I have and have had since I was 10 (learned to surf on it) a 6'6" mike tabeling airbrushed single fin its in rough condition but love it, take it out now and again but usually its on my wall, if anyone can tell me something about it it would be appreciated as i have had a hard time finding out much and haven't come across one like it. Pic will be posted tomorrow
Don't know much about Mike Tabeling, except that he's a legend from the East Coast. The board is most likely from the 70s.
Definitely an early 80s model, out of his shop in Merritt Island, FL, near Cocoa. May or may not have been shaped by him personally... check for a signature. He had about a half dozen other guys shaping in and out.
No gruvi its fake duct tape, covers a weak spot in the glass beside the stringer where an idiot decided to plant his board many years ago. I replaced the fin box 10 years ago after i let a friend borrow it and it came back missing the fin and with a couple dings, lesson learned. Have wanted to retire it, but its a great board seen many a hurricane swell and i just have to ride it now and again.
I don't doubt LBcew is right on time table but just maybe a little earlier in 70's? Did he also shape/market his boards under the label MTB (Mike Tabling Boards) just too long ago to remember which label preceeded the other(if it did)? I had one of his swallow tails out of Sunshine House in OC mid 70's. We had the pleasure of watching him rip in the lineup prior ESA contest tour in OC. He's still around surf'n scene saw comment on Swaylocks he's working for one of the pop out companies.
Of the few boards i've seen they all have the MT with mike tabeling surfboards underneath, like mine, but most i've seen in pics the MT is horizontal when the board is upright, which is opposite mine. and i've never seen MTB
there's actually something much better than duct tape to keep the water out if you cant get it fixes right away. Aluminum tape. Kind of pricey at HD or Lowe's but it does it's job. The threads in duct tape let water right in.
That style logo was only used between 1980-85. http://stokednboard.surfingheritage.org/pdf/Mike_Tabeling.pdf
Obviously. The last connection I saw him with was Global Surf Industries when they came through as sponsors of the OCM Surfrider longboard Legends contest in June of 2008. He was at the Party with SRF president Shelly Dawson at the pre-contest party.
Hey guys, this is one of my boards. It was made at Creative Shaping in Merritt Island FL. I'd say it is circa 1983. Mike Tabeling
Mike Tabeling You can contact me directly at mike@surfindustries.com or phone (949) 294-7847. I'm just using Terry Sterner's username and password.
Probably the 2nd most famous surfer from Fla in the 1970\'s. If youre wondering, Jeff Crawford is 1. They were amazing if you ever saw either in the water. Crawford was as good as anyone at time. I saw them both at Sebastion on good days. MT made boards, had his own brand & shop called MTB for a while. Really nice shop in downtown Cocoa Beach. Had the best surfing wall mural I have ever seen (gone now). I ran across him selling boards at Ron-Jons a few years ago. I recognized him & we had a good converstaion about the old days. Ron Jons has a little musuem with East Coast, Fla history if you are ever down there. Good bit about MT there.
