Surf’s up for the spring
I’ve got a fondness for Hot Wheel’s Action Packs. Mainly because of the figures that are part of some of the action packs. I’ve had my eye on the 1997 Surf Patrol Action Pack from Hot Wheels for a while now. I’d check eBay from time-to-time, but I thought the action pack was over priced. None-the-less I kept checking and eventually somebody decided to sell one for around $20.
From 1997-1999, Hot Wheels released a series of Action Packs that depicted everything from space travel to TV shows and movies. There were also quite a few construction and towing action packs as well. You can check out a complete list of the Action Packs on the Hot Wheels Fandom Wiki.
One of the licensed Action Packs for 1997 was a Home Improvement Action Pack that included a 1933 Ford Roadster and a humongous lawn mower called the Dixie Chopper. The pack also featured figures of Tim and Al from “Tool Time.”
The Surf Patrol Action pack looks like it was based off of Baywatch, which was in the middle of it’s 1989-2001 run. The Jeep and dinghy in the action pack are white with red trim with Lifeguard markings. The male lifeguard figure looks like a beefcake and sports a Lifeguard surfboard as well. One female figure is reclining on the dinghy in the classic Baywatch, red one-piece lifeguard uniform while the second female figure is posing in a red bikini.
Since this is a collection piece, it won’t be opened. But, I held up a 1:64 scale figure next to the card and the Surf Patrol figures are slightly larger than the true 1:64 scale figures, but are in-scale with the vehicles in the action pack.
In 1999, Hot Wheels issued a similar Surf’s Up Action Pack that featured a Classic Nomad and 1940s Woodie. The action pack also featured three figures as well. The figures appear to be the same molds from the 1997 action pack, but the figures are more tanned. The male has a red surfboard with a yellow flame pattern. The reclining female is wearing a dark blue or black one-piece and the standing female has a white bikini with blue stars on it. There’s a close-up photo of the 1999 Surf’s Up action pack with a reclining girl in a red one-piece with the 40s Woodie that is still in the blister on the Hot Wheels Wiki. I haven’t found any other photos or references where there were two versions of the 1999 Surf’s Up Action Pack. So, I’m not sure how that photo came to be.
You can see the full description of the 1997 Surf Patrol and 1999 Surf’s Up action packs on Collect Hot Wheels.com.
Additional Photos
Boondock Bight 