Another staple at Ventura Surf Shop besides the wood plaque is this balsa 3 fin on display in mint condition. I was hoping to get some history behind it from Duncan considering the names in the triangle but he's currently traveling. i just could'nt wait to post this historical beauty! Mabe the Dr. can shed some light on this gem.
I'm guessing it was done at the Saticoy factory (Blinky's bargain basement) but I'm probably wrong. Help Amigos!
names in the triangle
Edit:
From Dr. Robert:
the board was shaped for John Sullivan in 77'.John is one of the very original Bonzer crew..living at the Shores.
the signatures are John, Malc, Duncan,good ole Cliff C.,Stan Fuji..shaper , shop manager, and soon to be owner of Ventura Surf Shop....and Richard Harvey.
Richard spent the winter of 76-77 living with MC and Duncan at their Oxnard Shores apt..he also spent a fair time up at my Cambria cabin..(it was a good season by the way..).
Richard blew all our minds by his unreal surfing..(Australian National Champ in 74')..his attitude.."don't wake me unless it's offshore and 8ft"..and the clean round pins he shaped at Blinky's to get a bit of living expense money.
I think he had just been in Bali for 6 months prior to the visit..legend says, and him too..the first to surf Padang padang...you could say he was surf spoiled.
A great guy, and friend..just opened up a new shop in the Gold Coast.
Mid 77' Craig Fineman had a article published in Surfer featuring Richard, and his influence on the Oxnard scene..same issue also had a stellar picture of Malcolm backside in the barrel..an editorial by yours truly..and a bitchen sequence of Cliff doing a high speed standing head dip in a beautiful 'Nardian barrel..
Sweet.
Can't speak for the other guys..but watching him surf close up had me thinking...round pintail.. has my approach been ..wrong?
At that point I was riding the 6'6" Peace Model..shaped by Malc from his kneeeboard template..and currently reincarnated as the "Bumblebee..".
Richard was persuasive and shit..this was one of the Australian icons saying..forget the square tail..hull ,kneeboard influenced thing.Move on.
I had Malcolm shape me a 6'10' round pin from Richards template...I could not make it work for me..and sold it pretty quickly.Never did like round pins anyway.
still,my next board looked pretty similar to the Balsa template..including the small square tail..and remains one of my favorites to this day.
Strangely, Richard never tried a Bonzer the whole time he visited.
The balsa never got surfed too much..i rode it a couple times like everybody else..but I think John was just as interested in the aesthetics of it..as curious as to how a balsa would "feel" compared to foam...
really amazing to see it...wonder what Dunc and MC think about all that?
