Bringing an old early 1970's Ronnie Mallot board back to life....

I found this old surfboard hibernating what must have been MANY winters under someone's house. Had about 20 holes in that needed fiberglassing.

But I really liked that 'old-skool' shape of the board...especially the shape and placement of the glassed-in fins, so I figured it would be cool to bring back to life.

Turns out it was shaped by an east-coast shaper of some note named Ronnie Mallot....company name of "Maui and Sons". I think the board is roughly from the early seventies, but seems to have lines more like from the late-sixties. Haven't measured it yet, but looks like a 7'1" or so. You can't really tell from these lame pix, but it has some elegant rocker to it.

The board looked better BEFORE I smeared it with sticky-wax !!

I re-fiberglassed the twenty various holes...not a pretty set of repairs, but at least it's waterproof and working again after probably 20 years of being dry.

Took it out yesterday in small stuff...at 7'1" it's a little small for me in minimal waves, but I can tell it likes to move-out. It'll get me up in larger waves. It's more for someone weighing 160 rather than my 6'3" and 190 lbs !!

But it just feels good to bring a classic old-school board back to life and in the water once again. Like restoring an old-deuce coupe (or in my case...an old vintage Land Rover...'cept landrovers don't float).

Anybody recognize this company "Maui and Sons"?? Or shaper Ronnie Mallot?? I like the sunglass-wearing shark on the company logo.

http://i799.photobucket.com/albums/y...r/GEDC0255.jpg

http://i799.photobucket.com/albums/y...r/GEDC0256.jpg

http://i799.photobucket.com/albums/y...r/GEDC0257.jpg

http://i799.photobucket.com/albums/y...r/GEDC0261.jpg

http://i799.photobucket.com/albums/y...r/GEDC0259.jpg

http://i799.photobucket.com/albums/y...r/GEDC0260.jpg

Maui and Sons is a clothing company, that had some popularity in the 80s. especially at JCPenny's. Not really a surf company, but rather that made some money of the neon era of surfing. Kind of like the new G&S of the same time period (although, G&S did make some boards).

I imagine he just placed the image under the glass. You can scan any image onto rice paper and make a logo. I don't thing M&S had a surf board line.

Good on you fixing up an old board. Where are you riding it? Even at 190#, a 7'1" should ride fine in moderate waves. We used to ride similar boards in Maine for those super short wind swells that might kick up to chest high for a few hours.

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Originally Posted by Ottime

Maui and Sons is a clothing company, that had some popularity in the 80s. especially at JCPenny's. Not really a surf company, but rather that made some money of the neon era of surfing. Kind of like the new G&S of the same time period (although, G&S did make some boards).

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From what some guy told me, this shaper Ronnie Mallot shaped in a small shop different boards for a variety of companies, then when the board was finished, he'd apply the graphics from whichever company he was contracting with at the time. He'd sign all his boards himself. They say he had about four people working in his board-making shop.

The guy is evidently still alive and shaping custom boards somewhere east coast...and is still surfing.

If that clothing company is from the eighties, then this might be a newer board than I'd thought...but it sure looked OLD when I first pulled it out from under that house !!

Thrusters weren't invented until 1980 and your board is a thruster. I'm guessing your board is mid/late '80s vintage.

I saw the fins, and thought that they were just perhaps added post construction. Now that I look at the tail shape, I think you are right. The over all shape and air brush reminds me of Syco Mike Moran's boards. Someone once left a 7'6" fun gun of his with me here in Santa Cruz. When I had no other boards to ride, I started taking it out, and man was it fun in any surf over chest high. Wonder wear that thing is now. Take that thing out at Ogunquit on a hurricane swell and see if it is fun. And you can always just bump folks who drop in on you.

have you detect whose that surfboard?

I love putting old boards back in the water! Very cool find. As previously stated, thrusters made the scene in the 80's but I think you are right, someone glassed them on later. The original skeg would have been much larger so none of them are original. The Maui and Sons laminant looks like it's covering up some other graphics too - wouldn't surprise me if that was also added later. No matter, the value is in the fun of riding it today.

On a similar note, on trips to Hawaii as a kid I got my parents in the habit of touring the older, local surf shops. Years later my dad was in a shop in Haliewa and noticed an old Lightning Bolt board gathering dust in the back of the shop. He bought it for $20 and brought it back to California. It was signed by "Lopez" (as in Gerry?) but also had the number 25 faded in the top deck. The skeg was crooked and the tail weighed a ton due to some real slap-dash fixes. I dug out all the old resin, replaced it with lightweight filler and re-set the skeg. It's not pretty but it surfs great. I get some strange looks paddling out on it but it's about the only board I've surfed all summer.