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history : streaks and slugs

streaks and slugs
1971

Mark Warren and McCoy Twin Fin 1, Narrabeen, 1971
Photograph : Uncredited
Surfing World magazine, April 1979.
Volume 27 Number 6 page 34.

Originally printed in Surfing World, 1971.

1971
Fish short twin fin design with long base fins and wide fish tail, credited to Steve Lis (USA) and used primarily as a kneeboard.
Continued underground use through the seventies till adapted to Twin fin 2 by Mark Richards 1977.

1971 Tracks #4 January Cover story: Nat's Smirnoff win Interview: Robert Conneeley Design: Twin fins by Tom Hoye, Jimmy Beardsley, and Robbie Holt. Robert Conneeley's single fin Chine bottom. Advertising: Keyo Surfboards, Wallace Popouts, and Stor-a-Board. Ted Spencer and Quiver Big wave Gun, Standard and Chine-Hull, probably at Shane Surfboards
Tracks Design Tracks #4 January 1971, page 30. TOM HOYE'S BENNET TWIN DIMENSIONS: 5'8" x 21". 12" tail. 3 1/2" thick. 5-5 1/2" fins. Soft low rails all around with a slight 'V in the tail and a slight concave in the nose. The rocker is consistent throughout the board. It's designed to stay on a consistent high plane - it's a little wider than the previous board for better flotation. Basically it's a small wave board - 6' and under - built for long skatey turns and the positive feel of the twin fins. *Tom Hoye and Twin Fin, Bennett Surfboards, 1970.*		JIMMY BEARDSLEY'S KEYO TWINFINNER DIMENSIONS: 5'3" x 22". 121/2" chamfered back. 12" of 'V. 51/2" fins. 3 1/2" thick. (base)
ROBERT CONNEELEY CHINE The Chine bottom is the next step on the hill. George Greenough's gift to down under this winter. The concept is cutting the roll out of the bowl of the hull, leaving two flat strips running down beside the centre plane and diminishing at the tail. Thought the edge where the planes meet would bog down, but it does not if made right. The extra flat gives more acceleration when board is on its side in a turn plus more initial speed at take off. It seems to have all the speed of a low rail flat bottom yet the beautiful handling and safety for tube riding of the original hulls. This only my fourth shape job, made at Wilderness's beautiful factory in a very peaceful valley, conceived on the good vibes and love of my friends and prototype for my model with Hayden. Dimensions: 5'9" x 20 1/4" x 9 1/4" square tail with a soft curve between the corners of the pod. 5 3/4" of nose lift, gradually fairing into a dead straight plane at tail. A very soft S through the bottom trying about 3/32" of rise at back edge. S through the botom (sic) trying about 3/32" of rise at back edge. 3 distinct planing surfaces on bottom and it is all driven by a very powerful 35 layer glass fin with about 3"-4" of flex.		*Jimmy Beadsley and Twin Fin, Keyo Surfboards, 1970.* Tracks #4 Design January 1971, page 30.

January 1971

THESE SO CALLED POPOUTS ARE ALL HAND SHAPED GLASSED,
AND FINISHED IN THE CUSTOM MANNER AND CARRY THE MANUFACTURERS LABEL AND GUARANTEE.
Available at all leading Surf Shops throughout Australia.
Free packing and delivery anywhere in Australia. No delays.
WILLIAM WALLACE SURFBOARDS
8 WINBOURNE RD., BROOKVALE. PH. 93.1472

5ft 6" Twin Fin: 22.5" wide x 3.25" thick, price $75.
Junior Model: 21" wide x maximum thickness 3.5", price $59.
5ft 8" x 21" wide x 3.5" thick, price $65.
6ft x 21" wide x 3.75" thick, $69.

Tracks, Number 4, January 1971.

Manly Surf Shop and Stor-a-Board
We're not pessimistic about our future- Bob Brewster.

Tracks, Number 4, January 1971.

The home of Bower Boy Surf Wax, the demand for board storage declined with rapid downsizing in surfboards since 1967.

Tracks #5 February 1971
Cover story:
Interview:
Design: Twin fins and Guns by Warren Cornish, Farrelly Surfboards.
Scott Dillon Split fin.
Advertising:

Tracks Design
Tracks #5, February 1971, page 10.

Warren Cornish [Farrelly Surfboards]

The serious surfer today requires a range of widely differing equipment in order to give his best in the variable wave types and sizes found in Australia and indeed throughout the surfing world.
A five foot long wide tailed twin fin would be as ridiculous at Foresters at 8' as it would be at Waimea Bay at 30ft.
On the other hand a 6'6" semi-gun or 8' qun would be laughable at 2ft. Collaroy.
A wide range of surfboards are available from a few of the custom shops in Sydney.
Although not covering all wave sizes and forms, the three boards I have described below would be sufficient for most surfers to obtain satisfaction on 364 days out of the year.

Dual fin

Dimensions
5'4 ' x 20 1/2'' 'x 3 1/2" (1501b. surfer)
Outline
Smooth entry nose with no hip to hinder water flow, running running into a straight drag free rail rear of centre.
Wide tail with rounded corners for smooth manouvering.
Profile
Flat plaining surface for rear 2/3 with moderate rise toward the tip.
Again smooth entry, rapid release.
Cross Section
Soft low rails predominate with hard edges only at tail.
Bottom is flat to concave through the centre and glat (sic) at the tail, with a little cushion up front.
Some surfers may find a small V in the tail helpful for manouvering.
Thickness is carried right through to the tail area, with just a hint of S in the deck.
Fins
small 6"-7".
Placement is most critical. Riged (sic)
Surfing Characteristics

Designed primarily for radical turning manouveres in small to medium waves.
The dual fins allow a much wider, therefore more buoyant tail to be used than with a single fin (wide tails and single fins suffer from breakout during periods of high pressure applications to a rail.
The buoyancy prevents sudden stalling when wave speed drops as is typical with Sydney summer surf.
Turning arcs are short, forward drive decreased.
The dual fin is ideally suited therefore to the short walled peaks found along the East Coast in Summer.
Its inherent stability enabling it to handle the most turbulent of waters it would be found wanting on a long walled Broken Head wave in its above dimensions.
A longer, narrower version however, is surfed successfully at Bells Beach.

Semi-Gun

Dimensions
6' 4" x 18" x 3" (1401b. surfer)
Outline
Generally a diamond outline with width and hip forward of centre.
Acceleration straight behind hip.
Narrow round tail.
Pointed nose for greater penetration.
Profile
Soft entry nose rocker running into a 180 deg. straight.
Cross Section
Low rails throughout, however they are not hard.
Three stage bottom - Flat under nose section, running through a concave centre to a large V in the tail.
Even thickness throughout with very little S.
Fin
Single centre fin 6"-7" deep.
Rigid with no flex, situated on tail.
Surfing Characteristics
Best suited to medium to large waves of delicate form.

This is a super fast instrument capable of long driving turns, and rapid accleration.
Designed for waves of the calibre of 8'-10' Foresters or Bells.
This style of board is responsible for the introduction of speed surfing with minimum water contact.
It is an unforgiving board demanding the highest level of concentration to extract its potential.
Midget pioneered the use of this type of board in Australia.

Big Wave Design

Dimensions
7' 8" x 18" x 3 1/4'' (Built for Ted Dumuran, a 150 lb. Hawaiian)
Outline
Continual flowing curve form nose to tail.
No straight section in the rail.
Nose and tail are evenly balanced having a nose bias of only one inch.
The small round tail allows tight smooth manouvering.
Profile
Large nose rocker running into a 180 degree flat extinding for just under two thirds of the waterline.
The V in the tail has the effect of letting the rail line rise to the tail taking away the crankiness usually associated with long flats.
Cross Section
A very even thickness assures good balance and free running.
Rails are full in shape, for good running ability yet have'a very definite edge throughout the whole length of the board which keeps all manouvering positive.
Again we have a three section bottom with a large V in the tail, which has the same effect as tail rise without any of the latter's associated drag and stalling characteristics.
Fin
Situated on the tail.

Very upright pivot outline, 8 inches in depth.
Surfing Characteristics
This particular board was designed for Sunset which consists of a vertical peak requiring the surfer to reach the bottom quickly before the lip demolishes him.
From there it's a bank of the bottom requiring great acceleration and then a tuck into a long wall cum-tube requiring good reach. A stiff design prevents the surfer putting all this together quick enough, thus we soften the riding characteristics by shortening the planing surface or more correctly extending the forward cushion and cutting a deep V into the tail.
This would be a most successful design for Forester's Beef at 15 feet plus as well as big Bells.

Scott Dillon [Surfboards]

Scott Dillon is experimenting with fins again.
He did so a few years back, remember the tunnel fin and angled fins on Doc Spences' board.

This time he's back into the angled fins.
The board is 5'3" long, 21 1/2" wide and has a 12" back.
Scott is not suggesting that this board is any better than the twin fins the main thing he's interested in is trying to take the thing a little further.
Paul Wright rode the board at Narrabeen on a small bumpy day and said that it came around faster and bites in well and said that he definitely felt like he was surfing on his backhand.

Tracks #5 Design, February 1971, page 10.

1971 Tracks #6 March

1971 Tracks #7 April
Cover: Cyclones (Ida and Dora).
Film: Sea of Joy by Paul Witzig.
The Perfect Contest.
NSW Championships
Centrefold: MP footage that became part of The Morning Of The Earth.
Design: Speed Boards.

1971 Tracks # 8 May
Contests: Bells (Paul Neilsen 1st, peter drouyn 2nd), Australian Titles.
Water Pollution.
Interview: Joe Larkin.
Rusty Miller: Hawaii.
Design: Bells Boards
Rick Neilsen's short "three finned board ... 12'' centre fin with 4'' side fins", page 13.
The side fins were at the rear of the centre fin.

Also designs by:
Michael Peterson, Brian Austin, Bob Cooper (2), Steve Cooney, Terry Fitzgerald (Shane), Ian Cairns, Kym Thompson, Peter Drouyn (3), others.

Design. 1971
Fish short twin fin design with long base fins and wide fish tail, credited to Steve Lis (USA) and used primarily as a kneeboard.
Continued underground use through the seventies till adapted to Twin fin 2 by Mark Richards 1977.

Tracks #6 March 1971

1971
In California, Con Surfboards offered two wide tailed models, the Fly and the Deuce.
Fitted with three fin-boxes, the rider could choose between installing either a single or twin-fins (but not all three?).

Around this time (?) Surfboards Australia, located at 5416 Gaines Street, San Diego, announced:

... the first hand-made surfboard that sells for under $100.

The all-new Smithie Model surfboard is the result of 12 years manufacturing experience.
... made exactly like the standard custom board, it features a foam core by Pacific Foam, highest quality fiberglass and resins, Guidance System fins, and a full warranty

Available in most sizes in the shapes (above) at recommended retail ...
Pig shape with single giant fin ($93).
The Australian twin fin ($99)
Uni Twin shape with large single fin, or for use as a Twin fin, ($105).

Made at the Gordon and Smith factory (5465 Gaines Street, San Diego) Floyd Smith produced designs under the Surfboards Australia label following his return from Australia at the end of the 1960s.

1971
Tri Fin Further multi-fin experimentation, a central standard fin with two small 2" fins set forward on the rails.
the original idea possibly conceived by Reno Abelleira (Hawaii).
Examples by Bob McTavish at Bennett Surfboards and Bros. Neilson.

"In 1970 there were three groups of designer/shapers who were working on the three-fin idea," says Duncan.
"Bob McTavish in Australia; Dick Brewer, Reno Abellira and others in Hawai‘i; and my brother and I."

- Duncan Cambbell, quoted in John Wythe White :Surf Wars :The Bonzar, June 16, 1999
http://www.honoluluweekly.com/archives/coverstory%201999/6-16-99%20Boards/6-16-99%20Boards.html

Bells Contest 1971 - Design: Tracks May 1971, page 13.
Rick Neilson with a short "three finned board ... 12'' centre fin with 4'' side fins."
The side fins were at the rear of the centre fin.

Film
On Any Morning
Morning of the Earth

Waves (editor Rick Renken)
Volume 1 Number 2 July 1971
Cover: One ?", "Two ??", "Three ???
Page 9: Single Fin, Twin Fin, or Triple Fin?
Page 11: Mike Purpus
Page 12: Corky Carroll: Two (fins)
Reno Abellira: one + two (fins)= free
Page 28 Design (reprinted from Tracks)
Page 22 Interview: Bill Bahne.

Surfing Volume 7 #3 June-July 1971
Fins: One or Two?

Surfer Volume 12 Number 3 August 1971

Design
One + Two = Free, or the Tri-Fin Trip, page 48.

Tracks Number 12 September 1971
Cover: To Celebrate the Riding of Waves
- John Witzig, Kim Bradley,“Spider”, Midget, Stephen Cooney, Rusty Miller and Jock Sutherland.
Includes photographs from Morning of the Earth and footage shot by George Greenough for his next film.
Interview: Jim Beardsley surfer and shaper
Design: Glynn Richie’s Concaves coming out of the Palm Beach boatshed,
Balsa boards and rigid fin design by Mike Davis.
Advertising:
Wilderness, David Treloar Design, Palmers Channel 2480,
McCoy - four designs including Egg and Twin fin

Tracks Number 13 Oct 1971
Cover: the lets put the fun back into surfing issue - lead article by John Witzig.
Interview with George Greenough.
Mat Survey.
Pictorial: Nat Young with Pintail and Backhand designs.
Bob Cooper: Toes on Nose, a return to the fun of nose-riding.
Design: Rooster (Darrell Dell)

Surfer
Volume 12 Number 4 page 26 October 1971

Owl Chapman Interview (incomplete):

...
Then who's done more for surfing?
Joe Quigg turned us onto balsa wood and Grubby Clark gave us foam.
Mickey Dora and Dewey Weber swept the surfing world till Phil Edwards came and shot 'em down.
Then David had half of California following him.
Then there was the Australian fad on the word "involvement."
But I'm involved; soul freaks are most definitely involved.
Everybody's involvement is different.
You can tell those guys that if they're hung-up, their surfing will be hung-up.
And if they're free, their surfing will be free.
It takes a worried man to sing a worried song.
But, everybody went Australian.
California even went Australian.
Everyone went Australian except a few people who were uncalled involved before the word was even stuck in the magazine.
These guys didn't have a camera with them everytime they went surfing.
These are the dudes who have taken surfing from where the Australians left off, people like Cabell, Brewer, Reno, Diffender, Hynson, Herbie Fletcher, Gary Chapman, Jackie Baxter, Barry Kanaiaupuni, and David Nuuhiwa.

Who do you primarily think has done the most?
The one whos done the most is Dick Brewer.
He's the smartest of everybody.
Brewer built my brother, Gary, the first mini-gun.
It was September of 1967.
He's the guy that can still ride a six-two when everybody else from his generation is over the hill.
I like him because he's still got kick.
He's surfed every day of twelve years, and he's given his life to surfing, I can dig him!
He's done more for surfing than any designer or surfer.
He's taken me to the outer limits of speed and freedom and that's more than anybody done for me!
He's made me the best boards I've ever ridden, and he's one of my best friends.
He's taught me how to live and how to tune in.

Tune into what?
Into everything.
I didn't used to be openminded ... I could rattle all day long about Brewer.
He's a good partner of mine.
I wouldn't ride anybody else's boards, not even if you gave them to me free!

Owl Chapman
Photo:Brewer.

Do you have any enemies in surfing?
Yeah. I do
I do have enemies in surfing.
They know who they are.
But I'm not their enemy.
Sure, man ... everybody's against me.
I'm out in the water.
When you get your mug in the book, everybody's out to beat you.

What are the worst things that're happening in surfing today?
Obviously, the rape of our beaches, also false advertisement gimmicks, games, and two fins.

What are the best things happening in surfing today?
Surfing. (END)

INNERLIFE - Aqua-Jet's "inside story."

Aqua Jet Honeycomb* Surfboards
270 Seventh Street
San Francisco, California 94103 (415) 861-8393
U.S. Patent #3,514,105

Hollow Honeycomb* construction is the newest era in the evolution of precision surfing equipment -

heavy penetration...
light fast and free...
perfect weight distribution...
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It's time you feel it!

Photo sequence: Gary Chapman/Sebastian Inlet

1971 Nat Pintail
Heavily influenced by Hawaiian Joey Cabell's Grey Ghost, this design featured a compressed pintail gun template, 2nd phase concave bottom, soft box rails with a hard edge, large nose lift and a small Greenough single fin.
Early models for Bennett Surfboards and Byron Bay models which often featured grey/blue pigment laminate.
Later Sydney models had sprayed blanks.
These boards were manufactured untill1980.
Film: Morning of the Earth.

Billy Hamilton
Surfer Volume 12 Number 3 Oct 1971

Tracks #14 November 1971
Cover: The Search Issue
North Coast Exploration - Retrospective.
Steve Cooney.
Midget Farrelly
Film: Bob Evan's Family Free.
Design: Summer boards, Joe Larkin, John Arnold (SA), Brian McGrigor, Tom Blaxell (WA).
Advertisements: Farrelly Surfboards full page and "pop-out" at $65
Wallace Surfboards "Junior" at $47.50-$50
Skipp Surfboards, Keyo Surfboards, McCoy Surfboards (twin fins), Ron Wade Surfboards,Surf Blanks, Graham King Blanks,

1971 Tracks #15 December
Contests:Second Smirnoff ProAm held in perfect 12ft Sunset, Gavin Rudolf 1st.
Owl Chapman remarks: Tell it how it happened. The contest was crooked!
Interview: Peter French, filmmaker currently touring his film “Sea Dreams”.
Paul Witzig: Sea Dreams review.
Design: Owl Chapman’s 7 Island boards
Terry Fitzgerald’s 1971 Island guns.
News and opinions: Coolite board, corrupt Maroubra beach inspectors, Nat drops out of the contest scene.

Waxmate by Surf Research, circa 1971.
Tracks 1971, page 26.

Distributors Wholesale

NOOSA HEADS: phone Surf Research Tewantin 47 1461
BRISBANE: phone Hohensee Surfboards 91 1494
QLD. GOLD COAST: Hohensee Surfboards 2158 Gold Coast Highway, Miami 4220.
N.S.W. NORTH COAST: Surf Research PO Box 44 Bangalow 2479.
SYDNEY: Surf Research phone 919 4580
MELBOURNE: Surf Research phone 98 7325
TORQUAY: Surf Research c/o Post Office Torquay 3228
W.A.: Sommot PO Box 101 Subiaco 6008. Phone 25 6676.

Send 25c for climatised purple square bar to Surf Research, P.O. Box 44
Bangalow. N.S.W. 2479

surfresearch.com.au

Geoff Cater (1999-2016) : Streaks and Slugs, 1971.
http://www.surfresearch.com.au/1971_Streaks_and_Slugs.html