Hello, At one time in the early 60s, people got the urge to stack surfboards on top of cars for a contest. It started in So Cal and then everywhere got the idea to stack as many as possible on any vehicle. DANA POINT 1961 Australia I was checking out the Encyclopedia of Surfing and came across the obscure entry; surfboard stacking. According to the encyclopedia, surfboard stacking is, “The diversion in which surfers lash down as many surfboards to the roof of a car. The board loaded car had to be driven a short distance (100 ft) under it’s own power.” The entry highlights the many successful, and failed attempts, to best the previous records from as early as 1962, through the 70’s. San Diego California It obviously was a “just for show” idea from a local So Cal surf shop in the 1961-62 era. Jnaki Of course, any stacking that hinders drivers ability or handling is not DMV/CHP legal. Here is a So Cal surfboard stacking story from 1962: CHP legal on PCH from Dana Point to Seal Beach Hello, In 1962, my friend worked at the Seal Beach Ole/Hobie Shop on Seal Beach Blvd, near the Naval Weapons Station Harbor. We had a job to bring some longboards back from the original Hobie Surf Shop in Dana Point. (60+ miles and 4+ hours round trip) The shaping room was in the back of the Dana Point store. We were driving from Seal Beach in a 41 Plymouth Coupe that had an unusual camouflage, hand paint job. (for undercover surf trips to the Camp Pendleton jungles and Trestles) We took the 41 coupe because we could get a few on top. We took our own two longboard, just in case we found some good surf at Salt Creek. But, when we arrived at the Hobie Store, the order was for 9 boards. These were 30-40 lb longboards of all sizes. It was a long drive, so we had to take all of these boards in one trip. We started stacking them side by side on the small roof. Finally when all boards were well secured, the trip home on PCH was interesting to say the least. At every stop light in every coastal town, we got a ton of questions about why there were 11 boards on top and two surfers in the car. Of course, being funny surfers, our stories were varied to fit the need. (pro surfers…no such thing back then, owned a surf board factory, rich parents, starting a museum, etc.) The girls were totally impressed with what the car looked like and our cool stories. We stopped for lunch in Corona Del Mar at a drive in and the barrage of questions just kept coming… Even though that trip was very memorable, the next time, we took his other family car, a four door 1954 Ford “Country Sedan” wagon. Now, that roofline held the next load of surfboards quite well and we brought back 10 longboards on top with ease. They stacked well and the roofline gave them lots of support for the tie down ropes. We even put in 4 extra longboards in the rear wagon opening with red flags. The four doors were handy for the rope lock down points. The wagon looked a little odd with only two surfers inside and 14 boards, but it did not match the camouflaged 41 Plymouth Coupe for looking odd/strange driving down the street. Jnaki Little did we know, but what we did with the multiple boards on top of both vehicles was the start of a crazy “surfboard stacking contest” that was popular along the coastal towns. But, our two old cars were absolutely street legal with all of the boards sitting on top and in the rear window of the station wagon.
I was stationed at DaNang 70-71 366 Tac Fighter Wing Gunfighters.I got out to China Beach frequently. Never saw anyone with a board. Body surfing was popular.
Hello, One of the early ideas for owning a woody was a Model A Woody. It followed our liking the first Model A Coupe that we started working on to make it a fast, street legal, hot rod for the Gas Coupe and Sedan Cl*** at Lion’s Dragstrip. When our drag racing days were coming to a close, surfing took front and center as part of the recovery scene. We looked at several woody station wagons. They all looked nice, but security/privacy was not as good as a normal station wagon or van. We did not want to do a full custom makeover from the ground up, but something to fit our needs of security and privacy, but staying with the Model A version. The Model A had no security at all. So, we had our hot rod ideas to make it a secure and private surf wagon. Modify the open areas with a nice piece of planking and make a sedan delivery out of the open-air Model A Woody. Now, with secure door locks, it offered privacy and “coolness” to get to the surf spots. In the mean time, we had to go surfing as many times as we could. No one can get better without constant immersion in some great waves. But, we got ridiculed for taking the black 58 Impala to the beach with two longboards sticking out of the back. “here come a couple of inlanders trying to be surfers…” We got to the surfing spots in record time and thought it was rather cool pulling up to the parking areas in a fast 58 Impala. Chuckles came from all over, until we paddled into the water and caught plenty of waves in our style. That made the naysayers think twice about those chuckles. Besides, my brother wore regular long white surf trunks the first couple of time we took the Impala. He looked the part. Then, for some reason, he purchased faster drying official Everlast Pro Boxing Trunks made out of nylon that almost instantly dried upon coming out of the water. He did not say anything, he just had those on, when we got out of the Impala and started our trek across the sand, to the water. These trunks had a two-point performance tactic for my brother. One, they dried faster. Two, with the Willys Coupe fire, third degree scars on his shoulders, hands and face, add in the official Everlast Pro Boxing Trunks, he was intimidating to the point of staying a distance away, on the shoreline and in the water. Obviously, the new beach scene was a little different with the Everlast Boxing Trunks. No more chuckling while we walked to the waterline from the Impala. Jnaki Intimidation worked every time, but we both opted to get our own surf vehicles within a few weeks. No more fast cruising to the surf spots in the Impala. The Model A Woody/Sedan Delivery hot rod would have taken too much time away from our recovery adventures. It never got built, but was in our plans, IF, we had the time. A Flathead powered, 1940 Ford Sedan Delivery for me and an empty van for my brother. Which, weeks later, turned into a home made design of the interior, for long distance, overnight surf adventures. The Everlast boxing trunks were the hit of the day at any beach. But, they were not as sturdy as my “Kanvas by Katin” trunks. My brother went through several pairs, while the Kanvas by Katin trunks lasted two-three years. With a few chosen items, trunks, surf transportation, and being better surfers, the chuckles went from laughter to respect. Intimidation to respect is a good thing…or vice versa… “One thing leads to another…” It was a FI**-it… pun intended.
The Jalopy Journal
