I just got a 5'10 PF single fin and I was wondering if anyone had any info on the time a where abouts this board might have been shaped. I did a search and didnt really get any answers to my questions as to it has no Dims, Shaper Signature nor a Serial #
Here is a pic of it
I remember first seeing them in surfshops sometime around 68’-70’.
Yeah but I know alot of ppl owned the name and they have been shaped in different place . Just trying to figure out what Era this one came from
Howzit Matt,The fact that it has no Serial # makes me wonder if it is a real Plastic Fantastic. Even the shapers would sign the boards. There was a time after the factory burned down that the owner was selling the logos to another brand of boards because he needed money and the name still sold boards. We did still make some boards after the factory burned but since I was the only one doing the glassing then I never did a solid white pigment board and actually can't ever remember seeing one come out of the Factory when it was still alive. We kiked to do really colorful boards and that was part of our thing. Aloha,Kokua
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I just got a 5'10 PF single fin and I was wondering if anyone had any info on the time a where abouts this board might have been shaped. I did a search and didnt really get any answers to my questions as to it has no Dims, Shaper Signature nor a Serial #
Here is a pic of it
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If it's real: 1974? However it should have been signed?
yeah I checked the bottom and I didnt see a serial # , nor Dims or a signature But I remember reading in one of the posts I found in a search here in the early days that you were lucky if a shaper did that sort of thing.
In the “early days” (before 1980, or so) you NEVER saw dimensions on a board, and rarely a signature. You might see a serial number with the length included, and maybe (just maybe) the shaper’s initials.
The concept of dimensions and a signature on a board came about around the same period as ‘celebrity’ shapers. Rusty, Merrick, etc. Early 80s.
So, don’t waste your time looking for something that just isn’t going to be there.
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yeah I checked the bottom and I didnt see a serial # , nor Dims or a signature But I remember reading in one of the posts I found in a search here in the early days that you were lucky if a shaper did that sort of thing.
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In the "early days" (before 1980, or so) you NEVER saw dimensions on a board, and rarely a signature. You might see a serial number with the length included, and maybe (just maybe) the shaper's initials.
The concept of dimensions and a signature on a board came about around the same period as 'celebrity' shapers. Rusty, Merrick, etc. Early 80s.
So, don't waste your time looking for something that just isn't going to be there.
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What I am wondering is if its a mass man china board or a actual plastic fantastic. Dont get my wrong beside a cpl minor dings its in great shape . Just curious on what I got
I'm surprised Sammy didn't ask this, but some better photos might help to date it. Chances are it's a China job if it's got a leash cup and a light glass job.
A bottom shot would help a lot. Whether it is a tri fin or a single with box should help narrow it down, esp. if it is a tri fin that has a system versus glass on. If they are glass ons, that pretty much eliminates China. Kokua’s comments are the most solid being he was the glasser back then. I remember their popular color schemes frequently were red bottom & overlap with a bright yellow deck and pinline… full gloss & polish.
When Al was starting out he sold Plastic Fantastic (I think there were honeycomb ones even) as he was learning to shape at his shop on Arlington Avenue in Santa Barbara. This was '69 to '71 before the Channel Islands shop down by the beach on Helena Avenue. He created C.I. then and I was doing Owl for Surf n Wear. No more P.F.'s at that point.
Its a single fin , in a fin box, No leash plug and its glassed heavy . Thats what make me think it not a china made board I am actually gonna go now clean the rest of the wax off of it and take a pic of the bottom
Howzit DS, Gary Thernagle bought Plastic from Danny Callahan and his partner because they were in trouble with the IRS, exactly what year I can't say because he already owned it when he took me under his wing and taught me how to glass and build boards. The factory burned down before 71 and Gary went into business with Jim Mizell who was Aquatic Energy and he was the one ho was into the honeycomb boards. I was glassing poly boards to help pay for their building of the honeycomb boards because all the materials Jim bought from the Honeycomb guy in S.F. sold him all the stuff that didn't work that good and basically ripped Jim off. Plastic never did Honey combs when I was around but I left in late 71 and Mizell had moved oved a few months before me. The last time I saw Gary before moving they had given up their little area in Costa Mesa and gary was basically just trying to make hollow boards out of kevlar. The next tim I saw them was in 75 or 76 and they had a huge 10,000 sq ft factory in Costa Mesa and it's all foggy as far as what the name of the boards were, I know there where Aquatic Energy Boards and Steve Bigler was making boards there also. I just can't remember if there still were any Plastics there or if Gary had already sold the name to Bob Highsmith. I don't know if they were still doing honey comb because all the ones they made when I was working with them were duds. Jim was a big boy and remeber one day we 3 were surfing and jim drops in on a wave and when he did a bottom turn the deck totally collapased and he had to paddle in because the board was ready to sink with all the water it was taking in. Never saw either of them since and Gary is dead and Jim is still making boards under the Aquatic Energy name and I heard they are epoxy sandwhich construction. I think that is pretty much all I can remember from those days and that is pushing my memory a bit. Aloha,Kokua
Sorry it took so long to get back to this topic due to weather and work I was finally able to take a cpl more pics of the board. As I stated there is no serial # or Signature on the bottom here are a cpl more pics of it
From what I can see of that board from the pics posted, that board could have been shaped anywhere from '72-'75 give or take a year either way. I do like the outlne, combine that template with a modern foil and bottom, you could have a sweet riding board.
Corky Carrols latest column has a tidbit concerning PF …& Dyno
http://www.ocregister.com/news/dyno-280072-time-surfboard.html
Back in the early 1970s there was a surfboard company in Huntington
Beach called Dyno. Dyno was owned by a guy who had made a fortune in the
battery business. I think his batteries were named Dyno, and he
considered himself an expert businessman. I will call him Mr. Dyno. Mr.
Dyno bought the surfboard factory on 5th Street that had previously been
Plastic Fantastic. I’m not sure that Mr. Dyno thought everybody in the
surfing industry was of a lesser intellect that himself, but I got that
vibe. He did think he was gonna come in and make a killing though.
At that time Steve Walden was in Huntington Beach and at the
beginning of his surfboard building career. He was the first to get
involved with Dyno.
…
I loved those long(gunny) Dyno Fish’s.
That PF looks 71ish or before.
Cool so it seems that I have a authentic Plastic fantastic probally from early to mid 70's which is cool with me . Either way it gonna be ridden and enjoyed
thanks for all the input
&
Happy Holidays
I contacted Corky threw Facebook and I showed him some pictures and he said that he reconizes that shape and it is a real Plastic Fantasic from when Robert Highsmith owned the company .
Howzit matt, Robert AKA Bob Highsmith would pay Gary T $10 per lam just to have his boards made with Plastic stickers on them so he could sell them for more than his SouthCoast surfboards. I guess Gary finally sold the name to Bob but it would have been after I moved to Hawaii. So in one sense yes it is a Plastic board but only because it had the P.F. lams on it. The real P.F. boards ended when the factory burned down in 1970,except for the ones I was still glassing to fund Gary's honeycomb fiasco with Aquatic Energy. Aloha,Kokua
Hey Mr. Johnson, I’ve got a similar board although not in as good of shape. Kokua and some of the guys were kind enough to give me a little history lesson on the P.F.
I tried posting a link to it but I can’t get past the damn spam filter. I started a post about a month ago called “Plastic Fantastic” of course, check it out.
In the early 70’s we had a school field trip to the DNYO Factory and David Nuiwahiwa gave us the tour. Growing up in a surf town we had many teachers that were surfers. Chuck Linnen was one of them. That summer I bought 2 Dyno Fishes (I think they were shaped by Steve Bron?) Rode my bike to the beach every day that summer and surfed one of my DYNO FISHES. I remember the tread on my spring suit turning yellow from the sun and my white hair with straw like texture. Riding the fish all day long. Funny when David comes to our shop I never mention this field trip or the years of riding Fishes in the early 70’s inspired by him. In the mid to late 60’s I saw the Duke with David and Corky Carrol at the US Championships. There was a big south swell and I was 8 years old riding a rented raft without fins in monster surf. Terry Odell and Steve Banne of Infinity were owning Southside David and Corky were the stand outs for the crowds of people on the pier. I was star stuck and told my self that I would stand up surf one day!
In the late 90’s when I came back from 10 years of travel (FRANCE, CHILE, GUATEMALA, COSTA RICA) Steve Bigler was out every morning with the Dawn Patrol Crew that I was a part of. Steve Bigler still had a smooth flowing style and just in amazing shape. We would trade boards out in the water and I remember his boards had great trim. Mostly 9’6’s. I rode both HPSB and HPLB at the time depending on the tide or conditions. HUNTINGTON BEACH is not a bad place to grow up. Lot’s of legends and surf history. The stories never stop and history is being made each and everyday.
Thanks Otis and Mike for the memory play back.
Kind regards,
Michael aka Surfding