surfresearch

pods for primates: a catalogue of surfboards in australia since 1900

surfresearch.com.au

manufacturers : san juan surfboards

San Juan Surfboards @ www.maddog.com.au

Dynamic company at the forefront of design 1966 to 1976 with a famous catalogue of house and visiting shapers. Decal Dot design has strong association with previous employer, Hayden Surfboards.

circa 1958
Ken Adler began surfing at Coolangatta Queensland on a used hollow timber board

circa 1959
Second board, Balsawood/fibreglass board supplied by Roger 'Duck' Keiran

circa 1960
Joins Kirra Surf Life Saving Club

1962
Competitor first Queensland State titles, Midget Farrelly a Judge.

With father, Frank Adler, begins retailing Sydney boards from home in Camp Hill, Brisbane.

circa 1963-4
First trip to North Shore, Oahu. Surfboard by Midget Farrelly. Shares house at Sunset Point with Robert Connelly, Doc Spence and others.

1965
Finalist, Peru World Surfing Championshi. Won by Felipe Pomar.

1965
Travels to California with Mike Doyle to work as a shaper at Hansen Surfboards, Encinitas.

circa 1966???
Ken Adler shaping at Hayden Surfboards, 164 Alexandra Parade Alexandra Headlands Queensland. Co-workers include Robert Conneely, Darryl 'Rooster' Dell, Russell Hughes, Bob McTavish., and Terry McClarty (shaping, glassing and Greenough spoons). Some of these would later shape at San Juan Surfboards.

1966
San Juan Surfboards,
PO Box 107 NSW
Ken Adler, Bob McTavish, Wayne Lynch, Russell Hughes , John Thomas;

circa 1968
San Juan Surfboards,
91 Johnson Street Byron Bay NSW phone (066) 85 6395
Ken Adler, Bob McTavish, Wayne Lynch, Russell Hughes , John Thomas;

1969
Wayne Williams,
learnt to shape by Bob McTavish from when he was 16 in Byron Bay.
Contributed, with thanks, by Buffy Williams-Robinson, 12 January 2005.
See Wilderness Surfboards

1973
Peter Cornish

1976
Frank Latta

1977
John Blanch and Nat Young

1979
Tony Cerff, Brian Ingham and Peter Cornish

circa 1985
the Label was made by a various shapers out ot the Mad Dog Surfboard factory, Byron Bay.
Dennis Anderson

Catalogue Entries

1976
San Juan Pintail 6 ft 9"
John Blanch

1993
San Juan Mal 9 ft 1"
Denis Anderson

not to scale

1979 San Juan Rounded pintail 6ft 5''
Brian Ingham #145

References
Chris Brystrom : Ken Adler in Pacific Longboarder Vol 1 No 2 199 pages 62 to 66

Advertisement 1967

San Juan Surfboards Advertisment
Surfing World magazine August/September circa 1967 Notes:
1. Address PO Box 107 Ballina - pre move to Byron Bay. No phone number.
2. Unusual double stringer board at rear.
3. Radical fin template (low area sliding fin ?) on bench, left rear.

Decals and Other

Ken Adler, Peter Xxxx, Bob "The Yank"' Xxxxx.
91 Johnson Street Byron Bay NSW, 1969
Pacific Longboarder Vol 1 No 2 199 pages 62 to 66
Ken Adler Collection

Notes (boards from left to right) :
1. Estimated lenths 6 ft 6'' to 7 ft 6''
2. Board 3 Tinted?, Board 4 Coloured with deck patch and pinlines, others clear.
3. Board 4 possible Side Slipper design
4. All stringered, 50% Square tails and 50% rounded pintails.