I’m trying to get some good opinions on what to do with an old board. Obviously opinions are like you know what, but I stll like hearing what some of the veterans have to say about repairs vs refurbishment vs full restoration. I have an old Ekstrom hull and it isn’t in terrible shape, but the rails nose and tail have some older repairs that need help. Is this puppy going to be worth more just to patch up and surf, or is there potentially some value in it if a more intensive refurbishment or restoration was the course of action?
I’m no expert, but I don’t think there are too many Eckstroms around. That being said, I don’t know that it would ever have the value of some of the more collectible boards. If it were mine, I’d make any necessary repairs and color match as best you can, clean up/redo any dodgy past repairs, wet sand and polish. As you said, there are lots of opinions, but I’m of the school that after too much of a restoration, the board is no longer the board it was originally. Obviously, some boards are beyond a simple refurbishment and a full restoration may be the only way to go.
I’m of the school that after too much of a restoration, the board is no longer the board it was originally
I agree with this. I have fallen down the rabbit hole of fixing up a few gnarly dings and then next thing I know I’m restoring the entire board. Every time I get sucked into this trap, the board ends up looking ‘okay’ but the weight is all off and I end up asking why I didn’t just fix the dings and be done with it.
Here’s my problem, and maybe somebody can set me straight: I can’t stand fixing up dings as best I can and then the final product looks like it has a million patches on it. For some reason, I feel that when a board looks like this, it’s a reflection of my work/repair. When I repair a board I want my work to look good and that’s just hard to do with tons of dings. And I know, who cares what others think, but I do.
So you need to ask yourself, are you just going to ride it or try to sell it down the road?
Thanks for the input so far. Personaly I love riding boards from all eras, but in order to do that, I have to be able to sell them off at some point (i don’t have the space, or I might have my own surf museum by now). So part of the question has to do with the potential value of this specific board in a given condition, because it is kind of rare. I haven’t seen many boards from Carl so I don’t really know how to value it
Haven’t seen too many myself. Put it on EBay as a bid item and see what happens.
Looks to be a 1969/1970 era board.
My personal experience is that the crappier and more beat up the board looks, the less people drop in on you! Cue the demonic laughter but I have found that with a couple salvage jobs.
Carl Ekstorms are rare get in touch with Bird at Birds Surf Shed. He has a pretty good I dea of values on some of the better known Board Bilders. Now if that was one of Ekstroms Asymmetrital Boards it would be very desired by a few San Diego Collecters. Bill is right most likely 69/70.
I started the Vintage surfboard collectors group on facebook with anoterh guy a fair while back, it has over 40k members, you could post it there and ask.
But I know the story from the dings and clear repairs would be appreciated by 90% of the members. There is a fairly consistant view throughout the posts on tht site that a light touch that still shares the tory is the best way to go.
That being said, if a board is so far gone it needs a full glass off resto, its better than binning it? Or is it? This board look like it just wants some love and some swell.