"Hello
Great blog, love your updates always fun and informative. I have had allot of old longboards back in the 90's and foolishly let them all go, slowly I have been building a collection of vintage boards again and last week I stumbled upon this. It is an Australian built Ron, from what I gathered they were made from 1962-65 which is a short period of time for a board manufacturer. I got this board on a trade for some skateboard wheels and trucks. Hope you enjoy and keep up the great job with your sight.
John"
YOU SCORED!!p.s. since some of us don't read comments i thought i'd post this here: "The old RON's. They were only built for a few years. In Australia as in the US there were a number of companies that jumped on the surfing band wagon in the 60"s hoping to cash in on this new fad. RON surfboards was a sudsiduary company of Crane Industries. Crane industries were in the plumbing supply business. And were based in Sydneys Western suburbs. I own a RON and it is a pig. That is, it's a dog, not a pig. Every time you try and turn it it falls over. Hopless. Your one looks like an early one. Geoff McCoy started his career there. platty."
The old RON's. They were only built for a few years. In Australia as in the US there were a number of companies that jumped on the surfing band wagon in the 60"s hoping to cash in on this new fad. RON surfboards was a sudsiduary company of Crane Industries. Crane industries were in the plumbing supply business. And were based in Sydneys Western suburbs. I own a RON and it is a pig. That is, it's a dog, not a pig. Every time you try and turn it it falls over. Hopless. Your one looks like an early one. Geoff McCoy started his career there. platty.
ReplyDeleteThank you very much for the info.
ReplyDeleteGreat comment's....my Father "Ron" Hampton was the first to sell surfboards through retail department store's.."Walton's" department stores. He was also a pioneer of the "dolphin fin" rejected by the surfing fraternity back then as simply too sharp, too dangerous....J E Crane industries stole the entire business when the Old Man went broke trusting "mates" to run the business, when he was overseas setting up agencies in South Africa, England, Japan, New Zealand, America and Hawaii...Crane also inherited the PVC plumbing and downpipes that my father was experimenting with....sadly, his business acumen, innovative designs, materials and the "production line" of board building has never rated a mention in any Books, magazines or historical Series about the history and the people who first put Australia on the map of International surfing, technology and design...!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the information which is very informative. Your dad sounded like a progressive person, ahead of his time & his peers! I have a Ron in beautiful condition. Did your dad shaped Ron’s as mine has the letter ‘R’ pencilled on the stringer. I was told it might’ve stood for Ron (Wade) who also shaped for Ron. Any help would be appreciated. Cheers
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