Parkinson Surfboards a tale of friendship and innovation

In the late 1960s, the world of surfboard shaping witnessed the emergence of a legendary trio on the Mornington Peninsula: Geoff Coker, and brothers Mick and Keith Parkinson. The three young men embarked on a remarkable journey to create Parkinson Surfboards and created a lasting impact on the surfing world.

Though now in his early 70s, Geoff can still recall the early days when he first crossed paths with the Parkinson brothers. While he had known of Mick and Keith through school and sports, it was in 1969, on the sandy shores of Sorrento back beach, that their friendship truly took root.

"We were just three mates surfing at Sorrento back beach; that's where I met the Parkinson brothers,” Geoff said. “I knew of them right through the mid‘60s because they went to Sorrento State School and Rosebud High and I saw them playing footy, but we properly met and became mates at the beach."

Their shared passion for surfing and a common bond forged through their fathers' fishing backgrounds laid the foundation for what would become a groundbreaking collaboration. "Their father was a professional fisherman and my dad fished too, so we had a lot in common. They lived out in Blairgowrie and they were a couple of years younger than me. Basically, we learnt to surf together."

As surfers, the trio initially owned custom boards crafted by other manufacturers. However, driven by curiosity and a desire for customisation, they decided to reshape an old 9' 6" board together. "We stripped all the fibreglass off it out in their father's net shed and reshaped it, and we thought we were fibreglassing it. But when we finished, it hadn’t come out anything like the shop board. But it still worked; it still rode all right. We were pretty happy, and then a few mates said: 'Oh, I've got an old surfboard, can you cut that down?' So we did that.”

Encouraged by their initial success, Geoff, Mick and Keith decided to acquire proper materials and elevate their creations to commercial standards. By the middle of 1970 they were in full production at the back of the brothers' father's fish shop in Blairgowrie, which they transformed into a workshop for shaping, glassing, finishing, sanding and polishing the boards. The fish shop still stands.

The venture gradually gained momentum, with an increasing number of surfers seeking their bespoke boards. "We holidayed in Noosa Heads each winter. There was nothing going on down on the Peninsula in winter because surfing wasn't what it is today; only the diehards surfed back then. So when we started (manufacturing) we went to Noosa and met some good friends there and ended up sending boards to the Laguna Bay surf shop, which was in Hastings St. We had a good outlet there, and we were also selling boards through Melbourne Sports Depot. It wasn't really a commercial arrangement, like 'I’m the boss, you’re the worker’. We were just three mates absolutely loving what we did. It was fantastic times creating colourful things that went in the water."

Geoff's journey in shaping surfboards came to a pause in 1976 when he got married, while Keith followed his interest in restoring and making timber boats. Mick, however, continued making surfboards in a shed near McFarlan Ave in Blairgowrie until about 1983, producing exceptional boards that upheld the legacy of Parkinson Surfboards. Mick died in 2019, and his ashes were scattered in a paddle-out at Sorrento back beach. These days, Geoff's passion for the craft remains alive. "Now that I'm retired, I'm restoring boards, especially Parkinson boards. The boards go right through the era, from our very first ones to our last ones. I've made a couple of other boards as well – not commercially, but just for fun, so it's come full circle.”

While Geoff's surfing days have been put on hold due to injuries, his enthusiasm for returning to the waves remains palpable. "I had two new knees five years ago. Now that I've got a new hip coming up in a month, the surgeon said it wasn't my knees stopping me from getting up; it was more than likely my hips. So I’ll probably be able to surf again. I'd love to because I've got a couple of mates who are my age who still surf, and I'm damn envious."

With their camaraderie, shared passion, and innovative spirit, Geoff and the Parkinson brothers left an indelible mark on the world of surfboard shaping. Parkinson Surfboards is a reminder that the pursuit of passions alongside true friends can lead to achievements that stand the test of time.