Memorabilia: Surfboard leash sucker
added to the website on Jan 31, 2012
Bought by David Yeo from Devon around 1970 or ’71 with his first leash (which had a clear plastic tube and a cord inner). Some people used ‘shock cord’ which was used on boats at the time. Unlike surf leashes today that go around the ankle, this rubber sucker would have been stuck to the ……»
Photographs: Tris Cokes – Aberdeen 1968
added to the website on Sep 07, 2011
One of the UK’s top shapers of the 1970s, Tris Cokes – a long was from his Cornwall home – checking out the surf in Aberdeen in 1968. Photo by Graham Sorensen.
Print: Morris cars advert 1934
added to the website on Sep 07, 2011
Readers of Punch magazine in May 1934 would have seen this wonderful advert for the Morris Ten-Four saloon car describing it “as lively as a surf-board”. You’ll notice the surfers are holding ropes, and the type of board they would be using was known as an “aquaplane” – the precursor to the wakeboard that was ……»
Memorabilia: Corgi Mini Countryman 1966
added to the website on Jun 30, 2011
1966 Corgi Toys Mini Countryman with surfer model and two surfboards, including original box.
Photographs: Bill Davies 1966
added to the website on Dec 04, 2010
Great photo showing Bill Davies shooting the curl on a decent size day at Putsborough in North Devon in 1966. Bill Davies & Bob Groves were responsible for Groves-Davies Surfboards shaped at Lee on Solent on the south coast of England. Starting out around 1964 its through they only made around 30 or so ‘longboards’, ……»
Print: National surfing championships flyer 1968
added to the website on Dec 04, 2010
Leaflet promoting the 1968 “National surf-board riding championships” at Bude in Cornwall and run by the Surf Life Saving Association of Great Britain, featuring “spectacular surfing by leading surfers”.
Print: Braunton guide c1965
added to the website on Dec 04, 2010
Wonderful period artwork on this mid 1960s guide to Braunton & District in North Devon, still using the classic image of a woman with her bellyboard on the beach rather than ‘stand-up’ surfing that was beginning to take over at the time.
Print: Bude guide 1967
added to the website on Dec 04, 2010
1967 holiday guide for Bude on the north Cornwall coast, describing it as a “surfing resort” with a photo on the cover showing a woman joyously holding her traditional wooden bellyboard aloft. Lots of surfing content inside, with the town and its businesses really trying to attract surfers in the mid 1960s.
Photographs: “Fuzz” Pridham 1966
added to the website on Dec 04, 2010
The late “Fuzz” Pridham from Bideford in perfect trim at Putsborough in North Devon in May 1966 – one of the early crew of locals in the early to mid 1960s. Photo by Tony Cope.
Photographs: Charles ‘Snow’ McAllister 1928
added to the website on Aug 13, 2010
The Australian surfing and swimming champion Charles Justin ‘Snow’ McAllister visited England in September 1928 to give demonstrations of “surf-board riding” at English seaside resorts. With thanks to SurfWorld Museum in Torquay, Australia for supplying the images.
Print: The Art of Surf Riding 1934
added to the website on Jul 16, 2010
Written by Ronald S. Funnell in 1934 and reprinted in 1953, this is believed to be the first instructional surfing book published in Britain. It included tips on how and where to surf and beach safety. Funnell was also responsible for the Crest wooden surfboards produced in the 1930s.
Surfboards: Butler 1974
added to the website on Jul 15, 2010
This is a mid 1970s Maurice Butler single fin stinger, shaped in East Anglia. Maurice was a pioneer surfer in Lowestoft, Suffolk and his first sight of surfing came in 1964 on holiday at Woolacombe in North Devon where he watched a couple of 10 foot boards being ridden (possibly shaped by Bob Powers). Back ……»
Surfboards: Karma 1981
added to the website on Jul 15, 2010
This is awesome Karma twin-fin dates from 1981 and features stunning period art and a winged swallow tail. In the late 1960s, Dave Farrow teamed up with East Runton fisherman Bob Brownsell to build surfboards under the ‘Cougar’ label on the Norfolk coast. One of their first efforts was to strip, re-shape and glass a ……»
Surfboards: Infinity 1971
added to the website on Jun 25, 2010
Infinity was one the surfboard brands created by south coast legend Bob Groves – and this is a very special Rod Sumpter model. The story Bob tells is that Rod had left his long term sponsors Bilbo and needed a board to compete in the 1968 World Championships in Puerto Rico. Bob shaped him a ……»
Wetsuits: Circle One steamer 1979
added to the website on Jun 06, 2010
This is a late 1970s/early 80s steamer by Circle One – Jeff Townsley’s surf company down in Exeter, Devon.