Nat, 1971

Piggiest Pig Ever Competition

No clues as to who this is, where it is, or when it is. Regardless, the board is a impressive piece of work. The shape and the graphics are both leading edge...or at least, original!

Regardless, it's probably second in Displacementia's ongoing "Piggiest Pig Ever" competition. The reigning champion continues to be Dale Velzy...

Variety Is The Spice Of Life

Keith Krunch, Hobie Alter Jr, Doug Browne, and Kevin O' Sullivan. 1968 Menehune contest, La Jolla Shores.

Keith, Hobie and Kevin are cracking it on full outlined stubbies, while Doug is totally prepped for the big stuff with a his pintail mini-gun!

Nat Young, 1968

 

R.I.P. Tom Ortner (1949-2019)

 Just a regular guy...except he surfed a lot better!
Photo: Jon foster

 One of the classic transition era images. Photo: Jeff Divine

 No hull? No problem! Early low railer, buried nose to tail. Photo: Foster

Blacks backside. Photo: Foster

Immortalized at his home break, Windansea. Photo: Foster

Bill Fury and Mini Gun

This pic was in a Dive 'n Surf wetsuit ad in 1969. It featured Bill Fury at the Huntington Beach Pier...apparently getting out of the water after a surf on a brand new, waxless transition era mini gun!

Seriously, what makes this photo of some historical importance is the board. Not necessarily the radical outline or the pinched hull rails, however interesting. But rather, the blank it would have been shaped out of. The shortboard revolution had just taken over, and shops -- especially larger shops -- were sitting on an inventory of leftover longboard foam. The result was a brief generation of small, transition era boards that were shaped out of blanks that were totally inappropriate. Meaning, low, even rocker, nose to tail.  Not much more shapers could do but soldier on with what they had.

Before long, blanks specifically designed for shortboards emerged, with less tail lift and more nose lift. But it wasn't until the mid-70's era Brewer plugs that short, single fins really found their potential. With his rocker apex forward, and straight-but-soft tail lift, virtually any board shaped out of a Brewer blank was at the very least serviceable. Most were really good...

Great Hull

I found this in a batch of old photos notated as "Honolulu, 1950's."

Not sure how accurate that is...but look at the board! What a great shape, with a deep hull up front, soft-but-dropped rails in the back, and a minimalist fin. Nice s-deck and rocker scheme as well.