PLASTIC FANTASTIC SURFBOARDS

I don’t really know too much about this brand with the very cool logo, but it was established by shaper Dave Garner in 1968 – right when the shortboard revolution was taking hold.  Apparently, the name came from the 1967 Jefferson Airplane song “Plastic Fantastic Lover. ” The song was written by Marty Balin, one of the band’s founding members, and it was one of the songs they played at Woodstock in 1969.

Haleiwa, Hawaii was home to Plastic Fantastic Surfboards from 1968 to 1970, then moved to another North Shore location for two more years.  During the same period, Garner and Danny Calohan opened a small mainland factory in Huntington Beach, California.  From 1972 on, all Plastic Fantastic surfboards were built in Huntington Beach.  Over the years, a host of notable shapers mowed foam for the brand, including Robert August, Skip Frye, Bruce Jones, Jock Sutherland and BK.

Looking at photos of early to mid-‘70s Plastic Fantastic boards, it is apparent that their shapes were inspired by the great Ben Aipa.  It was Aipa the designer who invented the double point swallowtail in 1972 and later the stinger; both were features found in many Plastic Fantastic shapes from that period.