"Tinker" West was a surfboard designer, concert promoter and sound engineer, who acted as the manager of Bruce Springsteen through much of his early career. His solely-owned management company Blah Productions shepparded Child, Steel Mill, The Friendly Enemies, Dr. Zoom & The Sonic Boom, and The Bruce Springsteen Band, from March 1969 until February 1972, when he referred Springsteen to Mike Appel, hoping he could help Bruce sign with a record company. His instincts were right, and the rest is history. But the story of Bruce's early 20s is entertaining and interesting, so let's cover some events like the riot at Clearwater Swim Club, where the town's police force violently attacked the crowd, and the music of Springsteen's early bands, which led to his audition and signing with Columbia Records. The next section is an account from a young surfer dude, who recalled events and let me repair his chicken-scratch writing.
Tinker’s real name is Carl West. In the mid-1960s, he lived in Dana Point, California, in a little pink house with John Severson’s little brother Joey. They had a goat that lived in the yard too. Why? I have no idea. Tinker was a thin dude with long hair, a big mustache and goatee. More of a beatnik kinda vibe, just pre-hippy. Tinker moved to San Diego and took over Challenger Surfboards. As told to me, he was brought to Court in Pacific Beach for one reason or another, and was told he would only be released if he promised to leave town. This story might sound reasonable to a teeenage surfer in New Jersey, but there is no court in Pacific Beach, and loser-leave-town stipulations only existed in Memphis, Tenessee Wrestling with Jerry Lawler. Anyway, Tinker moved to New Jersey and opened Challenger Eastern Surfboards. Late in 1967, when I was traveling up the East Coast, I saw the Challenger Eastern surf shop and decided to stop and see if my old pal Tinker was around. Luckily he was and we had a great time catching up. Tinker mentioned that he was helping out a bunch of local kids who had a band and they practiced in the back of his shop. Tinker introduced me to this kid named Bruce who was the singer in the band he was working with. Evidently, this kid surfed a little bit and had ridden one of my boards at one time. Years later, I found out that this kid was Bruce Springsteen, and Tinker was his first manager. Wow, small world I’m thinking.
But, aside from being a craftsman, Tinker was also an accomplished musician, playing the harmonica (Blues Harp) or 12 string guitar, and making up lyrics on the spot while passing the gallon bottle of Red Mountain wine. He played congas, including as a member of The Friendly Enemies and with The Bruce Springsteen Band. He owned Challenger Eastern Surfboards at 1109 9th Avenue, Neptune, NJ, which burned down in 1968, but was quickly up and running again at Route 35 & Sylvania, Wanamassa, NJ, until he decided to move in 1970, to the 78 Bay Avenue, Highlands, New Jersey, which was a former auto repair shop. In each place, he allowed Springsteen's early groups to rehearse, and on more than one occasion, to sleep and shower there. He eventually closed the surfboard factory in the early 1970s. Oh, forgot to mention that before Tinker became part-owner of Challenger Surfboards in Mission Beach, CA, he was a rocket scientist, who worked at the Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL) in Pasadena, CA. I kid you not.
In 2015, West was inducted into the New Jersey Surfing Hall of Fame.
