Mandurah surfer and avid Cordingley surfboard collector
Michael Singleton recently contacted former Cordingley Surfboards shaper Kevin
Ager seeking background information on one of his vintage surfboards.
2003 Daly River NT. Rex & Colin Cordingley with nephew Mike Singleton in the middle. Mike Singleton pic.
Mike
Singleton – Kevin,I have a question for you regarding one of
your Cordingley boards (see pics attached). It’s a gorgeous 7’1” I’m going to
have restored.Can you remember roughly what year
you made it and any other information on the board? I’m guessing the board was
made around1969. I’ve seen another one very similar called a “Mini-Cordo”. I would
appreciate any information.
Circa 1969 Cordingley single fin shaped by Kevin Ager. Mike Singleton pics. 1970 Kevin Ager shaping media article by surf journo Gavin McCaughey.
Kevin Ager – Stoked
to hear you are having your old “Cords” board restored.
Rex and Colin where two great guys and true stalwarts of the surfboard
industry. Rex taught me the old school techniques of shaping before letting me
loose in the “bay”. He was not much on progressive design innovation but had a
honed eye for accuracy, often pointing out faults in my early shaping, which
helped me develop the eye and feel of shaping foam.
Col was more the front guy of the company and was very much the Mr
Nice Guy of the industry. He and Jennie promoted the surf culture side of it
all in the early days when mainstream society just didn’t get it. He was very
humble and had a unique way of leading or keeping young “upstarts “inline
and taught us surf etiquette in and out of the water.
Guess you already knew how much the whole surfing fraternity
appreciated their legacies, but I just would like you to know my personal take
on the high esteem in which they were both held.
So, the board you are about to have restored was of an era just as the short board was taking off, mid 1969. I don’t recognise that board in particular, but 7 ft. was short back then. I had returned from a surf trip of the eastern states and had templates of what boards impressed. I’m sure the board you have was a cross between Geoff McCoy (Keyo Surfboards) and Peter Cornish (Tamman Shane Surfboards). I would estimate about 30 or so were produced at Cordingley’s before we began shortening to 6’ 6’’ and they were even better.
A bit of trivia FYI, as to progression of that board with some rail and rocker tweaking was the success competitors had in competitions. I can recall shaping two 5’ 10” (extremely short at the time) for two hot young kids from City Beach Board Club who placed 3rd. and 4th in 1970 in the contest now known as The King of The Point at Trigg. They were the Bettenay brothers Stewart and Craig. By the way, one Jim King was the winner that year, but can’t recall what he was riding.
Hope the history is helpful.
Kevin won the annual Trigg Point contest in 1969 and was second in 1970.
1970 6KY Annual Trigg Point contest results. Courtesy of West Australian newspapers. 1970 6KY Annual Trigg Point contest t-shirt logo. King family pic 1970 6KY Annual Trigg Point contest first prize Barometer won by Jim King. King family pic.
In 1971 Tony Hardy won the annual Trigg Point contest and was presented with a trail bike… the annual Trigg Point contest was growing and become professional in 1979.
1979 inaugural King of the Point contest with $1000 winner’s prize. Media article by Iain McCoy.
Thanks Kevin and Mike for sharing your surfboard stories.
Mandurah surfer and avid Cordingley surfboard collector Michael Singleton recently contacted former Cordingley Surfboards shaper Kevin Ager seeking background information on one of his vintage surfboards.
Mike Singleton – Kevin, I have a question for you regarding one of your Cordingley boards (see pics attached). It’s a gorgeous 7’1” I’m going to have restored. Can you remember roughly what year you made it and any other information on the board? I’m guessing the board was made around1969. I’ve seen another one very similar called a “Mini-Cordo”. I would appreciate any information.
Kevin Ager – Stoked to hear you are having your old “Cords” board restored.
Rex and Colin where two great guys and true stalwarts of the surfboard industry. Rex taught me the old school techniques of shaping before letting me loose in the “bay”. He was not much on progressive design innovation but had a honed eye for accuracy, often pointing out faults in my early shaping, which helped me develop the eye and feel of shaping foam.
Col was more the front guy of the company and was very much the Mr Nice Guy of the industry. He and Jennie promoted the surf culture side of it all in the early days when mainstream society just didn’t get it. He was very humble and had a unique way of leading or keeping young “upstarts “inline and taught us surf etiquette in and out of the water.
Guess you already knew how much the whole surfing fraternity appreciated their legacies, but I just would like you to know my personal take on the high esteem in which they were both held.
So, the board you are about to have restored was of an era just as the short board was taking off, mid 1969. I don’t recognise that board in particular, but 7 ft. was short back then. I had returned from a surf trip of the eastern states and had templates of what boards impressed. I’m sure the board you have was a cross between Geoff McCoy (Keyo Surfboards) and Peter Cornish (Tamman Shane Surfboards). I would estimate about 30 or so were produced at Cordingley’s before we began shortening to 6’ 6’’ and they were even better.
A bit of trivia FYI, as to progression of that board with some rail and rocker tweaking was the success competitors had in competitions. I can recall shaping two 5’ 10” (extremely short at the time) for two hot young kids from City Beach Board Club who placed 3rd. and 4th in 1970 in the contest now known as The King of The Point at Trigg. They were the Bettenay brothers Stewart and Craig. By the way, one Jim King was the winner that year, but can’t recall what he was riding.
Hope the history is helpful.
Kevin won the annual Trigg Point contest in 1969 and was second in 1970.
In 1971 Tony Hardy won the annual Trigg Point contest and was presented with a trail bike… the annual Trigg Point contest was growing and become professional in 1979.
Thanks Kevin and Mike for sharing your surfboard stories.
Related Content.
1960s & 70s Kevin Ager – Surfer, Shaper & Sailor published 8 April 2015.
————————————————————-
Share this:
Like this: