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manufacturers : contact production boards, 1960's

Not a major manufacturer,
Bombora by Nock and Kirby's
1962 - 1965
Bulk order of stock 'pop out' boards - Bombora - for Kock and Kirby's, a chain store.
Initially manufactured by Scott Dillon Surfboards and probably also manufactured by other companies.
Candidates would include Ron Surfboards and Wallace Surfboards.
Often the work was done by young appentice shapers, for example ???.

Available on hire purchase, this was a major outlet for boards sales - see the advertisement below.
Similar financial incentives were also offered by Walton's and Mick Simmon's Sports Stores.
Also see Ron Surfboards and Weiss Surfboards.

Erratta : ...my work was good enough for me to be put to work shaping "pop out" boards for
Nock and Kirby, a big Sydney department store. I learnt years later that Gordon (Woods)
only made a deal with Nock and Kirby in order for me to gain shaping experience.

- Nat's Nat, page 72.

Mr. Gordon Woods notes that this is incorrect, and Gordon Woods Surfboards did not manufacture under other labels.
- Personal phone conversation, August 22, 2005.
Nat Young may have possibly confused Gordon Woods with Scott Dillon Surfboards, where he worked circa 1962-1963.
The book is not free of some historical inaccuaries.

Nock and Kirby's Advertisment, circa 1963.
Reprinted in Pacific Longboarder Magazine,
Volume 7 Number 5 June 2004 Page 42
Last line of text reads...
Choose from all top names, Scott Dillon, Ron, Wallace & Nock and Kirby's Bombora.
Source : Unknown.
Given the store was marketing models by Dillon, Wallace and Ron Surfboards
it is probable that the Bombra model was manufactured by at least one, possibly all three.
It would also appear to not support Nat Young's recollection that this model was manufactured by Gordon Woods Surfboards.

Weiss Surfboards
1962 - 1964
8 - 12 Broadway Sydney Phone : 211 - 2837

Example noted by Donna Gardner :
7 ft 7'' , Custom Decal,
Markings :Johnson 399
This board's length, 7 ft 6'', is very unusual
- probably a juvenile model.

Weiss (Pty. Ltd?) was a fishing supply store in central Sydney, as reported by Bob Niblock..

Weiss as you may know was a friggin Fishing shop in Broadway and I always had to do a lot of explaining to the guys when I carried it onto the beach!!!!!.

The boards made under contact (note use of Custom in the Decal) by a major (probably Sydney) manufacturer.
Similar models were also marketed as
Nock and Kirby's Bombora model
(a hardware chain store and probably manufactured by Scott Dillon Surfboards),
Walton's Maru model (a department store) , and
Mick Simmon's Surfboards (a sporting goods store).
This was a boom period for Sydney manufacturers, these boards orders as big as 300 units.
Ding repairers became shapers over night.

Usually single stringer, D fin (sometimes Reverse D), limited rocker, simple rounded rails.
Invariably with colour decor - required for shop display.

Decal and board details contributed by Donna Gardner, with thanks.
Fishing shop details and date confirmation contributed by Bob Niblock, with thanks.

Hartleys : High Rider
Victoria
1964 ?:
Contract production model.
Image contributed by Chris Day January 2006, with thanks.

Chris noted that some sources contribute this model as manufactured by Gordon Woods Surfboards
and in reponse to my enquiry, emailed (edited) ...

As for the board it has no markings on it to say its a gordon woods.
I bought this board from a surfboard dealer in Grovedale Geelong [robert dunn].
He g/teed me it was made by gordon .
His knowledge & memory of those times seems pretty accuate & I have allways tried to substantuate
his conversations with other sources and he at most times come across right.
Looking at the quality & condition I trusted his appraisel.
I to have been told that gordon made pop outs for stores by a couple of 60s surfers
I have seen some pop out boards, but this is one has been made with high quality shaping & glass work,ie not your average pop out.
Its a great board & in some ways better shaped the some of my named brands i have.
It seems with surf history there are 3 different versions 1st person version,3rd person version & the truth, so who really know what happened in the glory days of brookvale.
Cheers
Chris
My reponse, 24 January 2006...
Chris,
Thanks for the OK on the decal, I took it off ebay and added it, with a credit, to the Manufacters Index under H.
Also added an linked entry for Contract Production Boards 1960s.
Models noted are Bombora and Weiss.
The Harleys model includes most of your email.
Not online till February.

My Questions (easy)
1. I assume Harteys was a Melbourne sports store or something similar?

2. Are you aware of other 1960's Contract Production Boards available in Victoria,
eg Sydney had Ron Surfboards, Nock and Kirby's Bombora, Walton's Maru ?

3. I would be interested in Robert Dunn's comments, if contactable ?, on the following notes.

The Truth in History Question (very difficult)
Overview :
Early surfing history has a large amount of oral history, some of which is questionable.
Many commentators have a commercial interest and memory can be defective.
For my research I attempt to source as much documentation as possible - in this case if the board was marked or in any way indicated "Made by Gordon Woods Surfboards" then there would be no problem.

Underview :
1. I am not sure I have seen an early 1960's 'popout' - a non shaped blank (molded to the design) that is glassed as in the late 1960's models by Shane and Wallace Surfboards or modern Surftechs.
This method was used by some US companies in the early 1960's.
What most label an Australian "popout" from the early 60's, eg Ron Surfboards, appear to be shaped and glassed in standard methods, athough usually to a very limited design.
To differentiate from the molded method, I have described these models as Contact Production Boards.

2. I started assuming that Woods had built contract production boards in the 1960's, something I picked up orally (somebody told me - when? who? when?).

3. Interview with Scott Dillon (1998) confirmed his company built contract production boards in the 1960's.
This indicated that other Brookvale manfacturers did likewise, eg Woods?

4. The asumption appeared confirmed by Nat Young in his autobiography...
...my work was good enough for me to be put to work shaping "pop out" boards for
       Nock and Kirby, a big Sydney department store. I learnt years later that Gordon (Woods)
          only made a deal with Nock and Kirby in order for me to gain shaping experience.
                                                                             - Nat's Nat, page 72.

5. Then, in a personal phone conversation, August 22, 2005, Mr. Gordon Woods noted that this is incorrect, and Gordon Woods Surfboards did not manufacture under other labels.
I could perceive no reason for him to mislead me and a memory lapse of such a significant commerical development seemed unlikely.

6. Thinking about it further, I noted...
Nat Young may have possibly confused Gordon Woods with Scott Dillon Surfboards, where he worked circa
1962-1963. The book is not free of some historical inaccuaries.

7. In 2004 an ad for Nock and Kiby's Bombora model, circa 1963 was reprinted in Pacific Longboarder Magazine, Volume 7 Number 5 June 2004 Page 42. Source : Unknown.
This noted..
Choose from all top names, Scott Dillon, Ron, Wallace & Nock and Kirby's Bombora.
This led me to infer ...
Given the store was marketing models by Dillon, Wallace and Ron Surfboards it is probable that the Bombra model was manufactured by at least one, possibly all three. It would also appear to not support Nat Young's recollection that this model was manufactured by Gordon Woods Surfboards.

8. In the case of the Hartley's ...
...this is one has been made with high quality shaping & glass work, ie not your average pop out.
Its a great board & in some ways better shaped the some of my named brands i have.
If the board was manufactured by another Brookvale builder, eg Dillon or Wallace, such a quality product is possible.

If you have made it this far, thank you for your attention,
Geoff.

Bay Side Surf Centre
1965
Melbourne 923774
Dora Surfboards Californian Style Model
There was probably no design or financial negotiatons with Mr.Dora.