my new old Wardy

First board I ever paddled out on the SF coast was a 9’8 Wardy, and my first custom, 2 years and hundreds of lawn mow’s later, was a 9’8 Wardy, ordered in 1964 from Al Giddings at the Bamboo Reef Dive Shop in SF…been looking for another Wardy for decades, only not into paying the collector prices old Wardy’s tend to command…

 

And then a couple of weeks ago, an old 9’8 Wardy that had been collecting barn dust for decades popped up on a New Hampshire CL ad for a way reasonable price…and after a train ride across the US to Oregon, is now sitting on my repair stand about to get some open ding repair love, and some summer fun paddle outs…



Quite a nice find.       Was there a back story?

Was the seller named Jack? A friend of mine has a barn full of old boards up in NH.

the seller was a guy named Scott Kirste.  Now a coastal real estate broker, Scott used to manage an east coast surf shop a couple of deades back…one day a mom and her son came into the shop, said they were hoping to get some trade in credit for an old surfboard they had towards a new shortboard.  So Scott bought the board himself, and it ended up stashed  within his property barn for a couple of decades before he decided it was time to sell it…apparently has some other goodies, including a pristine Hansen Master…when I asked him was there any shaper id on it, he said the only thing he could find was the letter T…so had to explain to him who Bill Thrailkill was…lol

I was alerted to the board by an east coast surfer on the Jamboards forum, and then another forum member, Tim Luken, who lived closer to the seller met with him, fronted the money for the board purchase, packed it up in a personal travel bag, and shipped it to me via Amtrak…all this from a guy I had never met or even spoke to before.   When I repaid him for out of pocket, added some extra towards a new board for his daughter as a way of saying thank you to a great guy

 

Board # is 4615.  The more I look at it, and try and think back to my 64’ custom, the fin makes me think this may be more a 62’ or 63’, as it is still more a D fin, and less the first generation speed skeg my 64’ came with…be interested in anyone’s thoughts on that…

 

 


Quality score!

really like that outline. A slight oink to it. 

I grew up in NH (all over the east coast actually) but I’ve scored my fair share out of barns there. With only a few miles of coast line a quality board is a rare find. 

Awesome looking board, and a cool story.

The fin has some obvious flat spots on it, trying to decide whether to leave as is, reshape and refoil a tad, or add some glass where needed to restore the shape…my concern would be probably impossible to match that green. Board might be occasionally rode in some summer mush, rest of the time will be on a display rack. what would you do?


Fiberglass Hawaii used to have a Florescent Green that is very close if not right on.  Call Wade down there and see what he has.  Florian at Shapers Supply would be my next inquiry.

thnk, MD, will do that…btw, you heard about Gary Gregg, right…?

No I haven’t seen him since right before Christmas. Haven’t been around the last few days. Been visiting the the Adventists At Tillamook ICU.  I hope it is all good with him.  I have grown to really like Gary.  Lowel

sent you a PM, Lowell

Thank You. I just called the shop and got filled in this AM

For anyone who might be interested; there is a lime green that is for sale and listed on the “Surf Shop” page.  In the proper amount and a few color tests;  I think this color would do the trick. Listed For Sale At Greenlight.  Intended for Epoxy tho. Lowel 

So it is difficult for me to tell from pics.  Is that last piece on the tailblock resin?  In your opinion was it at one time the same color as the fin and just faded over time?  Green tints fade to Volan with just a couple of years of sun or UV.

fibreglass tail block,original tint…thinking pick up some blue and yellow resin tint and try to mix up a match…?  

 

 

 


Just my two cents.  Since there are no big chunks out of the fin I would just blend the flats into curves.  This would save having to match a color and visable patch.  

yes, that’s the back-up plan.  I  do have some translucent tints on their way, will see how well I can brew up a match…if I can match that would be great, if not, wil just re-foil the fin template, have already made a template that looks like it will integrate fine.

thnx

Yes that’s a possible back up.  But if you get some colors you can work with, I am sure you will be able to restore to original.  I’ve seen  pics of stuff you’ve done.  I’ve got confidence in your ability.  I’ve seen a lot of those old glass fins ground flat on the bottom edge.  Makes you wonder what people were thinking.  Oh! If I grind the bottom of on rocks or sand I will get a longer ride straight off in the soup.    ???

thnx, Mcd…look at that fin, have visions of young kids teaming up to drag a 30# plus board down the sidewalk and along the sand over and over…

As a young, pre driving teen, had to lug my Wardy a half mile from where I kept it stored to the beach (Pedro)…not sure many kids today would actually want to surf if they had to routinely lug and surf 30# surfboards…

Not to mention;   No Wetsuits!       Or Leaskes lol!