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the catalogue #180 

1974      South Coast Surfboards     Bonzer          6 ft 8"
#180



MANUFACTURE
MANUFACTURER: South Coast  Surfboards  Sandon Point NSW
SHAPER:  Terry Cooper
DESIGN:  Bonzer
DESIGNERS: Duncan and Malcom and Campbell (USA)

SPECIFICATIONS
CONSTRUCTION
Fibreglassed foam blank, 1/8" redwood  stringer, spray,  post production r/h plug 

DIMENSIONS
Length :
 6 ft  8 inches L2:
Width :
 19 3/4 inches
Wide Point :
 +6 inches
Nose :
 14 inches
Tail :
 13 1/4 inches
Thickness :
 2 7/8 inches
Pod :
 7 inches
Nose Lift :
  inches
Tail Lift :
  inches
Weight :
  kilos
Volume :
  litres
Other :
 1 1/2 inches

 

FEATURES
Nose:  pin
Tail:  swallow
Deck:   flat
Bottom:   single concave at sweet spot , splitting to double concaves in front of the fins to the tail
Rails:  down, soft blocky
Rocker: medium

FINS:
Bonzer / Keel fins :  2" x 9 1/2'' base @ 12''
- black and clear laminated
Centre fin : 7 1/2" x 5 1/2'' base @ 6''
Over  - Toed in past nose
Tipped out xx degrees to bottom
 blue - white - blue  laminated
#25 McCoy/Brewer fin

DECOR
DECAL/S:
Deck: Large 'South Coast Surfboards' multi colour graphic with script at sweet spot 
Bottom
Large 'South Coast Surfboards' multi colour graphic with script at sweet spot 
Round sticker on nose - ?
MARKINGS:
Deck: None 
Bottom: 
COLOUR: 
Deck: Sprayed blue deck panel and red pinlines
Bottom: clear

NOTES
OTHER BONZERS
#198 Weber Bonzer
#221 Cooper Bonzer

BOARD HISTORY

First custom order by Ralph Riddell, circa 1973 The board was sold.
Post production leg rope plug, right hand side.
Extensive repairs to tail and rear rails, mainly with Q-cells. Some spray has been added.
Collected by Ralph Riddell , circa 2001.
On display at Ralph Riddell Surfboards
34 Flinders Street Wollongong NSW  2500 
Phone  02  4228 - 0988
Dimensions and photographs, 12.03.20002
Thanks, Ralph.

DESIGN HISTORY
Original design 1973 by Duncan and Malcom Campbell  (USA) characterized by forward concave leading to double concave each side of the centre fin with two keel- type fins set on the rails ( radically toed-in and cambered). 
The bottom design has  similarities with the shape of Rogallo hang gliders, first designed in the late 1940's as a method of recovering returning space capsules by NASA.
F. M. Rogallo predicted in 1949 that "Portable delta wings will give bith to a popular sport" 
 - quoted in Desfayes (1974) page 41.
By the early 1970's, hang-gliding was a sport in rapid transition with a large amount of media exposure.
As a sign of the powerful influence of Australia in world surfing at this time, the name Bonzer (also Bonzar, 
Bonza) is an Australian expression for “excellent”.
In late 1973, the Campbell Brothers lisenced the design to Bing Surfboards for commercial development.
The design then became associated with Bing's head shaper, Mike Eaton, who had played a significant role 
in the development of the Twin fin 1 in 1970. See image and notes, below.
The Bing models were noted for the wedged Bonzer decal that was laminated on the side fins.
Australian exponents of the design included ...
Peter Townend (Gordon and Smith Surfboards). See image below.
Ian Cairns (Gordon and Smith Surfboards),  rode  a Bonzer to first place, 1973 Smirnoff Contest, Laniäkea ,
Hawaii and Terry Richardson (Skipp Surfboards). See image below.
Preceeded (contempoary?) by the Tri-fin of 1971, the design had some influence on Simon Anderson's 
Thruster of 1981.
Further adaptation in 1988, the Phazer - a Stinger/Thruster adaptation ( 3 similar fins with 2 small Bonzer
D-Fins) initially credited to Rusty Priessendorfer for Rusty Surfboards (USA).
Later identified as another original design by the Campbell Brothers.
See:
John Wythe White :Surf Wars :The Bonzar,  June 16, 1999

http://www.honoluluweekly.com/archives/coverstory1999/6-16-99Boards/6-16-99Boards.html
Cambell Bros. Surfboards: History (July 2011)
http://bonzer5.com/history/timeline/1970-birth-of-the-bonzer/

REFERENCES

MAGAZINES
Articles
1. Jim Neece: The Bonzer
Surfer Vol  14 # 3 September 1973 page 64
See image below.
2. Steve Core: The Bonza
Surfing World Volume18 Number 2. November 1973
3. Mick Mock : Richo's Choice
Deep magazine , No 18 Spring 2000, pages 22 to33
5. Steve Barilotti : Belief System : The Bonzer Saga
The Surfers Journal 2004? Volume 13 No. 2 pages??
Advertising : 

BOOKS

Warshaw, (2005) page 73.
CONDITION: 6.










Jim Neece :
"The Bonzer"

Surfer Vol  14 # 3 September 1973 page 64

Terry Richardson  and Skipp Surfboards Bonzer
Wreck Bay, NSW  circa 1974
Photograph : Peter Simons
Surfing World cover, February 1975 Vol  No
Terry Richardson and Skipp 
Surfboards Bonzer, circa 1975
Photograph : Steven Cooney
Tracks, January 1976 page 25.


Left
:
Terry Richardson  and Skipp Surfboards Bonzer
Wreck Bay, NSW  circa 1973
Photograph : Peter Simons
Waves magazine, ?



Bing Surfboards :Only One Bonzer, 1973.
Featuring the Campbell Brothers, Wildman (Jim Neece), Steve Wilkings, Jeff Kahman, Tiger Makin and Dru Harison.


Bonzer Cutback.
Surfing Comedy Album 1974.
page 25.

Plans for F. M. Rogallo's Delta Wing Kite, 
circa 1969.
April 21, 1970  Patent Number 3,507,464 
Filed March 18, 1969.

From 
Desfayes, Jean-Bernard :
Delta - The Hang Gliding Book
Hassener Publishing, Inc.
Drawer B, Newfoundland, N.J. 07435 circa 1974.
Page 30.



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home catalogue history references appendix

Geoff Cater (2004 - 2021) : #180 South Coast Bonzer, 6ft 8'', 1974.
http://www.surfresearch.com.au/00000180.html