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...