You East Coast guys are going to be happy.   Yes,  I have an O’Hare surfboard in my collection.   It hangs in Paradise Cove formally Javi’s Paradise in Rosarito Beach.  When your in northern Baja stop in for a beer and have a look.  Chris and Herbie the proprietors will be happy to give you a tour and speak to you,  just say the Coach sent me!   Pat O’Hare is being honored by the Cocoa Beach Surfing Museum this spring.   When I was in Florida for the AFCA convention years ago I made it a point to visit his then museum at the Natural Art Shop and try to speak with Pat.  I missed him.  However,  you East Coast guys do not miss this O’Hare exhibit at the museum!

A little about Pat O’Hare he started as a Greg Noll dealer and later team up with Rick “No Thumb” (you remember the story of how Rick lost his thumb and Greg preserved it in resin) James.   Rick was one of Greg’s production shapers.  I am not sure how the two teamed up but thats were I can use your help!  Please do not confuse Rick James with Rick Stoner of Surfboards by Rick.  James and O’Hare were parters for 3 years and then Pat ventured out on his own.   Their factory was in Cape Canaveral from 1964-80 and then Pat moved it back to Cocoa Beach.  Pat was a Walker Foam guy.  It should be noted that a lot of small manufactures in the east did not use Clark and Walker blanks.   The reason for major sun damage as they grew older.  They blew their own formulas which lacked inhibitor to keep the board white and not burnt brown!

The O’Hare Surfboard in my collection looks like a Greg Noll with an O’Hare decal.   The wonderful thing about Pat O’Hare is he evolved with the surf industry.   Most of the sixties shapers stopped shaping in the late sixties or early eighties due to shortboards.  Like Reynolds Yater,  Pat also redefined himself as a shaper.   Probably for Pat even a bigger challenge with the quality of waves on the East Coast, no pun towards the East Coast (many California breaks were open up with the advent of the shortboards I have to inform you).   The East has the large Continental Shelf which presents issues for shapers on that coast.   Pat was able to evolve and continue to make quality surfboards today.

Things I would like to see out of this article,  First:  Photos of O’Hare Shops and Photos of the O’Hare factory.   The second thing I would like to see is paper/decal/patch memorabilia from the sixties.  As I see photos of photos I see patches.  Third,  looking for more examples of O’Hare surfboards past photos and recent photos of killer examples of O’Hare Surfboards so we can see them!   But really most of all respect for a true legend of the industry,  Pat O’Hare.

The challenge is on Floridians and East Coasters.   Educated on the O’Hare stoke of the sixties and now.   Show  us what you got baby!!!!!   A photo with you’re reply is worth a 1000 words and show the ultimate respect for Pat O’Hare.

Keep Surfing and listen to dacoach

And yes, brother Tommy was a wrestler as was I (not very good) and I coached wrestling for 11 years!  Go Jets!

I have a very high standard for surfboards.  Some people will tell you it is because I have so many.  Some people will tell you it is because I started collecting so early and have gotten over the beater board examples.  Unfortunately some people will try and discredit me by saying I am a snob.  Why would they tell you that because they want more money from you than the board is worth they are trying to sell you!

As stated several times on this blog a surfboard is only worth what a person is willing to pay.  On the other hand when they bring the big money guys in to buy that does not set the value.  It is often and usually a one time deal.  These are people who carry around in their pockets two of you family pay checks in his or her pocket for chump change!

The attempt her is to establish quality not value.  Good question,  why would a board look like it just was taken out of the surf shop in 1962?  First, the manufactures produced so many surfboards in excess of demand based on the feeding frenzy of the time.  Then a lot of shop boards,  boards made for sale in the manufacturers shop, were outdated designs by the models (most models offered gimmicks to make you a better surfer) and then the shortboards revolution.  Those boards sat they either did not sell or sold for almost nothing and sat in garages, basements, and or were stored by shop owners.  Thus twenty years later we find the pristine surfboards and ask the question, is it a fake?  The second factor was the Vietnam War.  Many young men my age bought a new board surfed it once only to be sacrificed in Vietnam for corporate greed and died!  Those boards sat in bedrooms and garages as memorials to these brave young men.  The third factor is the original owners just did not surf much and took great care of their board!  They stored it properly not out on the back fence!

The “How” the board stayed new is established.  A ten is the 10-2 Con Surfboard #280 Con Colburn sold me in the box with Railway Express Stickers ready to be shipped to a would be buyer!  No sun damage,  no water damage, no scratches, just a beautiful brand new 1962 Surfboard!  Or the Pacific Homes System Mahogany Paddle board found in a basement in Santa Barbara in the shipping crate.  Yes, never used.  These are tens.  No re-glossing at all, just the board as it was present for sale at its time!

Water damage is going to take a minimum of 3-4 points off a 10 point scale.  The problem is what is hiding underneath the fiberglass.   Repaired dings 2-4 points off depending how many.   A beautiful complete restoration is not a 10.  It looks like a 10 and that is what the owner paid for.   I rate these boards as “Restored”, if it is a gloss coat the board is an 8-9.  However, if it is a pigment job, not interested!  Hiding damage that I know is under that beautiful pigment.  Sun damage on a board can take 2-6 points off a board.  Popouts that were left in the sun are brown,  they are yes, perfect with no dings, but thats were the expression “Toast” also came from.  They are baked!,  2-4 rating only!

Just when you say they will never find another perfect surfboard another one pops up.  Why?, I told you  why!  They made thousands of surfboards in the sixties and yes as years go by the odds of finding a perfect one go down.   But I believe on May 5 they are auctioning off Phil Edwards Honolulu #1 another perfect 10!  There out there you just have to be lucky and look.   Now I challenge you to submit for another article your “10s” in your collection so we can all see them!  Yes, that picture will say 10,000 words about your taste in antique surfboards.   Maybe I can help you or maybe you are beyond help.  In reality we all are beyond help!

Keep Surfing, listen to dacoach

PS:  all surfboards from my collection all original!!!!!!!!!