: Board Collector: OZ Zap = US Blaster / Zapper

Of course, there is no denying Geoff McCoy's influence on the world of surfboard shaping.

Geoff tear drop needle nose designs are credited with inspiring most of modern surfing, from the evolution of the thruster right done to the G&S Zapper, Schroff Blaster etc.

What I'm interested in are the many incarnations and varied interpretations of the idea.

Like the way beer is brewed slightly differently on each continent and in each country. Its the subtle differences that appear at the end of the process that starts with the same set of ingredients that make it so good to travel to and enjoy a lager in Japan, Fiji, Australia, Mexico, the US and Belgium (not so good in the UK for me).

Of course the closest thing to Geoff McCoy McCoy is a Greg Pautsch McCoy.

I love the way Greg was so dedicated to staying close to the original even his hand writing looks the same as Geoff's.

Quicksilver ad from Surfer 1981

Here is my recent find from the Huntington swap. 5'10" double hip swallow tail quad.

Danny Kwok and crew. Screen grab from Echo Beach

Screen grab from Echo Beach

My 6'2" tri fin by Greg Pautsch from Florida via purchased originally in Huntington Beach in 1982.

I've been riding this board at Oceanside lately. Its performance is comparable to the most current boards in the surf shops today, the only major difference being the older boards have more foam, more volume throughout. A thinner more modern profile may make them more responsive, but I weigh +100kgs, so more foam is fine by me!