Smith / Parrish

Smith / Parrish


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About Tom Parrish / Charlie Smith

The 70s surfboard scene in Hawaii was dominated by a shaper by the name of Tom Parrish. It due to his precise execution of mowing foam down to the rounded-pin, big wave and semi-gun style single fins that were being made popular by the likes of Gerry Lopez. Parrish began his shaping career at 17 where he then moved to Hawaii and began work at Surfline Hawaii and Country Surfboards before going over to Lighting Bolt. By 1975, Parrish had made boards for legendary surfers like Shaun Tomson, Margo Oberg, Wayne “Rabbit” Bartholomew and his top team rider/collaborator, Charlie Smith. The Smith/Parrish duo began in the 1970s when Smith was considered the best surfer at Haleiwa and began to ride Lightning Bolt surfboards and working directly with Parrish as his main test pilot and shaping apprentice. The Smith/Parrish fin lineup is a celebration of their collaborative dedication to the craft of surfboard building and design and the nostalgic impact of 70s North Shore culture.