surfresearch

surfresearch.com.au

manufacturers : a

Abalone Surfboards
46 Mary Street Auburn, Sydney.
Phone 649-3150 or 94-7669.
And Rod at Dee Why.
1974
Wayne Hutch
Custom orders and stock $85, Sprays $110.- Tracks January 1975.
Sponsored Rider: Stuart Entwistle, Queenscliffe.
Image thanks to Speedy Phil, September 2014.
Noted:
Swallow tail knee-board, 5'4" x 21.5" x 2.5", shaped by Wayne Hutch.
Flying Elephant (Roger Dean for Osibisa,1971) airbrush on the bottom.

Abbo Beach Spear Surfboards
1978
Australia.
A short lived brand/decal, probably from the Gordon and Smith
factory in Caringbah, NSW.

Rare use of Aboriginal (hence Abbo?) illustration, also see Blaxell Surfboards.

Decal thanks to James Irvin, September 2020.

Abstract Surfboards
1976
236 Harbord Road, Brookvale. (Friar Tuck factory)
Nick Daly
Shaped out of the Friar Tuck factory
1979
Robbie Nye (Curl Curl)
Glen Red Johnstone (Maroubra)

Abstract
A new range of surfboards designed for today's younger and hot competitive surfer.
Short area pin tails, square tails, round tails and twin fins for maximum manoeuvrability on the face of a wave.
Helping us with our designs we have two hot, young, progressive surfers.

Robbie Nye (Curl Curl)
Aggressive and very competitive surfer.
Top rating Junior, Robbie at present rides 6'1" x 20" square tail with a concave in the tail.
The board is very loose and excellent for re-entries and cutbacks.

Glen Red Johnstone
One of the hottest surfers Maroubra has produced in recent years.
A very powerful surfer with lots of drive and enthusiasm, Red finished 4th in last year's amateur Smirnoff at Sunset.
We expect big things from Red in this year's pro-circuit.
The board he rides is 6'1" x 18" round tail, low rails with a slight V in the tail.
A very fast and powerful small board, excellent for re-entries and cutbacks.

- Tracks February 1979, page 6.

Acacla Surfboards
?
1985
?

Adlers Surfboards - Surfboards by Adlers Surf Centre
Old Cleveland Road Camp Hill, Brisbane.
Wooloongabba, Brisbane
1964 to late 1973.
- contributed, with thanks, by Les Purcell.

In the 1940s, Frank Adler built and surfed 16ft hollow boards at Maroubra, south of Sydney.
The family later moved to Queensland and in 1962, Frank and son Ken Alder began retailing Sydney boards from the family home in Old Cleveland Road, Camp Hill, Brisbane.
It is possible that some boards were supplied from Sydney manufacturers with Adlers (Surf Centre) decals, and perhaps later sourced from Queensland builders.

Ken Adler began surfing at Coolangatta in1958 and took his first trip to Oahu's North Shore in the winter of 1963-4.
He was a finalist at the 1965 World Surfing Championships in Peru , later travelling to California to work as a shaper at Hansen Surfboards.
By 1966, Ken Adler was in Alexandra Headlands, shaping at Hayden Surfboards, and in then moved to Bryon Bay to open San Juan Surfboards.

Decal from Spiro Zantiotis, December 2015, markings: 5605 – 10’ 0” RS 1028.

Adler's Surf Centre Warranty Card : Kenn Surfboard, 1972:

Copy of O'Neill Surfboards, California.

Decal thanks to Scott Anderson.

Addiction Surfboards
Garie [Beach]
1988
Dennis Wright

Adrenaline Surfboards
?
1988
Peter Sheldrake

Aero Surfboards
1973
Coogee Bay Road, Coogee
Telephone: 665 6881
Noted: one single fin belly-board.

Age Surfboards,
1969
142 South Terrace, Bankstown NSW
Factory: 82 The Boulevard, Lakemba, 759-1553.
Al Jeffries; Bill Cilla, Frank Latta model, Bob Ryan (bellyboard #100?), William (Bill) Meade*

Surf International Volume 2 Number 3 page 14.

1970
82 The Boulevard Lakemba 759-1553
Agents: Valley Surf Centre 125 Wickham Street, The Valley Queensland; Manly Stor-a-Board, Surf'n'Gear Sydney, Brian Morrow High Street Woolgoolga, Central Coast Surf Shop 62 York Street East Gosford.
Surfing World Volume 13 Number 4 1970
Thanks to Snazzy, June 2020.
1971
New (additional?) factory 20 Woodfield Boulevade, Carringbah
- Tracks, February 1971, page 26.
Shops at Lakemba, Cronulla and Manly Store-a-Board, Tracks, May 1971, page 1.

Bill Meade emailed in October 2010:
"I worked for Gary Willer of Age Surfboards in the early 70's".

Peter emailed July, 2005 (edited)...
re : Age, Nevada, Nivarna Surfboards.
Your story is a little incorrect, here are the facts ...
Alf Jeffries started AGE Surfboards....with Gary (willer??? - not exactly sure of the surname) who ran the retail side at Bankstown, circa 1966 - 1967.
He ran the factory at Lakemba, employees included Billy "Black Boy" Cilia.
About 1971 - 1972, Alf changed the name to Nirvana Surfboards and later on moved the factory to Kinkumber.
In the late 1970's, he sold Nivarna surfboards (proprietor unknown) and relocated to Western Australia.
Bill Cilla was initally involved with Nevada Surfboards ("Lock and load" was the slogan in one magazine advertisement) and later bought Nirvana Surfboards
Alf Jefferies currently resides in Coffs Harbour.

Airbourne Surfboards
1979
Byron Bay?
Bob McTavish
Michael Cundith

Red-black decal contributed by snazzy, April 2015.

Air Lord Surfboards
?
1968
?

Decal thanks to Snazzy, January 2019.

AJA Surfboards
AJR Surfboards?
Victoria?
1982
?

Alan Atkins Surfboards
Anglesea, Victoria
1980
Alan Atkins

Alan Byrne Surfboards
1989
Alan byrne

Alan Mitchell Surfboards
1973
Alan Mitchell

Alan Oke Surfboards
1969
222 Station Street, Edithdale, Victoria.
Alan Mitchell.

Top decal, circa 1969 contributed by snazzy, April 2015.
Bottom decal, circa 1974.

Also see Oke Surfboards.

Albert Fox Surfboards
Angourie,NSW
1998
Albert Fox

Also see Wilderness Surfboards

Noted by Carolyn Fox, with thanks:
Albert Fox Surfboards, Angourie Road, Yamba.
Work: 02 66 461040 or 0408 469459.
Home: 02 66 469459

Albi Surfboards
?
1971

Aleeda Surfboards
2158 Gold Coast Highway, Miami, Queensland, Australia 4220
1978
Possibly made under contract, Aleeda was an established wetsuit company.
Aleeda circa 1983, below, forwarded by MaxiK, September 2014.

This board also had decals for Miami Surf Design and Tony Eltherington Surf Design,
both Gold Coast.

Decal thanks to Snazzy, February 2019.

Allan Byrne - AB Surfboards
Gold Coast
1985

(The) Alley Surfboards
Palm Beach, Gold Coast, Australia.
1988

Al Merrick Surfboards
?
1988
Doug Bell shapes.
See Channel Islands Surfboards, Califorina-Australia.

Aloha Surfboards
1978
Brookvale NSW
Greg Clough
1982
Ian Goodacre
Stuart Cadden
Steve O'Donnell.
Also see Lightning Bolt Surfboards- Australia.

Click for Catalogue #33.

1980

1988

1990

Early decal circa 1978, thanks to Mick Mock, 2011

1980

Multiple decals thanks to Snazzy, February 2019.

1987

1998

Aloha Manly Style Surfboards
1998
???

Alpaca Surfboards
1969
Sunshine Beach, Queensland.
In August 2010, Trevor Hewston of Hewston Surfboards noted (edited):
"In 1966 I took over the old Green Gables Caffe and converted it to a surfboard factory where I began to produce small numbers of surfboards.
On ocassions Kevin Platt would come stay for a while shape a board or two whilst visiting his then girlfriend.
Early 1968 Kevin started shaping for me there and Jean & Lance came to Noosa latter that year &built a resturant on the hill.
By 1969 we moved to a bigger set up & the plan was for Kevin to keep the old factory, so while he was helping to fill orders in the new set up he lived with me at the new place at Noosaville.
The alp-aca lot squated there till they were removed.
Kev built boards there in the early seventys till the lease was taken over by Peter Troy, who was part off our original team.
I am also dissapointed that neither Kevin nor I got any reconigition as shapers of that time."

- Many thanks to Trevor.

Bill wrote, November 2005...
Stumbled across your great site .100s of names from the past .
Guys who made boards guys you surfed with and against names of boards long forgotten like GROVE
My dad bought me one of RICK BENNET in Noosa in prob 1969 or Spirit of the sea surfboards that sold opposite Kirra about that time or Alpaca that were made in sunshine bch where Platts boardshorts started.

I made boards in Newcastle for 6 or 7 years in 70s did around 5or 6 per week on own many for Merewether surfers of the time
Both Peter Cornish and Billy Robbo worked with me at times.
Peter had a following for his shapes thru his time with Sam Egan.
In this period did some boards for Aragorn in Qld MP even had one or two.
There were a nuber of small manufacturers in Ncle at time 1or2 even used to get us to glass their shapes
.It was a great period in surfing especially around area.
Still see the occassional board around mainly kept if had a spray by John Earle now quite famous artist
.John started spraying surf scenes waves dolphins etc on boards his painting and prints are now very valuable.
Site bought back great memories will get many from that era 70s 80s to have look even mentions guys like Terry Day -GULL-surfboards
ill tell Greg Day about .
Just a super interesting site wonder how u dug it all up .
Thought maybe thru Jim the printer -he did most of board stickers etc.
As i said great work especially for those of us still surfing
regards Bill

Al Wilson Surfboards
1989
Huskisson NSW

Megashapes Pro-Tech
Wave Dancer, 1990.

Amber Glow Surfboards
1976
??
Russell Francis.

Amoco Surfboards
1970
Coolite, Australia

Andrew Harris Designs - Surfboards
2010
Tamarrma, NSW - Sydney, Australia.
Andrew Harris

AH: Zappa model, October 2009, Volume 37.8 litres

Animal Surfboards
1984
??
Frank Latta

Power Lines: leg-ropes?

Antonnie Seaspoons - Kneeboards (Surfboards)
1/152 Coogee Bay Road, Coogee, Sydney.
Phone: 665-6881
1974
Seaspoons - Kneeboards

Decal thanks to Snazzy, August 2021.

Apree Surfboards
?
1963
Noted: 9ft Malibu around 1963 in poor condition

Aqua Foils Surfboards
Coolum, Sunshine Coast, Queensland.
1989
John Vinson

Aqua Flight Surfboards
?
1979
Designed and Shaped by Andy Stone

Decal thanks to Snazzy, May 2020.

Aqua Jet Surfboards
San Francisco
1972
Owner: Neil Townsend.
The Honeycomb hollow construction with aluminium mesh fibreglass and with a plug in the nose.
The boards were ridden and promoted in Australia by Peter Townsend.

Aquarius Surfboards
1976
Adelaide, South Australia.

Skateboard decal supplied by Andy Maunsell, September 2014.

Aragorn Surfboards
Aragorn Kneeboards
Kirra, Queensland.
1974
Steve Goddard

1976
Michael Peterson, Bruce Greig, Steve Goddard, Bill Robertson, Wayne Dean.
L.Knight on 1/3/1978.
1980?
Fingal Head, NSW.
Five Fin Fever and Penta-fin model by Bruce Greig, circa 1985.

In January 2017, Jason Connell contributed images, and noted:
Bill 'Robbo' Robertson. worked at Aragorn in the late 1970s, where he introduced Wayne Deane to stable of Aragon shapers that included Australian Champion Michael Peterson.
Bill Robertson later move south to the Newcastle area.
The Robbo board in my collection is double flyer, stinger pintail 6'6" single-fin, unusually with most of the volume in the nose area, its template similar to MP's famous Fangtail.

The logo was first drawn by 'Pierre' in 1977, but then it was re-drawn and finished by Shane Egan before being transferred to a laminate for surfboards by Jim The Printer.
This particular variation of the logo being particular to the early Aragorn boards made at Kirra before production was moved to Fingal. (edited)

Michael Peterson - Aragon Surfboard, Stubbies Contest, Burleigh Heads, 1977.
Photo: Peter Crawford

Decals thanks to Snazzy,
December 2019.

Arrawarra Longboards
Woolgoolga, NSW
1995
Brett Munro

Artefact Surfboards
?
1995
?

Ashley Surfboards
Adelaide, South Australia.
1964
Ashley Waldeck
Noted: 9ft 7" five stringer (2 x redwood and centre redwood-balsa-redwood T-band) with wooden D fin.
Ashley Surfboards were made at John Arnold's Surf Shop in Adelaide SA in the early 1960's.
Ashley Waldeck was Arnold's top shaper at this time.

Ashley Kneeboards - Ashley Surfcrafts
17 Anderson Street, Torquay, Victoria.
1969
Peter Ashley
Available at Speaky's Surf Shop Geelong and Doug's Surf Shop Torquay.
- Backdoor, Number 1 c1974, page 10.

1976
Unusual flex spoon with tension panels (?).
1977
Alleyne Avenue, Torquay, Victoria.

Ski 1975?,
Image courtesy of Snazzy, January 2019.

Ask Surfboards
A.S.K.?
Victoria?
1973

Astro Surfboards
Byron Bay, NSW.
2001
Garry Burden

Atkinson and Gravelle Surfboards
1975
??

Atlas Surfboards
1969
Melbourne
- Les Purcell - contributed, with thanks, by Les Purcell.

Atlas Surfboards
Emily Place, Auckland New Zealand
1963
Custom built under licence to Gordon Woods Australia.

Atlas-Woods Surfboards (1963 - 1970)
Atlas-Woods was a NZ company (Atlas) using materials and experience sourced from Australia's Gordon Woods Surfboards, Brookvale.

For further information see:
Williamson, Luke:
Gone Surfing - The Golden Years of Surfing in New Zealand, 1950 -1970
pages 46 and 50.

1969

1964

Attack Surfboards
?
1998
Rod Stock

Australian Cutoms Surfboards
??
1977
Martin McMillan

Australian Involvement Surfboards
Sydney, NSW
1969
In 2020, Mike Green of St Augustine, Florida USA, emailed photographs of a 6ft 10" Australian Involvement from around 1969 with a Waveset or Safeset finbox and the decal reading:
Australian Involvement, Sydney NSW and Hand shaped in Australia for Sandlar's Surf Shop.

Unaware of any Sandlar's Surf Shop in Australia, I initially assumed that Sandlar's was an American (East Coast?) surf shop and these boards were marketed in the USA on the back of the widely publicised Wayne Lynch Involvement (sometimes missing the first e) model for John Arnold Surfboards in Adelaide, South Australia.
However, Mike Green has been actively involved in the East Coast USA surfing community for more than 50 years and writes:
There is no Sandlar's surf shop in East Coast surfing history, that I am aware of, and certainly not in Florida.
He also contacted Randy Rarick, who didn't offer any definitive info either.
Currently the location remains a mystery.