ASYMMETRICAL SURFBOARD,'' back in the day.''

The day I’m referring to, is mid September 1963, at Sunset Beach.      The concept of asymmetrical design, for surfboards, first comes out of Australia.       The first board of this design, that I ever laid eyes on,  was an Aussie board, on the above date.     One of the boards brought to the NS by a group of Aussie surfers.     I find it interesting that the design is being perceived and hailed as such a new concept, when it clearly is not.    Does the design work?       Yes, but just about anything does, to one degree or another.        Would I ride one?      No.      But that’s just me.      

I’d love to see a picture.  

My latest attached.

all the best

I’m not sure that the people actually making them think of them as a “new idea”. 

Maybe the people running websites, producing content, marketing boards are spruking them as new? But I never have time to read the articles or watch the videos. 

I do listen to a fair few podcasts as I drive and try to block out distractionsin the staffroom, or actually get a chance to work in the shaping (garden) shed. Ekstrom, AB, Brink, the young fella that one the last shape off at the board room show, (I had his name in my head a few minutes ago damnit), the dude from album surf, heck I have even seen a D fin from the early 60’s with an asym tail.  Old is ne, new is old.

If I lived and surfed in a place with the waves you guys have I may never have built one.

As a back yarder, making boards for myself, I’ll play with asym, cause it rattles around in my head. Along with, mid lengths, twin plus 1’s, bonzers, re using fin plugs, stipping broken boards, making garden beds, 175mm from the tail v’s 230 mm from the tail, 4mm toe v’s toe in to 2 inches from the nose, ordering turf, making a chess board for my fiances birthday, running trials for the junior boys school team for the district trials, when can I fit in time to route out the fin boxes and leggie plugs for the two boards in the shed, when am I gunna get to finish the 4 half done borads I have put to the side, I need to put pyrethrum on the tomatoes, pick up a chicken from the butcher to make birthday dinner tonight, what am I teaching my grade 8’s in lesson 4 today. Oh my god I have gone cross eyed. I really need some time in the shed.

 

Thought I would lighten the mood cause I didnt want to seem disrespectful.

Love your work sir, and I think you should share more stories of your early days, they are a highlight when they come up.

 

 

 

 

Doggone it, I read that as “asymmetrical board - back in the bay”, and you can guess what I was thinkung

Yeah probably started with some Aussie’s bad eyesite and inability to read a tape.  You know;  “Measure twice, cut once”.  Nothing new about a 70 something yank that likes Panama hats.  That’s for sure.

I made one. Finless. Still haven’t tried it. God awful channels in the bottom. Oh well, live and learn.

I always thought Ekstrom was one of innovators (not inventor by any stretch) when it came to assym. And he was doing it in the 70s, right? Does anybody know if Ekstrom did anything in the 60s? I agree with sk8ment, if it seems new to the social media masses, they run with it as ‘new’. But on the flip side of that, I follow Joel Tudor and the occasional times I actually do check social media, he’s always on there straightening people out regarding boards/shapers/etc. So maybe social media can be used to teach the masses as well. 

 

Ekström filed the patent for asyms in 1965 but told me he built them even earlier. 


Interesting. Are those two dates when he filed and when he actually got the patent?

Yeah, I think so. The patent expired some years back.

These days Donnie Brink and Ekström’s protege Ryan Burch are doing some really interesting asym work. 

My first exposure to asymmetrical surfboard design, was in 1962 in conversation with Carl Ekstrom.      He was aware of the ‘‘Hook Tail’’ design being explored (and produced) in Australia.      Google up the title ‘‘Hook Tail Asymmetrical Surfboard Design’’  and you’ll get a bit of the true history of the design concept.      The real source of the ‘‘out of the box’’ creative thinking, came from someone in Oz.      Like I said earlier, I saw my first example of the design, on the beach behind my house at Sunset in 1963.

Love the history of all this. They still make my eyes go “crosseyed.” I like the look of the asym longboard tho. Greg, your work looks impeccable from here. Mike

Thank you, Mike.  

I have forgotten the story, but weren’t  there were a couple of brothers doing double pintails that eventually morphed into asymm’s.  Miranda?  Do I have this correct?

All The Best

Aloha Greg, 

I would say that Rooster has it right, about your workmanship.       That board really looks good.

Bear & Nick Mirandon

just read about the hooktail design by scottie dillon.  thanks for sharing that bit of history. i was always under the impression carl was the originator.   heres my asym.  been thoroughly enjoying it so far as a twin/ twin+quad. I agree with what you say about all boards working to some degree. i dont believe it adds any advantage to my surfing but it’s a new feeling to ride one, and i dont believe it hinders it at all either. actually really enjoy going backside on it (i originally thought this may be a downfall). its like having 2 boards in 1 to mess around with the fins. relationship between the fin angles and the rail line was something that has been on my mind since riding this board and swapping the fins out a hundred times and sanding down some bases… and to have something so odd looking work well is a different kinda delight i guess haha. maybe the goal should not be to make people want to surf asyms, but to open their minds to new designs when they see someone they know surfing something extra weird at their local spots. I glassed this one pretty light cause I wanted it to feel like my 4x4 shortboard, but I will build one more with some refinements when it’s lived it’s life.