it up from Spence a week and a half ago. I rode it at Malibu several times since then, at a really good low-tide evening at Rincon, at the Ranch, and Trestles. I did some adjustments on the PG fin and think I have that dialed in now.

My first notes on the board are it is beautifully shaped and glassed, what a stunner! The board trims very well down the line, exactly what I'd want in a longer hull. It is a little heavy and hard to turn into a big carving cutback but I'm trying to figure out the perfect spot on the board to maybe get that figured out. So give me some more time to keep riding it and hopefully get some more good point surf.

Thanks again for the board Paul.

Bryce

From Roger Kelly

Hi Paul

I brought the 8-4 PG Simmons square tail down to Mexico some years ago. Mostly ride it on tiny sand spit kinda low tide waves....a few times a year.

About 6 or 8 months ago, I lent it to a fellow old guy from Carp named Bert. I think he is in his 70's and was mostly doing a bit of SUP surfing and he had shown some curiosity about the board so I told him to give it a go....I think he mostly let it sit and I got no feedback and I was going to get it back recently.

I ran into him in the Cantina restaurant and he immediately started enthusiastically ranting about the board and how fast and fun it was and the feelings of speed while prone surfing. He also said he lent it to some young guy who was stand up surfing the board and came back to the beach and wanted to buy it!! I told Bert to hang onto it for now and that every now and then I might want to borrow it. I think you shaped it in 2006 or 2007 and thought you might want to know, it is still in action!!

Hope all is well Paul!

Proneman