Hynson is a hell of a good shaper, surfer, and survivor. I'm happy to have met him at a Windansea Surf Club dinner a few years back. It's very cool to hear the real story of Cape St. Francis - the wave that launched a thousand surf trips and more.
Every surfer wanted to be Mike Hynson in the 60's, I remember Mike surfing in front of my lifeguard tower in Pacific Beach in the 70's surfing smooth on every wave he took.
I saw "Endless Summer" at Santa Barbara High School January 1965. I was 13. My mom had to drive me and me mates to the film. Bruce Brown did the narration in person. Hammonds was going off and we scored it the next day. That was when the "Biltmore Pier" still stood. Longboards. No leg ropes. Beaver tail wetsuits. And then my mom drove us down to Rincon. It was going off 3-4 foot in the cove. 10 people out. Some of the surfer dudes had "Farmer John" wetsuits by O'Niell - the ultimate wetsuit at the time. I was riding a 9'2"Yater. I weighed about 80 pounds. And then Dora showed up. God...can I please live my life over again???
@@grouchomarxist666 You are talking about the "second stage" of its release when it was when it was released nationally. I saw it when Bruce Brown was taking the film to surf cities on both coasts of America, Hawaii, Australia and South Africa himself. Bruce made the narration in person. I know, I was there.
My brothers were at that showing at SBHS. Ted and Tom Roehm. Of course, all of their surfing buddies were probably there, too! Bruce was doing the live narration, honing the commentary and jokes for the theatrical release.
I gotta a surprise for you young wippersnappers. People get older and you will too. I remember Mike when he was a handsome young man, and for an old guy he's still good looking. He shaped a board for me just at the tine when long boards were becoming shorter. I didn't like the shorter board and brought it back. Mike was very gracious and let me trade for a new longboard, one that had been shaped by Dell Cannon. It was 9-foot, 10-inches and what a hotdog board that was. All that happened around 1965 or so. I never got used to the shorter boards. I'm 75 now. I don't know how old Mike is. I think he was a year or two older than me.
Mike shaped my first new board but I never knew until Bob and Bill Bahne clued me in decades later.. I worked with Curtis Hesselgrave in what is now the Belly Up in '72 and he had Mike shape me a 7'2. I sucked on it but it was beautiful especially with Curtis' airbrushung. I sure wish I still had it.
Didn't Mike used to shape for b a h n e surfboards? My favorite boards! 1966! Pacific Beach select surf shop! Phil! Was the best owner operator in San Diego surfing history!
I had three or four of his down rail boards in 70-72 when he was shaping for Bill Bahne in Encinitas. Shaped by Mike Hynson, glassed by Wayne Hoshizaki. Totally state of the art! Practically our entire college surf team (USD) was on those boards and we loved them.
Boy are we all getting old. Mike you are a little older than me. I am now 78 you must be 80 now. Anyway I from time to time would see you out at Windansea. Anyway, you definately must have enjoyed surfing at the cape St Francis in 1962. Good memories.
in the sixties i briefly had a stretch model hynson with the gordonsmith decal across the square nose, was trimable from the nose only, had black slipcheck with red and black pigment: now i have a hobie phil edwards model, on which shape hynson's endless summer board was based..... quite fun and the weed enhances all aspects, read his book about hendrix and maui and making movies
My parents had a house at Cape St Francis. In the 1980's, people were still taking about their visit. A rare break off the Cape is also named after Bruce Brown. Sadly, the sandy bottom is mostly gone because of vegetation imported to anchor the sand blow on the shore. But the break at Seal Point, when it comes, lives up to the legend. I prefer it to Jeffreys Bay.
