Surf history buffs came out on Saturday night for SHACC’s CA Gold Vintage Surf Auction, where Greg Noll’s Sunset Beach gun broke the record for highest bid. Photo: David Carpio
Greg “Da Bull” Noll made surfing history in 1964 when he became the first person ever to catch a wave at second reef Pipeline. As a pioneer of big wave riding, Noll’s career (in and out of the water) is one of the most legendary since the sport’s inception. So it should come as no surprise that Da Bull’s trusted rhino-chaser would break the record for the highest bid at surf auction.
Greg Noll’s record breaking rhino- chaser, which he rode during the 1967 Duke Kahanamoku Invitational at Sunset Beach. Photo: David Carpio
The board – which Noll rode during the 1967 Duke Kahanamoku Classic at Sunset Beach – sold over the weekend at the CA Gold Vintage Surf Auction in Culver City, Ca for $48k, making this the largest sale ever for a vintage surfboard. The pre-auction estimate for the board was only $18k-$30k. Prior to hitting the auction floor, Noll had kept the fabled piece of surf history in his house for 50 years collecting dust.
Noll, along with other icons of surf history like Tom Curren, Shaun Tomson, Tom Morey and many more, were in attendance for the auction on Saturday night. Organized by the Surfing Heritage and Culture Center (SHACC), the event helped raise money for charity. Not only was the evening a celebration of surfing’s most iconic artifacts, but it was also a way for the community to give back to a good cause.
Sponsors included: Griff’s, Surfing Cowboys, Imvio Official, The Grilled Cheese Truck, CLIF Bar, Jose Cuervo Tradicional, Left Coast Brewing Company, Longboard Vineyards and Hawaiian Springs Natural Artisan Water
