Bill Wetzel images

[eamonjbrown]

Sorry, here is a link to the Bill Wetzel pictures:

http://my.slideflickr.com/P72vR8kq

I just picked up this Bill Wetzel board at a flea market. The board had a pretty bad finish on it so i took it down to 1000 grit and buffed it and will add dual-density foam on the deck.
I've been looking online trying to find out about him and his boards. I guess he was something of a kneeboard pioneer, but I haven't been able to discover much else.
I would appreciate any feedback.
Thanks.

[james devlin]

Bill from southern cal., long beach i believe.
a close friend of steve pezman ,The surfers journal guy.

came to oahu in very early 60's, moved to kauai (brand name "tradewinds surfboards" )in late 60's and return to south cal. in early 80's i think

basicly shape everything you wanted.

story is pass away in a hammock after a surf session in costa rica a few years ago

a great guy, got me shaping myself without thought of losing business

[surfhorn]

Pezman is a KBer.

[banewetzel]

Hey, my name is Bane Wetzel, Bill Wetzel was my Dad
i love the pictures of the vintage board!
I have been searching for any of his old shapes, please contact me, i would love to get my hands on that board or any others you have heard of
My dad never kept a single old board and he passed away back in 2002
please get back to me ASAP

thanks so much[/b]

[Dux]

Hey, my name is Bane Wetzel, Bill Wetzel was my Dad
i love the pictures of the vintage board!
I have been searching for any of his old shapes, please contact me, i would love to get my hands on that board or any others you have heard of
My dad never kept a single old board and he passed away back in 2002
please get back to me ASAP

thanks so much[/b]

Hey Bane, I knew your father pretty well on Kaua'i some years back. I sanded boards for him at your home in Lawai for 5 bucks a pop, and actually had a couple of boards made by him as well.

I also surfed with him a lot at a number of surf spots all over Kaua'i. I am so sorry to hear of his passing. He was a good man, and way too young to have moved on to the great surf spot in the sky.

Sadly this was 30+ years ago, and I don't have anything to show you. All his surfboards are long since gone. I will look to see if I can find any photos of his boards, and let you know.

I did find this logo on the Net of one of his surfboards:

http://www.surfcrazy.com/stanleys/html/surflogob.html

It is about 3/4's of the way down.

Your father also gets mentioned on this site. It is at the bottom of the page:

http://www.theshaperstree.com/memorial/index.asp

He is in some pretty good company here. What an honor.

Aloha,

Bill

[banewetzel]

Hey , thanks for the reply, good to hear from one of my dads old buddies

Keep in touch!

[Dux]

Hey , thanks for the reply, good to hear from one of my dads old buddies

Keep in touch!

I am not sure your dad and I were really good buddies. We knew each other on a first name basis, and I did do work for him sanding boards for a time. But we really didn't hang out. He was a lot older, probably in his mid to late 30's when I knew him, and I was in my late teens to early twenties-- somewhere between 1970 & 1977. So he was probably close to twice my age. I guess I knew him well enough that he would give me a wave, and he would often pick me up hitch hiking. Pretty damn nice of him. =)

Some memories I have of your dad was in the years that I surfed with him is that I never saw him wipe out. Not once. He seem to make every wave, and there wasn't anything he wouldn't take off on. So this in itself was pretty amazing. He was pretty rock steady. He also surfed switch foot, and in the 7 or so years I surfed with him, I never saw him go back side. I thought this was so cool that I started doing this myself. But his style, either regular or goofy was exactly the same, and I really never knew what his true natural stance was. For some reason I never bothered to ask.

Do you remember your house in Lawa'i? I remember a couple of pretty young blond kids running around. So I actually could have met you. I also met your mom a couple of times as well, but i doubt that she would remember me.

Oh.....I have sent off a couple of e-mails to friends I knew on Kaua'i at that time so that they might get you some information or pictures of boards. I hope that they will sign in and post here, and give you a bit more information on your dad.

Aloha,

Bill

[Dux]

Sorry, here is a link to the Bill Wetzel pictures:

http://my.slideflickr.com/P72vR8kq

I guess he was something of a kneeboard pioneer, but I haven't been able to discover much else. I would appreciate any feedback.
Thanks.

Bill Wetzel was not a kneeboarder. At least not that I know of. I surfed with him for a good time. Someone probably asked him to make one for him. This would be my guess.

[james devlin]

i've had a few "Tradewinds" boards which i remember him using that logo
yeah , bill was the first to offer his board to use and never woried about getting them back.
so far i got no luck finding anyone with a "wetzel" around here

get wet stay wet

[Dux]

James,

Clearly we must have been on Kaua'i at the same time. I am trying to put a face to the name. I surfed Acid Drops a lot in those days. This is where I first me Wetzel. I lived right down the street by the boat harbor for a number of years. Anyway your work with opening the road out to Polihale is pretty nobel stuff. Keep up the good work!

Aloha,

Bill

[james devlin]

James,

Clearly we must have been on Kaua'i at the same time.


been here 30 years




I am trying to put a face to the name.


i change my look as much as possible
thye call me "Bummer JIm"


I surfed Acid Drops a lot in those days.


i like first break best , but the
WEST IS BEST


This is where I first me Wetzel. I lived right down the street by the boat harbor for a number of years. Anyway your work with opening the road out to Polihale is pretty nobel stuff.



god poli's was a zoo these last few days




Keep up the good work!

Aloha,

Bill

[Dux]

Actually I am wrong. I left Kaua'i back in '77 to go to college in Honolulu. So we could not have met. That was well over 30+ years ago. I have not really gone back except to visit family every so often. My father worked for McBride Sugar. The last time I was there was back in '92 after Iniki. I also think you must have known Wetzel from his shop out on the North Shore. If I remember correctly, Wetzel did a straight across the board traded for his Lawa'i property with someone out in Hanalei. Or so I was told. After he did this move, I never saw him again.

First Break is also a very good wave, and on any given day it would rival the Drop for quality and size. The inside bowel was a monster. When I was a kid, there was only sand, hale koa, and keawe there. The Kiahuna Plantation did not exist. So you could drive right up to the waters edge if you wanted to. Very cool. Now the development has gotten way out of hand. So bad I am told that I would not even recognize Po'ipu anymore. Kinda sad.

You are also right on the waves on the West side. The best surf I have even seen in my life runs between First Ditch out to Polihale; and if the sandbars are happening, the surf can be absolutely perfect anywhere along that 7 mile stretch of beach. Just the rip can be a bit nasty. I actually went to Waimea High School, and when the surf was happening....we went surfing at any of the number of surf spots out there from Pipes to Queens Pond. I was lucky to have graduated. So I know all these spots really well--even with bullets flying over our heads out at Rifle Range. That was fun....NOT! =)

[james devlin]

77 huh?

well could of run into u before,
i lived here striaght since 79 but uncle lived up Waimea valley since '45
and made many a family trip over here before 79

get wet stay wet

jim