Sorry this is late, but I just received the news.
Dan Bendiksen, Santa Monica Firefighter, avid surfer and surfboard shaper,
passed away from a four year battle with Cancer on Friday, March 26th.
As most of you know he was the top shaper for Bing in the 1960's, creating
such classics as the Nuuhiwa Lightweight as well as many others.
Apparently there was a paddle out for him at Malibu yesterday, April 13. I'd love to hear from folks who knew Dan. From what I've heard, he was a genuinely great guy.
http://www.classicbingsurfboards.com/images/400_DAN-BENDIKSEN.jpg
"Dan Bendiksen started working for Bing in 1962. He was a salesman in the retail shop for a while and soon became Bing's number one shaper. Dan shaped the majority of the Noseriders and Lightweights and contributed to the design of many of Bing's most popular models."
http://www.classicbingsurfboards.com/pages/4/index.htm