From Speed Shaper

8'3" 1968 Rick Surfboards Pintail

From Day Dream Surf Shop web site...

"This 1968 Rick Surfboards is truly a prime example of Evolution Era design and shaping. The wide point of the board is pushed very far forward that transitions into a steep, pulled in pin tail. The rails are relatively foiled the whole length of the board, starting as turned up in the nose, 50/50 mid way through the board, and turned down the last third of the board. The bottom contour is very rolled the whole way through, and the rocker profile is relatively flat with some noticeable S-Deck. The original WaveSet fin is even included with the board. Tap into some period correct Evolution style surfing with this Rick Single fin."

 

 Comments from ''Speed Shaper,'' Rick surfer-shaper back in the day ...

"This is a nice example of the second stage of the mini-gun shape.  

I had a first stage version (an incredibly "short" 9'3"-or so it seemed at the time) which had hard rails farther forward from the tail. Catching edges was a constant problem, so Phil Becker started pushing the 50/50 rail more towards the tail before it dropped to a very hard edge, and extending the rounded "belly" in the nose back, too. 

An experiment was done to add a bit of Vee in the tail with a slight reverse rocker a few inches from the end. We called them "fluttertails".  Phil related to me dropping into a slightly overhead Pipeline wave, leaning over on the rail at the bottom of the wave and the board going straight off!  It kept going straight off no matter how hard he leaned until he heard the wave break behind him! At speed, rather than loosening the board up, it "tracked" by resisting turning. This was one of the criticisms of the deep Vee Bottom shapes, too.

The board pictured here is a result of learning those hard lessons. The idea was to get the speed of the pintail plans hape, but make it so that the edges wouldn't grab. But provide just enough edge that it would bite and hold on a hard "rail turn". Keep in mind that the wide point being so far forward, It surfed off of the front foot and committing the rail hard into the turn was the way to maintain that speed.  Phil realized that really good surfers could surf anything, but Joe Average needed something a bit forgiving which would allow them to learn edge control and experience the speed that a pintail would provide. They became popular with the people who wanted to "power surf" rather than "hot dog". 

The decal pictured is one of the early designs to make the boards look more "hip" and "with" the age of Aquarius, as the double-oval original Rick decal was looking dated, oh so early 60's."

 

Mike Eaton RIP

 

Hi Paul, 

 

You probably know that Mike Eaton died a week after Phil Becker. Another shaper/mentor to me, but not as much as Phil. Still we had some great times together, seeing him develop the twin-fin shapes. He was twinning conventional shapes and finally got frustrated and just sawed the back off one day. Becker made a 6 ft something version two days later which I surfed at Rincon with frustration. My low-railer was at home and the twinnie wouldn't project down the line at all. I alternated knee riding to project the turns, then standing up to make maneuvers.  A week later I had a 5'8" out of a reject blank shaped by Phil. probably the shortest board around for a while. I surfed it at Manhattan Pier all summer. I put 3 fin boxes (homemade) in it, but quickly stayed a twin.

 

I'm sure Mike was aware of Simmon's shapes since he was surfing during that time.  Mike was also a naval architect and designed early catamarans that sailed from Calif to Hawaii. I still have a set of sketches he made giving me hints on how to shape Bonzers. And some interesting fin templates with large end lobes and fairly narrow "stalks".

 

I surfed the biggest waves of my life at Jalama with Mike and Keith Paul, "island 10 ft" terrifying! That's where I finally decided that I was a "6 ft and under surfer" like Corky Carrol famously said. That trip makes a really good story about surf adventure and mis-adventure! It was wackiness and terror mixed together.

 

Mike was scientific methodical and very generous with his hard found knowledge. Another quiet person and consummate craftsman. I worked with him at Rick's and would walk across the street to Bing's to talk to him when he moved there. 

 

These people's lives made a very positive impact on the world. Like you are doing right now, they left a legacy of total stoke!

 

I'll celebrate them by riding waves in a joyous manner.

 

Speed Shaper

Any Questions?

 

From Jesse

 

Hey Paul,

 

I had a buddy pick this up for me out of Oregon recently and been having a lot of fun riding it lately in the points north of Santa Barbara. The True Ames fin that came with it seems identical to their GG4A template. 

 

Looks like it was hardly ridden. Just wanted to share. 

 

Jesse

RIP Phil Becker

 

                                 Phil Becker 1940 - 2021

Thoughts from "Speed Shaper," a frequent commenter to this blog, and a veteran craftsman at Rick Surfboards, home of Phil's work for many years...

"Phil passed away peacefully with his wife Linda by his side the morning of Friday Feb. 26.

 

I was privileged to be a good friend to this very unique person who had so many dimensions. He taught me a lot of things about workmanship and dedication to one's craft. And to set those standards high. To stay active, mentally and physically, to challenge oneself in life. He laughed often and treated all with kindness.

 

He was very well read and hid his intelligence from others, a bit. He lived his life on his own terms. He was a "character" in a sport of characters, going from wood boards to modern technology. He was so stoked on life!

 

I can never recollect him being truly angry, knowing him from 1966. Exasperated by people's behavior, but never angry. and never swore in anger. He described the waves as F-ing good, but don't we all! 

 

He saw humor in lots of things. I learned just today from another friend that Phil could play classical guitar--songs of his own making, that according to this guy sounded really professional. He lived life on his own terms and helped many people quietly. When Carole and I were first married and I was making $250 a month, he rented us an apartment in Hermosa Beach for about 1/3rd of what it was worth. He just asked us not to tell anybody. It saved us financially.

 

Phil taught me to speed shape-fast and efficiently...and we both liked "speed shapes" in board designs, hence my on-line nickname. My life moved me in other directions away from working in surf shops, but I carried his work ethic and sense of craft and stoke through 7 different careers!

 

Phil married in his 70's. He and his wife were super active...a regular pattern of multiple 60 mile bike rides and good distance swims in the ocean every week, right up till he got ill.

 

I remember him commenting on Greg Liddle's shapes, saying that they were really efficient, but they'd never hit the mass market, because they didn't have pointy noses and that's what the public wrongly think makes a "performance" surfboard.

 

Phil was a friend and a mentor--I learned how to really be a craftsman from him. A great experience to know him, a great sadness at his passing."

From Florian

 

Hi Paul,

Talking about extreme... the monster 8’10 x 24.25” lynch Spencer Kellogg made me turned out to be a ripper...we thinned it out a bit and also increased the vee a bit to accommodate for the width.

 

Had it out at my spot last week in clean uncrowded 1-3 surf, got a lot of  waves. With that width in the tail it glides through flat spots and weak waves yet it still is still super responsive... I even got a few full rail turns in!

 

I feel the wide board concept for small waves is validated!

 

Florian