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the catalogue #95
1981 Energy Thruster by Scott Beggs      5 ft 9 " 
#95
MANUFACTURE
MANUFACTURER: Energy Surfboards, 43 Carter Road Brookvale
SHAPER:   Scott Beggs
DESIGN:  Thruster Three Fin
DESIGNER: Simon Anderson
SPECIFICATIONS
CONSTRUCTION: Fibreglassed Surfblanks foam blank, 1/4" redwood  stringer, spray, centre plug 
DIMENSIONS
Length :
5
 ft
 9
 inches L2:
Width :
 19 1/2
 inches
Wide Point :
 0
 inches
Nose :
 12
 inches
Tail :
 14 1/2
 inches
Thickness :
 2 5/.8
 inches
Pod :
   inches
Nose Lift :
   inches
Tail Lift :
   inches
Weight :
   kilos
Volume :
   litres
Flyers: :
 1 1/2
 inches @ 13 inches  
FEATURES
Nose:  pin
Tail:  (small) flyer rounded pin
Deck:   flat
Bottom:   flat to centre, slight Vee to tail
Rails: soft low rail with tucked/breakaway edge to flyers, then hard low.
Rocker: medium
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 on the 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 pin-lines
Bottom: clear
NOTES
BOARD HISTORY
purchased from Cash Convertors, Top Ryde Sydney 4 October 2000.
The original centre fin had been reshaped.
 
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?
Tracks May 1981  Number 128, page 16.
Reprinted in  Best of Tracks Vol. IV
Mason Stewart Publishing Pty. Ltd P.O. Box 746, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010 1980 Editor : Kirk Wilcox
Records the early adaptation of Simon's design by Dougall Walker and shaper Ronnie Woodward at Hot Buttered Surfboards and early adoption by Dougall Walker, Mike Newling and Tom Carroll at Newport Beach.
Advertisements
Energy/The Original 3 Fin Thruster in Surfing World  Vol 30 # 2 1981.

Piping Hot Wetsuits
Back cover of Tracks October 1981
Simon Anderson, the winner '81 Bells, '81 Surfabout surfing in Piping Hot.

Illustrating the effectiveness of his design, Simon's the outside rail fin is clear of the wave while the two other fins are proving excellent control on this Narrabeen (?) wave.
To be picky, the extra point of stability of the very stylish left arm drag is slightly cheating.
CONDITION: 7.

Scott Beggs and Energy Thruster, 
Backhand re-entry, Newport, circa 1982.
Photograph by Peter Simmons.
Tracks : How to Surf (1982) page 35.

 



, 



SW 1983 April n192
Scott Beggs
An Australian Shaper in Biarritz
Best of Tracks (1984) page 59.
Scott Beggs and Energy Thruster


 
 

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

surfresearch.com.au
home catalogue history references appendix
Geoff Cater (2000-2022) : Energy Thruster, 5ft 9" Scott Beggs, 1981.
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