Behind The Shaper | Surf Coast, Victoria by SurfVisuals

In collaboration with URBNSURF, Surf Visuals aims to shine a light on the most important people in surfing, the shaper. In the first instalment of Behind The Shaper, we'll celebrate shapers from Victoria's iconic Surf Coast, and tell their tales of resin dust, fibreglass cuts, master craftsmenship, and the pursuit of the perfect ride.

Photography by Ed Sloane

Featuring

Banjo Harfield BANJO SURFBOARDS // Corey Graham COREY GRAHAM SHAPES // Cory Russell CORY SURFBOARDS // Eiji Shiomoto EIJI SURF DESIGNS // Jack Dell-Rennie BEIGE SURFBOARDS // John Robertson STRAPPER SURF // Luca Rossi BABEL SURFBOARDS // Marcus Hyett HYDRO THEORY // Michael van der Klooster VANDA SURFBOARDS // Ross Slaven SLAVEN SURFBOARDS // Shyama Buttonshaw SHYAMA DESIGNS // Zak Koniaris ZAKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S SURFBOARDS

The key to a shapers longevity SHYAMA BUTTONSHAW

TEAM EDITORS Ben Nathan Michael Dillon Rupert Partridge HEAD GRAPHIC DESIGNER Ginny Hodgkinson SHAPERS Banjo Harfield Corey Graham Cory Russell Eiji Shiomoto Jack Dell-Rennie John Robertson Luca Rossi Marcus Hyett Michael van der Klooster Ross Slaven Shyama Buttonshaw Zak Koniaris PHOTOGRAPHY BY Ed Sloane

SPECIAL THANKS Andrew @ URBNSURF Rupert @ URBNSURF Ed @ Ed Sloane Photography Jimmy @ Lipped, The Surfer’s Podcast Craig @ Australian National Surfing Museum THANKS TO THE SV CREW Thank you to the crew who follow Surf Visuals, it's your loyalty and support that makes Surf Visuals possible. You make our world a better place, and allow us to create independent media that we love. It was in our wildest dreams to create something new in surf, and you've been instrumental in helping us achieve our goals. If you haven’t subscribed online, head there for a chance to win epic subscriber giveaways. w

ABOUT US Surf Visuals is independently published by Ben Nathan and Michael Dillon in Melbourne, Australia. The views and opinions expressed in relation to Behind The Shaper are not necessarily shared by the publishers. All content is copyright URBNSURF Melbourne Pty Ltd. CONTACT info@behindtheshaper.com URBNSURF SOCIALS @urbnsurf BTS SOCIALS @behindtheshaper SV SOCIALS @surfvisuals

VIDEOGRAPHY BY Aidan Stevens Zac Dorio PODCAST SERIES BY James Miles

Making marks JOHN ROBERTSON

Banjo Harfield

Luca Rossi

Location: Ocean Grove Label: Banjo Surfboards Instagram: @banjo_surfboards

Location: Torquay Label: Babel Surfboards Instagram: @babelsurfboards

Corey Graham

Marcus Hyett

Location: Torquay Label: Corey Graham Shapes Instagram: @coreygrahamshapes

Location: Torquay Label: Hydro Theory Surfboards Instagram: @hydro_theory

Cory Russell

Michael van der Klooster

Location: Ocean Grove Label: Cory Surfboards Instagram: @cory_surfboards

Location: Jan Juc Label: Vanda Instagram: @vandasurf

Eiji Shiomoto

Ross Slaven

Location: Torquay Label: Eiji Shiomoto Designs Instagram: @eiji_surf_designs

Location: Jan Juc Label: Slaven Surfboards Instagram: @slavensurfboards

Jack Dell-Rennie

Shyama Buttonshaw

Location: Wensleydale Label: Beige Surfboards Instagram: @beigesurfboards

Location: Bells Beach Label: Shyama Designs Instagram: @shyama_designs

John Robertson

Zak Koniaris

Location: Torquay Label: Strapper Surf Instagram: @robbox

Location: Thornbury, Melbourne Label: Zak Surfboards Instagram: @zaksurfboards

BOURN E

“Let's tell tall tales of resin dust, fibreglass cuts, master craftsmanship and their pursuit of the perfect ride”. RUPERT PARTRIDGE URBNSURF'S Brand + Marketing Manager

Polished SHYAMA BUTTONSHAW

Banjo Harfield is a true character – a man with a great vision that shines through in the craft he creates under his Banjo Surfboards label.

BANJO HARFIELD Banjo Surfboards Instagram @banjo_surfboards Location OCEAN GROVE

Banjo! Mate! Tell us a bit about yourself. My name is Banjo Harfield and I’m 25. Banjo Surfboards started 5 years ago in December 2013 when I began designing, cutting, shaping and glassing all of my boards out of the 4D surfboards factory in Ocean Grove. In September 2010, when I was 17 and still at school, my shaper Simon Forward (Fordy) offered me a job sweeping up and running the machines in his factory. That led me to learning the ins and outs of cutting surfboards on CNC machines, and how to design boards using 3D shaping software.

Since then I’ve progressed to designing and cutting my own surfboards and fins on the CNC, airbrushing artworks, hand-laminating and sanding a variety of resins.

You make your own fins, how important is this in your ideation and shaping process? Since making my own fin templates, I’ve been experimenting with a few different variations; thrusters, twins and quads. KR shaped me this twinny-style quad which performed amazing through turns, so I decided to shape one for myself and stumbled upon my alltime favourite board. It’s a 6’2” x 18 ½” x 2 3/8” swallow tail with a constant-curve rocker and twinny-style (bigger front fins with small rear fins out on the rail, with a tighter cluster) quad made from EPS and epoxy materials. This board is the first “magic” board I’ve made myself, as it carries so much speed and drive through turns and is also loose and maneuverable in all conditions that I’ve surfed it in. The epoxy construction adds to the lively, springy feeling, with adequate glass layering to bring weight and strength up. It doesn’t feel like most “lightweight, corky” epoxy boards. I’m completely sold on this fin configuration and I don’t think I will make anything else for myself... possibly ever.

What inspired you to start shaping? I don’t really know what inspired me, probably just the feeling you get when you do a cutty! My Dad got my brother Gus and I into surfing when I was 11 or 12, and used to take us and all our mates surfing all over the Surf Coast in his bus. “The Gus Bus”. Gus and I surfed Ocean Grove and 13th Beach every day (before or after school), and were quite competitive against each other. Looking back, Gus definitely inspired me.

If someone orders a board from you, what can they expect? If someone comes to me for a board, they will get one of my boards. I’ve never made a board to please anyone but myself, and I intend on keeping it that way. I don’t see my label as a business, rather an extremely stimulating hobby which allows be to go surfing more often. All of my designs and ideas come from the experience I get out of riding my boards, and relating what I want to feel into the next design. The same goes for customers.

KR’s history and ability in the factory (and in the surf) inspires the hell out of me too because he’s so good at everything he does - working, surfing, fishing. Everything! Growing up around the factory, Fordy has also been inspiring because he tears the back out of every wave he gets, and he’s hands down the friendliest bloke I have ever met.

If you had a model that you wanted to ride forever, what would it be, and which local spot would it be at? I could ride my quad setup forever; it’s always surprising me with limitless lines that can be drawn on a wave. But if I told you where I would surf it, I think I would have to kill you! Haha.

Lately, very long, in-depth discussions – better known as “board meetings” - with mates Darcy Day (Baby Surfboards) and Shyama Buttonshaw (Shyama Designs) always leave me super inspired to shape, as we are all on such different journeys in our surfing and shaping!

How do you feel about giving URBNSURF’s wave pool a go? A wave pool seems like the ultimate testing ground, I’m sure it’s the same for every shaper. It may not resemble or feel exactly like a wave in the ocean, but the chance to ride a perfect wave over and over, to practice and repeat the same maneuvers, and feel how a board is performing is fundamental in advancing shapes and materials. I think the wave pool will be hell fun, and lead to making better surfboards, therefore I would most certainly, 200% be down to surf the pool!

I was, and still am, heavily mentored by Ken Reimers (KR Surfboards), a master and perfectionist in every aspect of surfboards, especially his computer design and shaping abilities. Almost everything I know now I owe to what KR has taught me over 8 years, and his discipline to get everything perfect. Prior to creating my own label in 2013, I was learning to glass and repair boards for Allan Rousel (Rousa) for a year, before Fordy built an area at 4D Surfboards for me to glass both his and my boards.

What’s the best thing about being a shaper? I think the best thing about my job is that I can go surfing whenever I want, meaning I can generally score pretty good waves around home and fairly regularly, so I tend to get a bit spoilt. Over the years I have spent a bit of time away on surf trips around Australia, Indo and Mexico. Hunting good waves heavily influences my designs. Ultimately, I shape boards the way I want them to look. If someone wants a board from me, I will design it from one of the boards I am riding, and customize the size and volume to suit them and the way they surf, or the waves they like to surf. What inspires the boards you shape? I like to look at really clean, simple curves on boards. For example, rail tape-ups and pin lines, because they really accentuate the shape of the board. As for colour combos, I’ve got no idea what will look good, so I generally just make it up on the spot. Lately, I’ve been creating artwork on design programs, cutting and spraying stencils from Fordy’s vinyl cutter, which is good fun and in my opinion looks rad.

The traditional processes and waste associated with the production of surfboards is fucked. There are new materials always coming out that are supposedly more bio-degradable, although the steps required to turn them into a surfboard in my opinion aren’t a great deal better. The only true resolution to the problem I can see is through advancements in technology; 3D printers will soon be able to build seamless designs from start to finish, using completely different materials, with littleto-no waste at all. At the moment this technology is far too expensive and not feasible. But as it goes with all technology, in a few years’ time, it will become possible.

Looking at footage of how the prototype Cove works and breaks in Spain, I would make a slightly flatter, shorter and wider version of my favourite twinny-style quad. Maybe 5’11” x 19” x 2 3/8” with a removable 1” keel on the tail for hold on my backhand. This design and fin configuration is the most versatile shape I’ve ever made, and not knowing exactly what the waves in the pool will be like, this is my best guess (and chance) at enjoying the experience to the fullest!

“As far as design goes, I believe we haven't even scratched the surface”. COREY GRAHAM Corey Graham Shapes

Fast paced environment COREY GRAHAM

COREY GRAHAM Corey Graham Shapes Instagram @coreygrahamshapes Location TORQUAY

Corey Graham is one of the more unique and most respected shapers from the Surf Coast. Constantly pushing the boundaries of surfboard design, Corey’s been dubbed the “Willy Wonka of Torquay” by Swellnet for the vast array of different crafts he produces out of his Baines Crescent factory. Corey’s aim is to continuously make boards that push the boundaries of design and ultimately, enhance ones ability to have fun. “Sometimes [the fun] is forgotten when you’re too performance orientated, or you’re too hard on yourself for not performing at the level you should be. That stuff’s a drainer. If you’re going out and having fun, and watching other people have fun, you can spread the good vibes. I like being apart of that”. From a young age, Corey was always infatuated with surfboards, shaping and design. He was brought up surrounded by surfboards, as his father Russell had his own surfboard factory. After years of hassling his old man, he eventually wore Russell down and he gave Corey the biggest, thickest, “most horrible blank” he could find. His instructions were simple: “plane it ‘til there’s nothing left, make the blank disappear”. That was his first introduction to shaping. No mask, no worries. Raw. With each new board, came new ideas and concepts. “I’ve learned more from my bad boards than I have from my good boards. All good boards feel good, what’s there to learn from? Bad boards will teach you things that good boards can’t”. There’s no book or “Dummie’s” guide on how to shape a surfboard. “When you’re shaping, you’re actually learning what’s up and why. Not just reading words on a page”. For Corey, new ideas are always sparking. One particular concept came about when he was watching the Formula One on TV one night. How can surfing be related to the Grand Prix? F1 race commentators were speaking about how more than 50% of the down-force of Formula One cars is now created from under the body. This was a lightbulb moment; Corey started experimenting with channels, concaves and curves under his boards to chase different results and feelings. If it worked for cars, then why not for surfboards? These light-bulb moments are a common occurrence for Corey. So much so, that in order to be able to move on, Corey has to “slay the beast” and shape the board in his head so he can concentrate on what he calls “proper paid work”. All these funky and alternative designs are now stored up stairs at Corey’s factory, continuously being added to. On the wall in Corey’s shaping bay, written in resin dust is: “As far as design goes, I believe we have not scratched the surface”. Nothing is accepted for being as it is. His questioning mind is always thinking about the next board and what can be done to improve his craft, while daring to do what others won’t.

“You don't have to be the best surfer in the water to be having the most fun”. COREY GRAHAM Corey Graham Shapes

Grey glory COREY GRAHAM

“I 100% love it, obviously

family comes first, but I absolutely love it. If I’m not shaping boards for a couple of weeks I’m getting grumpy. It’s a similar feeling to not being able to surf during a flat spell – I just have to do it. I could not imagine not being able to do it”. CORY RUSSELL Cory Surfboards

Marking the outline CORY RUSSELL

CORY RUSSELL Cory Surfboards Instagram @cory_surfboards Location OCEAN GROVE

With over 25 years of shaping under his belt (and thousands of boards to prove it) Cory Surfboards is the namesake of Ocean Grove-based Cory Russell. As a grom, Cory and his family moved around a lot, continuously relocating houses, which meant that his first contact with the ocean wasn’t until he was 15 years old. Growing up a skater, Cory has stacks of old and re-issued skateboard decks lying around his house. As a teenager he built his own half pipes (three, to be precise) in his backyard using his old man’s tools. He was just mucking about, but he found working with his hands to be intriguing and exciting. Reading Surfing Life and Tracks was critical to his surf education. Reading about the masters of cool in the 90’s motivated Cory to swap skate decks for fibreglass and get into the water. Despite Cory’s first introduction to the water being on a bodyboard at Ocean Grove main beach, he quickly progressed to fibreglass thanks to the generosity of a family friend. As it turns out, this board was a Hot Buttered thruster with a Terry Fitz rainbow spray on the deck. Epic. At the ripe old age of 19, Cory shaped his first board, which was later stolen off a mate’s car’s roof. At the time, he was working for a friend as a signwriter, and just like any other lateteen, he was trying to figure out what he wanted out of life. One day, he noticed a regular customer of the signwriting business ordering decals for his boards. Intrigued, Cory hit up the customer and bought two blanks, and started carving foam. Shaping came naturally – to this day, Cory’s skills are all self-taught. These days Cory’s “chasing millimetres” on his designs to “find errors, and work our what you like or dislike about a board, and ultimately what you want to improve”. Perfection is the aim, and Cory’s motivated by the challenge of making the perfect board, whether for his team riders or customers. “It may not be the perfect board for everybody, but as long as it’s the perfect board for them, then I’ve done my job”. Cory’s shaped thousands of boards over the years, for fierce competitors including Nikki van Dijk, Jordi Watson and Adam Robbo (as well as Lipped’s very own Cahill Bell-Warren), through to teeming hoards of Surf Coast groms and local legends. Even with his prowess and reputation, Cory works full-time as a crane driver, and shapes boards out of his backyard in Ocean Grove between shifts. “I 100% love [shaping]. Obviously family comes first, but I absolutely love it. If I’m not shaping boards for a couple of weeks, I’m getting grumpy. It’s a similar feeling to not being able to surf during a flat spell – I just have to do it. I could not imagine not being able to do it”. Amen.

“It may not be the perfect board for everybody, but as long as it’s the perfect board for them, then I’ve done my job”. CORY RUSSELL Cory Surfboards

Precision CORY RUSSELL

Viewing room from the Australian National Surfing Museum. EIJI SHIOMOTO Eiji Surf Designs

EIJI SHIOMOTO Eiji Surf Designs Instagram @eiji_surf_designs Location TORQUAY

Surfers from all over the world travel to the Surf Coast to sample raw Southern Ocean swells, and discover the birth-place of iconic Australian surfers, shapers, brands and surf-breaks. A must–visit destination along the Surf Coast of Victoria is the Australian National Surfing Museum, nestled between the offices of Rip Curl, Quiksilver and Surfing Victoria. Among the museum’s heritage collection of boards is a shaping bay, home to Eiji Shiomoto’s plan shapes, saws and power tools. Through a fitting surfboard-shaped porthole, museum visitors can watch Eiji combine skill and passion to create some lucky bugger’s next magic board. Eiji is a 65-year-old grom who froths equally hard on hand-shaping boards and long-walled point breaks. Born and raised in Japan, Eiji became hooked on surfing when his family moved from Yokohama City to the beachside town of Kamakura in the mid 1960’s. It was there, as a fresh-faced 13 year old, that Eiji received his first surfboard from a close friend. He was introduced to shaping a little later. When his brother, an avid car-racer, quit surfing to focus on motorsport, he gifted Eiji a 9’6” longboard. Quickly deciding he was a shortboarder, Eiji ripped the fibreglass off the heavy log and promptly sawed two feet’s worth of foam from the nose. After (re)shaping his 7’6”, Eiji became infatuated with board design, and shaped his first new board from scratch at 16. In those days, there were few shapers around, so like his local idols, he rolled up his sleeves and got dusty. Fast-forward to 1977 – as a 23 year old, Eiji was still observing and learning under the tutelage of the older Kamakura locals. He began shaping boards, fins and doing repairs, as surfing began to explode in popularity across Japan. After moving between Japan and Hawaii for many years to surf and shape, Eiji moved to Australia in 1993. Eiji first moved to the Gold Coast dreaming of perfect Kirra, but after back-to-back flat spells, he grew restless. So Eiji contacted a friend he met a year earlier in Bali, who was living in Melbourne, and travelled South to Victoria around Easter-time. During this trip, Eiji was introduced to another famous right-hand point: Winkipop. While he didn’t score in ’93, he returned in ’94 with one focus – surf Winki. And boy did he score. So he moved to Torquay, and the rest, as they say, is history. Despite approaching 70 years of age, Eiji still loves shaping and watching people have a blast on his craft. He also still surfs his beloved Winki as much as possible – so if you see him out there, give him a yell!

Born and raised in Japan, Eiji became hooked on surfing when his family moved from Yokohama City to the beachside town of Kamakura in the mid 1960â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. 30

The shapers measurements EIJI SHIOMOTO

JACK DELL-RENNIE Beige Surfboards Instagram @beigesurfboards Location WENSLEYDALE

At 21 years of age, Jack Dell-Rennie the youngest shaper featured in this series. Hailing from Wensleydale, Jack’s a purveyor (and creator) of topnotch alternative boards that are built to perform in powerful Surf Coast conditions. Jack’s shaping style is loose, and has minimal boundaries. He creates boards based on the feeling he wants to achieve while riding a wave, and he wants to draw different lines to his peers. If you love pin-tail bonzers or a solid retro log, get a Beige under your feet. Tell us about the first board you ever shaped. I shaped my first board with Darcy Day who was working at Maurice Cole’s place a few years ago. We made a little bonzer, and it went pretty good, and from there I set up a shaping bay at home and started making a few boards for myself. I was getting them glassed by Matty Shay from Pale Horse to start with, and he helped point me in the right direction with my board design and glassing techniques. Who inspires you? There probably isn’t really any shapers I take inspiration from that are based on the Surf Coast. The whole reason I started shaping boards was because the types of boards I wanted to ride, I couldn’t find locally. I was more interested in boards and shapers from overseas; I liked a lot of Gato’s and BMT’s, thinner and more foiled-out logs and mid-lengths. These boards inspired and informed my shaping – they still do. Describe your boards and shaping style. I guess they have a ‘retro’ aesthetic, but they function very differently to the boards from previous eras. A few of my boards have similar outlines to boards from the 60’s and 70’s, but they’re a lot thinner and foiled-out than those older boards, making them a little more userfriendly and easier to surf in critical conditions. I shape those styles of boards because I enjoy the way they perform more than shorter or modern ‘high performance’ boards. It’s a different experience riding boards that allow you to glide and trim (like a traditional log), but when you want to put them on rail and surf them more aggressively, you need the shape to enable that. As surfers, we’re constantly searching for that magic all-rounder that you can have fun on every single surf. For me, I’m usually seeking a board that’s functional – but sometimes all I want to ride is something super-retro and rad. In a surf world dominated by high-performance thrusters, do you see a future for your style of boards, particularly on the Surf Coast? Absolutely! Of course there’s a future for them. True, my boards aren’t for everyone but that’s because they’re totally different to boards with single-to-double concaves, as most of my shapes have convex bottoms from tip to tail. Like everything in surfing, if people approach them with an open-mind, I think most would be surprised by they way (and how well) they perform.

“I remember as a kid I would walk down the highway and go to 3 different factories, clean the shaping bays for five bucks and we all grew up doing that”. JOHN ROBERTSON Strapper Surfboards

JOHN ROBERTSON Strapper Surfboards Instagram @robbox @strappersurf Location TORQUAY

John Robertson, a.k.a. Robbo, is a born-and-bred shaper from the Surf Coast, and has been surfing the local breaks around Torquay and Jan Juc since he was 8. He first started shaping boards at the age of 14. Robbo’s family home was located on The Esplanade in Torquay – only a stones-throw away from Fishos, where he first learned to surf. This area was, and still is, ground-zero for Victorian surf culture. “I used to open my front curtain and the ocean was right there. 5 steps across the road and you were pretty much on the beach, so it was pretty hard not to be a surfer”. As a youngster, Robbo attended Torquay Primary School. It was there that he made strong connections, and ultimately sparked his love for surfing. After school, Robbo and his mates would walk down the Surf Coast Highway, pop into 3 different surfboard factories, and offer their cleaning services for 5 bucks. It was part of growing up in Torquay. Robbo’s Dad had a close friendship with Dennis Day, who founded Strapper Surfboards. Through this connection, Robbo was lucky enough to be gifted Dennis’ hand-me-down Strapper boards to shred. This naturally led to competing in surf contests for his local boardriders, and from there, Robbo just wanted to be a part of anything and everything surf. This infatuation with boards and surfing continued to swell, and every day after school Robbo would walk through the Strapper shop, say g’day to the crew, and see how his new board was coming along. “There was a stage where Stuart D’Arcy was working there, and he kinda harassed me into making my own board”. So with the help of Stuart, and Robbo’s boss Michael di Sciascio, he shaped his very own craft, which he eventually took all the way to the Australian titles in South Oz, where he placed 7th.

Mid-way through year 11, Robbo was lucky enough to be offered a job by Michael at Strapper as a shaper. “It’s there if you want it, take it or leave it”, he was told. Some 28 years later, Robbo’s still working there carving foam, and loving it. These days, Robbo and Strapper are synonymous. The loyalty between the pair has lasted decades – “it’s a good thing, so why leave?” Over the years, Robbo’s had the opportunity to shape some boards for world tour competitors to slice at Bells. “It was the year that Willsy [Danny Wills] and Mick [Fanning] both made the final at Bells, I got to shape Willsy two boards that year, and the following year, I got to do a couple for Mick”. Robbo’s boards have also been favoured by big-wave hellman Mark Matthews, and the legendary Martin Potter (listen to Jimmy’s podcast episode for more on that story). Having lived and worked in Torquay all his life, Robbo’s love for and dedication to surfing and surf culture is unquestionable, along with his enthusiasm to produce the best boards possible to keep Strapper’s customers stoked. Robbo’s a great bloke and is always up for a chat, so if you see him around town, be sure to ask him about his flat-earth conspiracy theory. You won’t be disappointed.

“I used to open my front curtain and the ocean was right in front of me; 5 steps across the road and you were pretty much on the beach, so it was pretty hard not to be a surfer”. 38

JOHN ROBERTSON Strapper Surfboards

Luca Rossi, 32, Babel Surfboards, 4 years since board #1. Who taught you to shape? I'm mostly self-taught. I've never had an official mentor who's taught me how to build boards.

LUCA ROSSI Babel Surfboards Instagram @babelsurfboards Location TORQUAY

When I first decided to give it a crack, I went knocking at the doors of the factories in town, asking the shapers if they needed any help. I thought maybe I could clean the factory, anything really, just to get a look at the pros doing their thing. I didn't have much luck with that. The only guy that was kind enough to let me watch a board being shaped was Corey Graham. He probably doesn't even remember it, but I appreciated it very much! I didn't ask a single question, just watched. I think an element of how I shape now is based on my memory of watching Corey build that board. I think being mostly self-taught has its benefits. The learning curve's steeper, and it's much easier to make a fool of yourself (been there several times), but what you've learned sticks in your head, becomes your knowledge, and then you have better chances to create your own style. I suppose that's the ultimate goal - to be recognised for that style. What inspired you to first start surfing? I grew up in a town of 5,000 at the base of the Northern Italian mountains, between Milan and Venice. My parents always took us to visit the sea (3 hours' drive, but it was always flat as a lake) during summer holidays, and my dad is a die-hard fisherman. I've always felt somewhat connected to the ocean. I'd skated and snowboarded for a few years before I started surfing, which was pretty much a myth in Italy at that time. I remember being obsessed with waves even before seeing a proper one break (which wasn't until I visited Brazil in my early twenties). I remember being 13 and watching the only surf video I had, non-stop, and daydreaming about waves. When I was 19 I moved to Padova, near Venice, to study physics and astronomy. Being closer to the sea, I bought my first shitty surfboard and waited for the winter storms that brought freezing, onshore chops for me to surf solo. People who walked into my room used to laugh seeing my board. Once I graduated, I wanted to continue studying astrophysics in Melbourne, so I landed in 2013 with my backpack and my shitty board (which I scored pumping Bells on a few times).

Your shaping style features a bunch of alternative, fun shapes - what drew you to these designs? I try to come up with designs that I'd like to ride myself. I'm not a very high-performance style surfer, and I have to be realistic about the kind of waves I normally surf. But I love high-performance surfing, and I have a shortboard and a step-up for when the conditions are right. I've been focusing on fishes the most - I love how effortlessly they carry speed, and the buttery-smooth feeling you get under your feet. Like any other design, when you start digging into it you really start to understand that the variations are endless, and you'll always be surprised by what works. But I love making shortboards, logs, midlengths, anything really. I'll have a crack at whatever comes through the door. I've been trying some asymmetrics lately and the feedback's been really encouraging. What's the favourite board you've shaped, and why? The first board I ever made. It's such a piece of shit, and I'm still blown away that it can actually be surfed. It's been used and abused by so many mates, and repaired countless times. She eventually retired last year. But it represents the start of something very special for me, and is a reminder of how far I've come, and how much more there is left for me to learn, explore, refine and improve. What's your focus when you're designing new shapes? I love good surfing, and I want to make boards that work - I'm not particularly interested in making pretty boards that will be hung on a wall. I keep tracks of the specifications of the boards that I make, including rocker lines, bottom contours, outlines, foils, fin setups and placements, glass jobs etc. I'm analytical and try to be as precise as possible. I'll refine designs where I see potential, which is possible thanks to the feedback from people who ride my boards. I shoot a bit of video of mates riding them, which I analyse at home to see what the board is doing, the good and the bad. It's kind of an incremental process and it helps me to constantly evolve my designs. That said, there's been times when I couldn't sleep at night, woke up feeling weird, went into the bay, and came out with some pretty odd stuff. If you had a chance to surf the Melbourne wave pool, would you be down? Hell yes. What board would you shape to ride there? I'd need to see the wave first, but going in blind, probably a log haha!

Looking back, I think that I moved to Australia to make surfing a reality. I was in Melbourne for a few months, but I packed up and moved to the Coast as soon as I could. While I was completing my PhD my fascination (obsession) for surfboard design grew, and that was sort of it for me. I can stare at surfboards for hours. I feel I have taken quite a detour to put my feet in the ocean and wrap my hands around some foam. But sometimes it feels like I was meant to always be here. Who from the Surf Coast inspires you the most? If we're naming names, the two shapers that have inspired me the most are Corey Graham and Darren Dickson. I've always liked their approach to surfboard design, they make things exciting. It's a harder path to take, than just sticking to well-established designs, and when you experiment there is always the chance that the experiment will fail - so it takes guts. They both have different styles, but they're both eclectic and recognisable. I appreciate the fact that they create what they're interested in, and I think people get boards from them for that reason. I think people see a part of themselves in what these guys do.

MARCUS HYETT Hydro Theory Instagram @hydro_theory Location TORQUAY

Marcus Hyett loves shaping serious, high-performance bullets for big waves. At 28 with 6 years in the bay, and a love of powerful waves, Marcus is a good guy to turn to when you want quality foam under your feet.

What we need to do is make surfboards that last, and reduce the toxic waste they create in the process. I've started producing SustainSurf Certified Ecoboards, which use basically no resin, no fibreglass and require no finish sanding.

Growing up in Port Campbell, surfing was second nature. The Hyett family regularly surfed the local breaks together. "[My dad] was a mad keen surfer, and made damn sure that his children would be too - I'm very thankful for thatâ&#x20AC;?.

They're simply an EPS core (still not very green, but with some recycled content, now up to 70%), sealed with water-resistant, vacuum-bagged timber skins that contort to the rocker, and contours of the blank's core. They've got a cork rail and a water-based varnish finish. I've been surfing my first prototype for months and it's shown no signs of wear and tear. The waste generated by these boards comes only from shaping the core, and the wood offcuts go in my green bin. As a board that's essentially encased in timber, with a twin parabolic stringer, the weight's around the same as a normal PU or EPS board. The issue is the added labour and material costs, which drives up a price a little. But are there more environmentally-sustainable ways to make a modern surfboard? Yes.

When did you first start shaping? I taught myself to shape a surfboard at home, on my own. I'd shaped 5 fairly-respectable boards before I met Maurice Cole. He needed a sander, and I needed help. I spent the next 4 years with him building his boards, and learning to handshape under his watchful eye. Not just physically shaping boards and using tools, but how to look at a board, understand the complex relationships between curves, and hydrodynamic theory. Who from the Surf Coast inspires you to shape? Corey Graham and Greg Brown are incredible craftsmen. It's all about being able to do it all, making a board from start to finish, and that's something I really enjoy. Describe what you're shaping at the moment. The majority of boards I'm making are around the 6ft mark, either high-performance shortboards and a lot of step-down, fun boards. Growing up I always rode shortboards, so did my mates, so that's the majority of what I've been shaping. I had a quad-fin shaped by Eiji Shiomoto that I rode a lot just before I started shaping, so it was also one of the first boards I wanted to recreate. It sent me down a rabbit hole of small, quad-fin fun boards, and twins. It's hard to have a bad surf on one, and they're what I usually ride. They're fast, flat, and have a bit more volume, but with the right curves and fin placement you can make them turn like a shortboard, and actually hold in fairly large surf. I don't like being pigeonholed though, I pride myself on being able to make different boards for different conditions, because that's what I like surfing, too. Your board art and colouring work is sick, has that always been a part of your shaping style? The colour work on boards has really just evolved from what people have ordered, and I guess it's turned into a bit of its own style. Once people realised I'd do anything they asked on their boards, the colours and combinations started coming thick and fast.

What's your favourite board that you've shaped? The first board I shaped was a 5'10" quad-fin, chambered Paulownia timber fish. It took me over 6 months to build, and then I sank it, first surf out at Winkipop, as water seeped through the joins. I was able to dry it out, and ended up glassing it to be safe, and did have some fun sessions on it, but it was way too heavy to be practical. It lit the spark, and I've never looked back. I'll keep it forever. How do you approach designing boards for others? I try to ensure every board I offer has been designed, tested and refined to suit certain conditions, and to perform in those conditions. Fortunately they've appealed to other surfers! The tow boards and guns I've shaped have been for friends hell-bent on riding big waves, and I'm stoked they've worked. If there was one board you could ride forever, and one local wave you could ride forever, what would they be? Low-tide Bells bowl, on my Chakra Twin, it's such a versatile little thing and it sings. If you could surf the Melbourne wave pool, would you be down? I would kill to surf it. What would you ride? One of my Twin+1 models, either my Chakra-Twin or Rehab models. Maybe even my Golden Boy shortboard, I need to see this wave first!

Resin tints are definitely my strength. I've gone months without doing a clear board. It was appealing to people, and I didn't charge any extra for it - I realised it helped me get the orders. I've never really been much of an "artist" - I certainly can't do anything too complex with my airbrush, but I'm pretty handy with a roll of tape and pride myself on my pin lines and cut laps. I'm essentially a professional sticky-taper. As surfboard lovers, what can we do to reduce the environmental impact of board manufacturing? Every surfboard, at some point, is going to end up in landfill. An environmentally sustainable surfboard is one that lasts a lifetime - and is not beat to death, snapped, and replaced every 6 months. People know they're made from nasty petrochemicals, but they don't see the amount of waste is generated to produce their board.

ZAKVAN SURFBOARDS MICHAEL DER KLOOSTER ZAC KONIARIS Vanda Location Instagram THORNBURY @vandasurf Photography Location by ED JANSLOANE JUC

Michael van der Klooster, or "Vanda" as he's known on the Surf Coast, is a true surf frother. He's stoked on surfing, shaping, creating new designs, resin tints and pushing the progression of board manufacturing. Regularly spouting Pointbreak quotes, pop-culture references and words of advice passed down by surfing icons, Vanda's well-liked and can often be found out ripping at Winki or Bells. He's been shaping boards out of his place in Jan Juc for the better part of the last 20 years, and he's showing no signs of slowing down. What inspired you to first start shaping? As a grom I just wanted to surf all day. I was breaking so many boards, it was cheaper to start making my own, so I kind of just did. What's your favourite kind of board to shape? I don't have one favourite - I like shaping twins, singles, mals, guns and high-performance shapes. Any new boards for myself are the best to make! I usually opt for high-performance boards, but I just made my wife a cool little 6'0" x 23 x 3 microlog with a quad setup, a single fin slot for the centre. It'll be a great board for the points around home and super fun to surf. What's the biggest name that's had your foam under their feet? I shaped Travis Logie a couple of boards back when he was on the 'CT for Brazil, he wanted some super light EPS boards for the small beachies over there. I made him some wood-stringered EPS "GT3" models, which is the same high-performance board I surf every day - they weighed around 1.9kg each. How do you see surfboard materials progressing in the next 10 years? I definitely think it's heading toward more sustainable materials, as it should. It'll be interesting to see if something happens with 3D printed surfboards too.

Favourite place to surf on the Surf Coast? It's gotta be Winki. It's just such a fun wave, sometimes fast down the line, sometimes sick for doing airs. You just know you're always going to score something out there. My favourite wave in the world is Sunset. There's something special about sitting out in boardshorts, on a gun you've made yourself, watching mountains of water march toward you and the hills along the North Shore. The waves you catch there burn into your memories and they're there for life. It's a magical place, Hawaii. Tell us about your go-to, your all-rounder? That'd be my "GT3", I've been developing it since I first started shaping. My dims are 5'11" x 18 1/2 x 2 1/4, 26.9 litres, EPS construction with carbon rails. It's a great all-round highperformance board. You're also an experienced surf coach - any advice for improving your surfing? It's all about time in the water, watching videos of people whose surfing styles you like, and want to emulate, and studying videos of yourself surfing, and noticing areas you need to improve. Riding good quality boards that are right for you is equally important. Are you keen to get in and surf the new Melbourne wave pool? Absolutely! I'm so looking forward to it, I can't wait. I really think it's going to help me personally progress my surfing ability, it's going to be great for breaking those flat spells we get, just to know there are always waves on tap somewhere within a short trip away will be so cool. Cheers Vanda! Cheers guys.

Would you encourage the local Juc groms to start shaping? I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know if I'd recommend getting into it for a career, but it's an awesome hobby. It's an amazing feeling surfing something you've made for yourself, and an even better one getting feedback that someone's had an awesome experience riding a board you've made for them, but it's a tough gig, with lots of ups and downs.

ROSS SLAVEN Slaven Surfboards Instagram @slavensurfboards Location JAN JUC

Born and raised in Melbourne, as a kid Ross spent every weekend and holiday possible in Torquay. His introduction to surfing was on anything that floated. He bargained with his parents for his first board - a George Rice 9'6" - and has never looked back. When Ross started surfing, Torquay's culture was in its infancy, having a permanent population of fewer than 1,000 people. These days, Ross is a revered figure in the Victorian surfing community. His family's incredibly warm and wellliked, and his boys shape and surf impressively. As a grom, Ross was amazed by how surfboards were constructed and configured. He loved pulling things apart, and was fascinated in trying to understand what made boards work, and why. In the early days of his shaping career working at the Rip Curl factory, he watched and learned from legends including Donny Alcroft and Bob McTavish. Since creating his own labels, including Brute Force and Slaven Surfboards, Ross' days in the shaping bay can involve boards ranging from grom performance thrusters, to retro singles and twins, to longboards and logs. When Torquay lights up for the Rip Curl Pro over Easter, Ross' steady hand has been sought by a few world champions, including Mick Fanning, to keep their craft in top form. The shaping process has progressed since Ross first joined the industry. Blanks have developed over the years, and the use of electric planers are more relevant. However, Ross believes that a shaper “won’t truly be able to control what they’re doing until they’ve shaped over a thousand boards”. Ross was Torquay Boardriders’ original champion in 1978, during an era when surfer-shapers dominated. Icons like Michael Peterson and Simon Anderson only trusted themselves to shape the boards they needed to shred, and to win. “There’s something special about creating your own competitive success on your own work. It just gives you more credibility”. Ross remembers vividly when Simon Anderson dragged his thruster out in pumping Bells in 1981. “It was so new at the time, and straight away you could see how much better [thrusters] were, how much faster they went, and how much more control they had through turns”. Based in Jan Juc, Ross' garage shaping bay is filled with heritage boards with backstories longer than their stringers - including '60's Coolites and ex-Victorian champion quivers. One of Kelly Slater's boards that he rode at Bells, now on display at the Australian National Surfing Museum, was once repaired by Ross for the Champ. He did a great job, with the board holding up right until Kelly smashed it in a fit of post-heat loss rage. The walls of Ross’ shaping bay are plastered with weathered photos of secret surf spots in the Bight. When we beg him to tell us where they are, Ross growls "they're somewhere South West of here, but that's all you're getting". Fair call.

“I've made boards for my Dad and Simon Anderson, and they give me really valuable feedback, when I could never imagine to that level how the board was feeling”. SHYAMA BUTTONSHAW Shyama Designs

Where artistic magic happens SHYAMA BUTTONSHAW

SHYAMA BUTTONSHAW Shyama Designs Instagram @shyama_designs Location BELLS BEACH

When it comes to carving foam, Shyama Buttonshaw is shaping beyond his years. Shyama's dad Simon, who was pivotal in bringing Rip Curl and Quiksilver to life, ensured his son was exposed to, and enjoyed, surfing, shaping and art from a young age. After a successful stint competing on the Australian Junior Series, he began his shaping tutelage with some of Australia's finest, including Simon Anderson, Maurice Cole, Corey Graham, Wayne Lynch and Greg Brown. At school, Shyama won awards for his woodwork. This soon translated into fixing his mates boards for a bit of cash on the side. When he was around 18, Maurice offered Shyama a gig repairing dings, and he jumped at it. While Maurice was away travelling in the USA, Shyama shaped his first board. Once he'd cut the blank, he learned the hard way that glassing's a tough gig. Upon returning from the States, Maurice noticed a gnarled board poking out of the dumpster, with a gaping, Shyama-sized footwell in the middle of the deck. But he wasn't dissuaded - he was determined. His relationship with Simon Anderson has also defined his shaping style. Simon, who shaped Shyama's boards while he was competing on the Junior Series, is a master of refinement, and this has helped Shyama perfect his designs and technique over the years - "I've made boards for my Dad and Simon Anderson, and they give me really valuable feedback, when I could never imagine to that level how the board was feeling". Keeping the ideas flowing is equally important. "Sometimes when you're about to go to bed you have an idea. It could be a design aspect or an artwork. Any idea could pop into my head and I'll jot it down".

After three-and-a-half years with Maurice, Shyama went to learn the way of the handplane with Corey Graham. Corey and his dad Russell were hands-on, and helped Shyama develop his handshaping, sanding and glassing skills. A year or two after starting with Corey, Shyama built a shaping studio on his mum's farm, which overlooks Bells Beach, and it's all evolved from there. Art has always played a huge role in Shyama's work. His dad Simon's always painted (still does), and his brother and sister are both amazing artists as well. "Shaping and art complement each other. Of course the board's gotta work, but if the aesthetics are on, that brings a lot of weight as well". It's this dedication to the form that drives Shyama's creative process - no two boards are the same, they'll all customs, and they're all tailored to a wave, or a surfer. But it's not all smooth sailing. About two years ago, Shyama suffered a pretty serious knee injury, which kept him from surfing for 16 months. While recovering, he was only allowed to ride alternative craft. "I used to dabble in everything, and ride a different board once every few months, and kind of chop and change between everything". This opened his eyes to new styles of surfing as he focused on "just riding the wave". If you're lucky, you may catch a glimpse of Shyama riding a finless 88 foamie at Winki when it’s small. We're not alone in being excited for Shyama's future. He's quickly becoming regarded as one of Victoria's, and Australia's, best shapers. Modern surfboards. Traditional values. Legend.

“Shaping and art complement each other. Of course the board's gotta work, but if the aesthetics are on, that brings a lot of weight as well”. SHYAMA BUTTONSHAW Shyama Designs

ZAK ZAKSURFBOARDS KONIARIS KONIARIS ZakZAC Surfboards

Location Instagram THORNBURY @zaksurfboards Photography Location by ED SLOANE THORNBURY (MELBOURNE)

When it comes to surf hardware in Melbourne, there's only one destination - Zak's. Founded by Zak Koniaris almost 20 years ago, Zak's operations have expanded to include the Surfboard Studio, an epic spot in Preston where city-dwellers and surfers from far and wide can come and learn to design, shape and glass their own boards, and Refresh Your Stick, an online hire program that includes stacks of fresh blades from leading and Victorian brands so you can try before you buy. Zak shaped his first surfboard at 13, and hasn't looked back. He frequently travelled by bus from Viewbank to the Mornington Peninsula to score blanks and resin from Trigger Brothers for his next board. Fast forward a few years, and after cranking out boards and ding repairs to make ends meet, Zak opened his first store in Thornbury in 1999. There were a lot of skeptics, as the shop (measuring just 21 square metres) packed in 86 surfboards and a few accessories, skateboards and wetties, meaning customers had to walk around single-file. But he persevered, and successfully moved up the road to his current, much bigger spot on Victoria Road and now stocks one of the biggest ranges of boards in Victoria. The ethos hasn't changed - it's pretty much all boards, hardware and essentials, and it works. Many come for Zak's prized collection of heritage boards which colour the roof of his store. Melbourne's an unlikely location for a true surf shop, but Zak's thrived in Thornbury. Zak is a distinctive, colourful character in Victorian surfing. He's mates with almost all of his customers, who pop in from time to time for a quick chat and end up staying an hour and a half. He's also dialled in with the world's best shapers, and visits them regularly (at home and overseas) to ensure he's got the best foam on his shelves. As his family has grown Zak has stepped back from shaping, and now has some of the Surf Coast greats producing his range of boards. If you're a Melburnian surfer, go and check out Zak's store, and ask him about his boards. If you're lucky, he might just share some of his tall tales with you over a fine, rare tequila (he's got a collection that'd rival the bar counters of good Mexican spot).

The Strapper signature Photography by ED SLOANE

For Andrew, the only competition with that day at Lorne Point was his first surf at Wavegarden’s HQ in San Sebastian, Spain in 2012. He’d taken a sabbatical from the corporate grind to spend time with his young family, to surf, to travel, but was quickly distracted by a patent battle between two of surfing’s icons – Greg Webber and Kelly Slater – over wave pool tech. His intrigue led him to a picturesque patch of farmland on the outskirts of Aizarnazabal, a small town deep in the Basque heartland. Led by the Odriozola family, Wavegarden’s team of passionate surfers and highly-skilled engineers had created a private, unique, inland surfing oasis, miles from the coast. Surrounded by rolling green pastures and shadowed by the Pyrenees mountains, waves were pumping. He arrived at the remote R&D centre with a sense of scepticism, but that quickly dissolved. “Holy shit!”, Andrew exclaimed, as he saw two-time world champ Gabriel Medina blast blow-tails and pop shove-its into the black-plastic flats of Wavegarden’s prototype Lagoon. After witnessing several more bewildering rides, Fernando Odriozola, Wavegarden’s biz director and brother of inventor Josema, ordered the Brazilian champ, other visiting pros and their hangers-on out of the Lagoon – it was Andrew’s turn. “Andrew, you are very important to us, and for Wavegarden in Australia”, said Fernando. “Please, go surfing! The other guys can wait”. Not needing to be told twice, Andrew grabbed an MR thruster, bolted to the take-off spot, and waited excitedly for the wave foil to grind. In that first session he caught 10 waves, blasted 60 turns, and had his mind blown by the most mechanically-perfect waves he’d ever surfed. Immediately recognising the potential for Australia (which has the highest per-capita surfing population in the world), he cut a deal with Fernando and Josema, pretty much there and then, to acquire the Australian rights to Wavegarden’s tech. URBNSURF was born.

Andrew Ross URBNSURF'S Founder

THE FIRST Words by RUPERT PARTRIDGE Photography by ED SLOANE Your first surf is rarely your best, but it’s usually the most memorable. I still vividly remember being pushed into wind-blown, summer slop at Currumbin Alley by my dad when I was six. Despite the howling onshore, the experience burned a Cheshire Cat smile into my face that lingered for days. Everyone on the URBNSURF team has similar stories. Andrew, our Founder, often recalls dragging a family friend’s ageing, red single-fin pintail down to Lorne Point when he was ten, and staunchly riding the ol’ beast onto the rocks without a care in the world.

After returning from Europe, Andrew spent the better part of a year in a dark cell (literally – our first offices were a series of cells in the heritage-listed Fremantle Prison) pondering how best to create an artificial surfing environment, and a business around it, that was authentic, Australian, natural, sustainable, memorable, and most importantly, respectful of surfing’s rich history and culture. How should sessions, lessons and memberships work? What will encourage more women to surf? How do we nurture future world champions? How do we minimise our impact on the earth? How do we give back and support those less fortunate? What can we do to support grassroots surfing? The list swelled. And then the real work began. Unsurprisingly, creating Australia’s first surf parks is an exciting, but difficult challenge. While they’re all the rage in 2019, in 2012 there were only flowriders (like the Wave House in San Diego, California) and “pump and dump”-style wavepools (like Siam Park in Tenerife, Canary Islands) to satiate the hunger of wave-starved surfers. Even now, in the midst of the wave pool arms race, there are only three “true” surfing wavepools in operation – The WSL Surf Ranch in Lemoore, California, Surf Snowdonia in Dolgarrog, Wales, and the BSR Surf Resort in Waco, Texas. No surf parks exist in core surf markets. No surf parks exist in the Southern Hemisphere. And despite the hype, very few surfers have ever visited a surf park or ridden artificial waves, and many still need convincing (thankfully Kelly’s leg-burning barrel sections, and BSR’s board-snapping air wave, have helped curb scepticism). From a business perspective, thousands of loyal customers must be found, educated and satisfied, and numerous, profitable business units need to be developed around the surfing experience (from retail, to hire, food and beverage, events and competitions), in order to bring the dream to life. These business models are still very, very new, and are still being built, tested and refined. Appealing to non-surfers is an even larger challenge, many of whom have little more than a cursory knowledge of the sport. The Cove creates authentic, powerful, barrelling waves, and a hell of a lot of them – once you take into account multiple breaks, we can pump out over 3,000 an hour. We can also create different types of waves (barrels, open faces, steep pockets, air sections), and scale wave height, shape and power to suit different surfing abilities. It’s your first-time surfing? Here’s a Waikiki-style, rolling whitewash wave to find your feet on. You’re an aspiring world-champ, hungry to ring the Bell at the Rip Curl Pro? Try this mutant barrel to air section. The possibilities are endless. Back in 2017, we’d already locked down our Melbourne Airport site, completed all the preliminary work needed to start building our Wavegarden Lagoon, and were essentially good to go. But then late one evening, Andrew received a call from Wavegarden. “Andrew, you need to come over here ASAP. We’ve got something to show you”. They’d created a Cove prototype.

Kita Alexander & Owen Wright Enjoying Wavegarden's Cove prototype in Spain.

Unknown Enjoying Wavegarden's prototype Cove Photography by Wavegarden

Nikki Van Dijk, the Queen of Phillip Island. Thrashing Wavegarden's Cove prototype in 2018.

Welcome to URBNSURF Melbourne!

Like American Wave Machines’ Perfect Swell technology (that’s used at BSR), the Wavegarden Cove creates concave-shaped waves. Like the hulls of most high-performance thrusters, concave-shaped waves have a trough (or a bottom), create a power pocket, and curve back towards you as you surf them. Imagine how a swell line curves around a groyne at a beach, or a headland at a point break – the wave breaks out the back and runs perpendicular along the bank (typically parallel to the shoreline), while the swell line maintains the wave’s power as it “wraps” back in on itself. Conversely, wave foil technologies (used by the likes of the WSL Surf Ranch and Surf Snowdonia, and what we were originally planning to install for URBNSURF Melbourne) create convex-shaped waves. They don’t tend to have a trough, there’s a limited power pocket (instead, the power is concentrated in the top one-third of the wave), and the wave bends back away from you, rather than towards you, so it feels like it’s constantly trying to race away and push you away from the source. The wave foil surfing experience is more akin to wakesurfing behind a boat, than scoring 3-4ft Bird Rock, or off-the-wall D’Bah, which is the style of wave you’ll get at URBNSURF Melbourne. Essentially, concave-shaped waves are the real deal – beware all imitations. After he’d received the call about the Cove, Andrew flew to Spain, surfed his brains out, and had another "holy shit!" moment. He knew we had to have it. We turfed our plans to build a Wavegarden Lagoon. We turfed our plans to build a Wavegarden Lagoon, and spent the better part of 2017 and 2018 re-designing URBNSURF Melbourne, from the ground up. Considering we only started construction in May 2018, and that it’s the first time a Wavegarden Cove has ever been built at full-scale, we’re stoked with the progress we’ve made in Melbourne. At the time of writing, our wave generator’s been installed (pier, motors, pistons, housing and all) and we’re mere weeks away from filling our two-hectare, 23 million litre slice of paradise. Once the pool’s been filled, we’ll commence our testing and commissioning period, where things will get really interesting. In the first 7 days, we’ll run our generator 24 hours a day, flat-stick, at full height. That’s over 168,000 perfect barrels, grinding out on Airport Drive, Tullamarine opposite the Essendon Hangar. We’re all incredibly excited to show the world what we’ve created, and of course get in there and surf our brains out.

We’ve all started ordering heritage boards from iconic Australian shapers for our first surf – Andrew’s already got a 1980’s MR twin-fin on ice, I’ve ordered an Al Byrne channel-bottomed twinny, our facilities manager Chris is opting for a Jim Banks, and our CEO of Parks Damon will be riding a Corey Graham handshape. Over winter, we’ll be programming new waves with the help of elite athletes, testing a range of boards, surf hardware and wetsuits to find what works best in what conditions, and preparing to launch with a bang in Spring 2019. Our next project in Sydney (at Sydney Olympic Park) is on the horizon, but approaching fast, and we’re planning to build ten URBNSURF parks in Australia over the next decade. It’s an audacious goal, but we’re confident that team work will make the dream work. Like all surfing fables, the URBNSURF story is a deeply personal one. To kick the business off, Andrew invested a large chunk of his hard-earned life savings, and raised the remaining capital needed from his close mates, a tightknit group of Perth-based surfers who still escape to Rotto, Margaret River and Indonesia whenever they can. I started hassling Andrew via LinkedIn for a job seven years ago, and worked for free until there was an opening. Our development manager Ben, and our facilities manager Chris, both did the same. Our team’s since swelled to 10 full-time staff (and growing), and hundreds of expert consultants and contractors, from hydrodynamicists to electromechanical engineers, are helping us build URBNSURF Melbourne. We’ve also welcomed the backing and nous of well-connected, highly-sophisticated private equity investors who share our vision to create the best surf parks in the world, and to deliver incredible, memorable surfing experiences to our guests. Everyone involved in the URBNSURF journey is incredibly passionate about what we’re trying to achieve. 80+ hour weeks are the norm. Some of us have relocated interstate, and some of us have even sacrificed personal relationships, to help write a few paragraphs in the next chapter of modern surfing. Most of us are lifelong surfers, and are intimately acquainted with the core and fringes of Australian surf, what’s really important, and what’s just bullshit. We’re acutely aware of the responsibility that sits on our shoulders in creating new surf breaks, and in creating new surfers who’ll ride their first wave at URBNSURF. Ensuring we support grassroots surfing culture, celebrate Australia’s rich surfing history, educate (and mandate) surfing etiquette, preserve our gorgeous, pristine coastlines and natural habitats, and enable current and aspiring athletes reach their full potential, is baked in our DNA. We’re driven to surf more, and to surf better – and want to help others do the same.

Andrew Ross On site at URBNSURF Melbourne Photography by Ed Sloane

Which is why we’ve teamed up with Surf Visuals on Behind The Shaper, a series that shines a light on the most important, but often the most overlooked, people in surfing – the shaper. We’re proud to tell their tales of resin dust, fibreglass cuts, master craftsmanship, and the pursuit of the perfect ride. What started as a small concept quickly ballooned into a 80-page zine, a digital content series, a 6-episode podcast mini-series by Lipped, The Surfer’s Podcast, a gallery exhibition in the heart of Melbourne, and the creation of twelve custom boards, built by each of the shapers for them to ride and refine at URBNSURF Melbourne. We hope you love it as much as we do. We’re psyched to welcome surfers from all walks of life, from Victoria, around Australia and from around the world, to come and ride some perfect waves with us at URBNSURF Melbourne later this year. Nothing will ever top your first surf, but we’re hoping your first with us will be just as memorable. Yew! Rupert

URBNSURF Melbourne, from the air. Photography by URBNSURF

Surf Visuals has been designed to be more of a community than anything else, where anyone can stumble across our issues, website or social accounts and feel connected with the creators. We build and maintain close relationships with everyone who submits work with us. To date, we’ve released three premium biannual issues, which are available via our website and select, specialist surf retailers around the world. Across the issues, we’ve featured the work of over 60 creatives including Alan Van Gysen, Ed Sloane, Hayden O’Neill, Cait Miers and Amy Markham. We’re proud to have partnered with leading brands, including URBNSURF, Rip Curl, Qantas and Eat Your Water, which has helped expand our reach to surfers more quickly than we could have imagined.

THE SV TEAM Founded in Melbourne, Surf Visuals is an online and print surf publisher. We pride ourselves on unearthing the best independent surf photographers and creatives from all corners of the globe, in weekly online publications and biannual issues with over 180+ pages of original content. Receiving a huge number of submissions daily, Surf Visuals features surf content captured on a myriad of mediums, from old-school film photography to modernised, abstract surf scenes captured on modern DSLR’s.

Our latest project seeks to celebrate 12 shapers pushing boundaries on Victoria’s iconic Surf Coast (Behind The Shaper). Accompanying this zine is a 6-episode mini-series by Lipped, The Surfer’s Podcast, and digital content that’ll drop via: behindtheshaper.com and our social accounts. It has been great working with and learning from Rupert Partridge, URBNSURF’s brand and marketing guru (or as we call him – “the icon”). His guidance and advice has been critical to our growth and the way we operate. Our aim for Behind The Shaper is to give back to the local Surf Coast shaping community, as shapers are too often forgotten and pushed into the surf industry’s backroom. With this (first instalment of the) series, we bring them back into the light and celebrate their “tales of resin dust, fibreglass cuts, master craftsmanship and their pursuit of the perfect ride”. We hope you love it! If you want to get in touch, and be a part of the Surf Visuals community, find us here: @surfvisuals www.surfvisuals.com

“I moved to Torquay in my late teens, and the local crew were just mythical creatures from another world. Everyone ripped, and to be honest it was incredibly intimidating, especially as a rubbish surfer. I got sent

these days, but it's still there.” What’s your local break? Is it your favourite spot to surf, or are you just in the comfort zone? I surf Winki far too much. It's not really good for your surfing as it's a pretty easy wave to surf. I think Bells is still the yardstick for really good, powerful Victorian surfing. I watch the lines guys like Nathan Edwards and Adam Robertson draw on the bigger days, and they make such difficult and radical turns look effortless. I'm trying to surf Bells a lot more, to figure it out.

JAMES MILES Lipped, The Surfers Podcast @lippedpodcast

Rumour has it you were once an avid competitive kickboxer? I was a terrible fighter, but fighting is the ultimate physical experience. It's stupidly hard work preparing for a fight, and then you are given this one moment where you are able to test every assumption you have about yourself and the training you've done. I interviewed an incredible Scottish fighter, Jordan Coe, a few months before he passed away in a weight-cutting accident in Thailand. I feel honoured that I got to capture his spirit and lust for life, and share it with others. That was really the interview that made me sit back and think that podcasting was a great medium for me to contribute.

James Miles, affectionately known to most as simply Jimmy, is one of the most knowledgeable surfers in Victoria. A true surfing historian, his passion for riding waves, the sport, surf culture and the identities who shape it is seemingly unlimited. Together with Cahill Bell-Warren, Jimmy brings surf to life through Lipped, The Surfer’s Podcast. It was a real coup to secure Jimmy to interview six of our twelve featured shapers, and to produce a podcast mini-series for Behind The Shaper. We convinced Jimmy to be on the other side of the mic for a change, to talk surfing, life as a kickboxer, the origins of Lipped and commentating the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach in 2019.

How did the Lipped journey begin? I've known Cahill forever, and a few years back he came and started training Muay Thai with me. I think he'd listened to a few episodes of 8 Weapons, and we talked about doing something similar with the friends he'd made on the WQS - sort of shining the light on these amazing surfers that are hidden away, grinding. That Easter, Cahill came over for dinner with Keanu Asing. Keanu and I had a few glasses of wine, and he started sharing with me all of the crazy things that went wrong for him in his first CT heat. Keanu is such an open and honest guy, and I remember thinking, "why am I not recording this?". Cahill and I put together a plan, and a year later in 2016 we kicked off with Keanu as our first guest. We've gradually improved and have had some amazing experiences. I remember when Taylor Steele's wife posted our interview with him, and said some really nice things about us, and again it felt like we had really given something back to the sport we love, and contribute something positive. Calling Bells this year must be epic! How did the opportunity come about? I've always loved commentating, and I think the best guys, like Bruce McAvaney and Gerard Whateley, are just incredible. Weaving story telling and context into sporting contests is what makes broadcasts and events special, and I'm keen to try and do that. I met Gerard one day covering track work at Caulfield, and I remember his preparation was meticulous. He wasn't a specialist racing journalist but he knew everything about the sport. I like that preparation, and understanding the why's behind the why's is critical. Calling Bells really gives me the opportunity to try and tell some untold stories, and give people on the beach a reason to connect with an athlete. I grew up a pro wrestling nerd, and I love the way that a simple storyline, told well, can make you care about two guys in Speedo's pretending to fight. Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s your favourite interview, and why? To be honest, Jordan Coe for 8 Weapons. For Lipped, I think the original interview with Maurice Cole was a favourite, as it was the first time I sort of let everything go and just had a genuine conversation about surfing. You can normally tell if we do the interview live or in person, as the connection in person is so much stronger. Parko, Taylor Steele, Italo and Keanu were all in-person and all would be among my favourites. It was great that for Behind the Shaper series I got to do all the interviews in-person, often in their shaping bays! It was more authentic, more raw. I really enjoyed sitting with Corey Graham in his bay, surrounded by foam dust everywhere. When he says he loves the noise and the dust - you know it's true. Would you surf a wave pool? I'm fascinated by where pools are going to take the sport. Everything about them is amazing. From the technology, to creating viable business models, to how good people are going to get.....really, really fast. I think the pool will be too late for Tokyo, but the WSL already has land in Paris for the Olympics in 2024. I want to commentate an Australian Gold in surfing the pool in Paris....maybe Xavier Huxtable can prove redheads can do anything! You can listen to all of Jimmyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s interviews for Behind The Shaper via www.behindtheshaper.com, on Spotify or via Lipped, The Surferâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Podcast.

When shape and shaper connect EIJI SHIOMOTO

The Photographer

ED SLOANE Ed Sloane Photo @edsloanephoto Ed Sloane, tube hound and world-renowned surf photographer was our chief photographer for Behind The Shaper, part 1, Proud to call the Surf Coast home, Ed knows the shapers featured in the series well, and when not behind the lens can usually be found gorging on a-frames at 13th Beach (or other secret spots, but Ed’s lips are rightfully sealed). Ed, welcome mate! When did your photography career kick off? Thanks guys! Around 2009 I think I first started I think I started shooting. I’m not really sure you’d say it “kicked off”, it’s been a nice steady, slow burn! You have a very distinctive photographic style. What has influenced your style, and is there a type of work you prefer? I’m influenced by everything, it’s kind of a problem! I think when most people start shooting they can get pulled in all different directions. I was shooting surf as my focus, but other work came up and I really enjoyed the whole process, so I dived into it all. I don’t have a massive preference, although shooting pumping waves is pretty amazing. Weddings are cool as well, because they’re a mix of so many different aspects of photography like portraits, details, photojournalism, and even landscapes, so they’re really dynamic. Just tiring! Your work is perceived by many as some of the best in surf, are there other photographers that you draw inspiration from? Sam Abell is pretty incredible, I could listen to him talk about how he composes his photographs forever. He’s a true visual storyteller. Google him. What’s your favourite spot to shoot on the Surf Coast when it’s firing? Rather not say! It’s under wraps. What’s your favourite image captured of the Surf Coast, and why? There’s so many, but one I shot a few years back is up there (page 73). It makes the Surf Coast look like WA, it trips a lot of people out, but it’s the Vicco real deal. Surfing is obviously a big part of your life, how many of the 12 shapers’ boards have you ridden? Shit, like 2 of them. Cory Russell lives a street away from me so I’ve always ridden his boards, and I’m pretty lazy with my quiver, mostly because I’m always investing in new photo gear. You’ve just made me realise I need to order at least 10 more boards. If someone wants to find you surfing on the Surf Coast, where do you call your local? Winkipop, haha. Loose lips sink ships.

“This shot makes the Surf Coast look like WA, it trips a lot of people out, it’s not fake at all”. Ed Sloane Photo

AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL SURFING MUSEUM Words by GARY DUNNE

Looking for an absolutely unique surfing experience you wont find anywhere else in the world? Then look no further than the Australian National Surfing Museum in Torquay, which celebrates more than a century of history of Australia’s surf culture, including its significant events, characters and milestones. In the making of Behind The Shaper, we were lucky enough to be granted access into these sacred halls for a photoshoot. To be surrounded by the history of surfing in Australia is a breathtaking experience, as the development and progression of surfing – in every aspect, was right before our eyes. The museum features informative exhibition spaces, spectacular Australian surf films and archival footage, dozens of stunning photographs, an array of heritage and historically-significant surfboards, quirky surf art, and displays of vintage surf clothing, wetsuits, competition trophies and technology, the museum traces the growth and progression of Australian surfing and surf culture over the last century. The museum’s crown jewels are its incredible collection of more than 150 surfboards including: • • • • • •

A pair of solid timber keels, originally crafted in Hawaii in the early 20th century. The first surfboards to be ridden in Victoria! Original 1930’s hollow "toothpicks”, ‘50’s and ‘60’s balsa Malibu’s, Late-‘60’s shortboards and other gems from the ‘70’s through to modern thrusters; One of the first thrusters that Simon Anderson shaped for himself, and rode to victory in the epic 1981 Bells contest; Extremely rare experimental oddities such as Rip Curl’s first H-Bomb heated wetsuit.

The Australian Surfing Hall Of Fame, which honours Australia’s surfing icons, pioneers and competitive champions, also calls the museum home. It’s a must-see. In 2019, the museum has two feature installations. The first, Derek Hynd: Far Field Free Friction, focuses on the former pro surfer turned writer’s experience with finless boards at some of the world’s best point breaks, from Noosa to Jeffery’s Bay. The second, Fossil Beach: Mega Predators Of The Surf Coast, showcases a collection of prehistoric fossils, and the stories of their discovery on the Surf Coast. The ANSM is at 77 Beach Road, Torquay. It’s open from 9am to 5pm, 7 days a week, 364 days a year (only closed Christmas Day).

Shyama in his shed SHYAMA BUTTONSHAW

Look and learn COREY GRAHAM

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Let's tell tall tales of resin dust, fibreglass cuts, master craftsmanship and their pursuit of the perfect rideâ&#x20AC;?

Behind The Shaper @behindtheshaper www.behindtheshaper.com