Crescent head 1973 no legropes!...photo Pete Greens

Roy Meisel"s Bare Nature Byron Bay and the Holden Kingswood was a pretty modern car around town then...ah! them days!

In Australia after 40 plus years of shaping and making surfboards , the final product is a board that not only looks good but is that magic carpet beneath your feet ,that is,it goes. One of these old bugga's is Billy Tolhurst, his surfing spoke of his shapes and the curves and foils are a wonder to look at. This is an 8 footer T band triple stringer, passion and patience and years of hard earned skill, which isn't learn't off a computer Bloody Beautiful Billy

On May 13th,2016, Hawaii lost The Last Of The Waikiki Beach Boys, "Rabbit " Kekai aged 96, I met,surfed and talked with Rabbit,on my first trip of many to Hawaii, he was ...ALOHA,as the Duke and Rell Sunn before him,and there will be more as that is what Hawaii does to the spirit,it gives you ALOHA,and to all out there Pass it on, in everything that you do.

The Doll house surf shack1972 and the surf in front of it, Bob Franjose from Torrence beach California at the front door.

Just got back from Byron and caught up with Pete green whose many photos of the 70's appear here, he has so many photos of this time and many I haven't seen, even the ones of myself ....Lennox Head July 76 , 6 to 8 feet and pumpin!

Me at Broken Head 1976 . Pete Greens Photo and its his 9 foot Mctavish that I'm riding, and Hey what about the crowds...Haha

Up near Noosa, Peregian Beach and these were probably the only boards and surfers you would see Early 60s, the middle board caught a few eyes

1976 Broken Head, Roy Meisel his Daughter Desray in the car, and Martin after a surf.

1947 Byron Bay surfclub, and looking north up the main drag across the road from the Northern Hotel,on the far left opposite the hotel is a Saddlery shop and the road is dirt

It don't like SW but can, and does, get nice and long.

Looking south , this is 1947 Byron Bay, the old 2 story guest house, is still there ,I used to work with Ronny Tranter, whose mum used to run the place. Each day she'd make a large batch of pies in the big oven and each day were sold out by 1:30.

Am heading up to here next month ,Byron Bay now and the black and white was taken late 20s,classic shot of lightning hitting the last volcano and, the biggest in Australia Mt Warning,Wollumbin, I lived here making surfboards and cutting sugar cane by hand and surfed my heart out. Its a dam shame that money and love don't go together...look what they done to our song Ma!...TIKI

I like this one as I like them all. Cocobolo ukulele Nicaragua

Both photos are of THE PASS ,and were taken by Peter Green ex pat Yank and good friend he has taken most of the older 70s photos that appear on this Blog. The back shot is in 79 with the old wooden surfclub way over to the right, the front shot is in 77 on a crowded day Hahaha

"supa bank" 1972, or as it was called then, Rainbow Bay, no leggies, longwaves and long swims and bugger all Kooks who thought they could surf

Pineapple Ukes by Cocobolo Ukulele Nicaragua....Sweet

Broken Head 1976 in winter and I hated wetsuits...TIKI Byron Lighthouse in the background

They basically grow in the forest.

Hawaiian Brock Little,7 foot Backdoor or 25 to 30 feet Waimea, in my 54 years of surfing, one of the greatest..... passed away today from a vicious cancer at 48 years, this shot tells his whole story , men who ride mountains,....this man was a mountain... Aloha

Here is the 5'2" that was the next one for my son Kris, it was thinner narrower than the lime green fish,and had a five fin setup, he now has a large back fin setup which has given the board a lot of drive, but he asked me to remove the "prow" on the front the other day, its a really nice board the shape just fitted together so well...TIKI

Pete Green came to Australia early 70s from California still here and still loving the place this is 1963,California, and his custom order Hap Jacobs.

The Decal you see as TIKI seasnakes as the heading, came from this board it was My eldest son's,(the board is nearly 5 years old) who is a short board rider and this Baby was short too , 4'10" x 22 with twin fins,they had a nickname the" pocket rocket

You like Hawaii? go!. .... and you will Love Hawaii.....Aloha

Da Boys from Nicaragua and what they do.... Cocobolo Ukulele...Hand made,solid wood !

Pete Greens classic photo Lennox1976, 7 feet,getting bigger, no legropes, singlefin pintails and your best friend the dog, we who were there loved this aye!

Northern NSW

Three woods..My" BIG RED"Cocobolo ukulele's first birthday, Roy Meisel of Bare Nature Surfboards Byron Bay, with Paul Joske of VALLA surfboards Nambucca, standing in front of Roys Dale Velzy and Hap Jacobs solid Balsa 1957( has owned it since it was brand new) and Pauls Aloe wood shape about 2011( the stalks out of the giant Aloe Vera plant)

A small part of Paul Joske's template collection of 44 years of Shapin and makin and on every template notes of who,why and where,plus details, every template!

Russian Dream

Twister....fully foiled for Bill ...longboard , 9 1/2 "

Cocobolo ukulele,made with Cocobolo wood all over, I get envious when one comes up like this, she was custom made for a customer, and I nicknamed her "Flame"

Ash's 9'1"x22 3/4"x 3"Tint all over,finished, everthing handmade made by the one fella ....me TIKI