It was the morning of my The Holistic Approach to Strategic SEO BrightonSEO presentation, 7:56 AM, my Fellas Club friend Dino texts me of a listing for an early 80’s Canyon Surfboards fish model, shaped by Rusty Preisendorfer, and air brush artwork by Scat, the Bob Dylan of Point Loma.
Dino says, I’ve messaged the seller that I’m the buyer. So began another California surf odyssey.
Since this September day, I’ve published my marketing strategy talk into a book that’s available on Amazon, sharing methodologies, playbooks, and case studies for growth. Here the book contents and real life experience weave together–like a snake eating itself (which is a metaphor for two related event horizons feeding each other).
Steve Lis created in the 1960’s a historic San Diego surfboard that the world has paid keen surfing attention to—The Fish.
John Holly shaped for Canyon Surfboards, who lived next door to Canyon founder John Durwood. The fish that Steve apparently created, was born out of a John Holly longboard shape.
Craigslist documents a Canyon Surfboards Fish shaped by Stevie.
So when San Diego shaper Rusty Preisendorfer began creating Canyons in the back half of the 1970s, he was steeped in deep surf fish heritage.
Canyon Surfboards #3805 6’4 2+1 Star Fin
Born in the shaping and spray bays of the Canyon Surfboards factory on Sante Fe Street, in the heart of Rose Canyon, #3805 bears Rusty’s signature on the bottom deck, John Durant’s caligrographic serial number, and expectedly sanding by Orca, artwork by Scat, and finish by Karl Eiberhardt.
There are two glassed in twin fins, and a red star fin that was created by Gordon & Smith.
Today, star fins are so rare it is said that only King Neptune and Bird have them.
The red star fin harkens back to the Mike Hynson skunkworks champion model from G&S.
On the wall of the Canyon Surfboards factory, showed a sign: Best Surfboards—In the West.
From the Maui F-53 Surf Shop & Islands of Paradise stickers, it look like this Canyon spend time surfing in the Hawaiian Islands.
Back story was this eighties surfboard was carried across California too atop a Baja Bug.
This cursive surfboard lam in particular was called the Can You by certain Canyon employees.
Can You?
You Can
Canyon
Chakra Surfboard Artwork Explained
The root chakra Muladara is found in the G&S star, red is the center of power
There is a narrowing focus of Orange Sacral that rises from the tail to meet a point of anahata heart charka that levitates up the color pallet to the blue throat Vishuddha. Ajna, the third eye blue intonates the over the top Can You lam, and Sahasrara intonates the lower crown chakra below.
Black Beach Surfing Injury
Two days before the day of my surf trip, Blacks was absolutely throwing barrels from multiple strong wavelength swells. The detonations were exceptionally loud as the waves literally broke up. So I’m swimming up from a swollen lip pitch off a wave, to find my bat tail surfboard smashing into my nose as I came to the surface. Another surfer paddling out grimaces at my visage and my sleve confirms I’m bleeding. On the beach, I wrap up my face with my rash guard and head over the my primary health providor—the lifeguard.
“Excuse me as I remove this tourniquet rash guard, but I was hoping to get your opinion on my just walking of this bleeding injury.” The helpful lifeguards conclude I was only bleeding from the nose and that it was clotting.” We left laughing about these injuries being better than Stingray incidents.
Two Days Later, I Leave to Surf From San Diego to the Bay Area
First stop in the dawning light was Trestles, I love surfing here in the fall, for us goofy footed surfers, the left at Lowers is less surfed and fun. My bat tailed Canyon and I are back for 9 waves and a two way skate to one of California’s notorious performance surfing waves.
Next it’s 12 more waves on the top Chakra Canyon Egg, between first and second point in Malibu. Here’s it’s an idyllic 2-3 foot, crests swollen for speed over shallowing cobble stones on soul arching anchored rails.
A few skate parks later and I’m in San Francisco holding Canyon Surfboards #3805 in my hands. It’s tail wings are symmetrically opposite that of my bait tail.
I get more waves in Pacific and Capitola, and have a great conversation with a retired firefighter who is now an arson investigator in a skate park.
Unfortunately Dino takes a board to the face as well at Pleasure Point.