Gerry Lopez Lightning Bolt Surfboard

General Discussion
1

My friend needs some advise please. We are getting mixed reviews and need someone with knowledge about Lopez Lightning bolt boards to set the record straight. At present my good mate has a Gerry Lopez Lightning bolt from the 70's. It has a fin box. The quiestion is....did some lightning bolt surfboards by Gerry Lopez have fin box's or glassed on fins only? Did Gerry write markings on his boards to indicate that they were either shaped by him or came out of his "lightning bolt "shaping shed?He needs to know if this board is a real lopez lightning bolt and not a copy/fake. Thanks

 




2

There currently is a Lopez owned Lightning Bolt in the workshop. It Has a glassed on fin and no signature or writing of any kind on it. I know it was his because it is going to a museum. I’ll get a couple of pictures for you when I get a chance.

3

Bolt did a Lopez model back then. That Gerry Lopez lam just means it’s one of that series.  It could have been shaped by any number of guys. If he shaped it, there’d likely be some other markings. And yes, lots of Bolts of the period came with boxes.

4

Those boards with that printed signature were made at the Hobie factory in Dana Point and probably shaped by Mickey Munoz, and judging by the outline and wings it was made in 1974-5.  I disagree vehemently with SammyA’s assessment.  After a some were built by Hansen’s crew, production settled in at Hobie’s around ‘72, and that printed logo was on about all of the “real” “lightning bolt’s” coming out of South Orange County.  I am not claiming to be the expert on this, but saw it and lived it.  Hobie was the “official” licensee, and those were the coveted board in the area, and Dick Metz’ crew sold the crap out of them.

5

I recall that some of the earliest ads for Lightning Bolt had a Dana Point address. Box EH, as a matter of fact. I always suspected there was a connection to Hobie, due to the Dana Point location. I also seem to remember an ad that mentioned Munoz.

6

Max had this one that we brought down to Gerry’s book signing on Helena St.

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7

Nice work Eastern…you could have at least cleaned the old wax off it?

8

I believe that ghettorat is correct. Looks to be a Bolt that came out of the Hobie Factory.  In the beginning, Jack and Gerry were getting a big five dollars for every Bolt that originated in the Hobie factory. Like ghettorat, I am not claiming to be an expert on this, but I did see it and live it, but on the Oahu side.