I remember when Jeffy first got that board. We were up in Nag Head and there was no surf for some either ESA or pro contest, I forget. His water skate model was perfect to slide down the sand dunes at Kitty Hawk. Everyone was so jealous, he went so fast and had the best control on the sand dunes. My recollection is...the board didnt'work too good on water..but then Crawford could surf a door and make it look good.


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"When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace." J.H.

Thanks Bill, finally migrated back to the Surf History page. I remember the Oceanside team guys not really liking the Waterskate. I have to admit that I didn't either. I borrowed one I think Mark Rhodes had and if I remember it was really stiff. This could be attributed to the long fin I suppose.

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The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness -
John Kenneth Galbraith

Hey ds slidah
My older brother was doing bad in school back in the late 60's and my dad gave me his Oceanside Spoiler 9' 8" shaped by Johnny Rice. It was my 1st board that was truly mine. I learned to ride the nose quite well on that wicked step-deck nose, seeing that I weighed about 90 lbs soaking wet. I loved that board so much that I had a friend of Catri's cut it down to a 7' 0"(from the tail). That beautiful board would be priceless today. I truly believe that I got my style from riding that monster. The short board era was about to hit full force (no pun intended).I grew up surfing for Catri @ the boardwalk and being influenced by many great surfers up and down the coast of Brevard. Dick Pollack and Jim Cartland,Mike Tabling , Greg Loehr, Bob Nutting, Carl Hatch. Gary Chapman, Fletcher Sharp, the Gorntos, Gary Propper, Mark Crowl, Mark Rhodes, Greg Mungall, Bill Macmillen, Speedy Patrick, Tom Dugan(ESM) was a great surfer from N.Y. and new to the area, He had a great style and an orange Plastic Fantastic that he rode very well as I recall. And don't even get me started talking about My beloved Ocean Ave. and Sundek team mates,Matt Kechele, Jeff Klugle, Jackie Grayson, Lewis Graves, Greg Taylor, Tony Graham, and of course Bruce Walker. I even had the chance to wittness and surf with a little grom that grew up to become the greatest surfer the world has ever seen, Kelly Slater. Balsa Bill "Yerkes" took care of us all and gave us the very best that he had to offer from Sundek. Sorry if I'm rambling on but I haven't thought of those times in years, even though I still surf every day there is surf. The Oceanside Spoiler brought it ALL back to me. I went on to enjoy quite a decent career winning a national title, southeast regional titles, Fla. state titles, east coast and Pro titles as well. I want to thank Slidah for bringing back the memories. AHHHH....... now I can die in peace.
all my thanx  to all of you and countless others
 Tim Briers

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surf 4 life

Good history lesson

Great topic. I remember Oceanside Surf Shop from the early 70s. I was living on Clearwater Beach at the time. With the gulf being flat or crappy 99% of the time, we would call their surf report # 305-784-2400 on Fri nights (yes it often was hard to get through) to see if it was a go to travel to Jetty Park and crash/sleep. We would take I-4 to 528/Beeline. Before Disney the trip was empty roads and we'd get to Canaveral in about 2 hours or less. On the beeline you could go about as fast as you wanted. No cops. We'd wake up and surf there or go to the streets, Patricks, Melbourne Beach or the Inlet. My first magic board was a 6-4 G&S pintail that worked in anything. The people at the shop were always friendly and back then shops often had a vibe that intimidated non-locals. Nice memories. Thanks. Corey

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Sharkpit74

Just went trout fishing with Bill and Mar in Montana, their daughter now has the Alice in Wonderland board

Edited: 07/17/2016 at 07:08 PM by cheaterfiveo

What a great thread!

I bought an Oceanside Instrument, brand new (!) from Mike Margolis at the Oceanside Surf Shop in Cocoa Beach sometime in early 1970. I was a Junior in High School, living in Orlando. Used to hitchhike down to 23rd Street if I couldn't hook up with any friends who had cars (I didn't have my own wheels till Senior year).

That board was 7'0" and had almost no rocker. Was stringerless too. DEFINITELY helped me to get better at not pearling. My best surfing buddy at the time bought a 7'6" Oceanside Javelin from the shop too. We used to swap boards sometimes, surfing right there at 23rd Street. I liked his Javelin better than my Instrument.

Besides for the Alice In Wonderland board (an Instrument also, I believe), I remember everybody in that shop being super friendly and generous. When Mike worked there he gave me new Tee shirts and more wax than I could even carry when I bought that Instrument. At barely 16 years old, I felt like a King! He, and Bill and Marjane too, always made me feel welcome.

I had so many great memories of surfing there (we just called it 'Oceanside Shop' back then), calling the Surf Report, like so many others have noted, and just enjoying the great friendliness of the place and area back then. I swear, we thought it would never end. I'm 62 now, and those years back then - 1969 through the early 1970s are still magic for me. - Joe Roberts

i remember great days at patricks pier in that era, first on my overlins, then a mike hynson downrailer on the bahne label. any one know the history of the pier, where to find photos from way back? all that was left was the outside portion, what is now called hangars. i still call it patrick pier

we sawed up more than one defenseless longboard to shorten them. one was a real nice oceanside lightweight, and worst of all, arrrggggh, a surfboards hawaii ultralight model triple aaa. a crime against surfboards. i remember a stringerless oceanside standard that was a tub, and some nice oceanside v bottoms. great info here guys, thanks to all

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It's a democratic hoax

Speaking of Oceanside Surfboards ... I wonder if anyone else here is familiar with a model they came out with in the very early 70s called the "Hooker." It was Oceanside's alternative to the not-quite-right 1st generation twin fins. The Hooker was a wide ever-so-slightly rounded square tail single fin. The namesake feature was mild concaves under the last, oh, let's say 10" of rail in the very tail. Those were meant to give the board "bite." And they worked. I bought a 5'8" sometime before December of 1971. I remember the date because I (very foolishly) brought this board down to Puerto Rico on the first trip my parents let me take out of the country (I was 17 back then).

The board worked great in 1 - 4 foot surf. You could maybe push it into a little bigger surf, but then (at my ability level back then) you would be on the ragged edge of control. The next winter I went down there again I brought a much more sensible 6'4" rounded square tail.

Still, that Hooker was great fun in the majority of Florida surf we can expect: not bigger than head high. I wonder if anyone knows where you might find a photograph of one? - Joe Roberts

I bought a brand new Instrument from them in 1969. I was a junior in Cocoa Beach High School. It was my first new board. It was a "second" in that it had a slight flaw in the pigment, but was perfect in every other way. I think I paid $160 brand new for it. It definitely improved my surfing at the time. Bill and Marjane were super nice to all of us that shopped there at Oceanside.