I mentioned in the previous post that Shawn Stussey used to shape boards in the 80's. So too did Bob Hurley, who shaped this beautiful Lightning Bolt single fin pin tail belonging to my friend James in LA. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the story goes Bob shaped for Bolt before shaping under his own label Hurley. The Hurley business struggled along until Bob got the licence to produce Billabong apparel in the US. This proved to be a licence to print money as the Billabong team, led by Occy stormed the world. But Bob was doing a great job, so good a job that the lazy Queenslanders stopped designing their own ranges and just waited for the US sample range to arrive for "approval".Then they copied the US 'licensed' range and then tried to 'licence' it back to Bob.
Bob eventually got sick of this and pulled the plug and started Hurley, taking with him the US Bilabong team of riders, the design team, the production facilities and the account list. He then went on to quickly grow the brand and sell it to Nike. My understanding he made enough money to buy 17 of the 19 islands in the Hawaiian chain.
And my mum said I could'nt be a shaper cause I'd never make enough money.
My best 80"s board was a Hurley and I've been trying to dupe it somehow for ages. You have access to any pix?
ReplyDeletethanks
I've got an old Hurley IPD circa 1981 sitting under my house on Oahu. 5'10" squash tail (I think) thruster, glass on fins, super thick. Really ugly but hasn't been surfed, well since the late 1980s.
ReplyDeleteI have an old Hurley sitting under my mom's house on Oahu, a 5'10" fat squash tail thruster with glass on fins, blue rails, beak nose. lots of brown spots but no delam and solid rideable board. Hasn't been surfed, well, since the late 1980s. Shaped in 1981. I'll try and get pics next time I go to Hawaii.
ReplyDeleteIf I remember correctly, Bob also shaped with a classmate of mine (Rick Plescia) and they were producing the hollow surfboards. That was some fun times in the 80's
ReplyDeleteim mike, im trying to find out what a Al Merrick glass surfboard made by bob haakenson in 1996 is worth. trying to search it and find out but thust far i have had no success. please email me at xxbigone06xx@gmail.com. anyone with information. i really appreciate it
ReplyDeleteMy boyfriend in Highschool was Bill, Bob's little brother. We used to go by Wind and Sea on PCH he was shaping there, I think 1977. Aloha Lora, Kona Hawaii
ReplyDeleteI just aquired a 80's Hurley board if anyone is interested.
ReplyDeletepoopy
ReplyDelete