Hypebeast Selects The Best of Our SS13 Tees

Our buddies at Hypebeast threw up a selection of a 2013 Summer t-shirts - retro inspired 70's replicas and super OG soft jersey cut-and-sew. Take gander at what they've picked for their online shop!

Groovy Classic 2010 – Back to 70’s surfing style

Gerco Kuijt, the winner in action
20-06-2010, International surfing day 2010 was one Day the dutch surfing community will remember for a long time. A nice low pressure in combination with a strong storm from the north was giving Holland waves you would only find in the winter! Besides all the other activities.
After the last year’s event which, because of the lack of waves, only stood out by the excellent laid back 70's atmosphere, this year was totally different! Solid waves combinating with the unique concept of the Groovy Classic (heats of 6 surfers who have to perform on one of the 6 retroboards which were decided by lottery). You could be lucky to perform on an original Lightning Bolt 6.10 single fin or on a Mark Richards twin fin 6.2 for example.
Jord Fortmann, our team rider got some of the highest scores during the competition

It started at 10am when the first surfers were surprised with the sandbanks of Noordwijk holding the heavy swell and producing some overhead waves. The first few heats were a nice spectacle for the audience. A lot of surfers had to get used to paddle and surf this kind of retroboards, but the decent swell didn't provide them with a lot of time for that. The older and more experienced surfers stood out and had no problems at all to surf the classic boards. Tim Hazenoot and Jord Fortmann qualified for the semis with the highest scores of the day. In the finals the tide didn't help the conditions and although the swell dropped with 50%, the winner Gerco Kuijt was considered the best surfer of the day. He was catching so many good waves that one of the surfers in the final only could draw the attention from the jury by taking off his wetsuit and surfed the final totally naked!
The freedom of the Seventies.

Besides the surf competion there was a 70’s quiz, a lottery for a pimped longboard, an election for the best dressed hippie, live music from the 70's and a perfect BBQ like in the old days.
Long live the seventies and long live the Groovy Classic!
The bad weather wasn’t enough to keep the public at home

After one more surfboards lottery
The winner Gerco Kuijt
And after surf, the deserved tasty barbecue
For more photos and results: www.groovyclassic.nl

Surf Revival Gathering – Carcans Plage

Journée "Lightning Bolt" dans le médoc.
Ambiance rétro à l'Apéroc situé à Carcans plage.
Au programme:
Surf entre potes avec des planches Lightning Bolt, Apéro concert, projection de films et quelques goodies à distribuer. Cool attitude au programme quoi....

Come and join us to revive the 70's spirit of surfing. Try our Lightning Bolt retro surfboards edition shaped by Graham Smith, and after let's party at L'Apérock Café. SURF, MUSIC, VIDEO, BEERS. A great day to welcome summer.

More info: info@lightningbolt.eu.com or n.pinot@yahoo.fr

NEW SURFBOARDS COLLECTION

                                                       Click here to view the new catalogue

In the early seventies, when legendary Gerry Lopez was busy turning the Lightning Bolt logo into the most powerful symbol of the surfing world, he had started, at the same time, the “short board revolution” in Hawaii. The huge 12-foot boards, inspired by the ancestral Polynesian wooden flat planks, were then replaced by boards with shapes suited to the various wave sizes and types.

They were no longer flat and started having a curved bottom (rocker) enabling sharper turns and they also became narrower to drop into big waves, at high speed, escaping the lip, but with sufficient length to absorb the impact of the water surface turbulence.

His 9’ Guns and 7‘or 8’ Mini-Guns, which had won so many times at Pipeline for Gerry, and later for his fellow surfer and shaper Rory Russell, displayed the Bolt symbol with pride, inspiring the brand’s slogan:“The Bolt - more often seen coming out of the waves’ tubes, across the world”.

With all this prestige and heritage, Lightning Bolt is presenting a range of models of its Classic Boards conceived by three traditional LB shapers: Rory Russell from Hawaii, Craig Hollingsworth, from California and Graham Smith, from South Africa. From these different areas, they have shaped LB surfboards, maintaining the traditional and innovative characteristics for all types of waves, which made this board brand a legend.

Right now, if you want to order one or to know the prices, you must send your request by e-mail to info@lightningbolt.eu.com.

See the full catalogue here.

Rory Russell

He is himself a legend as a shaper, after the several world class

championships he won and as a Pipeline Contest twice winner, riding boards with the Bolt logo, he conceived and shaped fast, reliable and manoeuvrable for such big and hollow waves.

And also as many surf films movie star, like Five Summer Stories and many others.

After more than 30 years, Rory is back again with Lightning Bolt, a brand that never really left his heart. In meantime, he has been teaching people to surf, for the last twenty years, being an example of the “real spirit of surfing”.

Graham Smith

From South Africa, Graham Smith has shaped, sprayed and glassed over 50.000 boards with “passion and finesse”, as he says, during his 40 years of activity, for many great surfers in the world.

In the beginning of his surfing career, Graham was a member, in S. Africa, of Mike Larmont’s surfing team, using LB boards shaped by him who had, in 1973, obtained the rights to the Lightning Bolt International brand. He made boards with Larmont, until opening in 1978 a board factory with the legendary Shawn Tomson who had already won a Pipeline Contest in 1977, becoming later World Champion.

At that time, many famous surfers like Ian Cairns, Shawn Tomson, Jeff Hakman and Mark Richards, inventor of the “Twin Fins”, rode on Lightning Bolt boards, seen on all surfing films of that period.

When in 1986 John Shimooka and Sunny Garcia, then 15 years old, arrived from Hawaii to S. Africa to compete, were put under Graham Smith’s guidance, using the boards he shaped specially for them, with all his knowledge and experience, to complement their surfing talent and different styles.

All this knowledge, experience and charm will be present in our “Lightning Bolt” range and now it is up to you to choose the board which best suits your surfing style and aspirations and find out why they became so famous…

Craig Hollingsworth

Craig has been shaping surfboards since 1973. Craig was born and raised in Southern California, and a world class surfer himself. Craig has travelled the world over perfecting his designs.

With his long time experience and hands-on-approach to testing surfboard performance, Hollingsworth is one of the most versatile shapers in the world today.

Fancy Dressed surfers at the Retro Board Challenge

Last weekend saw yet another hugely successful charity Retro Board Challenge take place in East Wittering, with 50 fancy dressed surfers competing and hundreds of spectators watching on the beach.
The A1Surf.com Retro Board Challenge in association with Wittering Surf Shop was held in small waves and sunshine, with a record turn-out of competitors. Despite the small conditions, the surfers literally threw themselves into the spirit of the event, taking to the water on 9ft swell boards which allowed some new school moves you won’t even see on the ASP Dream Tour, including the ‘Ninja Chop’ , ‘the Cartwheel’ and the ‘Gun Show’.

A weird and wonderful collection of fancy dress costumes were on display during the day, including Bart Simpson, a scarecrow, Pamela Anderson, James Bond and even Laird Hamilton.

The final was hotly competed on the rising tide, with some of the best waves of the day being ridden right to the beach in front of the huge crowd of spectators. The finalists were the Silver Surfer (Olly Smith), the Ninja (Cliff Cox), Elton John (Peter Engelfield) and a Soldier (Matt Reed). In the end it was the Silver Surfer who was triumphant, with the Ninja in second place, Elton John in third and the Soldier taking the fourth spot. A groms comp was also run, with local groms from the Witterings and Brighton competing in fancy dress also, which was won by Kieran Munroe.
The event raised hundreds of pounds which is donated to the RNLI Selsey Lifeboat Station and Surfers Against Sewage.
And this year saw the day rounded off with a ‘retro party’, held at the nearby Shore Inn in a huge marquee. Brighton band Cover Note played an awesome three hour set and a Hawaiian Buffet kept everyone in the party mood. David Somerville from A1Surf.com said: “We were so pleased with this year’s event and stoked to have raised this money for the charities. “Although the surf was small, the guys proved that surf competitions can be a lot of fun. “I would like to thanks everyone who made it such a special day, in particular our sponsors – Lightning Bolt, Xcel Wetsuits, Ocean & Earth, Chilled Turtle, Santa Cruz – and also Shore Surf Club for their fantastic judges, beach marshals and tabulators.” Nick Cheshire from Wittering Surf Shop said: “Each year people are starting to realise that this event isn’t about the waves, but about getting the surfing community together, having fun and having a party.

“This year a lot of the original Witterings surf crew entered the comp and it was the first time they had surfed together since the 70’s.”
For more information about A1Surf.com please contact David Somerville on 01273 837733 or email david@a1surf.com.

Retro Board Challenge returns

The A1Surf.com Retro Challenge in association with Wittering Surf Shop is back for another year on Saturday 10th October at East Wittering.

This legendary charity surf competition will see 50 invited surfers take on each other in a battle to be crowned ‘The Retro Board Challenge Champion’. The two main differences from a usual surf comp is that the surfers have to use retro surfboards (from the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s) which are given to them at random before each heat, and they have to wear fancy dress!
As well as bringing together the south coast surfing community for a chilled-out surf competition, the event will also raise money for the local Selsey RNLI Lifeboat Station and Surfers Against Sewage.
And this year’s event will see the fun continue into the evening with a charity ‘Retro Party’ at the nearby Shore Inn. The party will see live bands, dancing and more inside a large marquee. Tickets cost just £5 in advance from Wittering Surf Shop. There will be no tickets on the door.
David Somerville, from A1Surf.com said: “The reaction to last year’s event was amazing so we just had to do it again.
“We’re keen to bring together local surfers in a comp that’s all about fun and also helps raise money for two really worthy charities. We hope people come down to watch the comp then join us to party in the evening. Last year we raised over £500 for charity and we are hoping to do even more this time.”
“Nick Cheshire, from Wittering Surf Shop said: “I’ve been collecting retro surfboards for years now and for too long they have been kept in storage.
“This contest is an excellent excuse to get them out, dust them off and wax them up. It’s great to see people enjoying surfing them…. and in fancy dress too!”.
Lightning Bolt will be there represented by our agent in UK, Brian Hart, and he will offer some gifts for sure.
Don’t miss it
More info, visit the event’s schedule on Facebook.
An image from last year's edition

Groovy Classic – An authentic revival surf festival

Here are the first pictures of the retro event called the Groovy Classic, in Noordwijk, Netherlands during last Sunday, 28th June.
Because of the lack of waves they had a 70' s artist expression session, a 70`s look alike competition a paddle race , an impressive barbeque and a really nice afterparty on the beach.
The atmosphere was very good and very 70’s with a lot of laid back creative people, and we must congratulate the participants that really made us believe that we were living in the planet hippie.
Never before the vibe and atmosphere during a surf event was so good and so relaxed. Everybody was very happy and all promised to come back next year to join the best retro surf event in europe!!

Groovy Classic in Netherlands powered by Lightning Bolt

On sunday, the 28 of June, the Groovy Classic is going to take place at the surfclub Noordwijk in The Netherlands.
This surf happening in which the 70s will be the theme will be organised by Lines Surfco and The Koffiehuis and sponsored by Lightning Bolt.
the open competition will be held on surfboards from the 70's and the competitors are going to surf and rip on these old style boards.
The athmosphere will be the most important thing and everybody will drink, laugh, surf, eat and party together like in the 70’s.
Besides the surf contest there will be several other creative activities where everybody can join in and give it a try.
Check out the event official website