BY GERRY LOPEZ
Mr. “Pipeline” himself, the pirate who discovered a new frontier at Banzai Pipeline, and co-founder of Lightning Bolt Surfboards, shaped this master-piece as a benchmark for the transition into the short board phenomenon. Lopez introduces some of the first down rail rocker elements seen in performance guns to date.
“These surfboards were the state of the art back in the 1970’s when Jack Shipley and I started Lightning Bolt Unlimited, Surf Co. Inc. The pintail shapes were designed specifically for the riding the tube at the Pipeline, something that had not been done with a lot of success before that time. The sleek look of the shapes as well as the uniquely individual color work of the glass jobs had tremendous appeal to surfers visiting Hawaii from all over the US and other parts of the world.
BY BARRY KANAIAUPUNI
This board was the tried and true Sunset Beach design for the legendary Barry Kanaiaupuni or “BK”. Control oriented down rails on narrower template placed this big wave gun beyond its era for performance in larger and steeper waves. While it’s back pin lines and drop-shadow Bolt give it that ever so classic touch.
“This board was my tried and true Sunset Beach design. I rode it from 8 feet to 12 feet, sometimes up to 15’ Good for late take offs and deep bottom turns. During this era I was shaping boards for Lightning Bolt Surfboards in Hawaii. I shaped my first board as a wood shop project in the 8th grade in 1958 with a draw knife (which was the tool of the day) and continued to fool around shaping and reshaping my balsa boards.
BY TOM PARRISH
One of the most unique and evolutionary shapers of a generation, Tom Parrish has done it once again. His skill and unmatched determination for the art of shaping big wave guns is now available as a Lightning Bolt classic. Designed for maximum control with minimum effort, we bring you the Pipeline Classic.
“It took me a year of trying to get to be a part of Lightning Bolt, I never took for granted the honor of being one of the shapers. When longboards gave way to mini guns in the late 60s they retained the width and oval outlines. As surfers needed boards capable of handling greater speeds, outlines, especially tails, became narrower and bottom shapes went from rolled to firm, turned down rails. At first these shapes were somewhat crude but the basic single fin semi gun design had been carved…
BY RORY RUSSELL
This board was the tried and true Sunset Beach design for the legendary Barry Kanaiaupuni or “BK”. Control oriented down rails on narrower template placed this big wave gun beyond its era for performance in larger and steeper waves. While it’s back pin lines and drop-shadow Bolt give it that ever so classic touch.
“This board was my tried and true Sunset Beach design. I rode it from 8 feet to 12 feet, sometimes up to 15’ Good for late take offs and deep bottom turns. During this era I was shaping boards for Lightning Bolt Surfboards in Hawaii. I shaped my first board as a wood shop project in the 8th grade in 1958 with a draw knife (which was the tool of the day) and continued to fool around shaping and reshaping my balsa boards.
BY RENO ABELLIRA
Reno brings a fresh eye to the Lightning Bolt classic quiver with his rounded pin tail fully streamline with two channeled wings for drive and control. The glasses-in fin is specially positioned to maximize drag in the tube and smooth bottom-turns. Its double white and black pin lines on the classic two-tone finish it with equal style.
“For five years through Lightning Bolt Hawaii, well before he officially became his own shaper and almost until the first of his amazing four consecutive world championships in 1979 (’80,’81, and ’82), Australian Mark Richards ordered his North shore board quivers almost exclusively from me. (…) Mark ordered boards from me that were wider and thicker, “scaled-up” versions of boards that were already solid standards in my personal quiver. (…)”
