Jeff Parker. Custom wetsuit, custom twin fin, lots of hair product.
My friend in LA has been at this longer than I have and has acquired an Aladdin's cave of rare California gems. He has shared with us one of his Newport Beach, Lance Collin's shaped, Jeff Parker model, Wave Tools twin fins from the Echo Beach period. These twin fins are unique to the geographical area, the period and the local Newport waves they were designed to surf. The swallow tail without the flyer or wings carries a lot more area into the tail making a looser board that goes better and gets more tail lift in smaller mushier wave. Of course they slide out a lot but this suited the radical style of surfing they were pioneering at the time. The short fin design didn't last long and were soon replaced with a more fashionable, functional MR template. But I like these earlier fins because they hark back the original Skip Fry designed San Diego twin fins shapes.
Well- very nice to discover your blog while randomly google imaging Wave Tools boards.
ReplyDeleteDef brings back memories of those times and as one commentor put it- most surfers were pretty square, really, regardless of the Echo Beach dudes. As a whole, it was more the hardcore skateboarders and punks that 'changed' things than those guys did. But, nonetheless, it had an impact on me as it did you.
I actually own two Wave Tools boards, one a beat up plain WT model and the other a pristine Lance Collins twin that is permanently on display in my room to ogle every morning upon wakening. Even 8 years later, I still never tire of it!
Good luck on your quest for the grail- hope you succeed.
Cheerth!