You think YOU'RE old school....? I'm still trying to learn how to send text messages on our kitchen wall-mount Princess phone!
I always find your selection of images interesting, they invoke some good memories, thanks for your dedication to the site.
Hello, San Onofre Surf Club history goes back to the 30s in So Cal. The ability to ride those 11-14 foot long planks is to be admired. Some did not have fins for some method of control. That was a feat in itself. But as a person who tried one, it was not the most fun thing going. The angle of the ride was good, but no turns and cutbacks could be done without fins. Those early guys are to be appreciated for their skills and continued effort to surf anything on any waves. The odd thing was, as I got better in my own surfing, 9-10 foot long heavy longboards with an odd assortment of fins was standard equipment. No one except for 6’8” James Arness rode 12 foot plus surfboards. Then as the skill level and shaping technology came in the next development stage. Yes, I bought a 11’4” custom shaped Phil Edwards Model Hobie Surfboard that was the pinnacle of longboards and high performance surfing on a longboard. It was #4. San Onofre was an all day event from early morning to late at night. We would get there early in the morning or after a session up the coast. But the salt air was already a factor. The thick coat of salt moisture always played havoc on painted surfaces and chrome. If not taken care of asap, then “rust never sleeps,” as Neil Young used to tell us from one of his LP record albums. There is nothing worse than a rusty set of surf racks on any car, station wagon or van. The chrome parts take an unnecessary hit every time one parks on the shoreline. So, needless to say, the afternoon west winds that are prevalent all along the So Cal coastline called for stopping at this one of a kind spray wash booth. Before we drove up the block to our backyard parking spot. Why did I not just spray it at home, just a few blocks away? The spot where I had to park was the car washing area and the wet surface or soaked grass was not the best thing for a clean sedan delivery. The local spray booth place was one of the first ones in So Cal and was used by many people. At first, plenty of trucks used it and took the place over. So, the owner put a ban on the big diesel trucks. Then it was just passenger cars and pickup trucks. A 58 Impala, an El Camino and yes, earlier, the salt encrusted Flathead powered sedan delivery rolled into the stall to get an all day salt bath coating sprayed off. The old spraying center and closed Olympic Auto Parts two blocks from our old home. Today, the spray booths are still going strong, but the auto parts stores had too much competition from the mass quantities of discount parts stores. As far as all necessary auto parts for all of our hot rods, street cruisers and trucks, the Olympic Auto Parts was a short bicycle ride away, on PCH. We were so popular in the store that during the late 59 season and 1960 season, we were given a larger discount on parts. Then we were discussing a sponsorship with the Nakamura Brothers and Olympic Auto Parts on the Willys Coupe door. We even talked about advertising as a weekly paid job if I were to put on a sign on the Flathead 40 Ford Sedan Delivery. They knew I went all over Long Beach, the So Cal coastal areas and the usual Friday/Saturday night activities in Bixby Knolls. So, this would have been the sight presented to the public. An unusual sight at San Onofre and definitely would have been hard to hide in the jungles of the Camp Pendleton near the pristine waves of the Trestles surf areas. It was a good thing the real color was "Salmon Pink" and blended into the forested "jungle" area much better than a bright red with a logo on the side... Note: We also had fins to be allowed to steer our wave riding action. It was similar weight shifting, but in a more direct mode. Sharp bottom turns, carving the wall down the line, and cutbacks were all possible with the fins. The old planks, may have looked nice and were very sturdy floating, but definitely hard to steer on a wave. YRMV
Would like to hear some historical comments on the Long Brach Marine Stadium drags (if appropriate here) and also, Western High School's auto shop made Chevy drag car.
The Jalopy Journal
