Greg Noll signed custom longboard (early 1960’s)
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Greg Noll custom 10’0 longboard made in the early-mid 1960’s. Featuring a classic single stringer shape design with black resin stripe, matching black single fin, and wood tail block. Signed by the late Greg Noll (1937-2021) in 1999. Noll was known for being an early pioneer of big wave surfing as well as a pioneer of surfboard design. All original condition.
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History of Greg Noll Surfboards
Greg “Da Bull” Noll was born in San Diego, California on February 11th, 1937. He was given “Da Bull” as a nickname due to his steadfast and obstinate approach towards charging big waves. Noll was 11 years old when he first started surfing and from a young age was taught how to shape surfboards by none other than Dale Velzy. Noll eventually became a skilled shaper himself while continuously polishing his surfing skills. His remarkable abilities as a waterman earned him a spot with the LA county lifeguard. He especially excelled at paddling, a skill that led him to being selected for the U.S. Lifeguard team which competed in the 1956 Olympics, held in Melbourne, Australia.
In 1957, Noll made big wave surfing history as the first person ever to ever ride a wave at Waimea Bay, now an iconic big wave riding break on the North Shore of Oahu. In December of 1964, Greg Noll made history again riding a giant wave at third reef Pipeline. Noll was known for surfing in a pair of black and white striped boardshorts, his way of preventing others from taking credit for his rides.
Noll returned to California with well established notoriety. He then started a thriving surfboard manufacturing business in Hermosa Beach, California and partnered with iconic surfer, Miki Dora to produce the Miki Dora “Da Cat” model longboard. Sales took off immediately and reached a peak production of around 170 boards a week. Noll also produced surf films such as the “Search for Surf” series featuring waves ridden in Hawaii, California, and Mexico.
Greg ended his big wave riding career on a storm swell that hit Makaha in December of 1969, catching as big of a waves as one could paddle into. Fred Hemmings, a fellow big wave rider who was a witness to his ride at Makaha was quoted saying “If there was anyone else in Greg’s place, he wouldn’t have made it alive”. Decades later, one of Noll’s personal big wave balsa guns sold at auction for $40,000. His autobiography, published in 1989 was titled “Da Bull: Life Over the Edge”. Greg “Da Bull” Noll is one of the most recognized names in surfing history and will forever be remembered as a big wave riding pioneer and expert surfboard craftsman. Greg Noll (1937-2021)