TonyW
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« Reply #1 on: May 09, 2015, 11:36:46 PM » |
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This is the original yellowish-white and blue fiberglass surfboard that is pictured on the classic Beach Boys album covers for "Surfin' Safari" (1962) and "Surfer Girl" (1963), as well as in other photos from the Ken Veeder photo shoot at Paradise Cove in Malibu California, where both album cover photos originated. Not only is it the actual board pictured, but this board also originally belonged to the only real surfer in the Beach Boys, drummer Dennis Wilson. The board came from a Hermosa Beach, California surf shop called The Outrigger, as evidenced by the shop's logo decal visible at the rear of the board. When Capitol Records needed a prop for a Beach Boys photo shoot, Dennis simply provided his own board.
Sometime in the 1970s, Dennis gave the surfboard to his close friend Louis Marotta, who was friends with the Wilson boys and lived across the street from them in Hawthorne, California. The Beach Boys often used Louis when they needed favors or odd jobs done. He was also name-checked on their aforementioned debut album, "Surfin' Safari", in the song "Chug-A-Lug". Louis kept the board in the rafters of his garage until 1985, at which time he gifted it to his close friend Bob Stafford. Louis knew that Bob was a huge Beach Boys fan - in fact, Bob named his son Brian after Brian Wilson. Sadly, Bob recently passed away and Brian owns this board today. Rockaway Records is acting as his official agent in promoting and marketing the surfboard for sale.
This surfboard was recently the focal point of the year-long exhibit "Good Vibrations: 50 Years Of The Beach Boys" (September 2012 - September 2013) at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles, where it was insured for $200,000. The Beach Boys themselves posed for photographs in front of the exhibit with the board behind them.
When the actual board is compared side by side with the photos on the album covers, every little detail matches exactly. The only real difference is that the board is no longer just yellowish-white; it has yellowed even more from over 50 years of age. As well as impeccable photo identification, the sale includes Bob Stafford's typed, dated, signed and notarized recollections of Louis Marotta, Dennis Wilson and how he acquired the surfboard.
This is undoubtedly one of the most incredible pieces of Beach Boys memorabilia to ever hit the market! What better Beach Boys collectible to own than Dennis Wilson's very own surfboard - the one immortalized on two of the group's iconic album covers? You could argue that without this very board there may never have been a Beach Boys. Dennis spent many pre-Beach Boys days riding the waves on this board at crowded local beaches and saw first-hand how popular the sport of surfing had become. He later suggested to his big brother Brian that he write a song about the craze. The result was "Surfin'", which became their debut single as The Beach Boys on the Candix label and later on Capitol Records.
The surfboard is just over 9 feet long, 21 inches wide and approximately 3 inches thick, with a 12 inch tall fin, which is 12 inches wide at the base. It weighs approximately 25 pounds. The surf shop decal measures 3.25 inches x 2.5 inches.
The board has never been restored. It has normal wear and tear, as you might expect, considering it has had some use over 50+ years. There are some scratches, dings and paint chips all over, as well as some additional wear at the nose. There are also what appear to be a few small vintage repair marks. Overall, the surfboard is in very good condition and is very displayable.
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