“Channel bottom surfboards were making their presence felt via shapers like Al Byrne (Byrning Spears surfboards) and Col Smith (Newcastle) and were received with a modicum of scepticism by the larger surfing community. Difficult to shape, even harder to glass and sand all sorts of variants were being tested to gain credibility. Michael turned up at Coolum Beach, QLD for a Pa Bendall contest that would be held in soft, 2-3ft beach break conditions. In the stubble of banksia trees, in the car park above the sand line, the ‘King of Kirra’ was, as per usual, stalling his appearance on the beach to psych out the other competitors… ‘Is he here, will he turn up in time for his heat?’ they wondered. We were parked opposite as he pulled out a channel bottom that some would say looked like a spaceship. Being an old mate, we cut some banter and had some fun snapping off a few pics of his new-fangled toy. A board that so dramatically transcended the term ‘channel bottom’, it would simply come to be known as the Fang Tail. Much to the chagrin of the other competitors, MP turned up with his new invention, blitzed the heats, won the final… then disappeared again.” (Steve Cooney)
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Issue #593 boasts two collectible covers. That means 50% of the print run will feature Michael Peterson whistling in awe as he clutches his Fang-Tail creation and radiates a distinctive air of mystique from behind his beloved aviators. Meanwhile, the other half will have Mark Richards tilting, slack-limbed into a bottom turn, in what MR called ‘probably the best photo ever taken of him’ (click here to view). Issue 593 is on sale now at newsagents or you can order it online by subscribing to Tracks. https://tracksmag.com.au/subscriptions
