Mitch Thorson, WA's favorite son.



Mitch Throson is a Margaret River based Western Australian surfer and big wave legend.
Here is a early 80's Mitch Thorson design Star Surf 6'3" double fly, swallow tail, channel bottom single fin shaped by Alan Bean.
A beast of a board designed to ride waves a lot bigger than you and I would normally try to on a 6'3".
Heavy glass job, thick rails, a pointy pulled in nose, deep deep channels and a scary big single fin.
Above is a shot of Mitch on a similar design from Surfing World in the early 80's and below is a shot of Mitch today and the wave this board was designed to ride, the imaginatively named Margaret River "Main break".
Simple folk Western Australians, simple scary folk.











Aaron Curnow, Bondi Single Fin Comp.

5 comments:

  1. unidentifiedMarch 24, 2009 at 11:56 PM

    check the campbell site for Mitch in the 80's with his full Quiver of 5 fins. plus action pic.
    go to history of board pics.

    ReplyDelete
  2. anthonybphoto@gmail.comApril 6, 2009 at 3:27 PM

    Ah Margs, one of the most amazing spots on the map. Waves are intense over there. Clean up sets are always a threat and was a constant source of anxiety for me while I was there. Never got rinsed as bad as the one pic you got up there, but man I did hit the water hard a few times. Best waves of my life, no doubt, thick and powerful and just on a totally different scale than the one here in So Cal.

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousJune 10, 2009 at 5:57 PM

    credit to the shaper please!
    i tried to zoom in i think it says "alan bean".
    the shapers put the surfers in the zone. they deserve more respect even if they do not have a large media identity/image, past or present.
    this is a good site for board design history and inspiration.
    please keep up the factual integrity.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Ryan RaganMay 16, 2010 at 1:10 PM

    Hi trying to reach my buddy Mitch Thorson coming over from the states to WA if you have his phone and e mail could you please send it to me ? Thanks Ryan Ragan ragansurfs@aol.com.com

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousSeptember 1, 2024 at 12:04 AM

    Hi I have an almost identical board made by Alan for Mitch , I bought it from the star surf shop in 1983 ( used by Mitch ) with the money I was given for my 21st Birthday , same design and art work but mine is pink where that is green and black striped instead of yellow

    ReplyDelete

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