You guys got me thinking, now that I'm officially a has been..or never been, old fart.... For me, gotta be Phantoms closing out across the channel at backyards. Drop in speed, in the side off wind, made bottom turning almost impossible...9'6" x21" Tom Castleton poly glass single fin, maybe 23 lbs. Shaped and glassed right there at Velzyland. There was a pic at Haliewa Surf and Sail there at least 10 years before they closed in early 2000's. Fastest down the line? Maybe 7th Hole on a Kona, looking like Kona Hookipa..Lanes...but longer sections and much hollower. The locals weren't at all friendly in 1989, but I knew a few from Hukilau BBQ's. Bud John Hill worked at Turtle Bay Hilton and Tom was a local surfboard shaper down the road. Haven't been back since.
Tom Pearce, Tom Pearce, lend me your grey mare. All along, down along, out along lea. For I want for to go to Widecombe Fair, With Bill Brewer, Jan Stewer, Peter Gurney, Peter Davy, Dan'l Whiddon, Harry Hawke, Old Uncle Tom Cobley and all
Tom Castleton was around my age in '89, maybe 6'2" and 180. He shaped out of his house right at Velzyland, must have lived there for at least 15 years before year 2000. Wasn't particularly friendly to me, yet seemed buds with John. Oopula St. is the entrance to backyards. There was a grassy field with a chain gate to allow access for parking and rigging.
Corky Carroll.... Read about him in Sufer Mag in the mid '60's, didn't hear much in the late 60's or early 70's, wondered how his transition to short boards went. Ran into him in a contest at Steamer's, late 60's, maybe '69. Quite the character....Stuck on bold.
He was riding an 8' something board, looking really outdated against 4A comp in 5-8' mid tide Steamer. Still surfed great to me, but old school vs guys with laydown bottom turns..Roger Adam's and Joey Thomas. He got bumped down to a consol round, where I was lucky enough to watch him hog every good wave, and still come in 2nd. I only got 2 waves, so 5th. But he was a great storyteller and a real socializing dude, and you can kill hours just hanging back with beer in hand, and listening to his stories about longboard surfing and all it's characters. I guess a 6'1"x18.5" single fin was not ideal for snaking good surfers. Good for lonely OceanBea hSF.
RichardG...... Props and kudos to you for your efforts in searching history and old folks. I haven't seen Tom since 1990, as my subsequent 6 trips to Oahu, I didn't see him at his house on the other side of the field from the Oops gate. John or Harold always let me in. Tom Stone a few times, and several days the gate was left open. I guess I was a bad friend. Haven't seen any of those guys since 1990.
