surfresearch.com.au  the catalogue #95

FINS Tri fin format  Three 4 1/2 inch x 4 1/2  inch base.  White laminated. Original centre fin reshaped down to 3 1/2 inch x 3 1/2inch.

DECALS Deck 1.'ENERGY' black block text - nose. 2.Large ' The Original 3 Fin Thruster. Concept and Design by Simon Anderson' Script and text in Circle - green/white? 3.Sectrum/sun triangle logo with black Script and text 'ENERGY/Australia/Shaped by Scott Beggs'  at sweet spot Bottom 1.Sectrum/sun triangle logo with black Script and text 'ENERGY/Australia/Shaped by Scott Beggs' at nose.  2. Large ' The Original 3 Fin Thruster. Concept and Design by Simon Anderson' Script and text in Circle - green/white? between fins. 3. Small 'Surfblanks Phenolic' black script at tail. MARKINGS Deck: '41334' ? pencil  Bottom: COLOUR Deck:  sprayed : aqua  foil with white wide  rail panels fading out to tail. White pinlines Bottom: clear

DESIGN HISTORY
Energy Surfboards, circa late 1975.
Design developed by Simon Anderson during 1980 -1981 in response to the current small wave contest success of the Twin fin II.
Familiar with the Twin fin11971, the Tri fin 1971 and Geoff McCoy’s No Nose design Simon was inspired by a Twin fin 2 with a small stabilizer fin in a rear fin box.
1981 contest victories at Bells Beach, Coke Surfabout and Pipeline Masters heralded the design’s introduction.
Due to market idiosyncasities the design was lisenced to Nectar Surfboards, California, in 1981 and by 1986 it had universal market domination.
Wide rail panels classic for this manufacturer. Decal # 2 classic for this model.
Reshaped fin may be result of misadventure or experimentation - see # 00000122.

REFERENCES:
Other Boards
Trin Fin 1971,
Bonzer 1972,
Boards by Simon Anderson,
Thrusters.
Books
1. Nat's  : History of Surfing
"Two Fins Are Good, Three Fins Are Better" pages 163 - 166.
2. Campbell :  Surf Sports Down Under
  pages 24 -32, Design photographs page 41 -42,
3.Carroll and Wilcox : The Wave Within
 Simon Anderson/1st Thruster, 1981 page 43
4.Cassidy : Greats of Australian Surf   pages 45 - 48
Magazines
Articles
Dougal Walker :"Australian Unorthodox : The Tri-Fin - Did god Mean It to Be?" in Tracks magazine circa 1980, reprinted in  Best of Tracks Vol. IV
Mason Stewart Publishing Pty. Ltd P.O. Box 746, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010 1980 Editor : Kirk Wilcox
- early adaptation of Simon Anderson's design by Dougall Walker and shaper Ronnie Woodward at Hot Buttered Surfboards amd early adoption by Newport riders (Dougall Walker, Mike Newling and Tom Carroll)
Advertisment
Energy/The Original 3 Fin Thrusterin Surfing World  Vol 30 # 2 1981.

CONDITION: 7.

Scott Beggs and Energy Thruster,  backhand re-entry, Newport ,  circa 1982  Photograph by Peter Simmons. Tracks : How to Surf, 1982.  Page 35.

Image right cropped from Ad The Original 3 Fin Thruster,  in Surfing World Vol 30 # 2 1981.

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