Henry Marfleet is a former WA boy who now resides in the UK. Henry collects vintage surfboards and has been involved as a valued consultant setting up a surfboard history register at the MuseumofBritishSurfing. The museum located in Braunton in the English county of Devon UK, contains exhibits relating to the history of surfing in the United Kingdom.
Henry has kindly loaned the WA Surf Gallery his 1968 Hawke ‘Flower Power’ board purchased from a collector in Victoria Aust. His board has a v-bottom and chamfered diamond tail. It was shaped by Murray Smith, glassed by Tony Harrison and finished by Doug Lacklison.
The flower power craze washed over surfing following the Summer of Love in San Francisco in 1967. It rose out of a resistance to war (Vietnam), and an inspiration for peace and love.
Bottom of Henry Marfleet’s 1968 Hawke ‘Flower Power’ board with fabric inlay fin and v-bottom. Henry Marfleet pic.
David Hawke (Len’s son). “I asked former Hawke surfboard finisher Doug Lacklison what he remembered about the making of Henry’s board, and he has written an insight into the making of the ‘flower power’ boards, even mentioning how they had to be careful when sanding the concave tail on the deck of Henry’s board.
Late 60s Hawke Surfboards work team. Image courtesy of Hawke Surfboards. L-R Murray Smith, Doug Lacklison & Tony Harrison.
Doug Lacklison’s recollections of Henry’s ‘Flower Power’ board.
Doug Lacklison. “I have been trying to remember what I can regarding Henry’s board. I really couldn’t say if it was an order or stock board. We broke away from the traditional sticker set up and in line with the artistic flower power we changed to artistic sticker arrangements.
On the technical side we used the clear finish silane fibreglass as opposed to the greener volane glass, this enhanced the colour in the fabric. Two layers of fibreglass on top and one on the bottom. The fabric also enhanced the impact resistance of the fibreglass. All resin was supplied by AC Hatrick Chemicals; their resin plant was in Botany Bay NSW.
The fin was made from the same materials, layers of glass with the material in the middle. Note how clear the glass is. Continuous fibreglass roving 30 x 60 end rovings on each side and glassed up the sides with two x layers of glass. We had to be very careful to make sure that this resin mix for the continuous roving was a very slow mix so that exothermic burn did not occur. Exotherm being the heat generated from the resin curing.
One particular step in making the board that was really cool, was when the gloss coat was applied after sanding and once the resin had spread across the board and levelled the board seemed to come alive. I do recall sanding the tail end as it was so different from the other boards, the tricky part being that concave section where the Hawke address is on the deck, making sure we don’t sand through the glass.
I do remember the buzz we had in making those flower power boards and I used to think they look that good, I hope the remaining boards don’t get dinged! “
Cheers, Doug Lacklison.
Deck of Henry’s 1968 Hawke Flower Power board with chamfered diamond tail. Harry Marfleet pic
Henry’s 1968 Hawke ‘Flower Power’ board is on display at the WA Surf Gallery Aravina Estate Yallingup.
Henry Marfleet is a former WA boy who now resides in the UK. Henry collects vintage surfboards and has been involved as a valued consultant setting up a surfboard history register at the Museum of British Surfing. The museum located in Braunton in the English county of Devon UK, contains exhibits relating to the history of surfing in the United Kingdom.
Henry has kindly loaned the WA Surf Gallery his 1968 Hawke ‘Flower Power’ board purchased from a collector in Victoria Aust. His board has a v-bottom and chamfered diamond tail. It was shaped by Murray Smith, glassed by Tony Harrison and finished by Doug Lacklison.
The flower power craze washed over surfing following the Summer of Love in San Francisco in 1967. It rose out of a resistance to war (Vietnam), and an inspiration for peace and love.
David Hawke (Len’s son). “I asked former Hawke surfboard finisher Doug Lacklison what he remembered about the making of Henry’s board, and he has written an insight into the making of the ‘flower power’ boards, even mentioning how they had to be careful when sanding the concave tail on the deck of Henry’s board.
L-R Murray Smith, Doug Lacklison & Tony Harrison.
Doug Lacklison’s recollections of Henry’s ‘Flower Power’ board.
Doug Lacklison. “I have been trying to remember what I can regarding Henry’s board. I really couldn’t say if it was an order or stock board. We broke away from the traditional sticker set up and in line with the artistic flower power we changed to artistic sticker arrangements.
On the technical side we used the clear finish silane fibreglass as opposed to the greener volane glass, this enhanced the colour in the fabric. Two layers of fibreglass on top and one on the bottom. The fabric also enhanced the impact resistance of the fibreglass. All resin was supplied by AC Hatrick Chemicals; their resin plant was in Botany Bay NSW.
The fin was made from the same materials, layers of glass with the material in the middle. Note how clear the glass is. Continuous fibreglass roving 30 x 60 end rovings on each side and glassed up the sides with two x layers of glass. We had to be very careful to make sure that this resin mix for the continuous roving was a very slow mix so that exothermic burn did not occur. Exotherm being the heat generated from the resin curing.
One particular step in making the board that was really cool, was when the gloss coat was applied after sanding and once the resin had spread across the board and levelled the board seemed to come alive. I do recall sanding the tail end as it was so different from the other boards, the tricky part being that concave section where the Hawke address is on the deck, making sure we don’t sand through the glass.
I do remember the buzz we had in making those flower power boards and I used to think they look that good, I hope the remaining boards don’t get dinged! “
Cheers, Doug Lacklison.
Henry’s 1968 Hawke ‘Flower Power’ board is on display at the WA Surf Gallery Aravina Estate Yallingup.
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