Con "Wing Nose" longboard

I recently purchased a Con Surfboard "Wing Nose" model from an elderly man that's had it hanging in his garage for over 25 yrs.It was his sons surfboard when he was alot younger-he's now in his sixties and hasn't surfed in many years.I happened to be doing some work in his garage when i saw it hanging in the rafters.I figured it wouldn't hurt to ask if he was willing to sell it.The board is actually in good shape,no delams-of course it's heavily glassed "volan" and weighs 26 lbs.,not even any pressure dings on the deck.it;s got some rail dings but nothing major.It has something on the nose area that I was told is called "slipcheck".NO leash plug but does have a fin box maybe it was retro-fitted?..did they have fin boxes back then-then why no leash plug?It has NO shaper info or dimensions written-it only has a number stamped on the deck by the tail area #4431?....i guess it's the production number?.Anyways,The gentleman agreed to sell the board after calling his son on the phone.I thinking to my self-great his sons gonna tell me he wants hundreds of dollars for it...to my surprise after talking to his son he asked me if i was willing to pay 50 bucks for it!..I paused and thought "OHHH YEAHHHHH"...darn! I probably could of negotiated for 30.Ehhh wat da heck!..i gave him full asking price....NOW the reason why i'm here is to see,if anyone would know anything about this board that they would be willing to share-like how old it might be and is it  considered a collector?...I would greatly appreciate any info.



The original Wing Nose was introduced by Con in 1959, No way to tell how old yours is, by the info you provide. While many labels had their own proprietary fin systems in the mid 60s, a fin box that’s comparable to those in use today would be a retrofit. Leash plugs weren’t around until the early 70s.

 

And… once again, nobody put the shapers name, or dimensions, on boards in the Sixties.

Take pictures of it. Photos that are clear and fairly detailed. Give us some legible shots of this “fin box”.

fr: islandgroove-----other info on this board: length 9'7", appr 22 1/2" wide.,concave nose with 50/50 rails,volan cloth...I, with regrets had the fin box replaced due to the fact they had added glass to the base of the fin and box.who knows why (for the glassed on look mabye).the fact that it didn't have a leash plug i had them also put a glassed/rope loop for the leash-i didn't want a plug put in.i figure i can remove the glass on thing just by sanding it off.Should i have the fin boxed restored with a glassed on fin or will it ruin the boards value even more?.





I'm no expert, but from what I see in the pics, that board looks like something circa 1965-67.  Looks to be in quite good shape for its age.  How much it is worth?  There was a collectors magazine circulating around a few years ago that I have laying somewhere and if I come across it I'll look too see if that board is listed.  Removing the fin and replacing it with the fin box probably decreased its collectable value, but if it was my board, I'd ride it. 

That is a tres bitchen score.  A Con competion wing nose.  Basically a refined pig with a a turned down nose for better nose riding.  Bill Shrosbury (sp?) was shaping for Con back then, I think...Con Colburn also shaped them.  It's a classic period piece.  Nice.

 

Mike

Damn shame that fin box was put in. Devalues the board by at least half. With the original box or fin, it would be worth about $2000. Looks like high density foam for the stringer and tailblock?

The early Wing Nose was a collaboration between Con and George Bartels. The Con “Competition” was designed by Roy Seaman. That model was introduced in '66, so your board is from about '66-'67.

Also, what makes you call it a “wing nose”? To my knowledge, the wing nose had turned down rails and a flat bottom. Hence, the name. I don’t believe it incorporated a concave. No “Wing Nose” lam on it. Just “Competition Model”…

Did the original fin box seem like it was aactually made of fiberglass and had a bevelat one end and a nipple at the other?   If so it would have been the old wonderbolt set up.   Great find

Thanks for the replies guys...I wished i posted my info before jumping the gun and replacing the fin box (maybe the old one was repairable) I couldn't tell if it was an old wonderbolt wetup-they had added glass where the fin and box met...on the bottom  of the board it does have smaller CON lam with "WING NOSE" on it..what would you guys recommend I can do with the fin box? anything that would help with the value and originality of the board.I also will have the glass loop for the leash removed and keep it original (at least i didn't have a plug put in it..i'm sure that would have affected the value to.here's a few more pics..is it a concave nose or not?..let me know...thanks.



 

Too late now. The original box is out, so unless you can find an identical box and have it expertly installed, might as well leave it as is. Might as well leave the leash loop. It can always be removed if you want to sell the board. It’s what I do with all pre-leash boards I work on. Pretty easy to grind it off and repair the area.

NO ONE used a ‘wonderbolt’ fin system besides Weber. It was their proprietary fin setup before they switched to WAVESET. Was there any evidence of a place to put a screw or bolt in the original box?

It definitely has a concave. I guess they started doing those after Hobie set the precedent for concave noseriders. Still, I do believe the early Wing Nose had a flat bottom.

So, what you have is unquestionably a Competition Wing Nose model. Certainly dates from 66 or 67. Too bad the value was permanently affected by removing the box., as the board looks to be in damn good condition for such an oldie. I’m guessing it never got much water time.

i'm thinking maybe the reason they added the glass on the fin and box-was maybe they lost the screw or it was a lose fit in the box?....who knows....you guys are awesome!!..lots of info i couldn't find elswhere,even the Con shop guys couldn't give me any info.I guess i'll keep it.I was thinking of fixing the little dings and reselling it  for  $200 to $300.

I've seen them in a bigler, and c.c.riders

ohh on the nose area isn't discoloration-it's what's left something called "slipcheck"..I guess the rest can be buffed out or sanded.The middle of the stringer does look to be high density foam with a dark brown color to it and it also has these small pin holes up and down the middle of the stringer-maybe just do to the glassing?.i just thought it looked weird,but doesn't take in water....One of the guys at a shop in H.B. said if i want the board to look really good is to have'em remove the glass and redo it..sounds sketchy to me?...but is that common when restoring .I thought the glass looked pretty good for an old  board,maybe just a good sand and poilish will help alot.You guys know anyone in the Huntington beach-orange county area that's pretty good with restoration work (for future reference).

This is what your original fin-box must have looked like:

 

This photo is of my CON CC Rider’s fin-box. The board has been said to date back to 1968.

Balsa , Do you know what kind of glass cloth was used on the Cons and how many oz.? My freind bought a Con compatition in 1966 and it did have a fin box in it but I don't remember what it looked like. I bought a Weber in 1966 with a wonderbolt fin box ,hatchet fin. The weber fin would not work in the con box. We always did our boards up nice with slipcheck.

Sorry, Wood Ogre, I have no idea…

 

Old boards with Slipcheck can be difficult to restore. The foam will be a lot whiter under the Slipcheck, so when you remove it there’s a mis-match in the ‘tanning’. The exposed foam will have yellowed with Sun exposure, while the slipchecked parts can be pristine white.

The person in that HB shop does not know shit, to be blunt about it. I would never do business in that shop, if they employ people who are that clueless. Stripping and re-glassing that board would ruin it even further. It would be pretty worthless as a collectible.

 

Mid 60s Cons most likely had two layers of 10 oz Volan. Standard for the period.

The reason that Weber fin didn’t work in the Con is because they’re two different fin systems. One’s a ‘wonderbolt’, the other is not.

i'm looking at a pic i took with my cell phone.it does appear to be similar to the fin box that (balsa) posted.i'm can't really tell or quite remember,but it looks to me as if the base of the fin fits almost snug in the box with no room for adjustment. hard to tell?..if interested i can send you the pic i took with my cell phone to yours (private message me with your # and maybe you can give me your opinion).

Anyone have a pic of a proper wonderbolt for my curiosity?

thanks Chris

That board looks like a fine rider.  Now you can play with the fins.  It might have decreased the collectable value but it enhances it's utility as a rider.

Great score at that price!