Bill Gibson and one of his vintage surfboards

Bill Gibson tells a fantastic story of surfing history, and if you could stand in his garage and look in awe at the living history of surfing he has in there, you’d probably come out with a much deeper appreciation for the sport of surfing.

Living in Margaret River in Western Australia, his backyard is frequently visited by some of the best waves in the world. Some of the best surfers in the world hold the place close to their hearts too, with the powerful swell becoming famous in the 1970’s.

In an interview with the local ABC this week, Bill shares some of his stories, and shows off his collection of surfboards he’s repaired and restored. Most of which, he still surfs or lends to friends to go surfing on today.

Most prized, and the oldest in his collection is a 1962 Brian Jackman. "It's got three large stringers in it," he says "It weighs well over 20kg and has a single D fin."

This isn’t the oldest Australian board he’s found though, after organizing a surfing exhibition in Margaret River, he came across a 1957(ish) board made by Sydney shaper Wally Prott. Interestingly, Wally Prott lived in Western Sydney (so not on the beach), and this particular board was designed with an image of Tasmania on the nose. The significance of the image is still unknown, but imagine if surfboards could talk….

The stories these boards would have are the stuff dreams are made of. From a time when surfing was the hottest sport in the world, surfers were idolized and every boy in Australia longed to spend their days at the beach, with a surfboard tucked under one arm and their hand shielding the sun from their eyes as they looked out at the waves…

Bill started his collection in the mid 90’s, when he needed to find a board made prior to 1967 in order to enter a surfing competition. Finding a local farmer with one in his back shed, he swapped two shortboards for it, and began the amazing collection right there and then.

Do you have a passion for surfing history? Tell us your story, or share your collection with us in the surfing forums here.