once upon a time in a shaping bay lived a man

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Cobra
Cobra
9106 posts
9106 posts
15 Jan 2015 8:42pm

Down the road from where I live is a bloke called Lawrie, Lawrie Hohensee. We just call him H.
H is a quiet man who has a large story about a life passion. Lawrie is a board shaper and his craft is his passion and his life. H started his passion on the gold coast where he opened the first Qld surf board making shop.

Now in his early 70's H is still shaping and glassing boards. He does it by hand no machines nor production lines just a man who has a love for the cut and shape of the board.
Today Lawrie treated me.
I called round at his home to drop some lychees off i picked earlier while there I asked Lawrie if he could show me some of his old boards.

He agreed and took me over to his shaping bays and to my surprise shared with me a massive quiver of master class boards.
Although the boards were covered in sanding dust, wasps nests and cobwebs. I could tell they were quality and as I brushed the dust off I began salivating at the beauty before me. I saw them as great works of art held within a time capsule.

As my eyes drifted from one sculpture to the next my brain registered with a glory
H made in it in1962 he explained it was a comp board and the first of the cutaway fins
it was made with D fins only.
"I hope i get this right from Lawrie" the board was 9'1"X 19" 3".



Sorry its not my photography but the dust that makes this photo blurry …….but a bit of spit worked just fine.
























All the other boards you see in background and foreground are repairs.


Apologies to Towball for taking three years to post these pics. But more photos to come.

























Macaha
Macaha
QLD
21982 posts
QLD, 21982 posts
15 Jan 2015 10:50pm
Beautiful post da snake
thePup
thePup
13831 posts
13831 posts
15 Jan 2015 9:01pm
I love you Cobra a wicked body of work you have blessed us with onya H
towball
towball
4634 posts
4634 posts
15 Jan 2015 11:00pm
Good sh!t cobra thanks.
leashless
leashless
158 posts
158 posts
15 Jan 2015 11:44pm
I may be drunk - however that was magic. Thank you, to those who throw everything they have into their work. I say THANK YOU!
leashless
leashless
158 posts
158 posts
15 Jan 2015 11:45pm
Scratch the may be - may be = definitely am
Ted the Kiwi
Ted the Kiwi
NSW
14256 posts
NSW, 14256 posts
16 Jan 2015 6:07am
Great work Cobra. Standing by for the next instalment.
laceys lane
laceys lane
QLD
19804 posts
QLD, 19804 posts
16 Jan 2015 6:50am
cool. a post of substance- no like those other post some guys put up
asea
asea
QLD
5544 posts
QLD, 5544 posts
16 Jan 2015 6:53am
Ted the Kiwi said..
Great work Cobra. Standing by for the next instalment.


+1 Cobra
surfbroker
surfbroker
NSW
1489 posts
NSW, 1489 posts
16 Jan 2015 8:35am
Ted the Kiwi said..
Great work Cobra. Standing by for the next instalment.


+2
Macaha
Macaha
QLD
21982 posts
QLD, 21982 posts
16 Jan 2015 8:00am
Cobra I know your a massive fan of H and rightly so with the history and all,his factory was 5 mins from my house,any chance you could score one of those old boards he has laying around for keeps sake
vanders1
vanders1
QLD
3809 posts
QLD, 3809 posts
16 Jan 2015 8:04am
Enjoyed the read, thanks for sharing.
Tux
Tux
VIC
3829 posts
Tux Tux
VIC, 3829 posts
16 Jan 2015 9:06am
Nice work bro!!
Sandsy1
Sandsy1
NSW
814 posts
NSW, 814 posts
16 Jan 2015 10:46am
That is a beautiful board! An early 'Fatboy' fin, gold.
Did you get to put it under your arm?
Always how I pick my next board.
smh
smh
NSW
7269 posts
smh smh
NSW, 7269 posts
16 Jan 2015 1:44pm
Good read . To be doing all that by hand at his age is pretty impressive.
chrispy
chrispy
WA
9675 posts
WA, 9675 posts
16 Jan 2015 2:01pm
wish i had a few beers when i read that one...brilliant. some more pics would make it,whats better than brilliant? well it will be that
AndyrooMac
AndyrooMac
TAS
1925 posts
TAS, 1925 posts
16 Jan 2015 6:10pm

Siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiick!!! and nice story too bud
Ted the Kiwi
Ted the Kiwi
NSW
14256 posts
NSW, 14256 posts
16 Jan 2015 6:21pm
Come on Cobra - I have been waiting impatiently al day for the next instalment
towball
towball
4634 posts
4634 posts
17 Jan 2015 1:10pm
Now Cobblers I have some questions
No 1 Laurie turned up over here about 1970 , he had a shop at Waihi which was my local , I always wondered why Waihi ?

No2 Running that shop was a guy named Lionel he stuttered a lot always wonder what happened to him ?
Last of all why come to NZ ? I do realise he also had a operation at Whangarai a friend of my cousin worked for him there. I did ask Roger Hall who started shaping in 1971 if they had crossed paths, but apparently not .
Al G
Al G
NSW
7707 posts
NSW, 7707 posts
17 Jan 2015 5:36pm
Great story & pics,good to see older shapers still going & making boards the old school way.I drop in to Bob Browns place every now & then & check out
what he's doing,he had a nice 10 foot balsa on the rack,ready to be glassed,last time I was there!.....
chrispy
chrispy
WA
9675 posts
WA, 9675 posts
17 Jan 2015 4:05pm
68surfwagon said...
Great story & pics,good to see older shapers still going & making boards the old school way.I drop in to Bob Browns place every now & then & check out
what he's doing,he had a nice 10 foot balsa on the rack,ready to be glassed,last time I was there!.....


Same same. I know.Richard Harvey is not the age of h,but I love the boards this bloke makes. Anytime I'm down his way I will always have a chat and a pervy on the goodness he come out with. I must buy one
SandS
SandS
VIC
5904 posts
VIC, 5904 posts
17 Jan 2015 8:16pm

good story Cobra !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Cobra
Cobra
9106 posts
9106 posts
17 Jan 2015 6:01pm
towball said..
Now Cobblers I have some questions
No 1 Laurie turned up over here about 1970 , he had a shop at Waihi which was my local , I always wondered why Waihi ?

No2 Running that shop was a guy named Lionel he stuttered a lot always wonder what happened to him ?
Last of all why come to NZ ? I do realise he also had a operation at Whangarai a friend of my cousin worked for him there. I did ask Roger Hall who started shaping in 1971 if they had crossed paths, but apparently not .



just spoke to H about those questions TB

Lawrie said Geoff Darby and Lionel worked for him on the goldie back then. surfing was getting bigger and he thought why not start up over there as well,
Lionel come from NZ and Darby was a great shaper, so there was no big plan, just lets see what happens.
As for Lionel, H said Lionel went off with a Maori princess. she dyed her hair blond and was a stunner.

Cobra
Cobra
9106 posts
9106 posts
17 Jan 2015 6:03pm
Macaha said..
Cobra I know your a massive fan of H and rightly so with the history and all,his factory was 5 mins from my house,any chance you could score one of those old boards he has laying around for keeps sake


Mac i would need to fight off his 4 kids and 5 Grand Kids first
Cobra
Cobra
9106 posts
9106 posts
17 Jan 2015 6:08pm
sorry for posting the wrong pick of the bottom of that board "the one with H in the back ground"..so manny boards i got confused………i apologise
it belonged to this board





Ted the Kiwi
Ted the Kiwi
NSW
14256 posts
NSW, 14256 posts
17 Jan 2015 9:09pm
Nice work Cobra - this is your best post ever. Hope there are more episodes to come
Cobra
Cobra
9106 posts
9106 posts
17 Jan 2015 8:01pm



Cobra
Cobra
9106 posts
9106 posts
17 Jan 2015 8:04pm



Cobra
Cobra
9106 posts
9106 posts
17 Jan 2015 8:13pm



Cobra
Cobra
9106 posts
9106 posts
17 Jan 2015 8:15pm



Ted the Kiwi
Ted the Kiwi
NSW
14256 posts
NSW, 14256 posts
17 Jan 2015 11:21pm
Ted the Kiwi said..
Nice work Cobra - this is your best post ever


+ 1

Can I really + 1 my own comment? Well I have - great work Cobra. Thanks.
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