Lightning Bolt Collector Series
Lightning Bolt invited five of the most unique, inspirational and legendary shapers ever to shape a surfboard of the era that they personally find emblematic. It took three years and a lot of courtesies to have a collector series pipeliners including the most memorable bolt boards of all time. Now we will show these master pieces to the world.
We thank Gerry Lopez, Barry Kanaiaupuni, Tom Parrish, Rory Russell and Reno Abellira for this special collaboration. We’re humbled and grateful.
Gerry's Pipeliner
BY GERRY LOPEZ
7’6” LONG / 19” WIDE / 3” THICK
Mr. “Pipeline” himself, the pirate who discovered a new frontier at Banzai Pipeline, and co-founder of Lightning Bolt Surfboards, shaped this master-piece as a benchmark for the transition into the short board phenomenon. Lopez introduces some of the first down rail rocker elements seen in performance guns to date.
“These surfboards were the state of the art back in the 1970’s when Jack Shipley and I started Lightning Bolt Unlimited, Surf Co. Inc. The pintail shapes were designed specifically for the riding the tube at the Pipeline, something that had not been done with a lot of success before that time. The sleek look of the shapes as well as the uniquely individual color work of the glass jobs had tremendous appeal to surfers visiting Hawaii from all over the US and other parts of the world.
RORY’S PIPELINER
BY RORY RUSSELL
7’6” LONG / 19 3/4” WIDE / 3” THICK
Living legend and two-time cehampion of the Pipeline Masters, Rory Russell has made a name for himself by shaping one of the most emblematic Lightning Bolt surfboards ever, the super pinny performance driven Pipeliner. After more that 30 years, he is back again with Lightning Bolt that never really left his heart.
“ We all know the surfboard makes the surfer. Each surfer is as unique as is his need for a uniqu board to accommodate his abilities and style. It takes a lot of understanding, on all aspects, for the shaper to make the proper surfboard.
Nothing is more important than experience. Trial and error. What works and what doesn't. No place better for a proving ground than Hawaii. The variety and consistency of surf provides the ideal testing ground for surfboards, of all shapes and sizes, the Birthplace of Lightning Bolt Surfboards. The shortboard revolution and the emergence of independent surfboard makers accelerated surf design. And Lightning bolt was at the forefront. Gerry, Reno, B.K., Tom Parrish and myself put countless surfers on the best boards they ever had. You gotta have a pure source and surfing in Hawaii is about as pure as you can get. It is an Honor for me to produce The Collectors Series with "our old gang". Classics only get classier. Aloha Rory.” By RORY RUSSELL
TOM’S PIPELINER
BY TOM PARRISH
7’7” LONG / 19” WIDE / 3.5” THICK
One of the most unique and evolutionary shapers of a generation, Tom Parrish has done it once again. His skill and unmatched determination for the art of shaping big wave guns is now available as a Lightning Bolt classic. Designed for maximum control with minimum effort, we bring you the Pipeline Classic.
“It took me a year of trying to get to be a part of Lightning Bolt, I never took for granted the honor of being one of the shapers. When longboards gave way to mini guns in the late 60s they retained the width and oval outlines. As surfers needed boards capable of handling greater speeds, outlines, especially tails, became narrower and bottom shapes went from rolled to firm, turned down rails. At first these shapes were somewhat crude but the basic single fin semi gun design had been carved…
BK’S BIG RED
BY BARRY KANAIAUPUNI
8’1” LONG / 18.5” WIDE / 4” THICK
This board was the tried and true Sunset Beach design for the legendary Barry Kanaiaupuni or “BK”. Control oriented down rails on narrower template placed this big wave gun beyond its era for performance in larger and steeper waves. While it’s back pin lines and drop-shadow Bolt give it that ever so classic touch.
“This board was my tried and true Sunset Beach design. I rode it from 8 feet to 12 feet, sometimes up to 15’ Good for late take offs and deep bottom turns. During this era I was shaping boards for Lightning Bolt Surfboards in Hawaii. I shaped my first board as a wood shop project in the 8th grade in 1958 with a draw knife (which was the tool of the day) and continued to fool around shaping and reshaping my balsa boards.
RENO’S MARK RICHARDS MODEL
BY RENO ABELLIRA
7’7” LONG / 19” WIDE / 4” THICK
Reno brings a fresh eye to the Lightning Bolt classic quiver with his rounded pin tail fully streamline with two channeled wings for drive and control. The glasses-in fin is specially positioned to maximize drag in the tube and smooth bottom-turns. Its double white and black pin lines on the classic two-tone finish it with equal style.
“For five years through Lightning Bolt Hawaii, well before he officially became his own shaper and almost until the first of his amazing four consecutive world championships in 1979 (’80,’81, and ’82), Australian Mark Richards ordered his North shore board quivers almost exclusively from me. (…) Mark ordered boards from me that were wider and thicker, “scaled-up” versions of boards that were already solid standards in my personal quiver. (…)”
