I'm so stoked with my recent find, but also a little worried.
I found a 6'0" competition weight, single fly swallow tail twin fin Brewer (the first Dick Brewer label for the collection) shaped by San Clemente legend Gary Linden, with classic Gotcha “Bubble Fish” sponsor decals under the glass for 80’s team rider ‘Marc’. The “Bubble Fish” Gotcha logo was designed by Shawn Stussy in the early days of Gotcha and was the brand’s first official logo.
I scored the opening bid as soon as it was listed on eBay. I nervously checked it everyday, waiting to get out bid. When the auction ended and my opening bid won I was amazed, blown away, that no one, any where on the planet was interested in this piece of history, this fantastic, watertight, twin fin, rider. Then I started to get worried. Hang on, what is wrong with me. Why am I so attracted to rubbish that others have trouble getting rid of. What is this curse that afflicts me?
Then I saw the light, it's no curse, it's a blessing. If I can enjoy surfing on a $50 surfboard and get stoked appreciating it's history, design and cultural relevance at the same time, then blessed I truly am.
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| Save Trestles |
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| Gary Linden, 6', 840, for Marc |
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| possibly Stussy and Gotcha team rider Marc Price |
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| 80's Gotcha team boards |
Being that the board is from San Clemente, I took it out at Trestles to see how it would go in the waves for which it was built. Super flat rocker, wide fin bases for lots of drive, close to 3 inches of foam, hard rails that are so sharp Jordy said they 'could cut an apple' and a subtle swallow tail that functions more as a square tail. I tell you, the thing is a rocket! This thing holds some design principles that desperately need revisiting.
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| Not pretty, but this thing flies! |
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| Marc Price for Gotcha |
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| Marc Price on Stussy 1981 |
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| Marc Price in Africa 1981 |
Marc Price custom Damo ???
ReplyDeleteMarc Price! 80's pro from Laguna. Originally from South Africa, which would explain the Mike Tompson Gotcha connection. I think your onto something.
ReplyDeleteMaybe Gary Linden could chime in ?
ReplyDeleteMy guess is Gary made this board for Marc Price formerly a GOTCHA team rider
ReplyDeleteand later a company executive. I believe he is now a principle owner of
FIREWIRE.
Regards,
Doug
It’s entirely possible that you have Marc Price’s “America Board”…Price, Michael Tompson, Gotcha, South Africa, ’82-‘83-’84…this board might have shown up in a Surfing (m’be Surfer) Magazine travelogue on Costa Rica/Nicaragua…”Witch’s Rock”…Aaron Chang as Photog…I remember the Gotcha ad as someone drinking a Coke/Pepsi, leaning against a Central American shop-wall…pink and turquoise might have been involved…trunks…wall…the caption in the travelogue was something like, “we sweated the (soda) as fast as we drank it”…this was right-before Gotcha changed over to Martin Potter as their “latest/greatest.” Then, again, it mighta’ been “Marc’s,” from Newport, who still owes me 5 bucks…TT, CosmicDog
ReplyDeleteMarc was my Team Manager at Gotcha back then and I rode for Victory also then moved from Oxnard to Leucadia and got asked to be on Brewer and Marc immediately switched me to Lindens I remember his boards all looked like that well usually swallow tail but air spray like that!! Thanx for posting good times for sure
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