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JANUARY 20I4 VOLUME 01 OF 12

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H A N D F U L &

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C R A Z Y

S U R F E R S H O U S E

Our mission was ambitious to say the least.

We wanted to hand-shape five boards, then commission artists to treat them as canvasses, and finally ride the pimped wave sliders all in the space of a week. Our chosen setting to bring together a melting pot of board builders, artists, musicians, master chefs and surfers was Corona’s La Casa house in Byron Bay. The idyllic digs had us a stumble away from a Pandanus-fringed beach and at least a little removed from Byron’s myriad of distractions.

We can’t say pulling the project off was easy, but dam we had some fun doing it…

01 » THE TRACKS EXPERIMENT

Top to Bottom: Asher Pacey beats the heat with a home-made icey pole.

Simon Jones enjoying his hinterland home.

Ben McTavish applying the finishing touches to the board he dubbed 'The Bowie'.

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P H O T O S S T O R I E S

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"That's my commute," states shaper Simon Jones with

tric whir of the sander and the soft scraping of the

a proud grin as he points to the 30-yard track, which

surf form on foam. Between boards, we conducted

leads from his backyard down to his hillside shaping

interviews on haystacks and sucked on homemade

bay. Simon's rustic shaping shed in the Byron hinter-

coconut iceblocks for relief from the burning sun.

land was to be the setting for the first component of

Simon's place was the sort of quirky, fairytale setting

the project we'd dubbed the Electric Cool Surf Ex-

where you checked the surf from a fig tree on the hill

periment. On a hot spring day four shapers would

and the family dog was in the habit of wandering to

arrive with a planer in one hand and a blank in the

the affluent next-door neighbour's place to be spoilt

other. Their brief was as simple as it was challeng-

with duck breast for dinner.

ing. We'd asked each of the experienced craftsmen

Simon, a kind of alternative living version of Lord

to make a board that took them outside their regu-

of the Manor, regaled us with shaping stories over

lar comfort zone – to embrace their creative instincts

lunch. Like the time Reno Abellira showed up in By-

and take a risk with something entirely experimental.

ron and lived like a rock star for six months on little

"Turn on the air con and watch out for the pythons,"

more than the strength of his reputation as a surfer

was Simon's only advice to his shaping peers as they

and shaper. The diminutive Hawaiian with a pen-

entered his small, self-styled shack with grand designs

chant for twin fins and ostentatious dress was gifted a

on their mind.

BMW to drive around and wherever Reno lay his hat,

On a public holiday when most surfers were enjoy-

the red carpet was rolled out.

ing the beach and a barbie, Simon Jones, Ben McTav-

It's true that Byron remains the sort of hal-

ish, Matt Hurworth and Dan Macdonald were in the

lowed surfing landscape, where being a respected

bay, sweating bullets as they applied the sum of their

shaper earns you the status of a sage. The likes of

knowledge to an impromptu surfboard that would

Bob McTavish, George Greenough, Jeff McCoy,

be ridden by a handful of pro surfers within a week.

Michael Cundith, Bruno Buzzolan, Paul Hutchin-

This was supposed to be a board to have fun on but a

son and Mark Plater all call the region home. Col-

shaper always feels the pressure when they know their

lectively they are responsible for some of surfboard

craft will be ridden by an expert wave-slider.

shaping's most significant innovations, successful

Although they were working while everyone en-

refinements and indeed, biggest experiments. Given

joyed a day off, the four craftsmen couldn't deny that

the importance and mystique still accorded the surf-

Simon's hillside bay offered a novel shaping experi-

board in Byron, it provided the perfect setting for

ence. A chorus of cicadas and the distant moo of cat-

our modern fibreglass and foam experiments. Read

tle provided the acoustic accompaniment to the elec-

on to find out what happened.

ISSUE Nº 520 // TRACKSMAG.COM // 021

PHOTO: BJB

01 » THE TRACKS EXPERIMENT PHOTO: BJB

Left to Right: Asher Pacey employs perfect laid-back form as he cleaves the lip on a Matt Hurworth Quad.

Heath Joske, swooping on one of Matt Hurworth's single fins.

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PHOTO: KATRINA PARKER PHOTO: BJB

PHOTO: KATRINA PARKER

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01 » THE TRACKS EXPERIMENT

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Meet Ben McTavish and feel the full presence of

With bubble-wrapped foam blank under one

your ears ring constantly?" I ask. "All the time …

country soul. With the square jaw, short cropped

arm and toolbox in the other, Ben calls to mind

I think my ears are more sensitive than my lungs."

hair, check shirt and flanked by his F100 ute, he

a bush doctor about to make a house call in the

As the subtleties of an idea begin to emerge Ben

gives the impression he spends his day tending cat-

Byron hinterland. For our team of open-minded

blows off the foam and signs off on the aptly named

tle not shaping surfboards. As the warm and open

surfers, the appointment is eagerly anticipated.

'Bowie'. The board comes in at 5'6" by 19 1/2" by 2

conversation shifts from pleasantries to recalling a

Outside the shaping bay Ben muses on what he's

5/8" and looks electric. "These shouldn't have gone

recent surf, Ben reveals his passion for making both

about to shape. "I love what happened in the '80s

anywhere," he points out. Ben laments “the disease

alternative and traditional surf craft, today hon-

... lots of volume." He pulls out the blank he's pre

of the ‘90s” when an epidemic of foam anorexia

ing in on the ‘80s. “There were a lot of design in-

hand shaped and we all look on with delight as

sucked the life out of boards. Fortunately surfers

gredients that happened through that time period

Ben takes us a step back in time. Lots of volume

currently enjoy an age where foam is your friend

and things did get rushed and I guess as a younger

in the nose, a bump flyer into a heavily tapered

and the heavy rockered, biscuit-thin-banana-boards

shaper I missed it so it’s really healthy for me to

tail. Ben describes these key elements and the flat

of the '90s have faded into distant memory. Boards

revisit it.”

deck, which allows a “good power zone” that can

like the 'Bowie' reflect an open-minded era where

Ben’s a second-generation shaper. His father

be surfed more off the front foot. He imagines such

the best design principles of now and then can be

Bob needs no introduction. Ben has had the good

a shape working well around the peaky north coast

combined and Ben firmly believes it's volume that is

fortune of learning his craft from one of the true

beach breaks of Byron Bay. "It will be a quad," he

giving people more enjoyment in their surfing.

legends of surf culture. The notion that invaluable

decides, relishing the opportunity to marry a mod-

knowledge has been passed on from father to son is

ern trend to his '80s inspired creation.

Our focus shifts as the bush doctor packs up, rolls up the cord of his planer and purposefully organises

made wonderfully apparent when Ben arrives with

Watching someone shape a surfboard reveals a

his tools. Carrying his wooden toolbox and bubble

a 1970s wooden toolbox and planer, inherited from

lot about their personality. Ben has a methodical

wrapped shape Ben reaches his F100 ute and reveals

his father. It’s quickly apparent Ben has the no frills

approach to a blank. Like a surgeon he carefully

one final surprise; a 5'0" quad that is nothing like

ego of someone who has consciously set himself on

unpacks his toolbox, setting his tools out in an or-

we've seen before. Complete with spiralling artwork

the path less travelled. Not one for fanfare, Ben has

derly fashion. Then he begins to work the blank

by Paul McNeil the 'Butter Ball,’ as it's been dubbed,

stuck to his principles and let the boards do the talk-

into a finely tuned machine. The hands follow the

immediately finds the arms of an excited Asher Pac-

ing. He’s not the kind of shaper who gets caught up

eyes with each stroke of the planer as a film of

ey. Smiling and content, Ben climbs aboard his ute

in popularity contests.

foam dust quickly coats Ben from head to toe. "Do

and bids us a friendly country farewell.

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Top: Ben McTavish cross-stepping through the shaping bay.

Bottom: Asher Pacey throwing Ziggy Stardust on the Ben McTavish 'Bowie'.

Main: Torren Martyn applying the body torque to Simon Jones' asymmetrical shape.

Inset: Guru shaper, Simon Jones, explaining 'The Origin of The Species'.

PHOTO: BJB

PHOTO: BJB

S I M O N

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Simon Jones is sitting at Lennox point on a windblown,

foot.” Simon had Lennox point in mind when he made

as a shaper. Simon already had firm ideas about why

three-foot afternoon looking eagerly over the lineup,

the board and could imagine a natural footer using the

he wanted to focus on handcrafted single fins. “I liked

alongside his doting son, Dash. Byron surfer, Torren

double flyer-pintail, inside rail to come hard and tight

the idea of a board that was made by someone… It

Martyn, is out in the water on one of the two boards

off the bottom and then pivoting off the asymmetrical

also seems important to spend some time on a single

Simon has made for the experiment and the shaper

diamond tail on the outside rail. However, he indicates

fin, to fine tune your knowledge of wave energy… you

is understandably anxious to see how it performs be-

that the asymmetry wasn't his only deviation from his

can’t just shove your feet at the back and go ‘boom!’”

neath the feet of a skilled practitioner. “ It’s a bit nerve-

regular approach.

wracking,” he suggests. “ I really went out on a limb with this one.”

Of all four shapers who took part in our Electric Cool Surf Experiment it was Simon who had em-

Back at the point Torren Martyn is trying to make

“The further departure from the norm for me is that

the asymmetrical board work on the chattery, after-

it’s a single concave, where usually I run V through the

noon Lennox faces. It’s not an easy task in the crowd-

tail, through to flat under the front foot and slight V

ed, light onshore conditions. On the first few waves he

under the nose.”

strives to get a feel for the asymmetrical shape – just

braced the spirit of experimentalism most wholeheart-

On a more philosophical level, Simon discusses the

drifts down the line and searches for the sweet spots

edly. The custodian of the Morning of The Earth

board as a kind of artistic statement, which is designed

on a board with two distinctly different tail sensations.

surfboard label is renowned for producing aesthetically

to make us question our preoccupation with beauty

Eventually he figures out the nuances and there are

beautiful single fins – the sort of classically designed,

and symmetry.

a few brilliant moments where everything connects.

retro wave spears that instantly make you want to

“Beauty and symmetry are part of the human

Torren flies down the line, jamming turns at will,

abandon modern performance preoccupations and

conquest but it occurred to me that in the search for

trailed by his whip of long blonde hair which makes

experience the sensation of surfing with one fin. How-

those things perhaps we were missing out on a whole

it look like he is simulating an iconic 70s moment with

ever, for our test, Simon happily donned his Dr Frank-

lot of things that were present in asymmetry.”

an asymmetrical twist. Simon looks satisfied but not

enstein hat and produced two boards, which were dis-

Simon eventually borrowed Charle’s Darwin’s fa-

entirely content. He knows the board’s full potential

tinguished primarily by their asymmetrical tails. When

mous title and dubbed his board The Origin of the

would best be explored on a clean, five-foot day but

quizzed about why he felt experimenting with design

Species. “Single fins are one of the origins of the

for now he will have to be happy with the fact it’s been

was important, Simon touches on the very nature of

species – although the first boards didn’t have any

brought to life.

the creative process itself.

fins – single fins hold such a mystique and an inter-

"A lot of board production is based on safely staying

est,” he muses.

Recently, Simon had the opportunity to make boards for Andrew Kidman’s highly anticipated re-

within the margins. And sure enough that makes good

It was the mystique associated with hand-shaped

make of Morning of The Earth – The Spirit of Aka-

business sense but on a creative level it’s pretty sort of

single fins, which initially drew Simon to creating the

sha. The film features the likes of Mick Fanning and

barren territory to stay that way. Conversely with hand

Morning of The Earth surfboard label. Simon had

Tom Curren riding Simon’s hand shaped craft. It’s

shaping, it’s so easy to be in the moment and just go

grown disenchanted with the surfboard industry, while

another landmark in a personal shaping evolution for

well ‘there’s a flash’, why don’t I just go down that path

working in board factories on the Northern beaches

Simon Jones and there is no small irony in the fact

and check it out. This project was a perfect situation

during the 90s. “I saw the movement offshore and

that he named his board for this project The Origin

to do that.”

though that something within my approach had to

of The Species. It was in that like-named text, Origin

change ... Shaping bays were no longer places of life

of Species, that Darwin stressed that the survival of all

and colour.”

animal species hinged on their ability to adapt to their

Simon possesses the air of the intellectual guru and had both philosophical and technical explanations for his incongruous tail shapes. “In certain conditions that

Looking for a way of getting back to a product that

environment. In response to an industry that has be-

area between the toe and the heel of the surfer has a

retained its human connection, Simon got in contact

come saturated with machine-produced, high perfor-

couple of things in play. Essentially what I’ve tried to

with Albe Falzon [The director of Morning of The

mance boards, Simon has carved a niche for himself

do is make a board for a natural footer at a right point,

Earth] and asked him what he thought about releasing

as a bespoke shaper. It gives him a major point of dif-

that had a tight turning arc off the bottom – off the toe

a range of boards that were inspired by the seminal

ference and fortunately for us it means that, for now at

– and then a pivot point off the heel, so it incorporates

movie. Fortunately Alby thought the idea was cool,

least, there is someone committed to protecting a craft

two quite distinctly different sensations off the back

thus giving Simon the green light to reinvent himself

that gives us a direct link to our surfing past.

01 » THE TRACKS EXPERIMENT

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Clockwise from top left: Dan Macdonald working on his 'Hangover'.

Asher Pacey couldn't keep his paws off this sexy little beast of a board.

Heath Joske employing both arms for leverage as he lays it over on Dan Mac's 5'3" pintail, 'The Hangover'.

PHOTO: BJB

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We really had no business asking Dan Macdonald to

there was plenty of volume towards the nose to allow

wave to shreds on. Surely the devil always surfs with

show up and make a board on a public holiday Mon-

for front foot drive and easy paddling. However, to off-

a hangover? The fins, Dan suggested, would provide

day. On the evening before our shaping day, tens of

set the looseness that typifies double-fin designs, Dan

drive and an additional element of hold through turns

thousands of east coasters had tuned in to watch the

had a couple of tricks up his sleeve. He ran a deep

and critical sections.

Manly Sea Eagles succumb to the might of the East-

concave through the back end of the board, which

Perhaps to tone down the board's fiendish appear-

ern Suburbs Roosters in the Grand Final. Pubs and

narrowed like the point of a sword into a tight pin-

ance our art director, Mat Macready, decorated it with

clubs swelled with parochial league followers and little

tail. Finally he gave the full rails a diamond edge so

an ornate design that combined elaborate swirls with an

Dan found himself sinking amidst the din of cheer-

that they would still have bite when the pros laid them

organic hue. Once ridden, it rapidly became a favourite

ing fans and chinking glasses. Although he didn't sup-

over. All of these features were intended to marry the

amongst our testers. "I think this one is my pick," mused

port either of the two teams playing it would have

magical flow of a twinnie with a board that could also

Heath Joske after dissecting the bank in front of the La

been somewhat un-Australian if he hadn't accepted a

handle pressure on the rail and hold through power

Casa house with the scalpel-pointed pintail.

mate's invitation to come out for a few beers – after all,

turns; and at 5'3" it was the kind of board you could

The morning after our Friday night party, Dan's

everyone else had the following day off, so why should

jam in to any sized pocket. "We've been making a lot

board was sitting on the rack calling my name like

he miss out on the fun.

of boards like these so that surfers on the Gold Coast

some kind of possessed object. Fittingly I had a

"I almost flagged it," confessed Dan when he

can still have fun when the waves are small or the

hangover. As I stumbled sorrowfully down the house

showed up to Simon Jones's shaping shed with a roar-

nor'easter kicks in," Dan suggested. By now Dan was

stairs and stared at the lineup through Corona-stained

ing hangover. By the time he arrived the midday sun

smiling with a mixture of relief and pride. His sole

eyes, I knew full well that I needed to get in the water

had pushed the share price of shade through the roof

job for the day was done and he was happy with the

to escape the daggers in my brain. The waves were

and Dan was sweating like a sumo wrestler in a sauna.

end product.

small but I spotted a little wedge in front of the rock

"I better get in there and shape this board before I

Dan emerged from the bay as a kind of hero who

wall to the south of the house that I thought the devil-

spew," suggested Dan with brutal honesty; and as he

had forced aside the stomach curdling reminders of

horned "Hangover" board might suit. Sure enough

made his way in to Simon Jones's shed with a fresh

the night before to shape a board under serious pres-

the board's title could not have been more apt and it

blank under his arm I wondered what a fresh-chunder

sure. When I suggested he call his board "The Hango-

featured everything you might want when feeling a lit-

spray job might look like.

ver" he nodded with a chuckle, conceding the name

tle shady. It was loose and didn't require much work to

Once in the bay however, Dan shrugged aside the

was appropriate and too spent to wrack his brain for

gather incredible speed and because it was only 5'3"

stifling memories of the night before and applied

anything else. However, Dan claimed that the board

you planted your feet in one spot and slayed away;

himself with pure professionalism. The transforma-

had one final, defining aspect to be added. "It's more

there was no need for the sort of unnecessary move-

tion was striking as the diminutive Gold Coast shaper

like a double single fin than a twin fin," he insisted.

ment you didn't want to make in that kind of state.

slipped into a zone of deep concentration and began

"Can you please make sure that the glassers include

sawing away at the large block of foam he'd laid across

three FCS plugs to cater for the extra-large fins."

Finally the design features did everything Dan suggested they would. Just when heavy legs were in danger

Sure enough when the board came back from the

of becoming too loose and wobbly the pintail would

laminators three days later we attached the two long,

hold in, the rails would bite and the devil-horned fins

heavily raked, red fins and the board resembled some-

would thrust you securely through a turn. The Hang-

It didn't take long for the board to begin taking

thing conceived of in the fires of hell. With the two

over definitely went off when ridden in accordance

form. The end goal was a twin fin with a twist. Like

red fins protruding from the bottom like devil horns,

with its namesake; I could only imagine how much

most twinnies the wide point was well forward and

it seemed like the sort of board Satan might tear a

better it would go if you rode it with a clear head.

the shaping stands.

"This is a seven foot blank but I'm going to trim it down into a 5'3"," he stated assertively.

ISSUE Nº 520 // TRACKSMAG.COM // 029

01 » THE TRACKS EXPERIMENT

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that the board is designed to deliver.

Matt Hurworth is no stranger to hand-shaping boards

and giving the board its basic shape. Then a surf form

in an experimental mindset. "Chippa and I usually get

(a small manual tool like a hand planer) is employed

Grinning broadly as he holds aloft his creation, Mat-

in the bay around three times a year and just cut things

to tidy up the outline, shaving the blank like a cheese

ty realises he has one more job to do – give the board

out freehand," he informs me as he prepares to shape

grater and sending white confetti cascading towards

a name. Momentarily bemused he brightens up when

his board in Simon Jones's bay. Matt is of course refer-

the floor.

Tracks art director, Mat Macready, suggests he call it

ring to his number one test pilot, first cousin and occa-

Matt regularly laps the board, using his eye to test

the "Little Red Dragon". The two had chatted earlier

sional shaping companion, Chippa Wilson. On Matt's

for inconsistencies and making adjustments where

about their shared passion for the St George Dragons

boards Chip's career has made a literal and proverbial

he sees fit. Eventually it's time for the long, straight

Rugby League team and the day after a rugby league

trajectory into the next stratosphere, courtesy of his

driving whir of the electric planer. There is debate

Grand Final had been played the name seemed en-

space exploration beyond the lip.

amongst shapers as to whether a vertically or horizon-

tirely suitable.

Matt employs a highly effective analogy to explain

tally gripped planer is better. Matt has opted for a ver-

When the Little Red Dragon hit the water the follow-

why he believes shapers also have to try different

tical alternative, while Dan Macdonald was insistent

ing Friday, it lit up the lineup. It's size and shape were

things. "The same way you learn different lines by rid-

on using an American made planer with a horizontal

probably best suited to Asher Pacey and the ropey-built

ing different boards, you learn new things by shaping

side grip. Like the surfers they build boards for, each

natural footer was able to splice sublimely through the

different boards … otherwise it gets too robotic.

shaper has their own peculiar preferences.

buttery, green walls which provided the fairytale ending

When Chippa and Matt finish and glass their free-

As the planer mows through the foam, there is a

to our trip. As Matt had hoped, the scooped deck gave

hand quivers they usually head south to Iluka to test

sculptor's delight in watching the board transformed

his board an additional level of connectivity and the

them out. However, Matt usually makes a couple of

from a rough, white chunk into an object of function

nose still retained enough area to let you propel off the

stipulations to give himself half a chance against the

and desire. There's almost an actual moment of incep-

front foot into a state of perpetual stoke.

cousin who swallowed a kite at some point in his youth.

tion, when a board begins to take form and excites the

"It's no airs and no legropes," he states with a chuckle.

imagination with its possibilities.

As Matt prepares to transform his blank into something of meaning, he dutifully dons his shaping outfit –

Now that Matt has a clear vision for the board he begins to explain some of the design aspects.

Matt is most definitely one of those shapers who seeks inspiration from the waves he rides and he is still a fine surfer by anyone's standards. On the final, fantastic Friday of our trip he showed up to the La Casa

blue boardies and white shirt … "So, I don't get marks

"This one's going to have a concave on the deck,

house and surfed like an eager grommet on a range of

on the boards," he explains. The hat spins backwards

so that your feet are a bit closer to the water and it's

the boards that had been made for the project. He'd

and Matt is into it. "I haven't really got anything in

got a bit more sensitivity … but it's still got those big

spent from dawn till dark on the previous day finish-

mind," he claims with welcome honesty. After all we

bulky rails for drive and paddling." Like Greenough's

ing a massive quiver of boards, so that Chippa was

have asked him to treat this as an experiment. "I just

famed spoon, the scooped deck in Matty's 5'6" would

well equipped for a new Indo swell. The Friday after-

want to make something that will flow in two-four foot

lower the surfer's centre of gravity and ideally improve

noon session was a sweet reward for his labours and

waves," he concludes.

handling and control.

he emerged from the surf wearing what Shakespeare

As an idea crystallises he begins to manipulate

However, to ensure the board retains enough width

might have described as "his boldest suit of mirth" –

the blank with surprisingly certain movements. One

in the nose for front-foot propulsion, Matt employs an-

an ear-to-ear grin and eyes that sparkled with content-

might imagine shaping to be a long, considered pro-

other trick of the trade. "To keep the area in the nose,

ment. As a shaper Matt's commitment to riding waves

cess, but when you're in the bay you realise that it's

about 14-and-a-half inches in this case, I just reverse

serves him well and whether he is employing the as-

quite a physically engaging job. Matt circles the board

one of my tail templates and put it up the front." Matt

sistance of sophisticated shaping machinery or free-

with assertive steps making firm, accurate strikes of his

is essentially using the tail shape from another board

styling with a blank, Matt possesses an intuitive under-

pencil to mark the outline on the blank. The hand-

as the nose template for his new design. Finally he em-

standing for the kinds of craft that will take modern

saw pumps up and down, tearing at the excess foam

ploys a quad set up to maximise the sensation of flow

wave-pilots to the cutting edge of performance surfing.

030 // TRACKSMAG.COM // ISSUE Nº 520

Top to Bottom: Asher Pacey jamming the tail on Matt Hurworth's 'Little Red Dragon'.

Matt Hurworth has plenty of shaping tricks under his cap and ...

Clean lines, perfect technique and flow – Matt Hurworth displaying all the attributes of a good shaper at Lennox.

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Steven Subonj, aka Shuey, sage of the glassing trade.

PHOTO: BJB

Cast your eyes on a freshly shaped surfboard and it's

Kevin Sheedy that had a lasting effect on his perspec-

usually love at first sight. But do you realise there are

tive. Sheedy told him to give everything a go in life

teams of unsung heroes that help conceive that beau-

and learn from your mistakes. "I was younger back

tiful creation? Glassers, sanders and finishers fine-

then and those words still speak to me. I always tell

tune your craft before sending you out at your local.

the other guys, never, ever stop learning and don't be

These faceless men do a helluva lot more than you

afraid to make a mistake," he says.

think, yet are often taken for granted.

Now his own boss, Shuey has enlisted the help

Owner of Glassing Division, Steven Subonj, better

of others who are just as passionate as him. Sander

known as Shuey, knows one or two things about mak-

Conor Duffy believes there are many misconceptions

ing quality surfboards. Shuey is a relaxed sort of fel-

about making a surfboard. "People think it's easy, it

low. He's tall, with longish hair, wearing a well-worn

doesn't matter or anyone can do it," he says. "Every-

white shirt and resin-coated sneakers. It doesn't take

one is putting in as much effort as the shaper is." Jules,

much prompting for him to share the story of how he

the youngest in the team, believes knowing what in-

got into the industry. Dropping a mate off to Centre-

gredients it takes to make a board might help people

link he noticed an ad for a ding repairer. "So I raced

appreciate the end product more.

there dripping wet in a tank top and boardies and the

Misunderstandings are easy to have as a shaper

first thing he asked me, the only thing he asked me

rarely acknowledges the team of worker bees that

was, do you stand up or boogie board? I said, stand

have a lot to do with quality control of their end

up of course!" "I was told to come Monday and that

product. "It breaks my heart when you see a board

was it," explains Shuey.

sitting in a surf shop for $750 that's got a corporate

Shuey's mentor was Richard Firehock at Brothers

name on it, that's got shit quality all over it," says

Nielsen. He reveals that it was in the art of observa-

Shuey. It would seem transparency in the production

tion where he learnt his most invaluable experience.

process might not only provide acknowledgement

"I watched Richard like a hawk, I even took notes,"

to the glassers but also provide the shapers and the

he says. Shuey then went onto working at DHD and

customer with an understanding they are getting a

was immediately tuned in to making high perfor-

quality product.

mance, lightweight boards. He eventually wanted to

There's a huge sense of pride that Shuey has for all

move down the coast and found work with Gunther

the people that work for him. They get on with the

Rohn where he was "turned from a boy into a man,"

work knowing that they might never get any recogni-

he says, laughing hysterically.

tion yet continue to strive for perfection with every

Having three varyingly unique experiences defi-

board. Next time you order your board or find one

nitely helped define Shuey's approach in the bay but

on the rack perhaps take the time to ask the shaper

it was a 10-minute conversation with AFL legend

or guy in the store who got it looking so damn good.

032 // TRACKSMAG.COM // ISSUE Nº 520

PHOTO: BJB

Top: Asher Pacey sculpting the edges of a little, North Coast gem.

Bottom: Asher more comfortable than a Joey in a pouch, in his swag.

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It's late one afternoon and Asher Pacey and I are driv-

a master chef to carry with them. "I can't stand blunt

ing south towards Lennox for a surf check. When we

knives," he insists as he stacks the freezer with the vac-

come around the bend that brings the fabled lineup

uum-packed tuna he'd recently caught.

into view, it's apparent that the dreaded nor'easter has

He can literally cast a line from his Tweed Heads

whipped the ocean into a confusion of white and blue.

backyard but will regularly go out in a boat in search of

"It looks like there is a bit of swell hitting," muses Asher

bigger fish, and he's even got a secret spot nearby home

enthusiastically. Inspired by Asher, I try to keep playing

where he can shuck fresh oysters off the rocks.

the optimistic riffs. "Perhaps we'll get it to ourselves be-

Asher is part aboriginal and although he doesn't

cause everyone is waiting for the better wind and swell

trumpet his cultural heritage, it seems he has defi-

forecast for tomorrow."

nitely inherited a Koori understanding of native flora

"That's right," continues Asher, "We'll zig where they zag."

and fauna. While we're away Asher shows us how to pluck wild spinach for salads, details dessert recipes for

Through the course of our week at La Casa it be-

freshly picked mulberries and lets us sample some of

comes clear that Asher pretty much spends his life

the native bee honey (apparently worth over 50 bucks

zigging where others zag, and that this is part of the

a kg) from his Dad's farm at the back of Nambucca. If

reason why he has been able to perpetuate a success-

there are no waves that's where you'll likely find Asher;

ful career as a freesurfer. Asher spends his life carving

planting crops like mango and macadamia alongside

niches where others can't and he does not fit comfort-

his brother. However Asher's culinary obsessions are

ably into any of the clichéd surfing boxes.

not restricted to clichéd health foods. He loves noth-

The first morning he picks up one of the single fins

ing more than dunking his fish in his commercial size

shaped at the test and I take into account his soulful

deep fryer and makes his own beef and fish jerky in

image and ropey frame, and suggest that he looks like

a home-style dehydrator. The only time he gets upset

the kind of guy who should know how to ride a sin-

with me all week is when I suggest we all go out for din-

gle fin. "Don't judge me like that," he responds. "I've

ner. "Don't go out for dinner," he urges. "Surely we can

never really ridden them to be honest." Although he

rustle up a feed up here."

might not have much experience on singles, the one-

Native animals are another of his specialties. Sitting

time aerial specialist has spent a year or so mastering

beneath a pandanus palm at Lennox one morning I

the alaia. On a wind-chopped, one-foot Tuesday he

glance skyward and marvel at the broad-winged bird

returns to the house around evening and boasts that

of prey that is gliding above the lineup. "Check out that

he'd been for six surfs that day, four of which were on

eagle," I encourage Asher, who just smiles coolly and

the alaia. Where some pro surfers will be glued to their

politely corrects me. "That's not an eagle it's a Brah-

computer screens, lamenting the lack of waves, Asher

miny kite."

will be smiling through another ride; bringing a little

Asher Pacey doesn't try to pass himself off as some

peak to life or a employing a wave craft that ensures

kind of alternative living guru. Instead of maintaining

he keeps having fun in the water. He'll zig where they

a rigid stance on food and living he is a champion of

zag. His unwavering love of surfing makes him a fa-

flexibility and possesses an uncanny ability to adapt to

vourite amongst photographers and filmers and helps

any situation. When we run out of beds in the house

ensure he maintains a high profile in the surfing world.

he's happy to take up residence on the veranda in his

Modern groms with pro surfing aspirations could learn

swag. If there is fish to be caught, he's dropping a line

much from the way Asher Pacey conducts his affairs.

and if there's a hint of a wave he'll surf all day; but

Perhaps what's most impressive about Asher howev-

if the only thing left in the fridge is sausages he's fry-

er is the way he finds a seamless harmony between his

ing them up and if it goes flat he'll never be bored. In

highly professional act and his other pursuits. Along-

many ways Asher is a role model for frugal living in

side surfing, finding and preparing food is probably

an age of mass consumption. His only real enemy is

Asher's favourite past time.

waste – wasted food, wasted waves; wasted opportuni-

When Asher arrived at the La Casa house, the first

ties. Ultimately, hanging out and working with Asher

thing he did was unpack his knife sharpener. He also

Pacey is always a pleasure because, most importantly,

boasts the kind of blade collection you might expect

he will never waste your time.

ISSUE Nº 520 // TRACKSMAG.COM // 035

01 » THE TRACKS EXPERIMENT

W H A T ’ S

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S U R F E R ?

Early in 2013 Heath Joske decided he wasn't going

found a way to have his cake and eat it. "I start off on

to die wondering about whether or not he'd given

the lowest percentage rate but it's enough to get by in

pro surfing everything he had. Ranked well inside

South Australia."

the top 100, the North Coast natural footer with

Heath already has his heart set on a block of land

the wookie facial hair [see Chewbacca, Star Wars]

where he can watch the sun slink into the southern

moved to the Gold Coast and trained intensely at the

ocean alongside his girl. "I want to build a shaping

surfing High Performance Centre for three months.

shed out the back," he insists earnestly. Heath's father

"I decided I wanted to give it my best shot," reflects

Paul remains one of the most respected shapers in

Heath as we cruise the North Coast, hunting waves.

the land and his brother Sage has helped his dad out

According to Heath, when the increased training

at Valla surfboards for years. Now Heath is intent on

load didn't translate to improved results on the WQS

following the rest of the family into The Bay. Perhaps

merry-go-round, he had a kind of epiphany about

inspiration came from a 21st birthday present that

what he wanted to do with his life and it no longer

went amiss.

involved trying to muscle his way in to the Top 32.

"Dad promised me he'd make me one of his cham-

The 25-year-old's doubts about persisting with com-

bered wooden boards for my 21st. I'm 25 now and

petition surfing were compounded by the fact he no

still waiting," he chuckles. If things go to plan he'll be

longer had the support of a major sponsor.

able to make one for himself eventually.

Satisfied that he'd given the singlet-wearing game

Despite having no support from a major spon-

a fair crack, Heath decided to rekindle his romance

sor, Heath is adamant that he remains passionate

with South Australia – in more ways than one. He'd

about pushing his surfing to new levels. Throughout

met a girl in Streaky Bay and decided that Eliza was

the week it's clear that his surfing remains a unique

worth moving interstate for. He'd be leaving behind

combination of classical style and full rail commit-

his leafy haven in Valla for a town where the red-

ment – power married to panache in a form that's

baked earth meets the sea. But Heath had also fallen

always easy on the eye. His decision to seek out new

under the spell of the rugged SA coastline; its empty

surfing challenges without being dependent upon a

waves and the eccentric characters who roamed it.

surf brand for an income raises interesting questions

"Before I went down there, I think I romanticised the way guys like Camel lived," suggests Heath in reference to the monastic, big wave hunter who boasts about never having had a job.

about what it means to be a 'free' surfer in this day and age.

It's a tough time in the surf industry and as surf brands struggle to meet economic targets team rid-

Heath soon developed a taste for the South Aus-

ers are being culled like rabbits. It's likely that we

tralian waves. There was the massive offshore bomby

will soon see a lot of surfers facing a reality check

that proved to be the perfect testing ground for his

when their contracts are cut. The real test of your

big-wave paddling skills and a series of ledging reefs

commitment to surfing comes when you no longer

that spat lonely barrels into deep spooky channels.

have a sponsor to pay your way. Something you once

No work, and an abundance of waves satisfied him

took for granted has to be squeezed in around a job.

for a while, however the frugal creed that is the lot of

However, if you can strike a balance between work

the surfing feral eventually lost some of its initial lus-

and surf then perhaps you emerge as a more genu-

tre. It wasn't long before Heath was looking for work

ine version of the 'free surfer' concept because your

down south and he eventually signed on with a boat

motivation to ride waves is not bound to a brand or

that spent two weeks at sea when the prawns were on.

company in any way.

"I only have to work a hundred days a year on the

"It's a relief not to have to surf for a sponsor in a

prawn trawler," chuckles Heath, like a surfer who has

lot of ways," claims Heath. Certainly there is no pres-

036 // TRACKSMAG.COM // ISSUE Nº 520

Main: Heath Joske prompting comparisons to MP's famed cutback as he howls through a turn on Dan Mac's twinnie.

Inset: By continuing to push his surďŹ ng without the support of a major sponsor, Heath is raising questions about what it means to be a free surfer.

ISSUE NÂş 520 // TRACKSMAG.COM // 037

01 » THE TRACKS EXPERIMENT

Heath Joske high-line drifting on one of Simon Jones' asymmetrical masterpieces.

sure to do trips at the behest of a team manager or get

er to the roof of our Tracks Isuzu truck. The board

shots in specific boardies – your board can be a blank

pile includes a gleaming, blue 9'6", which is designed

canvas instead of a billboard and your decisions are

specifically for paddling into the "Bombie" back in

all your own. There is no doubt that those who are

SA. When Heath clutches the board under his arm

paid to surf lead a privileged existence but if Heath's

his smile is prominent, even beneath the fleece of hair

path is anything to go by then being sponsored is not

on his face. It's a special looking board and he knows

the only way to operate as a world-class Free Surfer.

it's destined to put him in some serious situations.

Cut loose from the narrow criteria of the WQS,

When we drive through Valla, Heath points out

Heath has also had the chance to indulge in his pas-

the house he already owns and talks proudly of the

sion for different craft. "I guess I've always loved rid-

garden he planted around it. At the local coffee shop

ing different boards and I felt a little restricted on the

he is greeted by staff and customers like a decorated

tour," Heath indicates. Even on tour Heath's desire for

soldier returning from a foreign frontier. They are

alternative self-expression on a board would get the

all eager for updates on his wave conquests and fish-

better of him. Although he enjoyed significant success

ing adventures down south. After talking us through

in the competitive arena, in recent years he's probably

the local breaks in this idyllic corner of the world,

best remembered for flying down the line at J-Bay and

Heath takes us around to his family home. We make

throwing a huge high-line soul arch during a heat.

our way in via his Mum's veggie patch, past the

Heath's surfing was inspired that particular day

Mulberry tree and across a spacious back verandah

and the animated moment earned him fans around

that leads into a classic coastal home. Heath proudly

the world. One morning at Lennox during our week

points out his father's collection of surfing books and

away, Heath was once again losing himself in the

directs our attention to the Mark Sutherland surf art

moment via self-expression on a surfboard. Only this

which adorns the wall. As he shows us through some

time there was no singlet involved and he was riding

of his dad's archival material Heath tells us that his

a single fin he's shaped for himself. Watching from

dad keeps meticulous notes on every board he's ever

the hill above Lennox as Heath hit maximum veloc-

made. A photo on the wall shows Paul as a young,

ity and soul-arched through a dramatic highline it

pioneer shaper; a notorious perfectionist who would

was like receiving a history lesson in advanced-level

spend hours refining boards in his original farm-

surfing. There was also a profound sense that he was

house shaping bay.

having more fun than anyone else out in the water.

intriguing insight into a family that seems to have

drop Heath back at the family home in Valla on the

always been intent on carving their own path within

North Coast. He is planning to spend a week at home,

surfing. Like his father before him, Heath is sketch-

before heading back to SA to resume a life that would

ing out his own alternative surfing destiny and in the

evolve around surf, fishing and hopefully shaping.

process he's raising questions about what it means to

As we leave, Heath straps his six-board DMS quiv-

038 // TRACKSMAG.COM // ISSUE Nº 520

Unfortunately Paul's not around but we get an

At the end of our time at the La Casa house we

be a free surfer in the modern age.

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It seems no matter what the artist Paul McNeil tries

Paul believes the rise of pro surfing had a huge im-

his hand at he quickly captures the imagination of

pact in sanitising a culture that previously celebrated

many. Paul worked on album covers, posters and

expressions of art and creativity. "I realised that was

Paul believes two people in particular have had a major

videos all through the '90s with bands such as Sonic

because of the culture of pro surfing and people riding

influence in causing this cultural shift. "Ozzie Wright and

Youth, The Beastie Boys and Pavement. As well as

white boards but I just couldn't understand so I was try-

Thomas Campbell are two people who I think are really

living and working around rock stars he became

ing to bring colours back into boards like there were in

responsible for bringing art to surfing that hasn't been seen

one of the original Mambo artists with a career that

the '70s so people would love their boards and just nev-

for decades. Everyone is now drawing on their boards or do-

spanned 20 years, a period he cites as "brilliant and

er part with it instead of just being throwaway, seasonal

ing something or having beautiful tints or coloured boards

creative".

sticks really," he says. Surfing embraces consumerism?

and I'm still determined to make that happen," says Paul.

Eventually Paul gravitated to Byron Bay and quickly became entrenched in the rich surf lifestyle. Teaming

It'd certainly be harder to part with a board had it been adorned with some marvellous artwork.

shortboarder would ride a fish or a log, and now people just want to surf all the time whatever it takes."

For decades surfboards were an expression of surf culture, splashed with colour and designs that were both

The divide between the white, performance thrusters

iconic and beautiful. When artists like McNeil emerge and

the way surfboards should look; full of colour, art and

and the tinted, functional vessels is something akin to what

impart their talents the artistic pillars of surf culture are

sex appeal. "I was really depressed about people having

vintage car aficionados talk about. And Paul believes surfers

maintained. What then will our surfboards say about us to

white boards. I just thought the whole world had lost

are becoming far more open minded. "Already people have

future generations of surfers?

any imagination," he says.

more than one board, it was very rare 10 years ago that any

To see more of Paul's work check out theartpark.com.au

PHOTO: BJB

up with shaper Dain Thomas he began re-imagining

042 // TRACKSMAG.COM // ISSUE Nº 520

Johannes Leak could probably turn the attention of his

Cash, who probably never set foot on a beach in his

Uschi's provocative appearances in magazines were

paintbrush or drawing pen to just about any subject

life, but he was a tearaway and a wild guy and chances

often politically motivated statements designed to pro-

matter and make it look good. However, for his first

are if he had of grown up on the beach he would have

mote her views on liberal thinking.

major exhibition back in 2011, the classically trained

been a surfer. There's something about the spirit of the

"She was a wild girl who stood for freedom and per-

artist and surfer chose surfboards as a medium and pop

people involved and surfing, and how well they match."

sonal liberties and I thought that she would be a good

icons as his subject matter. The boards were adorned

For the Electric Cool Surf Experiment, Johannes

fit for that kind of board," explains Johannes, who had

with striking depictions of cult figures and, as is appar-

revisited one of his favourite subjects – '60s and '70s

been asked to draw on one of Simon Jones's single fins.

ent in the adjacent photo, the pop-art portraits bring

'It' girl Uschi Obermaier. Uschi was an influential pop

Of course Johannes was also applying one of surf

the boards to life. When quizzed about why he likes to

culture figure and also had a hypnotic fix on several

art's universal truths – hot girls look great on boards.

feature pop figures on his boards, Johannes suggests the

of the era's rock icons. Jimi Hendrix, Mick Jagger and

Maybe it's because fibreglass made foxy is the closest

symbolism of the icons can easily be linked with some

Keith Richards were all linked with the stunning Ger-

thing to a surfer's ultimate cake and eat it moment –

of surfing's ideals.

man model, who is also credited with being a muse for

namely that you can have the girl and the wave all at

"Surfing is this continuous soundtrack to what's been

the Rolling Stones. Uschi became the first person to

once. Certainly, when Simon Jones's refined single fin

going on in the world ever since surf culture emerged,"

display full frontal nudity on the cover of a magazine

curves were matched with Johannes's seductive sketch,

he says. "It's been influenced by and it has influenced

and helped to inspire the sexual revolution in the late

everyone wanted to get to know Uschi.

pop culture in various ways. It doesn't matter who you

'60s. She was probably happiest being photographed

For more of Johannes's work, check out hannes-

really pick, it forces you to think of them and how they

topless, with her slender fingers wrapped around a fat

leak.blogspot.com or @johannesleak on instagram.

relate to surfing. For example I did a board with Johnny

joint. Although sometimes labelled a super groupie,

Email hannesleak@hotmail.com

ISSUE Nº 520 // TRACKSMAG.COM // 043

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Talk to anyone who has seen this quietly spoken artist in the water and their first comment is usually, "That guy rips". However, while he may be proficient on a board, drawing on one posed a whole new challenge for Tom. "I think the best thing for me about this is project has been just getting out of my comfort zone. I usually draw black ink on white paper. This time I had to use poskas and spray paint, and introduce a bit of colour, which I don't normally do. The scale is also much bigger than what I'm used to also. I think being on edge like that is good though."

Tom has that rare ability to introduce you into a new world via his art. Heavily influenced by children's books, such as Maurice Sendak's famed Where the Wild Things

Are, and his reading of novels such as Lord of The Rings, his drawings create a new dimension that you want to dive in and escape to. When pressed to explain his art Tom is self-deprecating.

"To be honest it's not massively deep. I don't often really think about what I draw, I just start and it heads off in that direction," he says. However a quote from one of his profiles suggests that he has thought long and hard about his artistic process. "Drawing as a form of meditation, the repetition of each stroke of the pen leaves the consciousness to roam of its own accord."

Raised in country northern NSW, Tom admits that being surrounded by nature had a major influence on his art. "I read a lot of Lord of The Rings and I grew up in the bush. Therefore fantasy and nature are probably big themes in a lot of the stuff that I do."

Tom's work is also distinguished by the reappearance of an anthropomorphic figure [human and animal features]. "I just needed something to tie all my pieces together and give them a focus point. It's a little bit totemic I guess... I just really like that idea of animal and human features intermingled." Dare I say it, at a second glance Tom's piece for the Electrical Cool Surf Experiment brought to mind one of Tracks' more familiar anthropomorphic figures – Captain Goodvibes.

Like Tony Edwards' unbounded adventures with Goodvibes, the Pig of Steel, Tom' Mileadge's otherworldly sketches make a direct appeal to the imagination – that kind of enchantment will always be a powerful artistic tool.

To see more of Tom's work go to www.millke.com

ISSUE Nº 520 // TRACKSMAG.COM // 045

01 » THE TRACKS EXPERIMENT

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Mat Macready had a busy week while we were in Byron.

enough he shelved his other responsibilities, left the

The Tracks art director volunteered to film and

Coronas alone for an afternoon and focused like an

edit for the web clip component of our Electrical

artist who’d been commissioned to hang something

Cool Surf Experiment [Check out Tracksmag.com]

in the Louvre. Mat’s finished work was an elaborate

in addition to producing the artwork on one of the

motif, combining a spherical theme with a floral influ-

boards. Not content with two balls in the air, he also

ence. Dan Mac’s pointy, red-finned board had resem-

organized the band and became the unofficial social

bled the devil’s sled, but by the time Mat was finished

coordinator when he befriended the girls from the lo-

the ornate design gave the board an organic quality

cal, ‘Treehouse’, café. Finally, in a week of whirlwind

that would make it look good in a corner of a designer

creativity, he found time to embrace his thespian side;

home or arcing crisply off the lip on a clean day.

when a few of the more highly-strung bouncers from

There is no doubting that Mat Macready is a re-

one of the local establishments didn’t approve of his

naissance man at heart. He’s living proof that one

conduct, Mat simply slipped into one of the half a

artistic endeavor fuels another and that we are all ca-

dozen aliases he can play and waltzed right through

pable of much more than we might expect. Ultimately

the door of the pub.

this mag and this project owe much to our art director

When it came time for Mat to decorate his designated board we weren’t sure what to expect, but sure

046 // TRACKSMAG.COM // ISSUE Nº 520

Mat, aka Loose Teeth.

You can follow Mat on instagram @matmacready

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Louis Gervais' commitment to tattoo-style art is appar-

Soon his artwork was gracing the boards of the

ent from the moment you meet him. The softly spoken

likes of Asher Pacey, Mick Fanning and the Wright

artist is almost head-to-toe in ink and also works as a

family, and to cope with the demand he developed a

tattoo artist on the Gold Coast.

series of ready-made underlays. However Louis still

Commitment has never been a problem for Louis.

specialises in customised pieces featuring kaleidoscop-

He grew up surfing in Mackay in North Queensland,

ic colours and tattoo-inspired art. For this project he

dodging saltwater crocs, stingers and sharks just to

took a departure from his more fluorescent pieces and

score a few murky windswells. At 14 Louis miracu-

adorned Matt Hurworth's Little Dragon quad with

lously survived a box jellyfish sting after paddling out

a macabre coffin design. Louis' work is always strik-

for a surf on a new board. When a girlfriend was killed

ing and he seems capable of conjuring almost any

in a hit and run accident a few years later, it was time

mood or emotion with his infinite range of designs.

to get out of Mackay.

The boards can be vibrant and cartoonish or resonate

Eventually Louis gravitated towards the Gold Coast where his elaborate poska designs quickly became pop-

with deeper symbolism. Whatever fibreglass feel you are chasing, Louis knows how to ink your ride.

ular with local boardriders. In a surf city that spits out white boards like daily milk deliveries, Louis supplied a

Check out more of Louis' great work at

welcome source of colour and creativity.

www.louisisart.com PHOTO: KATRINA PARKER

ISSUE Nº 520 // TRACKSMAG.COM // 047

01 » THE TRACKS EXPERIMENT

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ALL PHOTOS KATRINA PARKER

It’s not everyday that you wake up, brew a fresh pot

Sarah arrived at La Casa armed with a set of sharp

ated the most delicious meals – hand-made pasta,

of coffee and wander out to a verandah that overlooks

knives, an apron, her quiver and a week’s supply of

Asher’s line-caught tuna and mascarpone-based

perfect waves. After which you paddle out, surf for

bikkies specifically created for the Tracks crew. The

deserts were all woven into the exceptional culinary

a few hours. Paddle in. Then have a personal chef

customized cookies were dubbed the Tracks Tropical

experience. The delicious group meals served as

cook you delicious food from local produce. This was

Sliders and they were so delicious that as soon as the

the perfect finales to days of frantic wave-chasing

our week at Corona’s La Casa Artist Residency with

boys got hold of the jar, they were basically demol-

and creative endeavour.

foodie extraordinaire Sarah Glover.

ished within the first day. [See below to win a jar of

Originally from Tasmania, Sarah Glover is the

Tracks Tropical Sliders]

As the week came to an end, Sarah was tasked with hosting the dinner party of all dinner parties.

founder of Bondi Bikkies. She started her bikkie busi-

Much like the brief that was given to the rest of the

The shapers, artists and surfers involved in the Tracks

ness by wooing the hearts of the local surfer boys in

team for the week – embrace your creative instincts

Electric Cool Surf Experiment were invited back to

southern Tasmania with her baking, at the mere age

and shape something you’ve always wanted to, but

La Casa for an old-fashioned feast with an experi-

of 16, and she has continued to do so ever since. The

were never quite brave enough to do before - Sarah

mental twist! Sarah transformed the outside veranda

unique thing about Sarah is she tends to take an ar-

applied this same methodology to the kitchen. She

into a kind of middle-eastern food bazaar, where it

tistic approach to cooking and is rarely seen follow-

rocked up without having a recipe game plan, con-

was all about sitting on the ground to eat, share, chat,

ing a recipe, or using a cookie cutter. She is all about

vincing everyone that this is how the best recipes are

laugh and drink. It was pure culinary heaven with

creating and experimenting with new ingredients and

created. It was her mission to cook relatively simple

flat bread to dip into a various homemade dips, whole

using her hands to do so.

meals by adding ingredients that were either already

cooked roasted eggplant and a slow-cooked turmeric

Sarah is not only a biscuit baking master, she’s also

at the house, sourced from the local Byron Bay Farm-

chicken tagine, infused with three bottles of Corona

a trained chef and loves nothing more than getting

ers Market or given to her by fellow foodie enthusiast,

as an ingredient… who would have thought!

creative in the kitchen, plating up and devouring it

Asher Pacey.

with good company and good conversation. She loves

Once the feast was done, we all sprawled out on the collaborator and

lawn to listen to Central Coast band Tropical Zombie

the ocean and rides a log pretty darn well. Needless

brought a collection of condiments that he had

play. Went to bed. Woke up and surfed. What a week!

to say, Sarah was the perfect addition to the Tracks

picked up on various travels. Sarah brainstormed

To find out more about Sarah Glover's catering and

Electric Cool Surf Experiment.

dishes that would suit surfing appetites and cre-

Bikkies go to bondibikkies.com

Above: Culinary impresario and Cookie queen, Sarah Glover, working on one of her impromptu recipes.

Asher Pacey enjoying a Tracks Tropical Slider bikkie.

To win a jar of Tracks Tropical Sliders, courtesy of bondibikkies, instagram a shot of your favourite page of this mag and include @bondibikkies in the caption.

048 // TRACKSMAG.COM // ISSUE Nº 520

Asher was Sarah's chief

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01 » THE TRACKS EXPERIMENT PHOTO: KATRINA PARKER

Above: A backyard full of unbroken dreams.

Right: Front-window roost of our resident photographer, Nate Smith.

PHOTO: KATRINA PARKER

050 // TRACKSMAG.COM // ISSUE Nº 520

Heath Joske enjoying a little fins free refreshment.

PHOTO: BJB

PHOTO: KATRINA PARKER

Friday dawns with major expectations. We'd had four

bowl runners are being held up by a current that

after lap and make numerous board changes. From

boards shaped, glassed and artistically enhanced; now

could humble iron men, and the building north swell

the top floor window of the house I watch Heath

we only have a one-day window to ride and photo-

has converted our little beach into a kind of sand-bag

burrow through a paper-thin tube and then bury a

graph them all. Like all good surf travellers we load

point. The giant sandbags are designed to stop erosion

rail with both hands flung behind his back. Nathan

up the boards and drive around for two hours, only to

but on this day they provide the most novel of ways in

Smith's camera machine-guns into action from a posi-

wind up right back where we had started.

which to enter the water. When the rip becomes too

tion that has him close enough to the kettle to make a

Fortunately the bank out the front of La Casa has

much all you have to do is walk around to the northern

cup of tea.

turned on, meaning we can make the Pandanus-

corner and leap into the water from one of the sand-

framed backyard our base for the day and the top floor

filled pillows.

At one point both Heath and Asher are riding slightly different versions of Simon Jones's asymmetri-

of the house the sublimely convenient post from which

Aware that they only have a one-day window with

cal single fin design. The boards trim like sharks, zon-

to shoot photos. Out in the water dreamy-green, rip-

the boards, Heath, Asher and Soli Bailey complete lap

ing the surfers in on clean, high-lines and classic turns,

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but there are no rules about what you can do on a

to enjoy a middle-eastern feast. The conversation

single fin in the modern era and as Heath hurls him-

flows easily after a day of non-stop activity and as

self into a massive lay-back slash you can almost hear

we pause to savour the Corona marinated chicken

a Chewbacca-like groan.

it's apparent that maybe we had pulled this whole

As the day bends into afternoon delight, the beers

thing off. Boards, artists, diverse personalities, pho-

start to pop and the band sets up; their instrumental

tographers, filmers, foodies and musos had all been

meanderings accompanied by the eternal percussion

thrown into an eclectic mix and by weeks end we

of the nearby ocean. By dusk Asher has chalked up

were all on a high. If we hadn't discovered a tem-

half a dozen sessions and downed a couple of beers

porary surfing utopia we'd certainly proven that if

but paddles out for one more because there is nothing

you bring a bunch of talented people together they

like surfing with a live soundtrack. By now the band,

can feed off one another and create an electric at-

Tropical Zombie, are in full cry and big Rob, the ani-

mosphere. Returning to the humdrum of daily life

mated lead singer, is whaling beneath gold-lit Byron

loomed ominously but we were the products of our

skies.

own experiment and if we'd learned anything from

Upstairs, chef Sarah is a blur of colourful food

our time at the La Casa house it was that reality is

and exotic flavours as she prepares to feed 20 odd

something you shape for yourself. By now we were

surfers and their families. A painted canvas is laid

all better equipped to put a creative twist on what-

out as a table on the balcony, and we all sit around

ever future lay ahead.

GO TO TRACKSMAG.COM.AU TO WATCH THE FULL VIDEO OF WHAT WENT DOWN AT LA CASA

052 // TRACKSMAG.COM // ISSUE Nº 520