We recently paid a visit to surfing legend Bob Reeves, down in Vero Beach. Originally from Imperial Beach CA, Bob was working at the Inter- Island factory in Honolulu when he was approached in 1964 by Jack Murphy to come to Florida and work in the Campbell Surfboards factory. Bob worked as a laminator for them until they folded several years later. He later formed his own label with Bob Tomb – you can read a detailed history here Tomb and Reeves.
Bob Reeves and Dick Brewer at Makaha, 1961
Bob has donated this gorgeous Tomb and Reeves to the museum, which was the last board shaped with the T and R Label. Bob had it shaped in 1975 at Bob Carson’s Creative Shaping and the shaping was done by Richard Munson. The intention was to take to Hawaii, but it never made it that far. Bob rode it a couple of times in Puerto Rico, then it was stored in his garage until now. After cleaning off a few decades worth of dust and wax the board looks great, with just a few minor dings, and it was left as is. This beauty will be on display at the Florida Surf Museum until December 2022.
At 76 years young, Bob still works at his trade, doing fiberglass repair and restoration on high-end yachts at a boatyard about a mile from his house, which overlooks the Indian River. He keeps an 18-foot Bark paddleboard in the yard which he uses on his daily paddle in the river. Looking fit and happy, his connection to the ocean is strong- ready to set a course for another decade or more.
Leave A Comment