Pierre's beautiful collection of 70s Freedoms, all bought in France. Pierre and fellow French collector Stephane are both big admirers of old UK boards , and also old British cars like the Triumph below . They obviously have impeccible taste ! There is a lovely red pintail, mid 70s , a later but similar speed shape next to it , two bird logo boards from 73-74 including an asymmetric , and a single fin fun machine made around 1973.
This Freedom asymmetric by Steve Harewood is a very rare one ! Dating from around 1974 it shows that Freedom were open to experimenting, and kept a close eye on the new ideas coming out of the US and Australia.
Pierre bought it four years ago when he went to buy a car , then joked with the seller that he would buy the car if a surfboard came with it .....and to his surprise the seller went to the garage and pulled out the Freedom and gave it to him ! It was the man's only surfboard, found in a pile of trash and put in the garage for safe keeping. It is now getting a restoration from Pierre . The markings on the board are - AT 74 7' Steve Harewood J.M. .-
The ideas behind the asymmetric designs ( as far as I know anyway ) are that since your weight distribution and turning ability are different when riding forehand versus backhand , why should the surfboard be identical on both sides ? While many asymmetrical boards were made specifically for riding forehand on certain long waves ( check out Derek Hynd's finless ones for Jeffreys) , today designers are making boards which work well both ways. The first person to start making them was Carl Ekstrom in the 1950s , and shapers have dabbled with the design in every decade since , longboards in the 60s, singlefins in the 70s, twin fins -with different sized fins in the early 80s - produced by PT and Drouyn. Tom Curren had a couple of home made ones in his quiver in the 90s etc etc. But the design has never become mainstream.
The longer, faster straighter rail is designed for use on the riders forehand, so this Freedom is for a goofy footer.
There is more detailed info on these boards at http://www.surfresearch.com.au/a_afx.html and in the video below.
Jacobs ad, California . Surfer mag 1973 . Steve Harewood may have used ads like this to get the tail template - it looks pretty identical.
Thanks to Pierre for the photos
Bob McTavish with asymmetric , 1976
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