The Swallow Tail
I am in a position to sell a piece of surf history. This 70s Swallowtail Gun has pedigree but no provenance, smooth lines, and rides like the wind. It is a steal at $250.00.
The story is a good one but I haven’t been able to confirm it with some of the best minds in the San Diego Surf community. I got the board from a friend who says she bought it from a homeless person in Encinitas. It was a wreck and to surf it, which I desperately wanted to do, I had to use a lot of Solares to fix the cracks on the swallow tail.
I did and it was great!
Photo Shoot
A photographer friend (Kymri Wilt of Mira Terra Images) loved the flames painted on the board and took a few photos. Here’s one from her “Alternative Commuter” series. That was a fun day, though the waves were far too small for this stallion to ride. More on that below…
There were flames painted on with the board with rather thick paint and I couldn’t see any maker’s mark on it. I brought it in to the surf shop where I worked and everyone had an idea about who shaped it. Stanley, an older Hawaiian gentleman who has known everyone in the business from the Duke on down, said he thought it might be a Hynson because of the down rails. Another of the guys in the shop offered to sand along the stringers but never found a name or a signature.
The Old Paint
This is because the board was glassed with color that was meant to from yellow to purple to orange, etc. But using color in fiberglass resin is tricky and the job was not perfect. This was confirmed by Joe Roper who handled the board’s total restoration. He thought the board was made from 1969 to 1973 and could very well have been a Hynson.
This was not confirmed by Bird of Bird’s Surf Shack who believes that the board is too symmetrical for a Hynson. He also said Hynson never liked swallow tails. He did agree that the rails were very much like Hynson’s.
Bird placed the date of creation between 1970-1973 and offered a few other names for who could have made it, including Brewer… I did meet an older gentleman once while taking the board out at Cardiff Reef. This man, who drove a tricked out 60s Mustang convertible, said, “I used to have a board like that?”
I later read an article about Mike Hynson and he looked an awful lot like the gent at Seaside Reef. Could Hynson have shaped it? I want to think so but I just can’t be sure. If you know Mike Hynson, please have him get in touch with me!
The Last Time I Surfed It
Regardless of the shaper, the board is a monster. It has very thick, very straight, very strong rails. It’s impossible to pearl this board. The tail is thin and narrow and the lion’s share of the foam rests in the area of your front foot. The fin — also a custom glass job probably made in the same factory by the same shaper — is placed pretty far back. This board is made to go straight and very fast on very large waves.
Today
I have surfed it in overhead conditions and it just screamed for more size. It is possibly the fastest board I’ve ever ridden, especially when I focus all my weight energy over my front foot. I keep feeling that the board wants to go faster and faster and rarely turn.
But it is time to sell this board. I’m entertaining offers in the $200. range. I am willing to meet any one with serious inquiries at just about any beach in San Diego County. Please contact me via email (kevin@kevinsix.com). There are more photos below.
Thanks!
KevinSix.com 