My most prized boards are those that come with a story. This sweet gem was shaped by Phil Edwards, the first “professional” surfer, and the first to ever ride the Pipeline in Hawaii.
Phil has shaped countless boards in his lifetime, but he took a long shaping hiatus for several years. Hobie Surfboards talked him out of retirement and back into the shaping room in the 90’s where he produced a limited number of this classic model.
Phil has since retired again, and I’m lucky enough to have one of those boards he created. She’s a beauty. A classic Edwards 10’ model, using the same clean template as he did back in 1964, and friends… she’s a virgin.
It’s interesting how I came to own this board. In the mid 90’s, the wife of a client called me and asked for my advice on buying her husband a new surfboard. I recommended a Hobie, and apparently she dropped by the local Hobie shop. Some sly salesman sent her home with the most expensive board in the shop, shaped by Phil Edwards himself. Well, that surfboard ended up just sitting in his office for many years and never saw the light of day. Whenever I would meet with him, I always jokingly told him I’d buy that board and get it out of his way. And that’s exactly what happened.
I’ve had several offers from people over the years for this baby, but never with enough zeros in those offers. For now she sits up high on the wall in the SDA office. C’mon by and check’er out, she’s a real beauty.
Recently, the city of Dana Point unveiled a bronze statue of Phil Edwards in their brand new Waterman’s Park. The surf world has been abuzz with stories and chatter about Phil ever since.
