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...
4 comments:
Remember the "Rhino" blanks? I think they were tandem blanks with a "wall" added part way down the mold. They had some rocker, but the tails were like 5 inches (127 mm) thick! Hell for shapers. I made a Vinny Bryan 6 ft.Wide, with full width roundtail with flat bottom, little single fin right on the tail and 45 degree rails. After seeing him surf one at Haliewa in a surf movie and outrun gun shapes on it . (Anyone know which movie that was?) I glued 4 blocks (Rhino cutoffs) together, routed in some stringers and shaped it. A $40.00 summer board.
Speedshaper
I think the film in question was Fred Windisch's "The Natural Art."
I'll check it again, Paul. I thought so too. But I didn't find it on the first go through. Though I fast forwarded through all the Psychedelia, so I might have missed it. Even back in the day it was a bit much! I bought a DVD copy from his daughters, they sent a nice note with the DVD.
Make a belly board from one half and a ripper out of the other! Wish someone still made a brewer plug
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