Just started a restoration on an old malibu chip board. It has a foam core , 3 cedar stringers and solid balsa from the outside stringers (similar to a Joe Quig hollow balsa) . It also has a flat deck from nose to tail and from rail to rail , and a full roll on the bottom. It has no signature or markings . Does anyone have any info on this board , or has seen anything similar before??
**hey pat whats the skin thickness
**
Hey Huie, about 6-7 mm....but nose and tail are solid wood
haa’’ thats sort of some clever thinking what age do you suspect it is
All I know so far ( from the owner) is that it was brought in from US many years ago. It could be 50's...someone should know....the outline is sweet!!!.....the board was faired with some white filler , and then glassed .
Yeah, I can claim that one… did it in 1954… I was 2-1/2 or 3. Hard to get my arms to plane the center stringer.
Joking… LOL ;)…DS
It's now been dated to 1947....the fin is original....plywood with white-oak veneer (veneer is 2mm thick)
What's the history? Beautiful outline for 1947.
Mike , the owner has the relevant authorities checking it out.....maybe Simmons or someone very close...I can't wait to find out...its a nice thing to have your hands on!....with the 3 solid stringers it has stayed in perfect shape ...
Hi Kayu -
I've been following the Malibu chip restoration. Fascinating.
Sorry I can't be of assistance in identifying the maker. In all honesty I've never seen a veneer/foam composite from anywhere near that period. I know Simmons was doing the plywood balsa railed boards with foam core but have only seen a couple of those. They appeared quite different from yours in overall shape and design.
I'm not saying Simmons didn't make yours. I just am not knowledgeable enough to say.
If it does turn out to be a Simmons, it is rare and undoubtedly quite valuable.
It looks great so far. Am looking forward to glassing updates!
John
Hi John , yeah I had my doubts that it was a Simmons , to me it looked closer to Matt Kivlins work (the ones I've seen ).... now I am not sure , all I really know is , that it came to Aus on a ship ,from California in '47...........very clean lines , whoever made it knew their stuff , or did a mighty fine job of copying !!!
all glassed and ready for some waves !.....this board feels so nice , not too heavy and dead straight. The owner dropped by a few weeks back and took these pics. The shaper hasn't owned up yet , but my guess is Matt Kivlen.......we'll find out at the next RR auction in Hawaii....
Beautifully done!! I wonder how many surfers there were in Australia when that board arrived in 1947?
I have to ask, what type of foam was used in those center/cored sections?
Mike , the the core was large bead EPS foam. At that time in Aus (1947)the standard was 16ft toothpicks, but some of the younger surfers had quad finned 6'-4" downrailers ,with double concaves and removable fin systems !...........maybe
Haha, I know what other threads you've been reading :)
I would think a non-Simmons eps core would be even more rare than the Simmons versions, but I'm not anywhere near an expert. I can't believe this thread/this board hasn't attracted more attention here. Have you posted anything about it in General Discussion?
I may do that Mike....for me , I'd really like to know more about it. The owner , Carl Tanner , a collector , intends to get it into some waves soon....maybe take it to the Noosa , not sure. I can only imagine what she rides like...it will be good, and definately fast .
'47, Simmons only surfed for 5 years, died in '54, there is no way it was one of his, way to foiled and thin
[quote="$1"]
'47, Simmons only surfed for 5 years, died in '54, there is no way it was one of his, way to foiled and thin
[/quote] Thanks Jim. There's still no definate ID on this board apart from the date and place of origin.....I have seen very similar planshapes used on some George Larson boards from around that time.....although George Larsons boards had a fin similar in aspect to Tom Blakes. The board was discussed with Matt Kivlin in Hawaii last year, and he couldn't say for sure, without seeing the board in person...........