I’ve only seen photo’s, but it will soon be on display at Bird’s Surf Shed. It is my personal 1971, nine foot long, by twenty inch wide Waimea Gun. The board was made for 30 foot Waimea. It has the Surf Systems label on it, with a clip from the Hawaii state flag. This is the ONLY foam gun I ever made in these dimensions. It is a point and shoot needle. I was just thirty years old, when I made that board. I often wondered what ever became of that surfboard. That board is now 48 years old. Tempis fugit.
That’s awesome!!
Hope I can check it out when I’m down there next
Bird says he wants to take it to the Del Mar Boardroom, in May.
I hope someone posts photos of the board.
Did u evr sirf it, en da wild sirf o waimeia?
No, Jay. I did not. I took the board to the North Shore in 1971, and 1972. In '71, Waimea did not break, when I was there. In December '72, the North Shore was 10 days of Kona winds, rain and storm. I gave up, and came home. I never even unpacked the board. Luck of the draw.
So, how did the board end up coming full circle? Was it Bird that brought it home? Pretty cool
Thus far, the back story is not known. A long time friend of Bird, came up with the board, and sent photos to Bird. Long story short, they agreed to a trade, and now Bird is the owner of the board. I hope to see it again, in the next few days. A photo shoot is planned. I’m sure Bird will later post photo’s, on his website.
So i’m wondering about the board after you left the North Shore. If you didn’t surf it in 72 , did you bring it back to the Mainland? Did you ride it on the Mainland? Maybe big Windansea or La Jolla Cove? Did you sell the board? What happened to it after you got it back to the Mainland? Foam board, what stringer set up and fin?
And, what condition is it in now?
The board has a 1/4th inch RW stringer. My daily driver then was a 7’ 10’’ x 21’’ sq tail, so I would not have been riding such an extreme board, in the local surf. I can’t remember if I left it there, to be sold, or brought it back and sold it. It was before the days of ‘‘quivers’’, and my 7’ 10’’ could handle anything in the local waters. The board was a single fin. No leash plug. You would not want a circa 1971/72 era leash on you, in the intended waves. Like you, I too am wondering about the board, after it left my posession.
From the photo’s I’ve seen, it has a few rail dings. I spoke to Bird several minutes ago, and he expects to have the board in his hands by Sunday. He will notify me, and we’ll take some photo’s, that we will then post on Swaylock’s.
We be a dying fer dem pics.
Be patient, young man. Be patient. It will happen.
I’ve got a pile of old magazines laying in a corner at the shop. I ran across an old Surf systems add recently.
Was it the ‘‘Surf Systems has the Juice’’ ad, with the gnarly hand crushing an orange, with the juice squirting out?
Aloha Sammy,
Yes, that was the fin system I designed, developed, and marketed. I had not seen that ad before. I gave the system to Billy Caster, and Phil Castignola, and they formed Sea Sea Distributers. The name refers to the first letter of thier last names. Instead of C C Distributors. In Sept of 1971, I closed Surf Systems, and went into real estate. When I say I gave the system to them, I did exactly that. I never made anything from the system after that. I was glad to see them get some mileage out of it. Both Phil and Billy were two of the nicest people I ever dealt with in the surfing industry. I was saddend by thier early passing.
I’ll look for it again. Got a bunch of Mags From that era . Bought a guys collection a few years ago. Seems like I would remember the Orange thing. I’ll take another look. It was pretty recently. It’s probably laying on top of the pile.
Phil was a great guy and Select Surf Shop was core. All the best boards by all the Local Boys. Hamel’s Shop at the Pier and Bill Andrews and G&S down the street. Tug’s on Thur. night and Maynard’s Fri. The Point or the Pier every morning.