Tom Curren and the Skip Frye Fish

By Ken Lewis

If you’re one of the masses who rides a fun shape or a small wide speed machine, you owe your thanks to two men, Derek Hynd and Skip Frye. Well, three men really, throw Tom Curren in there too.

In the early 1990’s I was working in a small surf shop in Pacific Beach California. We shared a wall with an even smaller shaping room that was next door to us that belonged to our resident legend surfboard shaper; Skip Frye. It was a rough few years there for shapers as nobody wanted traditional longboards in that late 80’s and early 90’s era of boring thrusters. Fewer still were riding anything that didn’t look like a 6’2″ bump squash made by Rusty or Al Merrick, it was a bummer but It’s just how it was back then.

As a kid growing up in San Diego under the tutelage of local heroes Frye, Dan Ryan, Hank Warner and Joe Roper we were taught about the old board shapes and they encouraged us(me) to ride every type of board. Not until way later in life did we know how good we had it. Me and some other local surfers were the exception of our age group, often our friends gave us a hard time for trying to have too much “soul” and gave us shit for riding old boards from the 70’s and early 80’s. Bird Huffman owned the shop and between his massive stash of classic boards and Skips quiver, we were lucky to have an on-site surf museum that we could raid almost anytime. Caster Channel Hulls, Lis Fishes, Campbell Brothers Bonzers and everything in between were hidden in the private rafters upstairs.

It was an era where Slater was just coming onto the scene and short boards were about to become extremely narrow with flips tips. In hindsight, I think that was a major factor for the lack of crowds in that era. There were no soft tops at Costco, no egg shapes being desired and no surf schools clogging the line-ups. Boards of that era were hard to ride and for beginners and “recreational”surfers,they just didn’t work so they would abandon the dream quickly and move onto something easier. It was glorious.

In 1990, Tom Curren had rejoined the pro tour and was surfing each contest through the trials. As a surf fan, I was so happy to see him back trying for a third world title, we were all huge fans of Curren. That summer the ASP circus was getting ready to invade Huntington Beach for the OP Pro but before the event, Curren and his teammates on OP would be coming to San Diego for some autograph signings. We were one of the lucky shops to host them and when Curren arrived, most everyone froze in their tracks. It’s not that he was intimidating but he was EVERYONE’S hero so we were all awkward and in awe of his radness (I know thats not a word). After a few minutes, we got him to the table, pen in hand and the 100 or so people slowly lined-up for their chance to have a moment with their hero and to collect a signed poster.

After an hour Tom wanted a break and went into our used board area to check out all the unique boards that were lined up in the used board rack and some of our personals in back. He pulled out a Frye egg and gave it the once over when our local video bro,(Video Lew) followed Curren through the aisle and filmed some super awkward moments. (Man, I wish I still had a copy of that tape, It would be so priceless now.) Curren asked me about the Frye and I told him that Skip had just moved across the street to his new shop called Harrys that he shared with Hank Warner. He looked up and asked me if I could take him over there. We had a hundred people milling about out front hoping to catch a glimpse of Curren and my boss was counting on this day to help bring in some sales. I couldn’t possibly take him away from the signing...

Fuck it.

As we walked past the crowd, I couldn’t believe I was walking with one of my heroes. I was pretty stoked to say the least. We entered the shop and Skips wife, Donna, came up to greet us and gave Tom a big hug. In short order Skip and Tom disappeared into the back area of his shop talking about surfboards, Tom’s dad Pat, and their shared surf history. This was a huge moment that I wouldn’t know the significance of for years to come. The visit quickly turned into 30 minutes and one of the shop groms soon tracked us down saying that Bird was searching for Curren (pun intended) and that he was pissed. I gathered Tom up and as he said goodbye to Skip and posed for a photo, I really couldn't care less if Bird was mad. I mean, how often do you have to the chance to hang out with two legends like Tom and Skip?

I heard Bird snarl my name as we were halfway across the street as we made our way back to the crowd of people who were there for Curren.  Tom gave me a glance and said sorry. I just smiled. As we walked up, another Curren was there, Tom’s cousin, Jamie was out front and showed Tom a board he had shaped. The Curren history is rich in San Diego and many Currens, including Pat, Joe and Jamie have all lived here at one time or another. After signing some more posters and signing the shop floor, Curren and Poto were off to the next signing.

Fast forward to 1992. Derek Hynd came to our little town to say hello to his old friends, Skip and Hank and before he left he ordered a Frye Fish(* Recently Hank Warner told me about that visit. He said Hynd was looking through all the boards on Skips side of Harry’s Surf Shop and commenting on how big and bulky most of them were. Hynd was always a purveyor of small twin fins. In a corner, in a small canvas bag, Hynd asked Hank what was in there and gave it a peek. Inside he saw a twin fin. It was actually one of Skips old G&S fishes, one that he still has tucked away in his shaping room. As Hynd checked it out, he asked Skip if he could make him one. Skip did and put some color on it and after Roper glassed it the next day, Hynd took the still uncured fish in a plastic bag on the plane and flew home to J-Bay) 

That shape was something that was never in stock and almost never even made anymore, except for members of the Sunset Cliff crew and a select few others who knew how good the design was. Again, the fun board category just didn’t exist like it does today. Soon Skip finished shaping the board and Joe Roper glassed it with some colors on the deck that Skip splashed on and off the board went. Not much was thought about it as the board flew home with Hynd. That was until we watched Rip Curl’s new Movie from Sonny Miller; The Search. In it, there was a section of Curren surfing J-Bay as good as it gets and then after a short montage of Curren riding Hynd’s Frye Fish at small Supertubes. The world got to watch the most popular surfer at the time surfing a throwback shape and he wasn’t just cruising, he was ripping on it. Carrying speed through the flat sections and laying the small keel fin on rail. It was a revolutionary moment that still has legs to this very day.

After that part, people were suddenly wanting boards that were shorter and wider. That became an even louder movement when Tom kept on moving forward and later appeared in Lost’s- 5’5″x19 1/4″ . If his part in The Search started the fire, his footage in the Lost video burned down the house. The wider, thicker forgiving shapes suddenly had center stage and the average surfer was able to find fun out in the ocean and on the racks of surf shops, once again.

The evolution continues as  Hynd graduated to finless surfboards and Curren continues to surf forward-thinking craft from Daniel Tomson. While we are in the space age of surfboard design, it’s the basic little fish that Stevie Lis dreamed up 55 years ago in Southern San Diego that still holds the place as one of the most versatile surfboards to ever grace the planet. Thank goodness for Hynd having the courage to order something up from the past to breathe new life into Currens surfing and as a bi-product, we all have enjoyed a renaissance of surfboard designs that have made us all better surfers.