Smorgasboarder Surfing Magazine issue 4

OUR SURFING FAMILY HAS GROWN... WELCOME ON BOARD, SOUTH AUSTRALIA

MUCH MORE THAN CRICKET AND CURRY..

SURFING

SRI LANKA DISCOVERING INDIAN OCEAN MAGIC P74

BIRTH OF ALABOUR, BOARD PAIN & JOY

NORTH STRADBROKE FERRY GOOD INDEED

YOUR SURF SHOTS AND MORE

...P58

...P82

THE MAGAZINE FOR THOSE WHO LOVE TO SURF ISSUE #4 MAR/APR 2011

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AUSTRALIAN DESIGNED & TESTED

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Stockist Enquiries - 0421 551 189 QLD Stockists Beach Beat - Alexandra Heads Beach Beat - Caloundra Beach Beat - Dicky Beach Darkside Skateboards - Miami Goodtime Surf - Woolloongabba Hurley Burleigh - Southport Kirra Surf - Coolangatta KTM Action Motorcycles - Nerang KTM - Brisbane Local Knowledge - Noosa Local Knowledge - Nobby Beach Primitive Surf - Nundah Roar Industries - Currumbin Surf Connect - Brisbane Nth

07 5443 2777 07 5491 4711 07 5491 8215 07 5570 1526 07 3391 8588 07 5531 0013 07 5536 3922 07 5596 6622 07 3386 0977 07 5474 1222 07 5526 6377 07 3266 1001 07 5525 7003 07 3137 0500

NSW Stockists Aloha Manly - Style Manly Bay Action - Byron Bay

02 9977 3777 02 6685 7819

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Coopers Surf - Coffs Harbour Coopers Surf - Jetty Coopers Surf - Park Beach Coopers Surf - Town Coopers Surf - Toormina Coopers Surf - Woolgoolga Core Surf Store - Nowra Dripping Wet - Manly D.S.C. Surfboards - Narooma Kirra Surf - Coolangatta Line Up Surf - Dee Why OceanFire - Belmont S-cape - Byron Bay Skater HQ - Moore Park Skipp Surfboards - Wollongong South East Mountain Biking Co. - Thredbo Surfection - Manly Surfection - Mosman Tathra Beach and Bike - Tathra

02 6652 1782 02 6652 8146 02 6652 5466 02 6652 6369 02 6658 8988 02 6654 0033 02 4421 4108 02 9907 2911 0424 867 962 07 5536 3922 02 9971 8624 02 4945 8055 02 6680 8299 02 9976 3780 02 4229 1202 02 6457 6282 02 9977 6955 02 9969 1011 02 6494 4257

SA Stockists On Board - Glenelg On Board - Port Noarlunga

08 8294 3866 08 8382 6729

VIC Stockist Mordy Surf - Mordialloc Zak Surfboards - Thornbury

03 9580 1716 03 9416 7384

WA Stockist Cowie Surf - Cowaramup Momentum Skate Shop - Claremont

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ACT Stockist Trilogy - Tuggeranong Hyperdome Shifty’s - Canberra

02 6293 9636 02 6262 9162

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE

ALL THE USUAL BITS THE LATEST

Gold Coaster Shaun Gossman at Duranbah Photo: Jack DeKort

Feedback News And greatest Community

P15 P20 P22 P24

TRAVEL

North Straddie perfection P58 Making waves in Sri Lanka P74

GEAR

Latest surfboard designs P91 New life for old boards P96 A future for young shapers P100

CLOSEOUT

Surf bikinis P106 Music & books P109 People out and about P114

30 34 48 82 100

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SURFING UP A STORM

COFFS HARBOUR IN ALL ITS COLOUR

From NRL star to author, Scott Hill talks to us about his surfing

Tom Woods shares his work and passion for the ocean

MARCH IN NOOSA... SURFBOARDS... FROM IT’S FESTIVAL TIME START TO FINISH An iconic event in an iconic surf spot celebrates 20 years

We learn the hard way what goes into crafting a surfboard

STAND UP PADDLE ON DRY LAND

Grab a skateboard, a big stick and take a trip along the coast

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DETAILS & THINGS

WHAT WE’RE ALL ABOUT

smorgasboarder is for all of us that love surfing, whether it’s to relax, unwind, get in a healthy bit of exercise or to catch up with friends and family.

WHERE TO PICK US UP

Quality surf stores, shapers and cool cafes within 10kms of the coast through Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. For a full list of distributors, visit the directory in the back of the mag or just get to your local surf shop and talk to some real people, in the flesh. If you see a local store advertising, they’re sure to have the lion’s share of mags in your area. smorgasboarder is published six times a year September, November, January, March, May, July.

CAN’T GET THERE? SUBSCRIBE

If you can’t get to a store, have smorgasboarder delivered to your door by becoming a home subscriber. The mag is free, but Australia Post need to get paid. $18 in Australia gets you six editions. Sign up at www.smorgasboarder.com. au and wait by your mailbox. It’ll arrive every two months.

Backissues are available for $5 per copy. We only have a few copies of our first three left... Be quick.

THANK YOU

Thank you to all our creative contributing writers, fantastic photographers and excellent people who made this edition possible. A special mention of thanks to Gus Brown and Megan Slade for their extra miles, James Ellis who now joins us as South Australian distributor, and Phil Pfeifer and Garry Palmer for getting on the road.

THE TEAM

If you’re after any information on advertising, distribution, editorial, subscribing, contributing or just plain getting involved in some way, drop us a line...

SALES, EDITORIAL & PRODUCTION: Dave Swan dave@smorgasboarder.com.au

0401 345 201 Mark Chapman mark@smorgasboarder.com.au

0400 875 884 FEATURE SALES Garry Palmer garry@smorgasboarder.com.au

0418 745 227 Phil Pfeifer phil@smorgasboarder.com.au

0450 391 517 SOUTH AUSTRALIAN DISTRIBUTION & SALES James Ellis trade@ljdistribution.com.au

0412 194 383

CONTRIBUTORS

WRITING TALENT THIS EDITION: Pat Quirk, Dr Pete Kirkham, Craig Baird, Gus Brown, Megan Slade, Emma Webb, Tommy Leitch, Tom Wegener, Jack Finlay and Cory McBride.

PHOTOGRAPHIC GENIUS: Yes they are - make sure you check out the photo credits on each pic and tell them how much they rock.

Ideas & submissions: editorial@smorgasboarder.com.au Distribution: mags@hugecmedia.com.au

WWW.SMORGASBOARDER.COM.AU

smorgasboarder is published by Huge C Media Pty Ltd ABN 30944673055. All information is correct at time of going to press. The publishers cannot accept responsibility for errors in articles or advertisements, or unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or

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We print with Pep Central and Craft Inprint Group, an environmentally aware and committed printer whose business is founded upon the principles of minimising waste and maximising recycling. Nice work.

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1 7 9 1 e c n Si

“is what surfing is all about”

Surf photos by Jacob Lambert

www.goodtime.com.au

Goodtime Surf & Sail 29 Ipswich Road, Woolloongabba, Brisbane

07 3391 8588 info@goodtime.com.au JOIN US ON FACEBOOK!

Come and see Gail and the Goodtime team at the Gabba jan/feb 2011

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LATEST: EDITION

FOREVER FORWARD Mother nature is certainly a tempestuous lady.

We derive so much pleasure from her. We swim in her waters and ride the waves she creates. Yet every now and then, she shows her destructive side, unleashing astonishing power and force, turning heaven into hell.

For the last two months so many have copped a battering from floods, cyclones and even raging bushfires. You look at what people have been through and can only marvel at their resilience. Personally, I question if I could go on after what many have endured, particularly the loss of loved ones. Their strength to move forward is something to behold.

One thing is for certain - it makes you appreciate what you have. It makes you appreciate the time we have with family and friends. And at the risk of sounding like a broken record - as we said in our last edition - make the most of your life. Find time to do what you love doing. Take your kids for a surf.

Share a wave with your mates. Hoot, holler and laugh until you are hoarse. You only get one life.

When times were tough, my grandad had a saying...“Forever forward. There is only one way to go - forever forward.” He was a wise man. He had been through tough times - the ’74 floods in Brisbane, the Second World War... He’d been awarded the Military Cross and a swath of medals for bravery. What did he do? He marched forever forward to rescue his mates who were pinned down in no-man’s land.

Tears still well in my eyes when I speak of him, some fifteen years after his passing. When I think of him and how much I still miss him, I think of the pain so many are enduring now. It must be unbearable. I feel for those who have lost so much.

But for our families and friends and those who depend on us and look up to us, we must move forever forward. It’s the only way.

HOW CAN WE HELP THOSE IN NEED?

With some love, compassion and anything we can spare to assist those in need. And fortunately, many of the businesses who support smorgasboarder have felt the same way, making generous donations

to help with our fundraising efforts for the Disaster Relief Appeal. We are so incredibly appreciative of the support from all involved in raising a few dollars to help where we can. Read more on Page 28.

THIS EDITION

We too are marching forever forward, it seems.

With this edition we welcome our surfing brothers and sisters in South Australia. That’s right smorgasboarder is now delivered from Agnes Water in Queensland through New South Wales and Victoria, all the way across to South Oz. More and more talented editorial contributors and photographers from around the country have jumped on board to help publish ‘their’ magazine. And this month we also go live with the humble beginnings of our new website at www.smorgasboarder.com.au Finally, we hope this edition is another step forward in helping surfers to enjoy... well, surfing... and the sheer happiness it brings. It’s another step forward in recognising what we have and how fortunate we are in our lives.

Dave

Somewhere in South Australia. Just one more place for us to make new friends and have good times. Welcome on board SA. Photo: James Ellis 10

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girLADIES ls FIRST

THE NEW SCHOOL LIFE IS ALL SUNSHINE, ICE-CREAMS AND CUTBACKS ON SCHOOL TIME FOR THESE LUCKY LADIES ENROLLED IN THE SURFING EXCELLENCE PROGRAM AT COOLUM HIGH. WE CHAT TO FOUR STUDENTS AND ORGANISER, BRAD LEE, TO FIND OUT MORE. PHOTOS AND WORDS: MEGAN SLADE

What the girls say...

Alannah: We get two double lessons on Fridays and Tuesdays to surf. Then we have our theory lesson where we pretty much work on improving our surfing technique. We learn how to judge and we actually made our own surf magazine once for an assignment which was fun.

Kayla: They rotate the coaches at school every couple of weeks and every coach teaches 12

you something different.

It’s good to get different perspectives.

Carlene: And after HPE (health and physical education) everyone is so hot and sweaty. We get to go surfing afterwards and we all rub it in. (All laugh) Belle: It’s my favourite subject by far. I do it because I thought it would be fun, and I thought it would be better than doing Japanese (laughs). No

seriously, Dad got me into surfing when I was in grade six so I was stoked when they offered it at school in year eight.

Alannah: It’s the best subject. Especially if you are having a hard time at home or school. Just being able to get out in the water and take your stress out on the wave clears your head if you are angry or upset. It just flushes all of the anger out of you and makes you

feel happy again. If you get a good wave it just makes your whole day so much better.

Carlene: My friend from Brisbane is really jealous.

She thinks we are really lucky to even be living on the Coast and can’t believe we do surfing as a subject at school.

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Brad Lee has been running surfing subjects at Coolum High for eighteen years as part of the sport and recreation program. Due to the subject’s popularity, the Surfing Excellence Program became a separate curriculum seven years ago.

gO-prO! while stocks last

“We look at things like surfboard technology, how they are shaped, different designs,” says Brad. “We try and get kids to be aware of the equipment they are using. We do surf safety and surf awareness. We look at major manoeuvres and techniques involved. We look at surfing small and big waves and winning thoughts in competitions. We look at sustainability within the industry and the environment as well as reading the weather. It’s a fairly broad curriculum.”

Surfing as a subject has also had a positive impact on the girls’ selfesteem and general confidence levels.

“I think these four are good examples of girls with a lot of confidence.

Not only are they comfortable talking to adults and people their own age, but also the guys,” Brad tells us. “They feel confident within that peer group and know that the guys aren’t to be feared. They’re actually good friends, and that’s proven by the way the guys encourage them in the water.”

Kayla agrees: “They always support us, they always make sure we get a couple of waves. When we’re paddling for a massive wave, they encourage us to go for it. The best thing is when you get a good one and they are like ‘Yeah that was a sick wave!’ It’s good they say that... and they aren’t saying it to be mean.”

Brad believes encouragement and those friendships are a really special part of this program.

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“A lot of women find it completely different out there in the water. If you are not confident, you will be trodden on. There aren’t as many waves as there used to be.”

The progress and dedication shown by the girls is very encouraging and proof in itself of the success of the program.

“They all start off very enthusiastic and I think surfing is a pretty frustrating sport so the learning curve is steep. These girls really have stuck with it.”

“The only bad thing about the program is that it finishes in year ten,” says Kayla.

“We’re still working on that,” promises Brad.

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LATEST: FEEDBACK

JOIN IN THE CONVERSATION: Email all your innermost thoughts, letters, stories, photos, praise, rants to letters@smorgasboarder.com.au or send other contribution ideas, surf photography or fantastic ideas for stories to editor@smorgasboarder.com.au.

Join us on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/ Smorgasboarder-Surf-Magazine/133229320054947 (or easier, just search for smorgasboarder)

MINING ON STRADBROKE ISLAND

With the focus of our travel feature being North Stradbroke Island, mining company, Sibelco wanted to use smorgasboarder to communicate to the east coast surfing community about their involvement and operations on the island. What better and more transparent way to do that than to print the communication we received from them.

From igs planes to p g to everythin inbetween

0412 131 491 thomassurfboards.com 14

“Sand mining has been an integral part of the North Stradbroke Island community since the late 1940s. As mining progressed, many services and infrastructure were brought to the island for mine operations. As a result, roads, telecommunications and power became available to local residents and visitors.

“Mining on Straddie supplies silica sands and heavy minerals used in the production of many items we all rely on. These minerals are used to produce glass, medical and sporting equipment, sunscreen, tiles and ceramics, televisions and computers, paints, cosmetics and foods.

“Today Sibelco Australia is the sole operator and employer with over 640 people directly and indirectly employed because of the mining operations. Our company and our employees form an integral part of the island community and are committed to ensuring it remains an idyllic place to work, live and holiday. The Straddie lifestyle has always been, and will hopefully remain something unique to South East Queensland.

“The lifestyle we have all come to know and love is something the company works with the local community to maintain. We’ve helped the local school and pre-school through significant refurbishments; ensured local football and sporting clubs have equipment and uniforms; provided strong support to the local Surf Life Saving and Straddie Board Riders Club; and made getting to and from the island easier with our continued partnership with the ferry companies operating from Cleveland.

“In June 2010, the State Government announced that mining will end early on Straddie by 2027. This announcement created considerable uncertainty for our operations, our workers, and all of the residents, small businesses and community groups who call North Stradbroke Island home.

“Sibelco has continued to negotiate with the Government to develop a realistic plan for the gradual ceasing of sand mining on the island.

Our aim is for a gradual transition from sand mining, which will allow our company to retain the bulk of our workforce and ensure the economic stability of the community. There are real concerns that ceasing mining in the short-term will impact services on the island and negatively impact local businesses and residents.

“Our vision supports the Straddie lifestyle we have all come to know and love.

“If sand mining was to cease in the near future, Straddie shuts down, and without Straddie, Queenslanders lose one of their most treasured island destinations.

“For further information on Sibelco Australia’s Vision for a Sustainable Stradbroke, please visit www.sustainablestradbroke.com.au.”

*Letters may have been edited for length and clarity

LOCAL CONVERT I’ve been on the “pop-out” wagon in the last 8 years. Your article got me thinking about the surf industry and the local guys that scrape a living out of it.

It’s definitely a lifestyle thing, because when you break a handcrafted board down to $$/ hour there’s not much in it, compared to the bucks earned in other industries. But hey, it’s HAND built, made for YOU, a one off.

The [import] boards serve a purpose and dont get me wrong, they take a hiding and last well, but surfing was, and is, an individual pastime and a hand-made custom is now this individual’s choice of surfcraft.

Jim

I LAUGH AT YOUR FOAM I’m perplexed there are people who persist on riding boards, made from inferior and less durable material that offers LESS PERFORMANCE. A construction method which is 60 years old and is more toxic!

Why! I laugh at anybody who rides a PU, Fanning and all the top pros included.

James, Palmy Like Yoda and Vader, there seems to balance in the force, with representation of support from both camps.

GIVEAWAY We have a very cool Tools Deck Grip to hand over.

Send in your letters and thoughts to be in line for the freebies! Email us on letters@smorgasboarder.com.au

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416 pages of the most valuable information you might ever read, the SURFER’S TEXTBOOK is a must have for any aspiring surfboard maker.

Years of board manufacturing research, development and understanding in one comprehensive volume, with over 1000 photographs, illustrations, diagrams and surfboard templates.

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READERS PHOTOS

We received so many fantastic submissions again for this edition, that it was even harder to pick the shots to print on this page... We just wish we had more space as there we some pearlers we sadly had to leave out. Next time... And speaking of next time - for our May edition, we have sets of WASP BAGS up for grabs! So, send in all your greatest photos, get them published and win! letters@smorgasboarder.com.au

For more on WASP bags, see www.waspbags.com.au

THIS IS yOUR

UlTIMATE GUIDE

BUy ONlINE TODAy and start your journey!

Order before June 2011 for a FREE copy of the

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Jake Colreavy at Mudjimba Dylan Pukall

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LATEST: PHOTOS Snapper closeout Alex Eddie

Up, up, up in Narrabeen Tom Bennett

THE WINNING SHOT

Congrats to Paul Greene for finding this green wall of hidden treasure in Victoria.

Your prize pack will be on the way!

Vicco magic Paul Greene

Cool little spray at Wurtulla Phil ‘Pup’ Bender

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LATEST: PHOTOS All photos on this page: Polek Rybczynski

WHAT THE? Keen surfer, photographer and writer Polek Rybczynski, sent in some awesome shots that he had taken around Wollongong. As much as we love the Gong and the surf around there, what caught our eye in this case was the cool little hand-plane-orsomething he was using to get around on.

So, we asked him about it...

“Yes, it is an invention I picked up whilst hitchhiking along the North Shore of Oahu from a guy by the name of Mark Richardson. He makes them out of snapped surfboards.

“They have a stringer and are glassed. The one I bought from him was shaped like a fish with two little wooden fins and a deep, deep concave right through the hull.

“He fibreglassed two handles onto the deck so they can be ridden with greater ease, or one handed - one hand in the middle of the board and one in the air in that classic bodysurf style.

“Mark calls them kickboards. They go really fast for what they are. I saw him get some nice tubes on these things at Velzy - where he lives - and just up the point from Velzy, which was impressive. The amount of fun I have had on this board is quite wild. Makes for a great contribution to the quiver.”

Very cool. And so, yet another board goes on our Xmas wishlist.

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Mark at The Factory Surfboards in Caloundra, picking up the Traveller, ready to launch...

MORE ON THE WAY

Mark Pridmore of More Surfboards has had a fair bit on the go in the last few months, including relocating family and business to the Sunshine Coast.

He’s also inked a deal with Da Bomb surf shops at Maroochydore and Bokarina to be their main board man.

“They have two great shops so if you are in the area, call in and have a look at what they have.” says Mark. “I’m shaping some boards for their team riders now and stock boards will be in their shops in the near future.”

Very exciting is the launch of Mark’s new Traveller - a travelling board project that kicked off on Australia Day at Maroochydore Beach (see Page 114 for pics from the day). The board - which has the most stylish of deck grips, courtesy of Crosslink Traction - will get passed around down the east coast and beyond, with its journey documented online at www.smorgasboarder.com.au. Get online, get involved.

Rich

Tim can’t wait for the paddle stands to arrive so he can sit down again.

Sure he may be a good friend and loyal supporter of smorgasboarder but this is not radio infomercial time. Zak Koniaris’ surf store in Thornbury, Melbourne is, in all honesty, one of our favourite surf shops in the country. Once you have gone there you will understand why we think it’s so good. Zak has a huge range of surfboards (he sells around a 1000 surfboards a year) including his own boards and unique sleds from some of Victoria’s most respected shapers. Then there’s loads of skateboards, surfing hardware, gear and clothing. And now, Zak Surfboards are stocking a range of SUPs for those aspiring watermen and women. See the website: www.zaksurfboards.com

The Granddaddy of all modern surfboards is back on display at SurfWorld Torquay.

As the earliest incarnation of the famous three-fin setup, it represents a turning point in the history of surfing worldwide.

Kindly loaned by Simon Anderson, this 6’6” from Bells in 1981 is one of the most treasured and referenced surfboards they have on display.

Check it out in Torquay or visit the website: www.surfworld.org.au RIGHT: The Thruster, next to a 1982 MR world championship winning board, which he and surfed at Bells in the same year. He can be seen snapping the board in the movie Wizards of the Water.

Photo: SurfWorld Torquay

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CALL FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS!!

Do you have a surfing photo taken somewhere around Australia’s coastline?

100 surfing photos taken anytime over the past 100 years are needed for inclusion in the historic surfing exhibition Celebrating the Centenary of Australian Surfing Photography 1911–2011.

The photos, which will be published as a commemorative book, will become a permanent part of the collection that will feature at the centenary exhibition in Yamba - the birthplace of Australian surfing photography - and be displayed at the Port of Yamba Historical Society and the Australian National Sporting Museum in Melbourne. Sounds great!

For info: Debrah Novak on 0419 272 621 or surfphotoexhibition@gmail.com INDO SURF & LINGO EBOOK The new eBook version of Indo Surf & Lingo is available, featuring all 180 pages of the latest edition for 2011, complete with $500 worth of discount vouchers.

It’s compatible with all Windows-based computers, laptops and mobile devices.

It can be saved onto a USB memory stick too. You can print any pages you need, and it’s fine to share the first 28 preview pages with all your friends. Check it out online: www.indosurf.com.au/PREVIEW/ index.html BIG BALSA BACK IN STOCK

WHAT ELSE IS SUP? In what is apparently a first for the SUP fraternity, the Academy of Surfing Instructors (ASI) is now running accreditation courses for SUP instructors and SUP schools. Courses can be undertaken for flat water and surf disciplines. For more information, see:

www.academyofsurfing.com

RETURN OF THE THRUSTER

QUICKIES

Mark at Riley Classic Balsawood Surfboards just received another container of balsa from Ecuador.

“Getting it had all the dramas of a soap opera,” Mark tells us. “But look at the section sizes and the lengths of 10 footers... It’s worth the 6 month wait!”

For info, please visit the website,

www.balsasurfboardsriley.com.au.

Alternately contact Mark on 0412 376 464 or mark@riley.com.au.

DON’T BE FOILED

Photo: Steve Triance/Surfing Australia

LATEST: NEWS

ZAK TAKES A STAND (UP)

Contrary to popular belief, Phil Way, formerly of Fluid Foils fame is still crafting his own range of exceptional hand-made fins after some thirty odd years on the tools. He is still in Ballina, but now working under his new business name of Phil’s Foils.

A WAVE OF RELIEF

Not-for-profit charity Groundswell, formed in partnership with The Perfect Wave travel company and Randwick TAFE , NSW are sending a second team of volunteers this March to help with rebuilding in areas of Samoa affected by the 2009 tsunami. The TAFE students are putting the skills they are learning to good use, for a good cause. See:

www.groundswellbuilds.org.au

NSW SNAPPER TAKES AWARD

Photographer Jeremy Wilmotte walked away with Photo of the Year at the Australian Surfing Awards on the Gold Coast on February 6. For more of his work, see www.frothers.com.au Amongst other winners, Noosa’s Phil Jarratt took the Surf Culture Award for his book, Suits & Salts. Congrats all.

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LATEST: & GREATEST

LOCK IT IN EDDIE

Keys, cash, licence, credit cards can all be locked away in this combination lock steel vault that slides straight into hitch type tow bars. The HitchSafe fits all 50mm hitch type tow bars and usually retail for $129.00 but are on special for the month of March for $99.00, while stocks last. www.ksq.com.au

A SPOONFUL OF GOOD LOVIN’ When Peter White’s wife, Janet, was literally hit by a bus some years back he thought of ways he could encourage her back out into the water and enjoy one of things she most loved doing most, surfing. So he built Janet a spoon.

The interest the board generated and subsequent demand has resulted in Classic Malibu agreeing to shape a limited number of custom orders.

The craftsmanship entailed in shaping a spoon is incredible and damn near impossible from our perspective, a labour of love no doubt.

If you’re interested in spooning give Classic Malibu a call on 07 5474 3122 or see www.classicmalibu.com

COME TO THE DRY SIDE

Ever needed to make a hasty getaway after staying in the water a bit longer than you should have (sorry honey!)? Well, this is one of the reasons why the Tools Poncho comes in handy.

A towel and outfit in one means you can be warm and dry and make that quick transition from the water to the car in seconds.

There are a range of patterns to chose from. And at home, you can pretend to be Obi Wan Kenobi. RRP $69.90 See www.toolssurfaustralia.com.au for stockists.

KOMBI UP TRUMPS

Nothing says classic surf imagery like an old Kombi van. This old restored classic lets you get around in style without having to do the hard work yourself.

Available for hire and chauffer driven, it seats eight and is complete with massive sunroof. Perfect for that specially themed wedding, beach party or luau.

Operating on the Sunshine Coast, you can catch Deluxe Kombi Service on 07 5491 5432 or 0402 615 126

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WIELD A BIG STICK And it doesn’t even have to be a strain with the brand new Carbon Fibre Big Stick from Kahuna Creations available through Street SUP in Australia.

By far the lightest Big Stick in the range, the carbon fibre performance shaft delivers power, speed and enjoyment for the sweetest ride.

Ultra light with a beautifully-crafted wooden handle makes it comfy for those long rides.

Available in 5’6” and 6ft lengths. RRP $389. See: www.kahunacreations.com.au

COOL FOOTWEAR

BECAUSE WEARING SHOES IS THE POLITE THING TO DO

MICROWOBBLEBOARD?

‘Biomechanically engineered to re-energize your body via your feet with its Microwobbleboard™ midsole’, the FF SUPERTONE from Fit-Flop is said to help diminish backaches, joint strain and plantar foot pain, as well as absorbing up to 22% more shock when you walk. And fortunately, they look really cool too, so you don’t have to feel like your Nanna wearing comfy shoes.

See www.fitflop.com.au

THE BUZZ ON BAGS A smart solution to keeping the sand and water out of you beach kit is now available through the clever WASP bag range. These bright and practical designs are made from a hard waring PVC and are manufactured using thermo welded seams.

The bag, including straps and buckles are made to last being sun and salt resistant.

We gave these a go. Once you get your head around how to close them up (turn it down three times and the clip over the top) we were really impressed. So we filled up the King Wasp with gear and threw it in the pool. First bonus - it floats. So we jammed it underwater. Once we got it out and opened up, everything inside was bone dry. Comfy, clever and cool - we’re sold.

NEW WAVE

They’re not shoes, they’re... wait, these actually are shoes!

Sanük’s new Shunami Series promise ‘incredible comfort and unparalleled styling’ with a handmade, all-suede upper and their “Shock-N-Ahhh” insole - a dual density PU insole for maximum impact protection. Coming soon to Oz. See www.sanuk.com.au

RRP: King Wasp $35, Baby Wasp $25.

Check out the range at www.waspbags.com.au

PRETTY VAGRANT

Be the coolest looking bum you know in the new Appleyard Vagrant shoes from Globe. Raw design, distressed details in a durable combination of suede and canvas all stitched together with ballistic grade thread. The shoe’s PU footbed and gel heelpad cushion will have you wandering the streets in comfort for years to come. www.globe.tv/aus/

WASH AND WEAR

Being made of hemp, some stoners might try smoke them.

Don’t. The Vans Rata Vulc Hemp Shoe fixes the funk – that is, how much your shoes stink when you put your bare wet feet into them. Machine-washable with a bamboo charcoal-lined midsole to prevent dampness and smells, these are perfect for surfers - super flexible and comfy.

See: www.vans.net.au mar/apr 2011

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SHAPER PART OF ART EXHIBITION

SURFING IN ST. KILDA

It’s not the first time that surfing and art have collided for Chris Garrett. Amongst other exhibitions, Chris has artwork displayed in the Queensland Premiers office and showed off his work as part of the lead up to the Sydney Olympic Games.

Currently his work is part of an exhibition called Scott Redford: introducing Reinhardt Dammn, based around a rebellious young surfer, rock muso and artist who explores the beauty and energy of contemporary pop culture, especially amongst surfers.

See qag.qld.gov.au for more.

During February’s renowned St Kilda Festival, Melbourne recently got a taste of surfing in the form of art. And it’s being represented by the SURF bike POP Exhibition, on display at the Surface Exhibition and Pop Up Gallery on Carlisle Street, St Kilda.

It showcases a range of artwork by local artists throughout the surfing community, with all sorts of visual ecstasy on display, including pieces by the legendary Reg Mombassa (Mambo, Mental As Anything).

Check out www.surfacepop.com or find out more at 11-13 Carlisle Street, St Kilda, Melbourne

Photo: QAG

Photo: Robbie Warden

WORDS: WILL SHEA

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SURF CULTURE CLASH By the time this mag hits the streets, you’ll only have a week or so left to catch the Institute of Modern Art touring exhibition, cantchant at the University of the Sunshine Coast Gallery.

The exhibition by contemporary Aboriginal artist Vernon Ah Kee - which opened in February - is on until Saturday, March 19 before moving on to the Gold Coast Art Gallery for the months of May and June.This exhibition is not just painted surfboards, but rather takes a critical look at Australian beach culture in a multimedia setting with film, photos and painted boards all forming part of the experience.

“It pushes aside the commonsense of the beach as a destination for leisure, relaxation and fun, and presents it as a cultural battleground,” said Dawn Oelrich, the USC Gallery Curator. “The exhibition includes surfboards painted with north Queensland rainforest shield designs, wall text and a three-screen video installation.”

Vernon Ah Kee is a well-travelled and well-respected artist with work represented in the collections of Queensland Art Gallery, the National Gallery of Australia, and the Museum of Contemporary Art. For a fresh perspective on surfing and surf culture, make sure you visit this exhibition, if not on the Sunshine Coast, then on the Gold Coast or further south as the exhibition moves down the coast.

What: Vernon Ah Kee - cantchant Where: University of the Sunshine Coast Gallery Showing: Open until March 19, 2011 Opening hours: 10am to 4pm Mon to Sat. Closed Sun, public holidays Cost: FREE to the public

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LATEST: COMMUNITY

Photo: William Hammond, Supplied

For something a little different

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Surfers in Coolum know Leanne Gilkes, although they probably know her better as Bluey, manager of Coolum Surf. And they’re even more likely to know her by her trademark dreadlocks. But this is all about to change.

Bluey’s decided to give up her hair to show how much she cares in the annual Cancer Council’s Clip for Cancer.

For most people diagnosed with cancer, losing their hair is part of the cancer journey. So on Saturday, April 9, Bluey will experience losing hers - all 37 of those dreadlocks at the Coolum Surf store. Expect a day of events including a suasage sizzle, hair-product giveaways, competitions and more.

So, she needs your help to raise the much needed funds for vital cancer research and patient support services, including Cancer Council Queensland’s Wig and Turban loan service. You can support her by donations of goods or cash, so do what you can!

Available in all good surf shops or online at

www.learn2surfstrap.com www.surfbabysurf.com

To donate or follow Bluey’s progress, visit her webpage on the Clip for Cancer website: www.everydayhero.com.au/leanne_gilkes

BURLEIGH ENJOYS 20TH BIRTHDAY

At this year’s annual Anzac Day event - the Dawn Surface - the Burleigh Longboard Club will celebrate its 20th anniversary. With Anzac Day falling on the Easter weekend this year, the event will, for the first time, be run over two days.

The organisers promise to keep all and sundry entertained with a Sunday night party, competitor board draws, giveaways, raffles, and more boards.

There’s also Easter celebrations for the grommets on Easter Sunday, and free breakfasts served daily for competitors. For more information and to download an entry form, visit the website: www.burleighlongboardclub.com

Members of the Burleigh Longboard Club have extra reason to celebrate this year with their 20th Anniversary celebrations running over two whole days. Photo: Supplied

If you have any news and events that should be in these pages, please feel free to drop us a line at editorial@smorgasboarder.com.au.

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waspbags.com.au jan/feb 2011

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LATEST: COMMUNITY

SUP IN THE SUN

A DAY OF FAMILY FUN AND RIVER RACING ON THE WORONORA RIVER

The great thing about Stand Up Paddle is that you can do it just about anywhere. You just need water, be it the ocean, a river, a lake, a creek… Just hop on the board, grab your paddle and off you go. The versatility of the craft has spawned a host of new events and possibilities - one of these being the Coreban River Race, to be held at Prince Edward Park Reserve, Woronora, NSW. Organised by the Cronulla Sutherland SUP Club, there will be plenty of racing happening on the Woronora River, with divisions across all age groups and board lengths, a handicap division and what is sure to be very popular - the SUP LeMANS. What is that?

It’s a battle. With paddles.

President of the Cronulla Sutherland SUP Club Peter Japp, who also runs East Coast Stand Up Paddle, says that he wanted the event to attract people from the broader Australian SUP-ing communities.

For more information, visit: the website: www.cronullasutherlandsupclub.com.au

“IT’S THE TYPE OF EVENT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE EACH CLUB UP AND DOWN THE COAST AND INTERSTATE BEING ABLE TO TRAVEL TO AND TAKE PART IN, IN THE SAME WAY THAT SURFING CLUBS DO.”

The Cronulla Sutherland Stand Up Paddle Club was established in 2010 and is the first SUP club in the Sutherland Shire and the surrounding southern Sydney suburbs.

SUP manufacturer Coreban, who were only too happy to jump on board as main sponsor of the event, having recently shifted their headquarters from Maui Hawaii to Noosa right here in Australia, will also be presenting a clinic on the day, hosted by Jodie and Woogie Marsh.

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But it’s not all about competing! The day is really about family fun, building the SUP community in the local area and beyond, and just getting out there and having a go. Expect bbqs, raffles and other fun events wrapping up with a function at the Woronora River RSL.

Coreban specialises in designing quality Stand Up Paddle gear, with testing done in some of the world’s most extreme conditions - from outer reefs in Hawaii to point breaks in South Africa and Australia.

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Photo courtesy of Coreban

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LATEST: COMMUNITY

FLOODING IN

A LITTLE BIT OF BROWN WATER IN THE SURF WAS ABOUT AS MUCH NATURAL DISASTER AS THE SUNSHINE COAST HAD TO DEAL WITH SO FAR THIS YEAR. ELSEWHERE, NATURE WAS FAR MORE UNKIND.

Floods, cyclones, bushfires... It’s been a bad start to the year. For many it’s meant losing everything they own, starting from scratch and in the worst and most unthinkable of all situations, even losing someone they held dear.

Sitting at home on the Sunshine Coast, we - like so many others - sat untouched, watching helplessly from afar as mother nature tore our country apart.

Seeing all the destruction and heartache as it unfolded on national television, we - again, like so many others - made it our personal problem, and our business, to help where we could.

Fortunately for us, it turns out that so many people and businesses that we’ve dealt with through smorgasboarder felt exactly the same way and were only too happy to dedicate their time and donate their product to help in some extra fundraising. So we wanted to share with you the good things that people have done to get involved, and to take this opportunity to publicly and openly thank them for the generosity and time.

Thanks to understanding and support of the following businesses, we were able to set aside $4000 as a donation to the QLD Premier’s Disaster Relief Appeal: ASI (Academy of Surfing Instructors), Aquatique, Atoll Travel, Black Apache Surfboards, Bushrat, Byron Bay Longboards, Chris Garrett Shapes, Diverse, Fiik Skateboards, Foilz Fins, G Boards, Go Sea, Greenline Paddle Surf, Grown Surfboards, Hightide Surfboards, The Island Accommodation and Islantis, Island Surf Shack, Island Surfboards, Island Tribe Sun Protection, Liquid Destination, ProtecSun, Repeat Board Store, Riley Balsa Surfboards, Sandy Feet, Sean Scott Photography, Skipp Surfboards, SmoothStar Skateboards, Southern Man Surf Shop, Surf Lock, Surfish, The Log Shack, The Plank Shop, Underground Surf, Water Café, Wavegrinder, World Surfaris and last but certainly in no way least, Zak Surfboards.

Further generosity was shown in the form of donations of time, gear and accommodation, which we have been auctioning off on eBay. Donations included custom surfboards by Lee Cheyne Designs,

Chris Garrett Shapes and Koma Surfboards, fins from 4WFS and Foilz, a canoe from Goodtime Surf and Sail in Brisbane, accommodation from Caloundra Backpackers, The Westernport Hotel in San Remo and ASI Bali, as well as gear from Elofant Straps, More Surfboards and John Hart.

All we can really say is that we are truly humbled, if not completely dumbstruck, by the spirit of support shown by these businesses and the surfing community of the east coast.

Thank you also to all those who have put in bids on the online auctions - there may still be some auctions yet to end by the time your read this. See: shop.ebay.com.au/smorgasboarder/m.html Good on everyone that’s got off their couch to do something to help in these hard months. It’s comforting to know we live in such an incredible country - where lending a hand to a mate in need is far from second nature... it’s first.

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Scott makes the most of any opportunity to get wet.

Photo: Dave Swan

FOOTY WAS GREAT, BUT UNTIL NOW, MY KIDS HADN’T SEEN ME ON WEEKENDS FOR MOST OF THEIR LIVES. NOW I’M RETIRED FROM FOOTY, WE CAN SHARE SOME WAVES TOGETHER. SCOTT HILL ON FAMILY

STORM RIDER FORMER MELBOURNE STORM RUGBY LEAGUE STAR SCOTT HILL TALKS ABOUT HIS LOVE FOR SURFING, FAMILY AND LIFE AFTER FOOTBALL. WORDS: DAVE SWAN

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LATEST: INTERVIEW “We grew up surfing in Forster. Footy in winter, surfing in summer. My two older brothers and me surfed every imaginable break outside where we lived at Seven Mile Beach. Greg was six years my senior and Matt four.

“As soon as Greg was old enough to get his licence, the three of us used to venture down to Pacific Palms and surfed Bluey’s Beach, Boomerang Beach and Seal Rocks. I have so many memories of surfing growing up back home.“ Described by many in Rugby League circles as a true entertainer, Scott Hill was renowned for his speed, sleight of hand and ability to read the play ahead of the rest. He played State of Origin for NSW and represented Australia. He was one of the first players recruited by the Melbourne Storm in their inaugural year in 1998 and went on to play for the Storm for a further nine years before finishing his career in the English Super League in 2008.

Personally, I considered him a freak. With me being a born and bred Queensland cane toad and staunch Broncos supporter, his playmaking always scared the absolute pants off me. He was one of those guys who could turn a game on its head.

One minute you would be dancing and singing sea shanties and the next minute bloody Scott Hill would have torn the game apart and have you crying in your beer. I hated that bastard. He could sure play football but I was keen to know how well he surfed.

“As you can imagine, having two older brothers, I was always going to be pushed in the surf, the bigger the better as far as they were concerned.

“Our family was good friends with the Emertons.

Beau and I were particularly close and you’ve seen how he charges big waves. (Recently retired Beau Emerton, also from Forster, was formerly one of Australia’s top professional surfers. He is one of only a few professional surfers to score a perfect 10 at Teahupoo in monstrous four metre waves.) Surfing big waves was just part of growing up.

“One of my scariest surf moments was when I was at school, believe it or not. Surfing was part of the school curriculum and one time we were out at Hayden’s Rock.”

Hayden’s Rock is a large rocky outcrop situated between Pebbly Beach and Forster’s Main Beach, approximately 150m off the headland and popular with an array of marine life – of which we don’t need to know about.

“Hayden’s can get pretty heavy and it is deep. Mat Hoy used to visit Beau and say that was on of the best right-handers he has ever surfed.

“This particular day it was breaking eight to ten feet and all I can remember is duck diving and duck diving and just getting absolutely hammered, set after set. It was pretty insane. I can’t believe they let us go out in those kind of conditions.”

In Forster, they seemingly breed ‘em mad, and from a young age.

“Yeah, I must admit a few of the boys back home are a little crazy. When I was playing footy overseas I caught up on one of their latest exploits that just had me shaking my head. They were getting these big

fishing rods and heading down to Seven Mile, closer to Booti Booti, hooking up these big slabs of tuna and paddling them out past the breakers on a longboard.

From there the plan was to hook a great white. And they did, time and time again, all catch and release.”

Through his footballing years, Scott still managed to get in a surf whenever he could or catch up with old surfing mates from back home.

“Robbie Kearns (the former captain of the Melbourne Storm) and me used to head down to Bells, Winki and Bird Rock at Torquay whenever we could.

Occasionally we would head even further south down around Warrnambool. The waves down there are something else, so much power and so consistent.

They pack a punch. The only thing is the water is so bloody cold. You have a steamer on through most of summer.”

Big waves and white pointers are ok but the first sign of cold water and you’re complaining?

“Beau and I always try to catch up when we can.

When we played the World Club Championship over in England, Beau was surfing in Spain. He rang me up and headed over to watch the game. We caught up afterwards for a few beers. Whenever we get together though, it is pretty dangerous.”

It was not always World Club Championship victories and after game beers for Scott Hill though. He experienced a long, hard road to eventually savour a taste of sporting success.

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Scott spending quality time with the little Hills: (L-R) Molly, Mimi, Indie and Wyle

“After that we enjoyed continued success at the Storm. Unfortunately, I retired in 2006, the year we lost the grand final to the Broncos. I never tasted the victory of an NRL premiership, which has always gutted me.”

And what of the storm fiasco? (The Melbourne Storm was stripped of two premiership titles in 2007 and 2009 and fined $1.6 million after being found guilty of long-term salary cap breaches.)

“I am just disappointed in the way it was all handled. The players really copped it.

“When you are playing football you are concentrating on playing football. You trust your managers and the executives at the club have got it all right. That’s what they are employed to do. You’re employed to play football.”

Life after football means more time for family and for a little surfing.

“1999 in particular wasn’t a good year for me.

I had to have a shoulder reconstruction in June halfway through the season. At that stage, I didn’t know I was going to miss a Grand Final and the inaugural premiership win for the Melbourne Storm in only our second year in the NRL. But things got worse.

“I headed home after surgery on the shoulder to catch up with my brothers and my folks. Whilst at home, one of the boys I played footy with in local first grade before I went to Sydney had a head wetting to celebrate the birth of his child.

We went to a local nightclub and later in the night ran into a little trouble.

“Admittedly my brothers and I never took a backward step. In this instance I came to the aid of my brother when some trouble unfolded. A woman who was with the other party picked up a metal star-picket and cracked me on the back of the head. It knocked me clean out. With the full force of my body weight I then hit the side of the gutter with my head. I was out cold with blood coming out of my ears.

“My folks lived in a unit just across from the centre of town. So my best mate ran across to their unit. You can imagine how my old man was at 3am in the morning. ‘Ray, you gotta come down.’ My dad arrived and saw me lying there.

Apparently, I didn’t come to until an hour later when we were half way to the hospital in Taree.

I had fractured my skull and had bruising on my brain. It was pretty heavy.

“I apparently didn’t acknowledge anyone until my wife Brooke - then fiancée - flew in from Melbourne and arrived there late the next day. I basically lost four weeks of my life.

“Shoulder rehab and head rehab (laughs). I had CT scans every couple of weeks to check 32

the bruising on my brain had come down. But I eventually came good, thankfully.”

And what of missing the 1999 Grand Final win?

“Well people say I was part of it and all I can say is that’s bullshit. The biggest crowd in rugby league history and I missed experiencing playing in front of them. It was a tough year for me emotionally but it gave me a lot of motivation.

The following year I made the NSW State of Origin team for the first time and then went on to play for Australia.

“I went from a year where nothing could have gone any worse: I had a shoulder reconstruction, I nearly died, I missed a Grand Final, but the next year, we won the World Club Championship and I played representative footy.

“Footy was great but until now my kids hadn’t seen me on weekends for most of their lives.

Now I am retired from footy, we can share some waves together. I am teaching them all to surf. I am really keen to get them going, so as soon as they are ready, we can all go surfing together. That’s what I remember as a kid, those times surfing with my brothers. I want them to experience it.”

Scott and his wife Brooke have four kids - Molly who is ten, Wyle eight, Mimi five and Indie one.

“Molly and Wyle are already surfing. They both surfed in the Caloundra Surfabout (a surf festival for schoolkids, held on the Sunshine Coast)” “Our family are also big fans of Fiji. We have been there six times with the kids to Plantation Island, and you know how good the breaks are

Bloody Scott Hill getting another sneaky one away to set up a Steve Turner try. © Newspix / Phil Hillyard

LATEST: INTERVIEW

Quiver shot (or family shot if we can’t get hi-res. Then quiver shot will be the main one...)

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21/02/11 2:05 PM

security • convenience • peace of mind

around there. Yet all that time over there, I have never surfed. For me, my holiday time was the only true quality time I got with the kids so it wasn’t fair to go off surfing. But I can’t wait until they are ready. That’ll be good.”

In a professional sense, Scott has embarked on a new venture.

“I got approached a few times to coach footy but after missing so many weekends, I couldn’t do it to my family. Coaching is more time consuming than playing.”

“So I started up the business with Dave (Dr David Becker – former youth athlete and physiotherapist for fifteen years in elite team management).

Brooke was a great support. She was the one who really supported me. She encouraged me to do something I loved doing.

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Available at selected surf stores – also online!

www.surflock.com.au

Scott and David are the co-authors of a new book entitled Sports Wisdom Revealed: The Coaches. It’s the first in a planned seven books series. The intended audience is primarily sports parents and coaches.

“I had the benefit of serving under some of Australia’s greatest coaches. The book is about imparting some of their wisdom on the athletes of tomorrow.”

The book features interviews with twelve of Australia’s finest sports coaches including Wayne Bennett, Ron Barassi, Norma Plummer, Lindsay Gaze and surf coach to Mick Fanning, Phil McNamara.

“It was great to have Phil McNamara involved with the book. The success he has enjoyed with Mick and the obvious respect between the two is testament to Phil’s ability.

“What was fascinating in particular was, unlike other coaches, Phil has to contend with Mother Nature when training his athletes. As he explained, there are some times you go out there and the conditions dictate what you do. It may be that all you can do is focus on bottom turns, so you do them over and over again to make sure there is a real precision about them. You practice what you can depending on what the surf is doing.”

“It was interesting that Phil also borrowed many ideas from other coaches he had studied from outside the surfing realm such as Tony Roche and Wayne Bennett. In essence, I guess that’s what the book is about, that crossfertilisation of ideas across various sports.”

“Basically the book is a fantastic resource rather than just something you read. It is something that is easy to refer back to again and again. The reader can decide who they will read about, in what order they choose and can get their highlighter out and underline what each coach says that resonates with them.

“Learn from the legends. The coaches we have in the book are very, very good at handling athletes and getting the best out of them. The advice we’ve got in the book is straight from the horse’s mouth, so it’s something that parents and aspiring coaches can put straight into action.”

As for anything else new and exciting in his life, Scott replies with a smile.

“A Bourton Fat Bullet. Perfect for when the waves are a little hard to get on.

That extra bit of meat in the board makes the difference without forgoing any performance.”

Scott Hill played 200 games for the Melbourne Storm, six tests for Australia 2000-04, Tri-Nations Tour 2004, World Cup 2000, five State of Origin matches for New South Wales 2000-02, played in the Storm’s inaugural match (Round 1, 1998 v Illawarra) and scored Melbourne’s first premiership try.

Boards that can last a lifetime...

Handmade with care, a hollow wooden surfboard is fully functional and surfs as well, if not better, than a foam board.

Each board is a one-off artwork with the distinct character that only comes from timber. Talk to Robert Ivers of Hollow Wooden Surfboards about the board that will best suit you.

The All-Rounder 9’ x 22” x 3”

At the end of each chapter, there is a helpful summary of the philosophies and approach of each coach interviewed for the reader to review.

Finished Boards – Blanks - Kits

www.hwsb.com.au Or phone Robert on 0409 211751

For more on Scott’s book - Sportswisdom: The Coaches, see the website, www.sportswisdomrevealed.com.au

Co-ordinator of the Victorian Tree To Sea workshops.

Inquire now about our next Wooden Surfboard Workshop.

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“ This pic was taken on the morning of a fresh southerly swell. It had been flat for days, I woke up to a south west wind rattling the windows, it was raining, but there was just enough room for the sun to light up the horizon, 10 minutes after this shot was taken it went a dull grey for the rest of the day and I surfed that A-frame for the next two hours with a just a few mates. It was lucky that little grommie was walking over with a 70’s single fin, especially the way he was holding it.”

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COLOURS OF COFFS CAPTURING THE BEAUTY AND ENERGY OF THE NEW SOUTH WALES MID-NORTH COAST IS AN ENVIABLE PURSUIT, AND IT’S ONE THAT COFFS HARBOUR PHOTOGRAPHER TOM WOODS HAS MADE HIS LIVELIHOOD. WE CHAT TO TOM ABOUT HIS WORK, HIS FAMILY AND HIS CHARMED LIFE. WORDS MARK CHAPMAN, PHOTOS TOM WOODS

In 1998-99, a Toyota Hi-Ace campervan was the only home Tom and partner Sherrin knew for 14 months as they travelled around Australia.

“We lived off very little money, we didn’t need much. Our entertainment was the ocean and each other, so I think we lasted over a year on just $14,000 and that included all our petrol, food, park fees and a little 2 week trip to Indo,” Tom recalls of the experience that set the tone for their current lifestyle and the one he aspires to. Simple.

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“ Just like most people I love a sunrise, I get up every morning hoping for something like this.”

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“ John Craig pre-dawn with a blank canvas to perform his flawless art.”

“ I’M JUST HAPPY TO BE IN THE OCEAN, WHEREVER IT IS.” TOM WOODS, PHOTOGRAPHER

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Once that money finally did run out, the couple returned to Adelaide, packed up everything they owned into that same little campervan and headed to the mid-north coast to start a new life. Coffs Harbour was where they landed and started working towards their dream of their own photography business, which became a reality in 2003.

“We have run that business as our sole source of income since 2005,” says Tom. “Early last year we established ST Surf Images - a website totally dedicated to our surf and ocean photography, which has been the most rewarding and satisfying part of our photography careers so far.”

While one plus is having his work appear in many Australian surfing magazines over the last seven years, a reward in itself is running the business from a beautiful location such as Coffs Harbour. Tom believes there’s a lot to love about the place.

“I really like the surfers that live here. There is no pretense, not many show ponies. There are small pockets of “locals only” mentality, which is just plain ugly, but most of the crew in Coffs are cruisy, happy people. It’s just one of the many little paradises right along the north coast of New South Wales.”

Jirra Laws

“I like that the best waves on the coast can change on a daily basis... It’s a real challenge to get the best of it. If you are on top of it you can nearly always score uncrowded gems.

“ Cameron Lindsay. He is in the water before sunrise every morning. Champion bloke who heads off to work as a policeman after his morning ‘saltwater sanity’ as he calls it.”

“ This is taken at a beach just 10 minute drive from a place that holds a population of 60,000. people yet on this perfect late autumn day there is no one on the beach enjoying it... why do so many people want to live on the coast but never go to the beach?”

Having his soulmate on-side in work as well as at home, is a very fortunate situation, with Sherrin an active part of the ST business, even shooting from the beach while Tom’s in the drink with the water housing.

“It’s really cool to get the two angles from the same session. It’s also good to know someone is backing me up if I get caught out of position on the wave of the day. We’ve only just started the double angle thing and I’m really excited about the possibilities for the future.”

“When the kids were younger Sherrin didn’t get a chance to do very much photography. She still had a lot of input into how we ran the business and helped a lot with creative ideas and styling of certain shoots, as well as doing the bookwork - for which I am super thankful. But now the kids are a little older, she’s amped to get back into her photography, especially the surfing side of it.”

But having a family does mean life is a little different these days for Tom and Sherrin.... but in a good way.

“Becoming a parent really changes the ball game,” says Tom. “You start to see life from a totally different perspective. I think it has been my greatest influence as far as photography goes, especially when people are the subject, once you have kids you see and feel emotion a whole lot more, nothing will teach you more about life than having kids. “ “As far as surfing goes, I feel stoked to be able to pass on our love for the ocean. My seven-year-old is already addicted to the saltwater. She rolls around in the shore breakers all day long. I often walk back over the creek

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at Moonee, our local beach, and think how lucky my kids are to grow up in such an amazing spot and also be exposed to such a lifestyle. I look at many parents surfing with their teenage kids around these parts and think what a special thing it is to share, so I’m looking forward to that - if they choose to surf, of course.”

In true form for a good surf photographer, Tom is an early riser, straight out of bed to check the windsock in his backyard and surveying the pre-dawn clouds to see if an epic sunrise is on the cards.

“I can’t stand to think I would be missing a morning offshore or some killer morning light,” he says. Tom’s adamant not to miss an opportunity to snap that one great photo - one that could even inspire someone to change the direction of their life just as his was at age 14 after reading his first surfing magazine.

“I know that single images have motivated people to travel halfway around the world to help with foreign aid projects... How cool would it be to have taken an image that has inspired that?”

“My favorite kind of photo to take is swimming in the ocean with my water housing. The actual picture taking experience is by far the most enjoyable. I am right there in the moment, getting my saltwater fix, my heart is beating strong and it is also the most rewarding when you nail a killer shot.”

That saltwater fix is such an important part of Tom’s life that the idea of not surfing isn’t an option he’d even entertain.

“Geez, I can’t imagine not surfing! Surfing is such an all-consuming thing.

My life’s decisions and where I am at now were all governed by surfing.

“So hard to see where I’d be if I didn’t surf... That sounds really onedimensional, doesn’t it? I suppose I would be in a boring 9-5 job and play some B-grade ball sport on the weekends, like most Aussie males.

My bank account would probably look better, but man, that question just makes me shudder... Move on to the next one, mate.”

“ I CAN’T STAND TO THINK I WOULD BE MISSING A MORNING OFFSHORE OR SOME KILLER MORNING LIGHT,” Coffs Harbour photographer, Tom Woods

To see more, the best place to check out Tom and Sherrin’s work is the website www.stsurfimages.com , where the content grows daily. The work is also on display at the Water Café – a great coffee shop and gallery at the jetty strip in Coffs Harbour. The couple also have some work exhibited at the Nautilus Resort.

If you need some regular inspiration, join up to the mailing list on the ST website before the May 6 this year and be in the running to win a brand new, custom-shaped board from Flanagan Surfboards.

And when you’re done clicking around on the internet, just grab your board and get out there. If that happens to be around Coffs, you might just find Tom in his favourite spot - anywhere, at dusk, with a few hooting mates.

“I’m just happy to be in the ocean, wherever it is.”

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Wes

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MEET THE TALENT

A MAN AND HIS MUSES Hailing from Victoria, Mark Howlett is a talented photographer and designer that - like us - just loves surfing and surfboards. Now that we’ve introduced the man, we’ll let him introduce his five friends from left to right.

“The first board is an old 7’0” gun, sawn down to a 5’6” nugget. I cut the swallow tail out around the middle fin to make it a twinny and re-glassed it. It’s a real rough job, but it’s alot of fun to surf.

“The next is an old single fin shaped by Michael Peterson. One of my mates (who doesn’t surf) was about to make a trip to the tip. I told him I’d be happy to take care of it!

“To my left is a 6’0” quad bat-tail fish shaped by mate Rory Oke from Oke surfboards in Braeside, Melbourne. It’s one of the first boards he shaped, and it’s sick!

“The next is also another one from Rory. It’s a 6’1” and a bit newer. It’s the board I ride most days. “...and finally, the last one is a mini mal shaped by Rory’s old man, Chok. It’s real similar to the board I first learnt to surf on. I’m spewing I sold my first board, but this thing’s just as much fun.

Good for tiny days and to teach friends in summer. “ See Mark’s photography on Page 47 and his blog: http://markjosephhowlett.blogspot.com/

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Two absolute crackers from Sydney snapper extraordinaire, Mark ‘Crumpet’ Taylor.

Above: Toby Martin finds shade at Dee Why Point and below: Barrelling waves in Sydney Harbour mar/apr 2011

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LEROY GRANNIS: R.I.P. 1917-2011

LEFT: Leroy Grannis - Surf Photography of the 1960s and 1970s, Taschen Books - RRP: $39.99 ABOVE: San Onofre, 1963. With its wide beaches, grass shacks, and long, rolling waves, San Onofre is called “California’s Waikiki.”

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ON THE THIRD OF FEBUARY THIS YEAR THE SURFING WORLD SADLY LOST ONE OF ITS GREAT PHOTOGRAPHERS, LEROY GRANNIS, WHO PASSED AWAY AT THE AGE OF 93 IN TORRANCE, CALIFORNIA. WORDS: PAT QUIRK PHOTOS: COURTESY OF TASCHEN/SCRIBO GROUP

Leroy Grannis was born in 1917 and grew up in Hermosa Beach, California, where he quickly discovered a love for the ocean. In his early years he crafted a belly board which he taught himself to ride and at the age of 14, his father gifted him a pine board which he fashioned into a kneeboard using some rudimentary woodworking tools.

As a member of the Palos Verdes Surf Club and riding the huge 11ft redwood boards of the era (which weighed around 40kg) Grannis’ passion for surfing was set for life.

Fast forward to 1959 and Leroy had become a family man, surfing only when time permitted. He worked at many different careers, including a stint in the Army Air Corps flying supplies to front line troops during WWII. He remained on active reserve for many years after the war had ended.

stopped surfing for his own enjoyment. He spent the last years of his life in Carlsbad, California still close to the ocean, loving every day.

While he will be missed by those close to him, his memory will live on through the images he has left behind.

I came across Leroy Grannis’ work a few years back in a book store when I saw the book “Surf Photography of the 1960s and 1970s.”

My wife brought me a copy the following Christmas and it remains one of my most beloved books.

If you love surfing history and classic photography, do yourself a favour and check out Leroy Grannis’ work. Even better, get yourself his book, or drop a hint to your partner to buy it for you!

When a stress-related ulcer led him to seek more balance in his life, Grannis converted his garage to a darkroom and purchased an East German 35mm camera with a 400mm lens - a move that would change his life forever. As his son, John, had recently started surfing, Leroy used this opportunity to take photos of him and the surfing environment, giving us some of the most iconic images of surfing during the sixties and early seventies.

In the early sixties his work was appearing in major surf magazines and he showed his ingenuity - with the help of his friend Doc Ball - in creating a rubber lined box that enabled him to change films in the surf while other photographers had to head back to shore. It also allowed him to use long lenses in the water while sitting safely in the channel at places like Sunset and Waimea Bay. His images of this period showed everything from empty beach breaks, casual rides to amazing large waves in Hawaii and the beautiful California coast.

As the seventies arrived, boards were getting shorter and Grannis was travelling more, taking photos of high profile surfers of the day. Grannis became photo editor at Surfing Illustrated magazine, was inducted into the International Surfing Hall of Fame as number one lensman and constantly busy - co-founded International Surfing magazine.

As the decade rolled on, Grannis found himself moving away from the surf scene to take photos of hang gliding and windsurfing, but never ABOVE: Sunset Beach, Hawaii, 1967. Sunset Point on the North Shore is a powerful magnet for waves as well as surfers.

RIGHT: Makaha, 1966. The infamous Makaha shore break launches another victim. This classic shot has been used in many advertisements. mar/apr 2011

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Fantastic shot of Currumbin Alley as only seagulls get to see it. Photo: Lincoln Williams

Vic surfers 'Boothy' and ‘Lacho' live it up. Photo: Mark Howlett mar/apr 2011

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It’s all about the beach surf art • shells • driftwood things • chenille shorts wood surf boards • beach stuff • retro sunnies • thongs stripy towels • umbrellas

6 Lorraine Ave Marcoola Beach

07 5448 8560

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20/02/11 9:52 PM

LATEST: LOCALS Any surfer who’s ever visited Torquay has been here or has heard of it.

And while some make a beeline for the big brand factory surf outlets located there for some cheap retail therapy, it’s the fin man, the glasser and the shaper that are the most visited by the local surfing population.

If you don’t know what you’re looking for, you may even miss the unassuming roller doors that lead to the industrious world of surfboard production that is Baines Crescent.

WORDS: EMMA WEBB

The residents may keep very odd hours.

At times it may seem that they don’t want your business at all, with that damn ‘gone surfing’ sign not leaving the front door for days on end.

But when they’re in, you could walk in one door and out another, ready to hit the surf with a custom board, fins and all the advice under the sun - everything from surfing to growing the biggest cucumbers.

These guys never seem hurried and are always up for a chat. Unless the surf is pumping, that is.

The personalities that co-exist in this one location are a strange mix, but it seems to work.

And although they’ve been at it for the better part of their lives, they still seem to be able to inspire the younger generation to lift their game.

Understated, but influential.

Old school tradies keeping the buzz going and doing what they love and live for. Not for the image and not for the glory.

So, next time you’re in Torquay, look beyond what you see and what you may think you know. You might just discover a little magic hidden away in streets just like this one.

The characters mentioned may be the fin man, John Ayton, the glasser and fix-it man Paul Cousins and the pink surfboard making Greg Brown. You decide.

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20/02/11 9:52 PM

NOOSA FESTIVAL

Noosa...

Bringing me good vibrations March is the month. That means it’s time for the Noosa Festival of Surfing once again.

WORDS: D AVE SWAN, MARK CHAPMAN, TOM WEGENER & GUS BROWN

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So what? Why should you want to be there?

First - the surf If you’re competing, you get to surf one of the best right-hand point breaks in the country with a handful of other guys or girls.

How many times does that happen?

If you’re not competing, but rather spectating, you get to watch some of the best surfers in the world and see all the things they do, that you can’t.

If you’re not doing either, you can scoot around to National Park, a little further around from Main Beach where the contest is held, and surf one of the best right-hand point breaks, minus all the good surfers who are competing or watching.

You can see I have thought this one through quite a fair bit. As Baldrick from Blackadder often said, “Sire, I have a cunning plan.” I love watching all the events at the festival but do confess to occasionally sneaking off to enjoy some Noosa magic without the crowds.

But what’s so good about surfing Noosa anyway? Noosa is a surfing mecca and the reason is simple – it has some of the most perfectly formed point breaks you will ever surf and when it is firing, it is not unusual to have some of the longest rides you have ever had in your life. Last year the surf was on and the forecast this year looks just as good if not better.

Second – the destination Noosa has built it’s reputation on the beauty of its natural surrounds. The beaches are stunning and the water is pristine and warm. Walk through Noosa National Park and you will understand why people travel the globe to visit this place.

Noosa is truly one of the most beautiful spots in Australia, if not the world. Riding a pearler from National Park through to Main Beach is just another thing to add to the appeal. And as I said, the ride is long, so there’s time to check out the scenery along the way.

Third – the atmosphere

The famousTea Tree Bay Photo: Nigel Arnison/On Surfari

I have frequented the festival for many years with my mates and we always have a ball. We catch up, we chat, we laugh, watch some events, share a few waves and check out the local surf stores. We have many hours (not hour) long breakfast sittings - the kind you never make time for. We knock back a couple of beers each night, enjoy the entertainment, take in the occasional fashion parade (this year’s event put on by Hive Swimwear will be an absolute stunner) and of course, we attend the vintage surfboard and memorabilia auction to blow the family’s life savings... Again. What’s not to love about that kind of week?

The Noosa Festival of Surfing is just one almighty celebration of everything great about surfing and the good times it brings.

Long live fun.

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What’s happening?

Events

So much... Surfing, music, surfing, movies, surfing, markets, surfing, charity auction, surfing and more surfing...

With yet another day added (how soon before this festival runs for just the whole year?) there are nine full days of surfing events and all forms of entertainment at the Noosa Festival of Surfing this year.

The water events range from competitions for the young ones right through to the over-65s and some great specialty events, such as the inclusion of a finless division, which should be incredible to watch. Further embracing the paddling people, the Stand Up Paddle divisions are expanding to include surf and races for all ages.

A feelgood favourite, the Family Challenge is on again and the hotly contested Noserider division is always a treat to watch.

For those of you who trekked back and forth through the mud last year to get to as many events as possible, there’s good news: Less trekking will be needed to get amongst it, as a new Beach Expo will be held on the sand at First Point for the duration of the festival, and - if all goes to plan - the Sails Sand Bar will open for the sunset hours where you will be able to kick back and enjoy a few cold ones.

“So much more than a surfing competition, there truly is something on for everyone, day and night.”

The off-beach entertainment will be held in the natural amphitheatre of the Noosa Woods with the Festival Village open to the public on Thursday 17th March.

Planned entertainment the Surf Market Day, the Hive Fashion Parade and our personal weakness, the Surf Memorabilia Auction.

The two major ticketed events are firstly, the surf culture, music and movie night, Logger Rhythm, which takes place on Friday evening, March 18, from 4pm until 10.30pm.

A seriously eclectic mix of music has newbie garage punkers The Bleeding Knees Club sharing the stage with the Dolphin Band and the mellow, acoustic sounds of Mike McCarthy. Mike will perform songs from the soundtrack ahead of the Australian premiere of Stoked & Broke, the new Cyrus Sutton movie.

The next night, get ready for the major music event of the festival, the Zinc Night in the Woods, which also runs from 4pm until 10.30pm. This six-hour concert in Noosa Woods Park has a great line-up of acts with headliner Dallas Frasca performing alongside Band of Frequencies, ‘Get-up-’n-do-yourthang‘ Marshall and the Fro, as well as Brisbane’s slide-guitar twanger Asa Broomhall and surfy songstress Kym Campbell.

What a list... So much more than a surfing competition, there truly is something on for everyone, day and night.

But, there’s only so much we can tell you here, so make sure to check out the festival website for more information and to buy your tickets: www.noosafestivalofsurfing.com 52

Toes on the nose at Noosa Photo: Katherine Dodd

Left: Asa Broomhall - one of the entertainers at the Zinc Night in the Woods on Saturday night Right: Keep an eye out for the Hive girls (like you could miss them) as they hand out competitor rashies and put on a fashion show for Thursday, March 7.

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WHEN JACOB STUTH RODE AN ALAIA ON THE AFTERNOON OF MARCH 5, 2005 IN NOOSA, TRAVERSING ACROSS AN OPEN SHOULDER FASTER THAN ANYONE COULD HAVE IMAGINED ON AN ANCIENT HAWAIIAN ALAIA REPLICA, THE RESURGENCE OF FINLESS SURFING TRULY BEGAN.

s s e l Fin t e e f s t i s find EGENER WORDS: TOM W

Did you know?

The downside of the traditional Hawaiian style wood alaia is that it is really difficult to paddle and get it into the wave. Competing for waves with other surfers is often deflating. Many shapers are currently working hard to capture the feel of the wood alaia with much more paddle friendly foam boards.

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The Event: Sunday, March 13

9.40am Seaglass Project Finless Pro 7 heats of 20 mins each

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21/02/11 2:56 AM

NOOSA FESTIVAL

Since 2005 the alaia has gathered a cult following around the world. The buzz you get from just riding across an open wave is exhilarating and many very seasoned surfers say that it brings back the ‘grommet stoke’ of surfing all over again.

After two years of alaia and finless expression sessions, the organizers of the Noosa Festival believe it is time to bring the alaia into the fold of competition. For some, the jump from a purist surfing pursuit to foam and competition is too much of a leap. However, the inclusion of finless craft should provide a fresh challenge for the competitive surfer and renewed spectator enjoyment, particularly in smaller waves.

The sport of modern surfing based around the tri-fin set has evolved to a point where perfect exotic waves are expected. Conversely, finless boards are small wave friendly. They’re extremely manoeuvrable, fast in small surf, exciting and new.

In thinking that we need to begin a new dialog around this genre of finless surfing, I have set out a very basic criteria or guidelines for surfers and judges to consider, which are based around finless surfing’s unique advantages. Here are the basic manoeuvres.

The take-off

After the cut back, the finless board will head back to the whitewash with speed and acceleration. There are many possibilities for terrific manoeuvres when you rebound off the lip or whitewash including 360s, aerials, sliding into and then coming out of the tube. This area needs to be explored and names given to moves.

The Cut Back

The 360° Spin

Probably the most phenomenal manoeuvre is the cutback at speed, way out on the shoulder. The finless board can maintain speed on a soft shoulder giving extra currency to solid rail cutbacks that displace an amazing amount of water.

Scott Walker Photo: GSI

The Rebound

There are a variety of ways to take off. You can drop in straight, slide sideways, backwards, into a 360 drift or even set the edge and go backwards toward the pocket. They can be tricks as well as being very functional to get into a position in the wave to gain speed or set up for the next manoeuvre. The take-off is a manoeuvre to be explored and mastered.

At first glance it looks like a trick for points but there can be a real function to the 360° spin. This manoeuvre can act like a coil to spring you out of an un-makeable spot. The sliding tail causes the board to flex into the wave. This stored energy throws out a bit of extra speed at the end. A wave’s energy goes in circular motions and it seems the 360° spin is a natural extension of this.

The Tuberide

The possibilities for tube riding are exciting. Alaia converts are constantly pushing the boundaries for tube time. The finless board has incredible down the line speed. It can accelerate out of a deep tube as well as stall and sideslip in the tube. Rasta’s huge tube ride, during the expression session at last year’s Noosa Festival, was possible because he was keeping control by side slipping down the face while in the tube. One nice manoeuvre is to pull into a little close down tube and then side slip out in the whitewash.

Lala or Side Slip

“Lala” is the ancient Hawaiian word for alaia surfing. It is defined as the controlled slide in the pocket. The root of alaia surfing is grabbing the wave with the edge, releasing into a drift, and then gaining control again with the edge. Although this manoeuvre may be hard to see for the spectator, it displays the surfer’s control and finesse.

Sharing Waves

Two surfers can share a wave in harmony. The boards are so versatile in the pocket that sharing a wave is easy and can showcase a new complexity. In the earliest surfing photos, surfers were often sharing waves and looked like they were having fun.

Perhaps finless surfing could become known as “Alaia style”. Alaia surfing is ancient and we are just discovering it again. Although we are moving away from pure Hawaiian roots, using the name will forever give the Hawaiians the respect and credit due, for this very advanced style of surfing. Another ancient culture, the Basque, have a unique language that has survived for thousands of years. They have a word for happy – “alaia”. Coincidence?

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Bali...

Festival Old Mal action on an old Jackson Photo: NFOS/GSI - supplied

f o t s e b e h T s d l r o w h t o b

Dt Buikngeisn a

ENJOY A BEACH LOCATION WITH CITY COMFORT. CHOOSE FROM: • 3 Bedroom private villa, sleeps 6, with 10m pool • 2 bedroom villa, sleeps 4, 8m pool MAKE USE OF EASY ACCESS TO FOUR FABULOUS BREAKS: Bingin, Impossibles, Dreamland and Balangan. (Surf guide available)

We’re on board This year, smorgasboarder magazine has got on board as a sponsor of the ‘Old Mal’ event at the Noosa Festival of Surfing. The Old Mal has been chosen becaue it fits in just perfectly with what the mag is all about - which is all about getting into the water and having fun.

The rules are pretty basic too - essentially, boards need to have been made before 1967 and be 9 foot or longer.

Jordie Brown of Hightide Surfboards makes the trip up to Noosa from his home in Victoria every year, and you’ll most definitely see him in the line up for the Old Mals.

“The reason I love the Old Mal in Noosa is because it’s the pefect stage for some of the best traditional surfers from around the world to get together and surf beautiful old boards the way they were meant to be ridden.”

Thomas Bexon of Thomas surfboards also loves to compete in the Old Mal division.

“It’s the least competitive event and it’s not taken so seriously,” he says. “Most people are entering this event because they love riding heavy, single fin, longboards and it’s the only area of the contest that suits that. It’s fun, and everyone who is doing it has an interest in old mals.”

Thomas reckons that while modern longboarding is more focused on highperformance moves, the Old Mal division is more about nose-riding and style.

“It is great fun and it’s a hoot just being part of it.“

The Event:

Book now!

Tuesday-Wednesday, March 15-16

info@baliretreats.com.au www.baliretreats.com.au

From 7am Old Mal Check the location and final details on the day.

or call 07 5572 0477 56

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NOOSA FESTIVAL

Old mals “It’s the pefect stage for some of the best traditional surfers from around the world to get together and surf beautiful old boards the way they were meant to be ridden.”

- Jordie Brown

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Straddie is only a ferry-ride away from the bustling city of Brisbane, but may as well be a million miles away with its crystal clear waves and pristine beaches. Megan Slade gives us an almost-local’s insight into this still untamed, yet unbelievably friendly island paradise.

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Brent Dorrington at Main Beach, Point Lookout PHOTO: Adam Weathered

TRAVEL: ROAD TRIP

TRAVEL: ROAD TRIP

Ahhh... That Straddie feeling.

It starts to take hold as soon as your car wheels hit the metal floor of the ferry and the weathered old barge boys guide you in. It deepens as a shimmering Moreton Bay opens up and Coochiemudlo Island glides by to the south.

Once you hit the East Coast road the feeling of freedom ensues. Worries are left on the mainland and a morning session filled with 3-4 foot translucent Main Beach barrels beckons.

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North Stradbroke Island is a magical, subtropical surf destination on Brisbane’s doorstep. It boasts consistent swell all year round and though wave quality is sand dependant, there are often great banks to be had along the expansive beaches.

MAIN BEACH is the surfing focus of Point Lookout. Being an island means it is exposed to big swells and Main offers some 32km of possibilities if you take a 4WD. Closer to the point near south rock, left and right barrels peel off in impossibly clear waters. Out the back a long bank can form, pitching a lovely left hander dubbed ‘Back Break’ by locals.

Around the headland to the north both FRENCHMAN’S BEACH and DEADMAN’S BEACH offer some protection from a southerly wind.

‘Widows’ is a favourite spot for locals despite the warning in its name and it’s proximity to Shark Alley. It’s a powerful right hander and not for the faint hearted. The island does have a reputation for being sharky and chances are you may spot a few whilst there.

The locals maintain they are well fed and recommend staying out of the water when the bait fish are around.

CYLINDER is a popular family beach offering the most protection. In the right conditions a beautiful right hander can peel around the point. The current is strong, so you paddle out north of Widows and get whipped around the point into a long right that finishes by plonking you straight in front of the pub at Home Beach.

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Nick Vitko. Primitive Surf rider and Straddie local

“It’s the serenity. You catch up with all your mates and the village news in the water, it’s a great atmosphere.

“The quality of the waves, the beauty. You can have main beach to yourself when it’s slightly onshore.

“You compare a place like Straddie to Fiji or Bali and you have to go through all the crap at the airports.

“It’s the lifestyle. It’s just great.”

Russell Specht, Straddie local and gun surfer

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TRAVEL: ROAD TRIP The days of Straddie being a well kept secret are long gone but the magic of the place remains. On the weekends and school holidays the surf can be pretty crowded but during the week it’s still possible to score perfect waves with only a handful of surfers. The locals are guns and like any small community they are protective of their beautiful home. But generally the vibe in the water is very relaxed as long as you show some respect.

You can have all sorts of different holidays at Straddie. There are a handful of beach front, easily accessed camping grounds at Point

Lookout, Cylinder and Amity Point. For a bit of quiet time you can take the 4WD up both Main and Flinders Beaches, set up camp and find your own beach break. Or else you can stay in resorts and holiday rental houses in the villages. As well as surfing there is great scuba diving, snorkelling, bush walking and fresh water lakes to visit.

Once completely surfed out, and the sun is setting over Moreton island, chances are you will be grinning like a fool in utter self appreciation over your decision to come to the island. Your mobile phone will have been abandoned in a pile of sand under the

passenger seat and the Straddie feeling will have taken hold.

That’s what Straddie is about. It’s being away from the mainland. It’s those magic filled days. It’s the waves and that impossibly clear water. It’s the abundance of sea creatures and wildlife. It’s the low key atmosphere and the burgers at the Roadhouse. It’s Bob’s shop. It’s the view from the Straddie pub. It’s lying under the she-oaks at Cylinder beach camping ground, completely surfed out and watching a storm roll in.

‘I see people and they fall in love with the place the first time they come. It’s the ones that leave their brains on the barge that are a pain in the ass. If you show a bit of respect for the place and the people that live here, then there are no problems.’

Murray Taylor, Straddie local and surf school operator.

“Growing up in Redland Bay in the 1980s, we used to walk down to catch the North Straddie barge and then hitch hike all over the island. It was the best of times, surfing pristine, perfect waves.”

Paul Uscinski, COD Surfboards

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The other

Straddie has an abundance of sea creatures and wildlife.

A couple of winters ago, three pods of dolphins put on an incredible festival of surfing at Frenchman’s beach before a dumbfounded crowd who packed the headland. Two legged surfers joined in on the spontaneous game, carving up the glassy south-easterly swell whilst about sixty dolphins torpedoed beneath them and soared amongst them. An unforgettable experience for this humble surfer, but for the locals it was just another day in Paradise. They surf daily with dolphins, turtles, dugongs, massive rays and whales and the water is so damn clear it blows your mind.

A real surf shop... in a true surf paradise

A chance encounter with Terrence Words: DAVE SUCH A PRISTINE ENVIRONMENT MEANS NORTH STRADDIE HAS ABUNDANCE OF MARINE LIFE. SOME FIVE MINUTES OUT IN THE SURF AND I HAD A CHANCE ENCOUNTER WITH TERRENCE. Having a surf out at Point Lookout, a friendly booger sitting beside me in the lineup shrieked, “Shark!”

“What shark”, I said. “How big?”

“It’s a bull (shark) or a tiger. Maybe two or three foot,” he replied.

Admittedly a shark that size is big enough to perhaps take a chunk out of you but is a guppy by South Australian standards.

Looking around I couldn’t yet see what he was on about and with that, Terrence the Tiger Shark (calling them names likes Terrence seems to make them less frightening to me – sorry if I have offended any Terrences out there) passed between us.

s, hardware, Custom surfboard hing & more! accessories, clot

He seemed to move more in the direction of my booger friend, causing him to very quickly paddle towards the beach. It appears sharks have a sense of humour too.

Jokes aside, there is a lot of marine life, and a few of the men in grey suits, but they are so well fed they are not an issue. Indeed, it is great they are there, because it means human intervention has not yet stuffed up another majestic location on our idyllic Australian coastline.

’s a few “Yes, there nd, but ou ar of us this good, s with wave last thing we’re the mind” ur yo on

rory symes

Photo: Swilly

Point lookout, island North stradbroke (07) 3409 8334 om intysurfboards.c bob@bobm

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Sustainable Stradbroke 64

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At approximately 38km long and 11 km wide, North Stradbroke is the second largest sand island in the world.

Scientific review of middens at Point Lookout show evidence of human activity some 25,000 years ago. Named Minjerribah by the original inhabitants, the island’s rich ocean, abundance of native animals and access to fresh water supported a long history of indigenous occupation.

Captain Cook sailed past in 1770 and mapped the easternmost points of the area, identifying and naming Point Lookout in the process. Matthew Flinders was the first european to set foot on the island in 1803. He was supported in his quest to find water by the local peoples who proved to be very hospitable.

Renamed in 1827 after the Earl of Stradbroke, the island became the home for the first pilot station in Morten Bay and was identified as a suitable location for a penal colony.

This permanent habitation of the island ended the idealic life of the indigenous inhabitants, with regular conflict occurring with the convicts.

The island was opened to free settlers in the 1950s with fishing, including the hunting of dugongs, becoming a primary industry.

In more recent history, the island has become synonymous with sand mining which commenced in the 1960s. In 2010 the state government announced plans to phase out sand mining on South Stradbroke by 2027 and establishing national park which would cover up to 80% of the island.

The big split!

Originally one landmass, North and South Stradbroke were apparently separated in 1894 when the “Cambus Wallace” laden with explosives was shipwrecked on a narrow passage off the island and had to be detonated.

For more inFormation or to make a booking For your straddie surFing experience, please contact any oF our coaching staFF! Murray Tim Chris Stacey Clasje Dale Lincoln

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Aside from the idyllic, pristine surroundings, what also typifies North Straddie is its mix of interesting people.

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TRAVEL: ROAD TRIP Talking with Murray, he is obviously proud of his son and confident he can continue to improve as a surfer.

The Taylors GROWING UP WITH A SURF-MAD DAD THAT RUNS THE LOCAL SURF SCHOOL, LINCOLN WAS DESTINED TO BE IN THE WATER. POINT LOOKOUT BORN AND BRED, HE’S ANOTHER MEMBER OF THE LOCAL BOARDRIDERS’ CLUB WHO HAS MADE HIS WAY INTO THE TOP 100 ON THE ASP.

Bob Minty NORTH STRADDIE’S LOCAL SURF SHOP OWNER AND SHAPER OF, YOU GUESSED IT, BOB MINTY SURFBOARDS. Visiting the island we were told to pop in and say g’day to Bob. Thinking it best to call ahead, we were told by nearly everyone we spoke to not to worry about it. Bob would be there.

He would either be shaping a board, out front having a chat and a coffee, or out on the grass stripping the wax off a surfboard.

We got there. He wasn’t. Is that bad karma? See Page 63 for our chance meeting with Terrence.

Understanding Bob is a pretty humble kind of guy, we asked Marie Kendall who has worked with him for the better part of four years about the man.

“Bob is a very generous, kind-hearted man with a lot of time for the local community. He is involved in so many aspects of the community and island life.

“He is always up for a chat and a coffee or a cup of tea. He is of English origin, so he loves his cups of tea. If it’s the afternoon, it’s beer time. He will most definitely greet his guests with a beer.

“He’s always here, seven days a week. His business is his life. He lives on site. Bob eats, sleeps and breathes his business, so in that respect, he combines his social life with his working life and that is probably why so many people who come across from the mainland find the store so welcoming.”

Lincoln commenced surfing when he was five in the mellow waves at Cylinder Beach under the watchful eye of his dad. Now twenty-two, has been on the circuit three years and last year placed 95th in the ASP World Rankings. But it has been a lot of hard work to get to where he has to date. Murray, Lincoln’s father, explains the challenges of being so remote and what it takes.

“Not having much of a media presence on Straddie, it is quite difficult getting exposure unless you are out there pushing your own barrow or have someone pushing it for you.

Bede showed guys like Lincoln what was possible but admittedly he had to move to the Gold Coast to really crack it.

“Kids over on the island tend to be really power based surfers - just look at Bede, Lincoln and Tim McDonald, another local boy making a name for himself. They surf that way because of the waves we enjoy over here. With that said, I think they possibly miss the hungriness you develop competing for waves at places like Snapper Rocks and so forth. Breaks where you are anonymous really and where people don’t necessarily show respect to the older guys like they do over on the island. It certainly is more of a ‘dog eat dog’ attitude. You have to fight for your waves. Your performance level at places like the Gold Coast is also much higher. You are not always the best surfer out in the water.

“What is most pleasing though is whilst the boys have moved away from the island they come back when they can and take an active role in the local surf comps. Bede and Lincoln are usually down judging the groms. They recognise what the club and the older crew

“The dedication and the preparation Lincoln puts in is pretty strong. He definitely gives it 100%. He just loves competing. He has always loved competing. He would compete in a game of cards. He would compete throwing rocks.

That’s just him.”

Lincoln is presently sponsored by Lizzard, with boards and fins supplied by Mt Woodgee and FCS. Mt Woodgee shaper Wayne McKewen has had a long association with the island.

Bede Durbidge NORTH STRADDIE’S HOMETOWN HERO ON THE PRO CIRCUIT Those who know our mag would be aware we don’t make it our business to cover the world of professional surfing. The ASP gets ample coverage already. But there are stories behind these gifted surfers, particularly in reference to who they are as everyday people. And when on Stradbroke, there’s just no way to avoid competitive surfing. The place lives for it.

However talking with Bede’s sister Clara, who works in a local café on the island, it was fantastic to get another side of this surf superstar that many people may not know about.

“If I had to sum up Bede, the best way I could describe him is respectful. He’s a humble, warm, family orientated man. That comes from growing up in a very small close-knit community.

“Because the island can be so isolated, you learn respect. As kids, sometimes you would be at school and we would have to come home because there was a cyclone warning. All the island kids would be rounded up and piled onto a barge to the mainland and it would be as rough as guts.

“That develops a humbling respect towards the elements. You don’t go out there and think you are invincible. It definitely shapes people’s character and develops a deep-seated respect for Mother Nature and the environment. Being a part of such a small community you also learn to respect people within the community - your elders, your family and your friends. That’s what Bede’s done and that’s why people respect him.” mar/apr 2011

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Lincoln Taylor carves up his home break Photo: Andrew Shields

have done for them and have tried to keep that going. It’s about having respect for those who have helped you out and giving something back.”

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café bar

& Point Lookout Pizza breakfast – lunch – dinner al a carte – dine in and takeaway pizza fully licensed bar – functions – weddings overlooking frenchman’s beach

Not only is North Stradbroke Island picturesque, it has a rich cultural heritage dating back many tens of thousands of years to the original inhabitants who still have an active and ongoing relationship with the island. The strong cultural connection to the land and sea is maintained today. Attractions on the island are largely those of historical significance or its unique flora and fauna.

07 3415 3390

www.lookcafebar.com www.lookcafebar.com

Enjoy breathtaking views along the main surfing beach, over to the Pacific Ocean

Learn to surf

If you’re planning on teaching your partner or kids to surf it does get much better than the warm, crystal clear waters of North Straddie.

Murray Taylor’s Surf School has been running since 1987 and there is a reason why so many current and budding surf stars come from the island.

The whales

From June to November you can see lots and lots of whales.

Apparently North Stradbroke Island has the tightest funneling of whales on the entire east coast of Australia.

North Gorge

On the North Gorge walk at Point Lookout you are bound to see more than just whales. Bring your camera as you’re bound to see dolphins, turtles, manta rays and more.

More nature & lakes

Samarinda Drive, Point Lookout North Stradbroke

www.whalewatchresort.com.au

Pick up a Caring for Straddie pocket guide on the barge over for helpful tips to minimise your impact on the local environment and ensure you preserve it for generations to come.

Freecall number: 1800 450 004

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Watersports & fishing

Aside from surfing, Stradbroke is an awesome spot for fishing, scuba diving, snorkeling, sailing and sea kayaking. Manta Scuba is one of the top operators in the area running daily dives to Straddie’s reefs which are absolutely teeming with marine life. The waters around North Stradbroke Island form part of the Moreton Bay Marine Park.

Inland there are endangered heathlands, rainforests, old growth forests, woodlands and freshwater lakes. You just have to see them.

Brown Lake is so named because of the distinct colour of the water. The tannin from surrounding Paperbarks and Ti-trees stain the water a rich brown colour not dissimilar to that of tea. Brown Lake can be accessed by car.

Blue Lake on the other hand can only be accessed by foot but has to be seen. The lake is not only stunning but extremely deep with a maximum depth of 9.4 metres.

As a kid growing up my family regularly ventured there. I still recall swimming out towards the middle of the lake and ducking underwater following the rays of sun filtering down until they faded into its dark depths. I thought the lake bottomless and possibly home to our very own Loch Ness Monster.

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Tread lightly when visiting this ecologically sensitive and culturally significant island paradise. Where possible minimise your impact on the local environment and ensure you preserve it for generations to come. Pick up a Caring for Straddie pocket guide on the barge over for helpful tips.

Buy local where you can. You will not only be supporting the island’s economy, you’re guaranteed some of the freshest seafood and produce you have ever tasted.

4WD Adventures

Get your 4WD beach access permit and explore this majestic island. 4WD permits are $34 for one year, and can be purchased from the Stradbroke Ferries terminal and vessels, or the Redlands on Moreton Bay Visitor centre in Cleveland. For a treat for the kids or the young at heart, make your way to the island’s massive sand dunes and go sandboarding. You will never laugh so much. It will be one of those moments you never forget.

North Straddie has a very broad range of accommodation options from beach holiday homes - be it architecturally innovative designer beach abodes or retro weatherboard cottages, to resorts, self contained apartments, great B&Bs and a backpacker guesthouse complete with scuba diving available on site.

And if you can’t stand being more than several meters between where you sleep and the waves, Straddie Holiday Parks has a number of park and foreshore camping grounds on several of the island’s most popular surf and fishing beaches. Each ground has unique features and various accommodation options. All campsites, including foreshore camping, must be booked and paid prior to arrival. Foreshore campsites are accessible by 4WD vehicles only and a permit is necessary, but are a true way to get away from it all.

History lesson

The island’s Heritage Trail is a self-guided tour that explores the region’s rich historical past. Trail guides and further information can be obtained from the North Stradbroke Island Historical Museum, Visitor Information Centres and Council Customer Service Centres.

For more information visit the websites www.redland.qld.gov.au or www.more2redlands.com.au/explore

Stradbroke Ferries – Straddie Assault Teams Surfing Competition Point Lookout Saturday 15th & Sunday 16th October Contact: 0438 763 957 The Stradbroke Ferries – Straddie Assault is in its 28th consecutive year and is Australia’s longest running teams surfing competition.

The event is invitation only and epitomises club spirit involving all members of the club in the competition.

Surfers who have competed as juniors and gone onto bigger things include – Bede Durbidge, Mick Fanning, Joel Parkinson and Danny Wills, Lincoln Taylor, Chris Friend, Chris Bennetts, Mitch Colbourn and Julian Wilson.

Oakley Pro Junior

Point Lookout February 2012 Contact: 07 5520 1165 Each year the world’s most talented young surfers descend on Straddie to battle it out.

In 2010 world renowned travel guide, Lonely Planet named North Stradbroke Island one of the top ten beaches in the world to swing a hammock.

The aboriginal name for the island, ‘Minjerribah’ means place of mosquitoes.

We didn’t see any...

Deadman’s Beach was so named after a skeleton and a leather boot were found in the sand in 1956.

The remains were thought to be those of the cook or mate from the Prosperity who were lost at sea when the ship sank in1902 off Point Lookout.

Dunwich on North Stradbroke Island was formerly a convict settlement, quarantine station and later a benevolent asylum for paupers, inebriates, the badly disabled, lepers and returned soldiers from WW1. It was also home to an aboriginal mission.

Since the 1940s tourism and sandmining have been the main industries on the island.

At the end of this year, more than half of the island’s 27,753 hectares will be national park. The state government plans to increase this to more than 80% by 2027 under their strategy to develop ecotourism on the island.

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CYLINDER COVE 118 Mooloomba Road, POINT LOOKOUT

THE ISLANDER HOLIDAY RESORT 41 East Coast Rd, POINT LOOKOUT

POINT LOOKOUT BEACH RESORT 4-10 Kennedy Drive, POINT LOOKOUT

Ideally located, whether it’s adventure or relaxation you’re after, there’s something for everyone. The resort has a pool, tennis court, bbq area, kids playground, scooter & car hire. Studio, 1 & 2 bedroom apartments available, all fully self-contained with foxtel, dvd player, wireless internet access, balconies and parking.

Nestled into the hillside of the Point Lookout headland, the resort offers a selection of self-contained 2 & 3 bedroom units, with ocean views, pool areas and private aspects. The resort is only 80 metres from the Point Lookout Surf Club and the entrance to beautiful Main Beach.

Proximity: Opposite Home/Cylinder beaches, 2 minute walk to the hotel, pub, bowls club, shops & restaurants.

Phone: 07 3409 8388 E: islander@stradbrokeresorts.com.au www.islander.stradbrokeresorts.com.au From $225 for 2 nights

Located on north facing Cylinder Beach with its legendary surf break. Fully self contained units with ocean and beach views from almost every room. Straddie Hotel only minutes walk away.

Proximity: 1 minute walk to beach and 5 minutes walk to hotel and shops.

Phone: 07 3409 8255 Email: straddie.qld@raywhite.com www.visitstradbroke.com.au

MANTA LODGE AND SCUBA CENTRE 1 East Coast Road, POINT LOOKOUT

Manta Lodge YHA on beautiful North Stradbroke Island is the perfect place to relax and escape to a tropical island paradise. We are a 3½ star Lodge located right on the beach at Point Lookout, with private double and twin rooms, as well as clean, comfortable and secure dorm share rooms.

Dorm Share from $30 per person per night and Private Rooms from $78 per night.

Mention this listing for 10% off.

PANDANUS PALMS HOLIDAY RESORT 21 Cumming Parade, POINT LOOKOUT High on a hill overlooking Home Beach, looking north towards Moreton Island, offering plenty of open space for children to play, full size tennis court and swimming pool.

The two or three bedroom villas are fully self-contained with large living area and private balcony, own BBQ and linen is supplied. We can arrange return vehicle ferry crossings at a discounted rate.

Discover Stradbroke Surfing Retreats - STAY for 3 Nights, PAY for only 2!

Contact Discover for everything you need for your surfing getaway!

Proximity: 500m walk to Home Beach and Stradbroke Island Beach Hotel.

2km to cafes, shops and Gorge Walk.

Phone: 07 3409 8106 Email: pandpalm@bigpond.net.au www.pandanuspalmsresort.com From $330.00 for two nights

Contact our Stradbroke Island Accommodation Specialists on +617 3415 3949 or Visit DiscoverStradbroke.com.au

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gym

laundry

kitchen

ALL SEASONS STRADBROKE ISLAND 43-57 East Coast Rd, POINT LOOKOUT The premier resort on the island, nestled in the foothills of Point Lookout, offering modern architecturally designed 1, 2, 3 and 4 bedroom, self-contained Beach Shacks and Villas. Modern facilities that ensure you have everything you need for your time on Straddie including cafe and general store, heated pool, gymnasium, children’s playground and tour desk.

WHALE WATCH OCEAN BEACH RESORT Samarinda Drive, POINT LOOKOUT Located at North Stradbroke Island’s Point Lookout, Whale Watch Ocean Beach Resort provides endless views along the main surfing beach (which is one of the east’s coasts renowned surf spots) and over the Pacific Ocean, to the Gold Coast and beyond.

Proximity: 2 minute walk away from Home Beach..

Telephone: 07 3415 000 E: reservations@ allseasonsstradbrokeisland.com.au http://www.all-seasons-hotels.com/ gb/hotel-7945-all-seasons-stradbrokeisland/index.shtml Prices from $151 per night (low peak, based on minimum of two nights)

Proximity: Short walking distance to Point Lookout Surf Club and all the major Point Lookout attractions are within walking distance.

Phone: 07 3409 8555

Phone: 07 3415 3949 E: bookings@DiscoverStradbroke.com.au StradbrokeIslandReservations.com.au

TV

From $320 per unit for 2 night stay.

Proximity: Located right on the beach at Point Lookout.

Phone: 07 3409 8888 E: info@mantalodge.com.au www.mantalodge.com.au

From $1320 per week low season

DISCOVER STRADBROKE 1 Mintee Street, POINT LOOKOUT

Proximity: 3 minute walk to the surf Phone: 07 3409 8213 Email: StradbrokeIsland@rhq.com.au

E: reservations@whalewatchresort.com.au

www.whalewatchresort.com.au

parking

wi-fi

pool

airconditioning

family-friendly

pet-friendly

spa

bbq

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TRAVEL: ROAD TRIP

Going to STRADDIE?

Go Blue!

On the island you are going to want a car – it’s a bloody big island remember, the second biggest sand island in the world.

There is plenty to see and do and a 4WD is the best option.

Plus if you want to explore a few different breaks whilst there, each are a couple of minutes drive apart.

You have the option of flying into Brisbane and hiring a car or driving your own from wherever you come from.

If you’re coming up from the south on the M1 (Pacific Highway), the simplest route is to turn onto the Gateway Motorway and take the Old Cleveland Road exit following the signs to Cleveland. Once there, the ferry terminal is well signed.

.com.au

www.

If coming from the north, the directions are essentially the same - down the Pacific Highway turn left onto the Gateway Motorway and then left again onto Old Cleveland Road.

Phone (07) 3488 5300 or 1300 STRADBROKE

The drive from Brisbane’s CBD to Cleveland is around 28 kms and depending on traffic can take between 20 to 40 minutes.

The drive from Brisbane Airport is around the same.

Straddie

Once at Cleveland you have the option of four kinds of watercraft to take you to the island, two are water taxis and two are car and passenger ferries. Since you are going to want a car the choices are:

Specials

Stradbroke Ferries or the Big Red Cat. Both take around the same time.

Stradbroke Ferries (the blue ones) are more frequent and run 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

Anchorage Beachfront Resort

The trip across to the island is between 40 to 50 minutes.

There are same day travel deals for as little as $50 but generally speaking the ferry is around $65 to $70 each way.

Once there the drive from Dunwich to the north-eastern tip of the island (where the popular surf spots are) is just under 20kms and around 15-20 minutes.

• Stay 3 nights & receive a FREE return Stradbroke Ferries vehicle ferry transfer • Studio Unit • Beachfront resort • Restaurant, pool & BBQ area

$185*

per person twin share

Whalewatch Ocean Beach Resort • Stay 3 nights & receive a FREE return Stradbroke Ferries vehicle ferry transfer • 2 Bedroom Ocean View Unit • Ocean views • Pool, BBQ area & games room

$157* Lincoln Taylor Photo: Andrew Shields

per person based on 4 people

* Valid 09/02/11 – 11/04/11 & 27/04/11 – 31/05/11 excluding public holidays. Conditions apply. Subject to availability.

Call 1300 303 766 or (07) 3821 0266 mar/apr 2011

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21/02/11 2:17 AM

TRAVEL: PLANE TRIP

TALES OF THE

TukTuk

r e l l e v tra

Sri Lanka is a beautiful surf destination and has always inspired a different kind of surfer. With the civil war finished in May 2009 and a recent WQS event held in Arugam Bay, it is truly back on the surfer’s map and why wouldn’t it be?

Julia Brockhausen and friends discover great waves, warm water, good food and friendly locals.

WORDS: JULIA BROCKHAUSEN PHOTOS: CHRIS ‘EDDIE’ WARD & JULIA BROCKHAUSEN SURFING PHOTOS: DANIEL MEALLEM

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Photo: Cyrus ‘Elvis’ Kaye

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TRAVEL: PLANE TRIP It’s one o’clock at night and we are finally standing in front of the small hostel in Sri Lanka’s capital, Colombo, that I had booked a couple of days earlier. Lights are out and everything is closed. After what feels like forever, our repeated door banging summons forth an apparition that could be straight out of the Ali Baba tales. An old man with white hair, dressed in a long, flowing white gown opens the door and leads us to our musty smelling room – the joys of travel.

Three days later I am sitting in the line-up at the fabled point-break of Arugam Bay on Sri Lanka’s east coast. The wave is a fast right-hander, breaking over a stone reef partially covered with sand. Today, it is 3 to 4 foot and fun. Even getting out into the line-up was easy, although I had to walk onto the reef - thanks booties - find the keyhole and do a couple of duck dives. I opt to sit on the shoulder of the wave to see how it breaks to get a feeling for the pecking order. There are two locals who seem to sit deepest and pick their waves. A couple of Israeli and Australian guys are rather aggressive and frequently drop in. Finally, there are some Euro surfers and me - the only girl.

All in all, there are maybe 10 to 15 surfers.

Then, one of the set waves swings wide and I am sitting in the perfect spot. A couple of strokes and I’m on my feet, taking the drop, gliding fast down the line – time for a turn, another turn – bliss!

After Colombo’s shenanigans, dusty roads and a bumpy tuk tuk ride (thanks to a broken tire) I’m back where I belong – in the water.

Early mornings are the go with offshore wind and the break becoming crowded quickly as 76

the morning progresses. Later, the wind goes all wonky and it is not as clean. Evening leaves another window of fun surf if you are lucky.

Accommodation ranges from very basic and extremely cheap to luxury, yet still affordable, with everything in between. Over the next couple of days, we are exploring Arugam Bay and surrounds.

There is incredibly good food: hot curries, fresh fruit juices, even home-made ice cream.

Arugam proves to be the perfect base. The point break is fast and fun, doesn’t get too big but always breaks. The inside wave in the bay is more mellow, and perfect for beginners and longboarders. There are plenty of cafes, roadside stalls and other travellers around, but Arugam still retains the charm of a small fishing village.

A short tuk tuk ride north or south takes us to some more point and beach breaks that are less crowded. The landscape is stunning and well worth exploring. We enjoy sun and wave-filled days, lazing around in hammocks and getting to know the locals. The only drawback – it is really hot during the day. Just a short stroll down the road makes you break into a massive sweat.

When we finally decide to hire some motorbikes and make our way into the nearby Yala National Park, we find elephants, water buffaloes, tortoises and more friendly locals.

Tea to sea... Sri Lanka is a place of great contrasts, great beauty and pretty damn good surf

The frequent military roadblocks take getting some used to. However, the soldiers you will encounter are possibly the friendliest smiling people with machine guns you’re likely to meet.

Ravaged by a centuries old civil war, it is only

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TALES OF THE

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recently that it has become relatively safe to travel here again. The scars that the war and the 2004 Tsunami have left in Sri Lanka’s land and its people are still visible. To hear first-hand experiences about when the 2004 tsunami hit is shocking, yet enthralling at the same time. One local tells me how he and his family ran for their lives - a scary thought. You can see it in the buildings too. While most of the shacks and houses along the waterfront have been rebuilt, there is still the occasional patch of rubble and dirt that used to be a family home. Due to international money from charity organisations flooding in after the tsunami, Arugam Bay today boasts more fishing boats than there are fisherman to use them. Money well meant, but not necessarily well spent.

After two weeks of fun waves, sore shoulders and sunburn, we decide to head inland to cooler climes. Our decision to make our way into the mountains by tuk tuk is unconventional and leaves us a little saddlesore, but we have plenty of roadside stops on the way to taste watermelon, buy sandals from little roadside shops and drink some tea with ancient yogis. Finally we reach our destination, all in one piece with the boards still strapped to the roof of the tuk tuk.

We do some hiking in the tea plantations around picturesque Ella and learn the difference between Matale, Dimbula and Ruhunu tea. We visit temples and have a picnic at the feet of a 10-metre tall Buddha statue carved out of a mountain. On our way back to Colombo we stop in Kandy, the capital of Sri Lanka’s ancient kings and today one of the island’s premier tourist destinations.

It is a good place to see a traditional dance performance, get an ayurvedic massage and pray for good waves at the Temple of the Tooth (which houses a relic of one of Buddha’s teeth).

A visit to the Pinnawela elephant orphanage in Kegalla, half way between Kandy and Colombo, is our last stop. Watching the herd of more than 60 elephants making its way to the river and splashing in the water is a sight to behold. Pinnawela is the biggest elepant orphanage in the world.

As the wheels of our plane leave the tarmac at Colombo airport, we have already made plans to come back during the south coast wave season to check out spots like Hikkaduwa, the Rock and Plantation point and see the south’s famous pole fisherman at work.

fast facts

The teardrop-shaped tropical island of Sri Lanka is located about 30 kilometres of the southern coast of India. Known as “Serendip” to Arab geographers, the island fell under Portuguese and Dutch influence. It finally came under British rule, and was renamed Ceylon.

Today, Sri Lanka’s main exports include clothing and textiles, tea, gems, rubber and coconuts with the tourism industry growing strongly.

The island has been scarred by a long and bitter civil war due to ethnic tensions between the majority Buddhist Sinhalese community and the minority, mainly Hindu, Tamil community in Sri Lanka’s north and east. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a separatist militant organisation, fought the mostly Sinhalese government to create an independent Tamil state.

After over 25 years of violence, the conflict appears to have ended with the president of Sri Lanka officially announcing the defeat of the LTTE on 19 May 2009. Both the Sri Lankan government and LTTE have been accused of human rights violations.

The region around Arugam Bay was also badly hit by the 2004 tsunami which destroyed many of the village’s buildings. The region, especially nearby Pottuville town, is home to some of the island’s Muslim minority.

Sources: BBC, Amnesty International

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TRAVEL: PLANE TRIP

Conditions WHEN TO GO: There are two very distinct surf seasons in Sri Lanka. We were there in late August/September during the east coast surf season which runs from May to October and is the dry season in the east. You can expect offshore winds in the morning up to midday. The east coast receives the same Antarctic winter swells that hit Indonesia’s southern shores in the middle of the year. The main surf spot in that region is Arugam Bay. The south and southwest coast surf season runs from November to April when it is the dry season there. The most famous surf spot in that region is Hikkaduwa.

The seasons are quite distinct and outside of these times heavy rain, small surf and bad winds can spoil the fun. However, locals say you can still find a good wave without the crowds outside the official seasons as long as you are flexible and listen to local advice.

WHERE TO SURF: The east coast includes the surfing spots of Arugam Bay, Peanut Farm, Pottuville Point, Crocodile Point and Okanda Point. It’s also well worth exploring other parts of the coastline.

The south and southwest coast includes Hikkaduwa, the rock in the bay of Unawatuna, Plantation Point in Weligama, Mirissa and Polhena. Make friends with the locals and maybe they’ll take you to some secret spots.

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TRAVEL: PLANE TRIP

Travel Tips HOW TO GET AROUND

Hiring a car with driver for longer distances is a good and secure but slightly more expensive way to travel around. There are also local buses and you should use the train at least once for the experience. These local modes of transport are very cheap. For shorter distances tuk tuks are readily available everywhere and their drivers are prepared to take you anywhere you want to go.

Make sure you agree a price before you go. You can also rent a motorbike which is a good idea if you are not scared and want to go exploring the countryside without luggage.

WHAT ELSE TO DO

There is plenty more to do than surfing in Sri Lanka. Some nonsurfing destinations include the tea plantations and hills around Ella, the ancient town of Kandy, Yala National Park and the Pinnawela elephant orphanage.

WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR

Sri Lanka is a developing country and most of its population is poor. Tourism, especially since the end of the civil war, is an important source of income and everybody wants to profit. So the usual rules of travelling in developing countries apply: Make sure you agree on a price before you use any services, keep an eye on your belongings, be careful about what you eat and standards of cleanliness. If an offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Most important, please show respect to the locals when surfing and you’ll find that the Sri Lankans are some of the friendliest locals around.

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21/02/11 1:20 AM

KNOW YOUR RAILS

ONE OF A KIND

WITH PETER WHITE OF CLASSIC MALIBU

Peter White of Classic Malibu shapes everything: traditional logs, so-called retros, high performance mals and still a steady stream of shortboards.

“So many people come to me asking to make a board that does everything,” he says today, “noseride, trim, paddle easily, but still fast and manoevreable.

“It can’t be done,” White sighs. “Every surfer is an individual, hence, a custom board is tailor-made to suit them and the waves they prefer to ride.

“As a longboard manufacturer, we make boards that essentially fall into two categories: traditional and modern.

“Traditional boards offer unbelievable paddling power, assisted by a flatter rocker, giving less resistance, and a wider back end, which helps pick up waves more easily.

Added width gives greater stability and the flatter rocker allows them to trim through the dead sections of a wave.

“Extra weight, created by heavier glassing, maintains speed and softer rails enhance water flow, again creating greater hold for extended tip time.

“With regards to manoeuvrability, they can take a bit of getting used to. There’s so much skill in making it look easy.”

“Modern boards are all about dispersing water quickly to give drive and speed,” says White. “They also offer flex, unlike logs. You can feel the board unleash power through turns like an uncoiling spring. This allows for some amazing high-performance surfing, such as can be seen in some younger local surfers like Mitch Surman, Nic Jones and Jackson Winter.

“Unfortunately,” White commiserates, “there is a down side. As these boards are light, snapping becomes a factor.

Lighter foam, thinner stringers, 4oz fibreglass and bigger manoeuvres all add up to decreased longevity. We offer an all-round performance board glassed with one layer of 4oz glass on the bottom and one 4oz and one 6oz on the deck.

It’s a nice strength-to-weight ratio.”

If your needs are specific, it is almost essential to get a custom order. Talking to the shaper honestly, about your abilities and style will allow him to craft a board that will match as many criteria as possible.

In closing, White says, “next time you buy a board talk with a shaper and tell him what you want. He will offer you advice on what you need. And remember, buy Australian-made and support the industry regarded as the best in the world.”

Written by Tommy Leitch www.lucidaeditorial.com Peter White began shaping over 45 years ago in Port Phillip Bay, Victoria and has run Classic Malibu for almost a quarter-decade. Classic Malibu has been a proud sponsor of the Noosa Festival of Surfing since its inception.

INSIDE...

LEARNING THE ART P82 BRAND NEW BOARDS P91

WHEN OLD IS NEW P96

All the latest designs and ideas from shapers along the coast. Check out some great new shapes and designs from our talented local surfboard makers.

The rail is the edge of the surfboard where the deck wraps around to meet the bottom. The function of a rail is to firstly hold the board on the wall of a wave and then to release the board so manoeuvres can be performed.

Shaping a board for the first time (See story overleaf) gives you a new found appreciation for rail profiles and how critical they are to the performance of your board.

Surfboard shaping is so complex, you can effectively bugger up your rail profile through every single process of design from plan shaping right through to when you sand the board. Worst still, shaping the rail is possibly the hardest aspect to get right when crafting a surfboard.

Talk to your local shaper about rail profiles. It will assist your understanding of their importance and where cheap boards get it wrong. Forewarned is forarmed.

Howard Jennar explains how rails perform in his book The Surfer’s Textbook. “Very generally speaking the harder and lower the rail shape, the better the rail will cut into the wave face and the better it will hold itself in and the faster it will travel. A fuller and softer rail is more ‘forgiving’, releases quicker, however it has more drag, and is consequently slower.” (have a look at a modern shortboard compared to an old mal) A modern shortboard uses a combination of both, rounded rails for drive with hard-edged rails towards the tail for explosive acceleration and a tighter turning capacity.

RAIL TYPES

SOFT RAILS Gentle curve with no sharp edges Usually described as ‘rounded’ basically forming a semi-circle or egg shaped HARD RAILS Sharp bottom edge The apex of the rail shape is nearer to or at the bottom of the board 50/50 RAILS Apex is located at the centre of the rail, hence 50/50 A 60/40 rail simply means the apex of the rail is closer to the bottom OTHER TYPES OF RAILS INCLUDE: • ‘boxed’ rails, where the rail has a squarish feel • ‘tucked under’ rails, where the bottom edge of the rail is pulled under the plan shape (general outline) of the board • ‘ pinched’ rails, where instead of being ‘full’ and retaining as much foam as possible from the original blank, as mush foam as possible is removed whilst still endeavouring to maintain functionality 81

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GEAR: WE LEARN...

BOARDING

SCHOOL HOW TO TURN A PIECE OF FOAM INTO A PIECE OF ART ...OR IN OUR CASE, HOW TO TURN A PIECE OF FOAM INTO A PIECE OF FOAM WITH FIBREGLASS AND RESIN ON IT THAT CAN PASS FOR A SURFBOARD AND POSSIBLY EVEN FLOAT... WE GIVE IT A GO AND LEARN THAT IT’S MUCH HARDER THAN IT LOOKS. WORDS: MARK CHAPMAN

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STEP 1.

THE BLANK Okay... We knew a fair bit about what was involved in making a board before. But, despite our background knowledge gleaned from years of interest and months of working on this magazine, nothing could have prepared us for actually getting our hands dirty and crafting a board from start to finish. What a lot of work! And I mean a hell of a lot of work.

As part of the education, it’s important for us to see where the soon-to-be-abused foam comes from, so off we go to SouthCoast Foam on the Gold Coast...

THE BASIC PROCESS FOR THE CREATION FOR THE BLANK IS AS FOLLOWS:

We had undertaken this project to gain a better insight in what it takes to create a surfboard, but in hindsight we now understand that we had no idea what we truly were in for.

Believe us, this is no weekend craft project...

AND SO IT ALL BEGINS...

The foam mixture is poured into a mould where it’s heated appropriately to produce the basic shape of the blank, complete with rocker.

4:30 am, Tuesday morning. The alarm goes off and I’m up and getting ready for a trip from home on the Sunshine Coast to Richard Harvey’s place in Miami on the Gold Coast. Today I go from being a surfboard rider, fan and admirer, to being someone far more in-tune with the intricacies of surfboard design; someone who truly understands the way water runs around a board, someone who can create magic with a block of foam and a planer... I will become... a surfboard shaper!

Well, in my head at least. What I will actually be doing, alongside my partner in crime Dave Mini-Swannoms, is learning what blood sweat and tears go into the boards we ride and trying my hand at creating one myself.

Despite the scene in my head - which seems to be narrated by James Earl Jones - in reality, I know I’ll basically be hacking the hell out of some poor unfortunate blank, hoping against hope that I end up with something even half decent in looks and usefulness, that might draw an approving smile rather than raucous laughter.

8:30am. Miami, here we are. We get stuck straight into an orientation session with Richard and discuss the magical watercraft we have envisioned for our project. I’m aiming for something between an Egg and a Biscuit, which is at this point loosely titled “The Biscotti” while Dave is going Bob Simmons on us with his very own Mini Swannoms which he will be calling “The Stumpy Duck.”

Richard Harvey explains the dos and don’ts of the tools

This is then cut in half and glued back together with the wooden stringer in place.

Fortunately, as far as this part goes, we’re merely spectators letting the experts get on with it. With our blanks chosen and strapped on to the roof of the car, we’re heading back to the shaping bay.

The blank...

It looks good now, but give me a planer and see how I can change all that with a few strokes.

11.00am. And we’re off to pick up the blanks at Southcoast Foam... mar/apr 2011

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STEP 2.

PLANNING TO ROUGH SHAPING

Marking out the plan shape using templates

12.00pm. The first cab off the rank is the Duck, so Dave gets into drawing it up. With Richard’s expert guidance, he is walked through the process of measuring the board and drawing the plan shape using a mix of templates. A few careful measurements and adjustments later and the outline is ready to be cut out. Using a handsaw, the blank is cut away to reveal the start of the minisimmons hiding inside the Southcoast 6’5” kneeboard blank.

Although a little shaky at first, Dave comes through the cutting and gets to neatening up with the surform. Tweak, adjust, neaten...

12.48 pm. It’s earmuffs, goggles and hat on and onto the electric planer. Under Richard’s watchful eye, the board is starting to show its form. Dave is shown the tricks and techniques of wielding the almighty planer and sets about shaping the bottom of the board, while I watch nervously knowing that he’ll be done and relaxing when I get started on mine.

With only one heartstopper when a bit of stringer gets nicked by the planer, but quickly fixed, The Stumpy Duck has taken shape and lunch is calling.

Taking to the foam with a saw, and then the planer

3:30pm. It’s my turn. Under Richard’s watchful eye, we get stuck into the Biscotti ( I really need to change the name...) After some indecision about the nose, we end up drawing a few extra curves and decide to stick with the original wide option. A little tip?

Indecision is a very bad idea… Like a tattoo, know what you want before you go in!

Through the sawing and planing I’m learning very quickly that this surfboard shaping course is about far more than the tools, or the final board for that matter. The energy-master, Richard, is checking my every move, correcting my posture, directing my breathing and all the time relating the process to surfing and daily life. While we’re uncovering the curves of this board, it’s all about focusing on

“IT’S ALL ABOUT FOCUSING ON WHERE THE WATER IS GOING TO TRAVEL ALONG THE LINES OF THE BOARD AND WHAT ENERGY WE’RE PUTTING INTO THE SHAPING PROCESS” where the water is going to travel along the lines of the board and what energy we’re putting into the shaping process. Basically, a relaxed and calm working method is more likely going to translate into a cruisy board. Let’s hope...

The two rough-shaped blanks at the end of big day

While the planer is loud and daunting and the safety gear a little claustrophobic, the process becomes very therapeutic as you start finding yourself in the zone and becoming immersed in the experience.

7.00pm. What was a clean blank, now - in my weary eyes resembles a thong that got stuck in an elevator door, but Richard reckons I’m on the right track. Dave’s fared better with a slick looking little Mini-Simmons-in-the-making resting in the corner.

With the previous respect we had for shapers now quadrupled, we hit the beach to wash off this insane dust.

8.00pm. Beers, dinner, bedtime.

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20/02/11 11:33 PM

STEP 3.

HAND SHAPING 8.00am. I’m not waiting today, so I selfishly jump the queue to pick up where I left off last night. All these nasty planer marks need to go, so Richard hands over the surform - which is a hand-tool, about 30cm long, that is pretty much a cheesegrater for foam. I work my way across the board carefully - probably too carefully... Watching me work must be as thrilling as watching paint dry, but Richard seems to have boundless patience and keeps a watch on my progress and on the angle of my surform.

Due to the fact that the design has a single concave running into a double concave with a vee in the tail (who’s bright idea was that?!) it’s a little tricky to get the bottom right, but again, with careful guidance, it all comes together

“EVERY STEP OF THE WAY, EVERY LITTLE THING YOU DO... YOU’RE ALWAYS SHAPING.”

10.00m. Without too much additional damage, the shape is slowly refined. Richard has me checking the curves, refining the rails and checking again. After a while I seem to be getting it, finding the bumps and dips I was oblivious to before. Progress at last.

STEP 4.

SANDING Top: The surform is used to take out the planer marks and smooth out the shape.

Left: A sanding block neatens up the surform marks and a stringer plane is used to shave down the wooden stringer.

Above: A light touch with some gauze finishes the rails Below: Pencilling in the credit

2:00pm. I’m done, we’ve refueled with some lunch and The Stumpy Duck is on the operating table.

4.30pm. After a few hours of fine shaping with the surform and making many of the same newby mistakes that I made - like holding the tools poorly, slipping, scratching the surface and most of all forgetting to just relax... Dave is ready to sand.

An important point to note is sanding is far from as harmless as it may sound. You could literally screw up the shape of the board by doing it wrong. No pressure at all.

Using a sanding block, Dave carefully goes about getting rid of the surform marks and further refining the shape of the Duck. Every step brings the final shape closer to completion and it’s pretty exciting

seeing it so close to looking like an actual board.

Amazingly, even just rubbing a little bit of sandpaper over the foam takes a fair bit off the top, and what that means is that the stringer, being harder than the foam, becomes raised and needs to be shaved down with a stringer plane. Yet one more scary step...

6.30pm. To bring two huge days to a close, the rails are sanded with a bit of gauze and the allimportant pencil comes out to document and mark the special occasion with the date and dimensions of the Duck written along the stringer.

7.00pm. Back to the beach, wash off the dust... We have a celebratory beer at the Nobby’s Beach Surf Club and head home. mar/apr 2011

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STEP 5: GLASSING 1&2 Having delivered our now very fragile shaped blanks to The Factory in Caloundra for safekeeping (after Dave’s deliberate attempt to sabotage the still-called-Biscotti by ‘accidentally’ dropping his car keys on it) we’re ready to get stuck into the next step with the expert guidance of Paul Carson - a master board builder with a rich history in the local surfing community and more experience and knowledge than he could use in a lifetime. Maybe not the wisest man though, allowing us damage-magnets into his place of work for an extended period of time.

So, being absolute gluttons for punishment, we’ve decided to go the whole hog to finish these babies up - colourful resin tints all the way to full gloss polish. It’s a lot more work, but hey, we’re only doing this once and want to experience the lot.

The resin tint turns out to be a lot more work than a standard glassing job, firstly because getting the colours right is tricky and secondly because to do it right, the glassing can’t all be done in one day. The board needs to be taped up to do the bottom, and then once dry, taped up again to do the deck. Essentially, it almost doubles the production time.

The Duck’s going green and the other one red. We spend a lot of time watching Paul expertly cut the fabric for the boards and measure out resin and other assorted chemicals like a mad scientist, but finally we get to muck in with the squeegee. It’s not as easy as the pros make it look, but fortunately Paul’s there to correct our stuff-ups as they happen. I dread to think how these would turn out if left to our own devices.

At the end of second day, we’re looking at two colourful boards with a 4oz bottom and 4oz and 6oz top. What the ‘ounces’ refer to is the actual size of the fibreglass fabric weave, which translates into the thickness, weight and strength of the final board. It’s all a trade off - the thicker it is, the stronger it is, but the heavier it is. This is why you will see endless options and combinations, all relative to how you surf and how you would like your board to perform. Being average on the wave and murder on a board, I go thick and strong... a little like my mate, Dave.

Left: The Stumpy Duck is taped up and then covered in thick green resin, turning it into a Mini Granny Smithons Right: The red resin goes onto the deck with Paul showing us how it’s done.

“IT’S NOT AS EASY AS THE PROS MAKE IT LOOK...”

Oh yes, the banter and insults fly thick and fast in the workshop, but it makes for plenty of laughs and healthy competition. My sledges are the best, of course.

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STEP 7: DECALS...UM,OKAY...

The Duck is getting Mini Simmons disc fins, and they have to be made from scratch. Over to Dave....

“It’s a bit like Sarah Lee’s Danish Pastry, ‘Layer, upon layer, upon layer’...

GEAR: WE LEARN...

STEP 6: FINS?WHATTHE?!

“I didn’t have any idea how to make a fin. Just like the rest of the board, it turns out it takes a hell of a lot of time. Go figure. It’s a job in itself.

“Start off with 28 to 30 layers of 6oz fibreglass, which gives you the right thickness for a hand-made fin to slot straight into a standard removable fin system. We went 30. Paul cut the first sheet and then handed over to me for the next 29. Piece of cake?

No. Like everything else, doing it for the first time was of course far more difficult that it seemed - the bloody fibreglass cloth kept moving as I cut across the roll. But finally, I had 29 ‘kind of’ rectangular pieces.

“Next... Lay out four layers of fibreglass, resin, work it in with a squeegee and roll out the air bubbles.

Add another four and repeat. I think the whole process in itself took me well over an hour. Once the panel was dry and set the next day, I traced the fin template onto it, put it in the vice and cut out my fin shapes. Thankfully this seemed to be one thing I could actually do with confidence.

Top to bottom: Cutting the fibreglass cloth; creating the fin panel with coloured resin; the final panel ready to cut; fins take shape and Paul checks on the final foiling.

We’d thought about the plan shape of the boards, we’d thought about the fins, we’d thought about the colours.... Decals?! What, how, where, who?

At the last minute, realising that it’s the day we need to put them on the boards, with no time to do any research, we take to rice paper with permanent markers to do up a few logos and designs.

Paul shakes his head politely as we give our attempt a test run. Turns out those markers just aren’t as permanent as you would hope. We watch our early morning’s creativity bleed out into a greyblack blob of nothing. Fantastic.

Onto Plan B. I rocket off to the stationery shop and buy some Posca waterproof pens. We try, we test, it works! We’re good to go. To attach, we cut up some more fibreglass cloth, and stick the whole lot on with a healthy dose of resin.

And the Biscotti officially gets renamed to something less lame... The Herring!

“Foiling the fin, which Paul thankfully jumped in for, is done at first by electric sander and then by hand. To attach the fin to the board then takes bundles of fibreglass strips called rovings, wrapped around the base of the fin and fixed on with resin, more sheets of fibreglass and more resin again. Leave it to set.... What a job.

“To get the colour, tints are mixed into the resin. So, spare a thought the next time you see a 1970s board with multiple colours in the fin. Take note that different coloured resins were applied to each of the 3 to 4 layers of fibreglass. I can’t begin to imagine how long these kinds of fins took to make. No wonder some of our earlier board building brothers smoked a bit of the wacky tobaccy...”

Attempt #1 fails dismally, but the final product with Posca pens turns out far better. mar/apr 2011

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BOARDING

SCHOOL STEP 8: FINS GO ON, PLUGS GO IN...

As we’d looked at the fin-making process and made a set from scratch for The Stumpy Duck, we decide to go with a removable fin system on The Herring, to see what it takes to get that into a board. In short, we have to drill some holes into the board and set fin plugs into the board using resin.

After toying with a few options, we decided to give the new Shapers S-Plug system a crack. Using these little fat-base babies means that we don’t have to drill all the way through to the deck. So, it looks a little prettier, and according to the Shapers folk, it’s super-strong too.

Gazumped by a day at being the first board to get these at The Factory, I was content to settle for second place and watch Paul go at my board with hi-speed powertools. Holes drilled, Paul expertly lines up the plugs, we squeeze in the resin and let it set.

With the Duck’s fins glassed in, we leave it for the night. Tomorrow is finish coating day.

STEP 9: FINISH COATING We’re back. After cleaning up the resin around the plugs on The Herring, both boards are ready to be sanded. Starting with the powertools, we work our way down to fine sanding by hand.

Once again it hits home how we’re finely reshaping in a way, refining and refinding the original shape we had envisaged.

With a final coat of finishing resin, the boards are as glassy as a crack addict’s eyeballs after a weekend binge. Nice.

88

Top left: A scary moment: watching holes getting drilled into your pride and joy; The plugs are left to set in resin.

Top: Rovings, cloth and resin all work together to glass The Stumpy Duck’s fins in.

Left: Sanding is one of the most underrated skills in the process. Get it wrong and you can find yourself doing major repairs or even starting from scratch!

Above: The Stumpy Duck, shiny and left to dry after the finish coat.

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STEP 10: THE FINAL POLISH

STEP 11: WE REFLECT...

Despite being long hours and hard graft, it was an unforgettable experience and truly enjoyable.

A major realisation we came to was that you are most definitely shaping your board every single step of the way. There is no part the process that doesn’t impact on the end product. Even when you’re down to the final stages, such as sanding your board, you are indeed still shaping it. You can’t lose focus for a second.

It’s been a few days now since we did the finish coat and we have one last thing to do to get these new additions home once and for all. We head to The Factory for the last day of hard labour.

Step one is to get back into the sanding room and smooth off any uneven bits on the finish coat. Sanding is in fact a twelve-step process - three grades of paper, first by machine, then by hand, dry then wet.

Step two is to get outside and start polishing, in pretty much the same way as you would a car. Sounds easy?

Compare an expert’s work to ours and you’ll see a notable difference All that’s left to do is pop the fins in The Herring Shaper’s Mach-50s. And they match my decals.

It is done. We stand back to survey our handiwork. We are changed men.

This project also reconfirmed in our minds that surfboard shapers are indeed incredible craftsmen.

Even walking through the surfboard making process with help, step-by-step, is mind-boggling.

You realise that the innate skills shapers pick up through years of developing their craft is impossible for a novice to replicate.

While I loved shaping my own board, for the amount of time it took to shape, if someone asked me to make them one for $100 in my pocket, I would tell them where to jam it. So much respect goes out to those who do this for a living.

WHAT IT TAKES

Compare the skill level required to a trade such as that of an electrician, carpenter or plumber... Could you get them to come out to your house, work for 10 hours and pay them $100? Not a chance. That may cover the call-out fee. And by no means are we being disrespectful to other trades. We’re just comparing apples with apples for a skilled trade.

And without a doubt, this is a multi-skilled trade.

To get through the basic steps you need, as a rough guide, the following people:

THE HERRING: 6’4” x 21” x 2 7/8” Mini-eggish, Single into double concave into vee.

THE STUMPY DUCK: 5’6” x 21 ½” x 2 5/8”

Top: Paul stays in charge of the dangerous tools that use electricity while Dave is allowed to play with the sandpaper.

Middle: No, he’s not about to slice some cutlets, he’s polishing his Duck.

Bottom: The final step as the fins go in.

Bottom: The boards in all their glory... To the left, The Stumpy Duck, and to the right, The Herring.

Mini-Simmons with glassed-on, hand-foiled disc fins.

The shaper, to get from blank to board The glasser, to get the board well.. glassed The artist. Artwork and sprays needs to be done The fin-maker. Custom fins? You need an expert The sander. A far underrated piece of the puzzle The finisher/polisher, to make it shine...

A strong team? Well, often these jobs are often done by just ONE person, start to finish. Now that takes some skill...

So next time you sit down with your shaper, really, don’t try and bargain him down. Whatever the cost of your board, double it. And then trust us, you’re still being undercharged.

And how did they go? See overleaf...

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FINAL

EXAMS DAVE SAYS:

Walking down onto the beach with our new sticks was admittedly pretty exciting.

My mind was racing. So many questions were running through my head. I mean, could I have stumbled on a breakthrough in surf design? I knew there was no chance of Mark saying the same. Let’s be frank, he could have coloured his yellow and called it the Lemon.

Was this my chance to finally be rid of the pain-in-the-butt South African I seemingly work beside 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 dollars a year? Could I finally go out on my own? Worse still, would the shutter speed of our camera be able to capture a flying duck or would it forever remain a thing of legend never to be caught on film?

To test the board and provide us with an independent view on how much better The Stumpy Duck was than the red Herring we called on expert gear tester “Two-Guns” Gus Brown. Here’s what he had to say:

“The Duck was outstanding. Hands down a far better board than the red floaty thing.

It paddled like a longboard and absolutely flew. Duck hunters around the world would be hard pushed to nail this baby.

“Mark’s board was a real dog. It was so slow, I put the camera on self-timer and snapped off three photos of it making its way across the wave like a barge. More importantly, Dave’s is 100% hand-crafted, right down to the fins. He didn’t cheat like Mark and use stick-on fins. The extra attention to detail showed. Sad for Mark, his hard-boiled egg paled in comparison to The Duck.”

MARK SAYS:

Strangely enough, my notes from the day are a little different. The Duck is aptly named in that with it being so bad, no-one can stay up on it for more than a second or two, falling off and shooting it like a snotcoloured missile at another surfer’s head.

The Herring, on the other hand, is all class. A true example of craftsmanship and talent. The kids are already arguing

over who gets this priceless family heirloom. And the little one can’t even talk yet.

Gus Brown also loved it to bits: “The Herring is my kind of board. I’m not sure what that Swan character was sniffing, but that boogie-board of his is just lame. What’s he trying to prove with the flouro anyway? Even the 80s revival has come and gone, buddy. Move on...

“At least, being so garish, we can see it coming every time he wipes out trying to pretend to get a run.

“As to the Herring, if I were an investor, I would create a surfboard company purely to allow this talented man to create more of these gems, as he is so obviously gifted to do.

And I would buy this particular board from him for at least $10,000.”

SERIOUSLY:

We just had so much fun. Building and then riding your own board is absolutely magical and something I would truly recommend to anyone interested. These boards may not be award winners, but they’ll most definitely take pride of place in our quiver for ever and a day.

Note: Gus Brown may have been somewhat, or rather entirely misquoted in the piece above.

Above: The Herring gets a go from Mark (left) and Gus (right) as the Duck flies along carrying a Swan (below).

90

THANKS Experiencing this project would not have been possible without the help, expertise and time of the following fantastic people:

Richard Harvey of Harvey Surf Gallery in Miami on the Gold Coast.

His shaping workshops are not only an education in boards, but in life itself. If you’re considering giving shaping your own board a go, working with Richard’s guidance is sure to make for a very rewarding experiencing. Definitely attend his surfboard shaper’s course. www.harveysurf.com

Paul Carson at The Factory Surfboards in Caloundra is a shaper, master glasser and a true gentleman. With over 30 years experience in the industry, we highly recommend a visit and a chat when you’re in the market for a new board. If you’d like to learn some surfboard making skills, express your interest to Paul. thefactorysurfboards.com.au

Carl McCarthy and the boys at SouthCoast on the Gold Coast were very generous with their time and product. For interest sake - over and above the blanks, they also stock a full range of other product for surfboard manufacture. www.southcoastfoam.com.au And... although this was not officially part of our project, we both constantly referred to The Surfer’s Textbook by Howard Jennar, and for that it deserves a most honourable mention. What we’ve done in these few pages doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of what it takes to build boards, and Howard’s in-depth and detailed coverage of it is an invaluable resource. www.surferstextbook.com.au

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GEAR: BOARDS

StyeThpdoemcask b

Shaper: T homas Bexon Dimensions: 9’8” x 23 ¼”x 3” Ideal conditions: Logging waves, anything under head high, ideally peeling points or clean beachies Ability level: Intermediate to advanced logger. Anyone after fun.

Suits: Around 75 - 85kg.

All boards made to measure Description: Stepdeck noserider, with step to reduce volume, increase flex.

Construction: Layer of 6oz and a layer of 7 ½ oz both sides, this is built to last. All colours done in resin. Glassed on fin.

Fins: One big red one fixed right on the back Shaper comment: a full blown trim and noseride machine, these are tried and tested in some of the best logging waves around. An experiment in design where they left off when Bob and co started sawing noses off and not standing on them.

THOMAS SURFBOARDS PO Box 234 Maroochydore Qld 4558 Ph: 02 6584 1995 Mob: 0412 131 491

thomas_bexon@hotmail.com

thomassurfboards.com

PiryatDeiverPseig b

Shaper: Dave Verrall Dimensions: 9’1”x 22 ¾”x 2 7/8” Ideal conditions: All-round choice for longboarding Suits: Performance surfer after a user-friendly board.

Description: A wave hog, designed from old style logs in the front to cruise on the nose, backed up by high performance tail to carve tight turns in the pocket!

Construction: Dynocore™ technology - a high tech fusion of fibres and foam.

Dynocore™ gives you the confidence to pull in to anything big and barrelling yet carry with one arm over long walks to secret points.

Fins: Fusion by FCS and a Fin Solutions 10” box.

Shaper comment: I’ve never been more excited about the future of surfboards, Dynocore™ has given me so much reward for the years of passion I’ve put in to making a better board!

Seeing it all come together, so strong but light and alive. Watching and hearing customers stoked ride reports is so satisfying.

DIVERSE SURFBOARDS 476 Gold Coast Hwy, Tugun, QLD 4224 Ph: 07 5598 4848 dave@diversesurf.com.au diversesurf.com.au

FbyrLeeagunFa Bloawy

DakeBrrylinSgurf

by S

Shaper comment: A very easy board to surf for all ability levels. It will go where you want it to go and is very responsive.

Shaper: Simon Skerry Dimensions: 9’1”x 21 ¼”x 2 5/8” (or shaped to order) Ideal conditions: All size waves from point breaks to beach breaks.

Ability level: Beginner to pro.

Description: Medium rocker yet refined in thickness and rails, fit and slender so not a lazy board, for a person of action that still has the capability to daydream.

Construction: Double 6oz glass for momentum and strength with a crude amount of 80’s jetboat glitter to turn it up!

Fins: Single with stabilizers and Skerry art Shaper comment: High performance ‘Golden Surfboard’! Can be made to order in wide range of colours and colour combos.

NOOSA SURFWORKS 11 Bartlett St, Noosaville QLD Ph: 07 5474 4567

SKERRY SURF PO Box 354 Lennox Head NSW 2478 Ph: 0403 240 452

Shaper: Mike St.John

Dimensions: 9’1”x 22 3/8”x 2 5/8” Ideal conditions: 1 - 6 ft Ability level: Beginner to pro Suits: Volume tailored to suit Description: The Free Flow is a great all-round performance longboard.

Trims well and turns out of the tail. Surfs well in beachies and point breaks.

Entry concave at the front that splits into a double concave at the tail section.

Construction: PU. Usually 4 oz bottom, 6oz + 4oz deck Fin set-up: 2 + 1

E: info@noosasurfworks.com.au

noosasurfworks.com.au

theskerrysimon@hotmail.com

skerrysurfboards.com

The Lightweigahlitbu

by Classic M Shaper: Peter White Dimensions: 9’2” x 22 ¾” x 2 ¾” Ideal conditions: Dribblers to head-high Ability: Almost anyone can jump on and have a ball.

Description: A very user-friendly board.

This is a log for the lighter-weight surfer, not lightweight itself.

Pinched fins and a pulled in tail give heightened manoeuvrability in a traditional board, but maintaining trim, paddle and excellent noseriding.

Able to handle slightly more challenging surf, it revels in slightly hollow point waves.

Construction: PU with one layer 6oz glass bottom and two 6oz deck Fins: Single box fin.

9-10” and either a hatchet or dolphin template, depending on needs.

Shaper comment: Performance log with traditional leanings.

CLASSIC MALIBU Cnr Gibson & Eumundi Rd Noosaville, QLD 4566 Ph: 07 5474 3122 info@classicmalibu.com www.classicmalibu.com mar/apr 2011

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Blarimcitkivbe iSrdurf D-HuSll ur#fboa2rds yP y Zak

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Shaper: Craig Rees Dimensions: 5’7’’ - 6’4’’ Above 5’7” x 18 ¾” x 2 1/8” Ability level: Intermediate and up Suits: Different sizes Description: Primitive Surf Team rider Nick Vitko sat me down and we nutted this new model out. It’s a high performance fish and works best when combined with the MR twin fins from FCS. They have great down the line speed and turn on a dime.

Construction: PU foam with polyester resin, Vacuum bagged with Carbon/Kevlar.

Fins: Twin. MR twin fins from FCS recommended.

Shaper comment: Go down 6 inches from your normal short board length and hang on. I took a 6’2 to PNG and it was the most popular board on the boat. They seem to do all the work on a wave and just needed to be pointed in the right direction.

PRIMITIVE SURF 601 Nudgee Rd, Nundah, Qld 4012 Ph: 07 3266 1001 E: info@primitivesurf.com www.primitivesurf.com 92

Shaper: Ken Reimers Dimensions: 6’6” x 22” x 3” Displacement Hull Conditions: Anything that moves shoreward, up to fear factor.

Suits: Anybody not surfing in a modern shortboard competition.

Description: Combination of late sixties surfboard designs and knowledge of modern surfboard performance. Radically domed bottom shape, balanced foil, S-Deck and 50-50 rails.

Construction: “Glassed to last” 6oz bottom, 2 x 6oz decks, weight is momentum which helps with forward projection.

Fins: Single flex fin with FCS side biters. (Hint: for another sensation, take out the single and put in a set of MR Twins) Shaper comment: Having these in my quiver has increased my memory of fun surfs and I thank the experimental shapers before me for their legacy.

ZAK SURFBOARDS 307 Victoria Road Thornbury VIC 3071 Ph: 03 9416 7384 Mobile: 0438 416 738 zak@zaksurfboards.com zaksurfboards.com

Vortex

rmance Flextail mall Wave Board o rf e P /ESP

by Bushrat Sby Minty Surfboards

by Ed Sinnott Shaper: Ed Sinnott Dimensions: 5’9 x 19 ¼ x 2 3/8” Ideal conditions: Anything up the 6’ Suits: Anybody Description: This is a combination of all my old single fin and twinfin templates combined with new school bottom curves and rails. The result is a sensational hybrid that flys. Flat entry, deep vortex concave, razor edges and wet and dry finish.

Construction: Burford/ South Coast PU blanks, Silmar polyester resin, Colan and Surf Nine glass.

This combination has stood the test of time.

I love the flex.

Fins: Thruster Shaper comment: Surfboard design has gone the full circle now.

We’ve got boards that make so called normal 6’1’’ boards look like guns.

Go smaller, thicker and wider. Yew!

ESP SURFBOARDS 2/81 Centennial Circuit Byron Bay, NSW Ph: 0404 059 321 espsurfboards.com www.edsinnott.com.au

Shaper: Jed Done Dimensions: 5’10” x 19” x 2 ½” Ideal conditions: All rounder from 2ft to 6ft. It will thrive on down the line waves.

Suits: Intermediate to advanced surfers with a clean flowing style.

Description: Performance Flextail with a pulled in tail so it can fit tight into the pocket.

A very fast and carvy surfboard. Designed to be ridden shorter, but in larger waves, than your regular shortboard.

Construction: Dion PU foam, single wedge shape western red cedar stringer, polyester resin, yellow tint bottom, carbon fibre flextail.

Fins: Quad 4WFS setup.

Shaper comment: I’ve been building flextails for the last 11 years. This board is the result of 8 years of refinement on my own personal shortboard shape. It’s a speed machine.

BUSHRAT SURFBOARDS Merimbula NSW Ph: 0409 813 431 E: jed@bushrat.com www.bushrat.com

Shaper: Bob Minty Dimensions: 5’9” x 19 1/8” x 2 1/8” Ideal conditions: Small waves Designed for: Average and above Description: This is a stringerless, small wave board with flex-control glassing.

Construction: EPS and epoxy.

Shaper comment: A high performance small wave board.

MINTY SURFBOARDS Point Lookout, North Stradbroke QLD, 4183 Ph: (07) 3409 8334 Mob: 0438 783 191 bob@bobmintysurfboards.com

bobmintysurfboards.com

jan/feb 2011

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UR OWN! MAKBuyE aYOpre-madeone

Blues CBOuDster by

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by HW

GEAR: BOARDS

attend a board, or ree To Seild of the Tps and bu worksho your own. one of

SnagahnirSaurzfboards

by Fla

Shaper: Paul Uscinski Dimensions: 6’2” x 19 13/16” x 2 9/16 ” or customized to suit Ideal conditions: 1 - 6ft Ability level: Beg to adv Description: Heaps of drive and stability.

Very maneuverable due to slightly more tail lift and responsive using a combination of a smooth rocker entry with single concave, flowing to double concave to vee in the tail.

Extra drive and release of double flyers and swallow tail. Balanced thickness and accurate foil for a high performance feel.

Construction: Hand shaped PU foam and polyester resins, 6 or 4 oz glass.

Fins: 5-fin FCS system for quad, thruster or 5 fin setup Shaper comment: Well balanced board for confidence in a wide range of surf conditions.

Get up and plane quickly so you can catch heaps of waves. Supa fun!! 100% satisfaction guaranteed.

Shaper: Robert Ivers Dimensions: 6’4” x 22” x 2 5/8” Ideal conditions: 3-5ft beach or point breaks Suits: Medium skill level Description: This Retro Twin Fin is full of punch with enough volume to get you into waves early and rails to help you hold onto to any wall. An easy paddler, this will put the fun back into your surfing.

Construction: Hollow timber, Paulownia and Western Red Cedar, glassed in either poly or epoxy, your choice. With proper care these boards will last a lifetime. Due to the nature of natural timber, each board is unique.

Fins: Twin Fins, made Wiz Finz from Bryon Bay. Shaper comment: Not all surfboards are the same. Enjoy the smooth ride and extra momentum of a timber board.

Alternatively: Make your own timber board by attending one of our Tree to Sea workshops.

Shaper: Jason Flanagan Dimensions: 5’8” x 18 7/8” x 2 5/16” Ideal conditions: 1-5ft Ability: Novice to Pro Description: Wide point forward, for fuller outline up front while straightening tail curve for speed and drive. Low entry rocker into higher than normal tail exit.

Single to deep double concave through the tail blending into a Vee. Rails - med/box. Available in most tail shapes.

Construction: Cured Liquid Laminations Fins: Thruster or Quad.

Future’s,Glass on or FCS. Shaper comment: The ultimate all-round performer in 1-5ft waves.

Super fast and responsive, to be ordered 4-5 inches shorter than your normal board. Tested by pros to average Joes all around the world and getting exceptional feedback.

COD SURFBOARDS 25 Kestrel Court Victoria Point, QLD 4165 Ph: 0415 722 891 paul@codsurfing.com.au www.codsurfing.com.au

HOLLOW WOODEN SURFBOARDS Ph: 0409 211751 E: hwsurfboards@gmail.com www.hwsb.com.au

FLANAGAN SURFBOARDS 26/22 Lawson Crescent, Coffs Harbour, NSW 2450 Ph: 0432 361 694

“A great all-round board. Really fun when its small and supprisingly holds a rail when you want to push it in the bigger stuff.

Like a fine “shiraz” you’ll be left wanting more.”

- Elliot Curnow, Coffs Harbour local

flanagansurfboards.com

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Twin Quad Fiashlibu

by Classic M Shaper: Peter White Dimensions: 5’10” x 20 ½” x 2 ¾” Ideal conditions: Waist to overhead Ability: intermediate to advanced but accessible to a wide range.

Description: ‘Retro’ is a misnomer. This is every bit about performance.

Fast and fun, it is the ultimate alternative for longboarders going short but need paddle-power with manoeuvrability.

Quite slidey through turns, it needs an experienced surfer to make the most of it, but once you’re dialed in, the fun will never stop.

Construction: PU with one layer 6oz glass bottom and one 6oz, one 4oz deck Fins: FCS SF4 quad fins or FCS FK-1 keels Shaper comment: The twin fin setup can be trickier on the backhand, making the quad option a more friendly setup.

CLASSIC MALIBU Cnr Gibson & Eumundi Rd Noosaville, QLD 4566 Ph: 07 5474 3122 info@classicmalibu.com www.classicmalibu.com 94

del Dean Brady moyne

by Lee Che

Shaper: Lee Cheyne Dimensions: 6’4” x 19 ¼” x 2 ½” Ideal conditions: 2-6ft Ability level: Average to advanced Suits: This is one of Dean’s standard shortys.

He weighs in 92- 95kgs Description: Nice nose lift into deep single to deep double concave, to flat behind rear fin. Quite a bit of rocker between feet but combo of concaves, and straightened outline gives lively feel and drive.

Construction: Burford blank, Silmar resin, Surf 9 4oz and 6oz glass with carbon tail patches. I shape, glass and sand all my boards myself with the best materials to ensure they’re the best quality.

Fins: FCS, Future or set Shaper comment: My personal favorite. I have worked hard on this model for the rocker, outline, concaves and fins to all work together and create a board you can’t stop riding.

LEE CHEYNE DESIGNS 19/48 Machinery Dr, Tweed Heads South NSW 2486 Ph: 07 5523 3237 lcdboards@gmail.com myspace.com/454626994 tradewindsurf.com.au

eluxe Mini SimAmpaochnesSDurfboards

by Black

Shaper: Jesse Watson Dimensions: 4’10 - 5’8 Ideal conditions: The ultimate alrounder. A board you can ride 300+ days of the year.

Suits: Everyone, except those who can’t see past their 5’11 thruster.

Description: The fastest board on the planet. Speak to anyone who’s ridden one, converts include Dan Malloy, Andrew Kidman, Dane Reynolds, the list is endless.

Construction: Resin tints/full gloss and polish. Any combination you can dream up. Your imagination is the only limit here, guys.

Fins: Glassed on custom Simmons template.

Shaper comment: I’m getting orders for them faster than I can shape them. The proofs in the ride. Everyone who rides one says they are converted to the fun factor.

High lines, speed runs and the longest cutbacks you ever did are the norm.

black apache surfboards

BLACK APACHE SURFBOARDS Ph: 0410 419 791

E: blackapachesurfboards@ live.com.au

blackapachesurfboards.com.au

a d fi n 8 0 s st y le q u de

by High Ti

Twin Fin

by The Factory

Shaper: Jordie Brown

Shaper: Paul Carson

Dimensions:

Dimensions: 6’3” x 20” x 2 ½”

5’10’’ x 19 ¾’’ x 13’’ x 14 ½’’ x 2 7/8”

Ideal conditions: From 2 ft grovelers to overhead slabs

Ideal conditions: 2 - 6ft

Suits: The surfer looking for one board to surf in a variety of conditions

Description: Single flyer swallow tail twin fin.

Light concave running into double concave into vee.

Description: Modernized 80s style thruster, this design has a high single flyer with a swallow tail, low boxy rails and has plenty of meat in the guts of the board where it’s needed.

Construction: Light 6oz/4oz trimmed lap glass-job.

Fins: Dual FCS quad fin set ups.

Shaper comment: This fun little design got me through a summer of tiny swells and onshore sea breezes. Its flat, fast and a handy addition to any quiver.

HIGH TIDE SURFBOARDS Skenes Creek, Vic 3233 Ph: 0401 437 392 hightidesurfboards@hotmail.com

hightidesurfboards.com

Suits: Anyone

Construction: Burford blank Hexcel glass and Silmar resin Fins: Shapers Stealth Mach 50 Shaper comment: This is the best of both worlds - a great semi-retro twinny but built for today, with a more modern bottom curve. Like all boards produced here at The Factory, it’s all about getting the right board for you, not a standard model off the shelf.

THE FACTORY SURFBOARDS CALOUNDRA 17 Allen Street Caloundra QLD 4551 Ph: 07 5492 5838 paul@thefactorysurfboards.com.au thefactorysurfboards.com.au

jan/feb 2011

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GEAR: BOARDS

Gromore CSurufbstoaordms The JeGllyroBwnean by

by M Shaper: Mark Pridmore Dimensions: 5’7” x 18 ¼” x 2 7/16” Ideal conditions: Tiny to 4ft coz that’s what size the grom surfs Suits: Beginner that’s quickly improving to ripping Description: Complete custom to create an ideal board for a 12-year-old grom. He needed a board to allow his surfing to progress. It’s made a considerable difference to his surfing with some big improvements in the last 2 weeks since riding his new board...

Construction: PU foam, Polyester resin. MORE Surfboards are all made here in Oz. Fins: Hand-foiled fibreglass designed to compliment the board and surfer, FCS for options Extras: the artwork was also totally customised, FUNction is obviously a priority. Getting creative with colours is fun and can make a board look sweet...

MORE SURFBOARDS

Ph: 0405 475 026 moresurfboards.com

Now based on the Sunshine Coast but delivery to just about anywhere is not a problem.

Shaper: Andrew Wells Dimensions: 5’8” x 19” x 2 ½“ Ideal conditions: Small to medium waves. Great for summer days.

Ability: Intermediate to advanced.

Suits: All levels Description: This board is a mini-egg, small day fun board. Being hollow timber the board has plenty of float and you can ride it a few inches shorter than a normal foam board.

Construction: Hollow timber - Paulownia and cedar with resin tint.

Fins: Single Shaper comment: Mmmmm Jelly Beans!!

Available in your favourite flavor! Every Grownboard is individually hand crafted from recycled and plantation grown timber, takes over 30 hrs to hand craft and is completely unique. They look great, surf great and will give you years of enjoyment.

TboymTomThWegumenber Shaper: Tom Wegener Dimensions: 5’3 to 5’10 x 20” x 2 ¼” Conditions: Very versatile but handles hollow surf best, with keel fins.

Ability level: Groms to advanced surfers.

Description: Anyone curious about finless, but wanting an easier entry.

Construction: Surfboard foam and polyester resin Fins: Tom Wegener currently makes custom asymmetric keel fins for $100 a set or recommends experimenting with what you have.

Shaper comment: I have been working on the arc from alaia to finless foam and then back to twin fins. I want to keep the speed and some drift, while adding stability. This board is the most versatile board I have made yet. It rides great finless, with my custom keel fins and with normal fish fins. It is actually three boards in one.

Available exclusively through Noosa Longboards

GROWN SURFBOARDS Lennox Head Ph: 0407889049

NOOSA LONGBOARDS Shop 2, 55 Hastings St, Noosa Heads, QLD 4567 Ph: 07 5447 2828

grownsurfboards.com.au

noosalongboards.com.au

PO Box 801, Ballina NSW 2478 sales@grownsurfboards.com.au

E: pete@noosalongboards.com

D-HakuSllurfb#oa3rds

by Z

Shaper: Ken Reimers Dimensions: 6’0” x 21” x 2 7/8” Displacement Hull Conditions: Anything that moves shoreward, up to fear factor.

Suits: Anybody not surfing in a modern shortboard competition.

Description: Combination of late sixties surfboard designs and knowledge of modern surfboard performance. Radically domed bottom shape, balanced foil, S-Deck and 50-50 rails.

Construction: “Glassed to last” 6oz bottom, 2 x 6oz decks, weight is momentum which helps with forward projection.

Fins: Single flex fin with FCS side biters. (Hint: for another sensation, take out the single and put in a set of MR Twins) Shaper comment: Having these in my quiver has increased my memory of fun surfs and I thank the experimental shapers before me for their legacy.

ZAK SURFBOARDS 307 Victoria Road Thornbury VIC 3071 Ph: 03 9416 7384 Mobile: 0438 416 738 zak@zaksurfboards.com zaksurfboards.com

Single Fin ry

by The Facto Shaper: Paul Carson Dimensions: 6’2” x 20” x 2 5/8” Ideal conditions: 2 - 6ft Suits: Anyone Description: Single fin double flyer round pin.

Light concave running to vee with four channels.

Blue pigment bottom with white and blue pigment deck.

Construction: Burford blank Hexcel glass and Silmar resin Fins: Set single fin, handmade and handfoiled here at The Factory.

Shaper comment: This board was made specially for this year’s Ma and Pa Bendall contest at Moffat Beach. Like all boards produced here at The Factory, it’s all about getting the right board for you, not a standard model off the shelf.

THE FACTORY SURFBOARDS CALOUNDRA 17 Allen Street Caloundra QLD 4551 Ph: 07 5492 5838 paul@thefactorysurfboards.com.au thefactorysurfboards.com.au mar/apr 2011

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GEAR: PROJECT JORDIE BROWN OF HIGH TIDE SURFBOARDS LOVES OLD BOARDS. HE LOVES THE EXTRA WEIGHT. HE LOVES THE OLD RESIN. HE LOVES THE OLD SHAPES, STYLES AND IDEAS. BUT MOST OF ALL, HE LOVES THE PURE HONESTY AND PERSONALITY THAT IS PART AND PARCEL OF A BELOVED OLD BOARD, WHERE EACH DING, SCRATCH AND CRACK IS A LITTLE REMINDER OF A MAGIC MEMORY. FORTUNATELY FOR AN OLD WAYNE LYNCH THRUSTER, HE PUT SOME OF THAT PASSION INTO BRINGING THE BOARD BACK TO LIFE AND BACK TO THE WATER. JORDIE TALKS US THROUGH THE HEALING...

Earlier this year a mate dropped in to the workshop with one of the most challenging restorations I’ve ever worked on.

taking out two of the fins with it. To get the board going again, the entire bottom had to be totally re-glassed.

His father had bought him the 6'8'' Wayne Lynch shaped raw for him, to learn to surf on, for $100 when he was 14. Over the years he never stopped surfing the early thruster design and had simply loved it to death.

The board had suffered from some pretty serious water damage. Water damage in surfboards is like rust in a car - if not fixed properly the damage will spread. The only way to really fix an area that has taken in water and is delaminated, is to cut it out and rebuild it. That’s why its always important to fix any dings as soon as possible before they take in water.

At first glance I wondered if it was possible to get the totally trashed board back into the water but after seeing the spark of excitement in his eyes when he talked about surfing it, I decided it was well worth putting the time into.

THE JOB The biggest problem that I first had to overcome was that on the board’s final surf the water had caught the edge of an old repair and stripped three quarters of the glass off the bottom, almost

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Before I could re-glass the bottom, I had to rebuild the mutilated bottom to get its former shape back. Using a couple of mixes of resin and q-cel (a powdered bog commonly used in the boat building industry) I filled in all the imperfections and rebuilt the nose, then sanded the whole bottom flat again.

The one disappointing thing about this restoration was that the decal on the bottom couldn’t be

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THIS PAGE: It floats, it flies...

ACROSS Far left: Surveying the damage Top: Rebuilding the board’s bottom Middle: Finishing the deck Bottom: Ready to ride Photos: Scott Wintle

BRING BACK THE DEAD... saved. I always like to keep a restoration as original as possible and preserve any logos, signatures or numbers that could indicate anything about the board’s history. Luckily, the deck was relatively unscathed.

on finish used on most wet-rubbed shortboards today, but a new product finish in the 80s. It meant that I didn't have to gloss coat and polish the board - an extra process that can be quite tricky with glass-on fins.

awesome surfing down the line and held great in a handful of wedgy little barrels.

Once the bottom was reshaped, I glassed the bottom in a layer of 6oz cloth to restore the board's strength. I used a pigment and trimmed lap glass job - a very common style of glassing in that era. Pigments always work great on ‘restos’ to keep the board looking original and cover any severely water-damaged areas. I then re-foiled all the lumps and bumps out of the original fins and glassed them back in their former position - a lot further back on the tail than modern thrusters.

After all the time spent working on the old shortboard, I couldn't help but wonder how the early thruster design preformed. The biggest perk of restoring ‘mates’ old boards, is that more often than not, they let me take the finished product for a spin...

THE conclusion

After a filler coat, sand and final wet-rub the restoration was ready to hit the water.

One aspect that made this restoration job easier compared to a lot of others I’ve worked on is the original board was finished in pro tech - a spray

THE RESULT The morning after the final wet rub I lucked into some fun, 3ft beachies and took the board for a test run. It took a few waves to get the hang of the extra weight, but it wasn't long before I found the sweet spot and was having the time of my life. The 80s design paddled great with its flat rocker and all the thickness in the shape. It felt

Sometimes the hardest part about riding mates’ boards is giving them back at the end of the session.

Although in the time spent restoring this classic 80s design I could have made a new shortboard from scratch, I used minimal materials and saved a piece of surfing history from the local tip.

In the throwaway society we live in today, there is something beautiful and satisfying about giving used surfboards a second lease of life.

FOR MORE OF JORDIE’S HANDIWORK, CHECK OUT WWW.HIGHTIDESURFBOARDS.COM

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GEAR: BEYOND

T A WH S E I H L T A E BEN ds Eadie fin Duncan er. b im with t direction

CHAPTER II:

TIMBERRRRRR Peter Walker’s Bonzer: Short and low fins set up on the edges of a Surian Cedar double concave.

GLASS, TIMBER, BAMBOO AND JUST EVERY CONCEIVABLE INCARNATION OF COMPOSITE MATERIALS CAN BE FOUND UNDER OUR BOARDS THESE DAYS. BEAUTIFUL, SUSTAINABLE AND PRACTICAL, TIMBER HAS BEEN A MATERIAL OF CHOICE IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SURFBOARDS FOREVER AND A DAY, SO WE LOOK AT WOOD AS ONE WAY TO GO FOR YOUR DOWNUNDER DRIVERS. WORDS: JACK FINLAY

to love ? t s u ou j rd a go en y a Wood this bo e v i g

When iconic surf innovator Tom Blake experimented with a fin on his board in 1935, his material of choice, almost by necessity, was the same as the board itself, namely timber.

Eighty years, and millions of mutations later, surfboards have become complex pieces of chemistry and evolved design. But whilst polymers and plastics have altered lots of things, the role of fins in providing a board with directional and drift control hasn’t changed one little bit.

Surprisingly, despite relentless surfboard evolution, timber still has an enhanced role to play in fin construction. Part of it has to do with performance, some of it is aesthetics, and the rest is quite possibly just good old soul.

But do the natural properties of wood make it the ultimate material for fin manufacture? There’s a steadily growing group of people that believe so.

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TIMBER FANS Duncan Eadie is far from a lone voice in the support of timber. Here’s just a few of his fellow woodworkers.

rn Soul A range of Southe play dis on s fin d an s Surfboard

TOM WEGENER Although his love-affair with timber in general is well publicised, those who only know him for his finless craft might be surprised to know that the man makes a mean timber fin.

THERE’s SOUL in there...

tomwegenersurfboards.com

WE HEAR ABOUT SOME OF THE THINKING BEHIND TIMBER FINS FROM A VICTORIAN BOARDMAKER. Timber fins are not easy to make and they’re not cheap. But some believe they do have an advantage in what might be called ‘natural flex.’

One person who has put in the hard yards on timber fins since the 1980s is Jan Juc board maker Duncan Eadie of Southern Soul Surfboards. His boards are primarily stylish, retro-influenced, single fins that feature his signature timber-core fins.

“When I was shaping thrusters I started making timber-core fins, initially covered with white pigmented fibreglass,” Duncan remembers. “A little later, I realised that by leaving out the pigment you could produce a nice set of timber fins in glass. They felt good to surf on, they looked something special, and not too many other board makers were using them.”

With a trade background in carpentry and building, Duncan put his knowledge of timber type and properties to use.

“I quickly began to use different timbers to give a different feel,” he says. “For instance, on a small wave I would use a soft and flexible core timber like pine or cedar to deliver a spring out of turns, and for bigger wave fins I would use jarrah for stiffness and drive.”

Ten years ago, heavily influenced by Terry Fitzgerald’s 1970s Hot Buttered speed machines, Duncan switched his shaping emphasis to single fin boards, and used the timber fins on them, with startling results.

“On one of my early single fins I glassed on a fin made from Tasmanian Myrtle,” he says. “I surfed Winkipop at 4-5 ft, and was amazed at the speed and drive out of

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ROBERT McIVER Fully committed to getting trees into the sea, Rob not only does Hollow Wooden Surfboards but also runs workshops on timber board building. www.hwsb.com.au

turns that the board and its fin developed.

A lot of things I’d heard people say, or read about over the years, pretty much fell into place at that point. I guess it was a case of back to the future for me.”

“Since then I’ve learned how to harness this speed and drive, and married them to the different fin timbers and shapes to give the required flex, whether with fin boxes or glassed on. So, the design elements for both the board and its fin work hand in glove for a range of varying conditions.”

The time involved in making timber fins has cost consequences. But in terms of performance and aesthetics Duncan believes they certainly establish a point of difference for Southern Soul Surfboards.

“My timber fins are really a labour of love,” he says. “From start to finish they take around 20 hours to produce. I machine down the desired timber to the appropriate thickness and cut out the shape required, foil the timber, fibreglass both sides, then foil the final shape. This is finished with gloss resin, polished to a high gloss, and if required fitted to a fin box.

PETER WALKER Truly turning boards into artwork, South Australia’s wooden board guru adds his artistic touch to timber fins on his creations. walkersurfboards.com

ANDREW WELLS Grown Surfboards is all about the wood, and Andrew knows how to use it just beautifully. grownsurfboards.com.au

GRANT NEWBY A talented boardmaking hobbyist, Grant deserves big backpats for his support of the timber board world through his community event, the Wooden Boards Day in Currumbin: woodensurfboards.blogspot.com MARK RILEY The Balsa Master produces incredible fins for his own boards as well as individual sale. balsasurfboardsriley.com.au

“It sounds easy enough but there’s a lot in it. I sometimes say to myself “Why do I do it?” but after using them, it’s very hard to go back to anything else.”

Tom Blake might have said the same thing seventy five years ago.

Duncan creates boards, fins and great wax: www.southernsoulsurfboards.com.au

21/02/11 12:02 AM

GEAR: FORUM

A FUTURE FOR ASPIRING YOUNG AUSTRALIAN SHAPERS WORDS: DAVE SWAN The Australian Surf Craft Industry Association has a mandate. On top of their agenda is protecting the future of the Australina surfboard manufacturing industry through an apprenticeship scheme for aspiring young Australian shapers.

Stuart D’Arcy of D’Arcy Surfboards explains, “We have such a fun industry and such a lifestyle industry, that everyone else is jealous of us. Everyone says to me, ‘You have the best job in the world. You shape boards.’ Well, yes I do and I get to make boards for people. To love what you do and not just be in a job is amazing. ‘ “But we need to be encouraging the young guys to get into our industry, to make it appealing. If we had an apprenticeship scheme we could achieve this. This is something we are striving to set up through the ASCIA. “In terms of learning the trade – how to make quality boards - when you teach someone from the very beginning and you don’t show him any shortcuts and he doesn’t know any other way, the only way he can do it is good. But there is no money when you are learning because there are no apprenticeships. It takes a special person to simply be happy with the gratification of doing a job well and it being appreciated.”

Dan MacDonald from DMS shapes concurs, “This association would give surf companies and individuals from shapers and their colleagues more structure to follow, in order to build set industry standards across the board thus keeping up with customer expectations and keeping the face of Australian surfing on top where it belongs.

“A great example of industry standards to be implemented would be the creation of training programs to offer a more structured work place. At the moment it’s hard to find high-end quality workers and at times it can be time consuming to chase down workers willing to create boards to these standards. Bringing in training programs would give the chance to bring in newcomers and give them the opportunity to learn skills that can benefit both the current shapers, and also provide people new to the industry with a secure and solid future.”

“TO LOVE WHAT YOU DO AND NOT JUST BE IN JOB IS AMAZING.” Chris Garrett of Chris Garrett Shapes adds to statements made be his fellow ASCIA members by expressing his concerns for the current status quo, “I have been making boards for 30 years. Apart from my trade certificate as a carpenter, I have nothing. But guess what skills I have? I can spray paint. I can polish. I can finish. I can manufacture surfboards and know so much shit about hydrodynamics it is ridiculous. I export to four countries and I have done all this without any government grants or training. I know how to deal with imports and exports. I am multi-skilled but guess what – no recognition. I am a labourer, an unskilled worker. If my job stops tomorrow because of China and I go out to get another job and am asked the question, ‘Oh, what have you done?’ I am a surfboard maker….. ‘Oh right, well here’s the broom.’”

Following our experiences of building our own surfboards, one thing is for certain: if there are no shapers, with no one to teach people the skill of making surfboards, a vital part of our surfing culture will be lost forever. We will have an entire generation of Australians that can’t create, but only consume. That’s cause for concern in itself.

Any enquiries with regards to the ASCIA can be directed to Michelle Blauw on 07 5559 5866. Updates will be posted on http://www.facebook.com/pages/Australian-Surf-Craft-IndustryAssociation/126311527423630 100

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THE SMOOTHEST RIDE UNDERFOOT LET’S FACE IT, SKATING WITH BARE FEET ISN’T REALLY THAT MUCH FUN. SURE, IF YOU HAVE CAVEMAN FEET FROM NEVER WEARING SHOES IT DOESN’T MATTER MUCH, BUT FOR THE MAJORITY OF US WHO WEAR SHOES IN A DAY JOB, THOSE TOOTSIES ARE NOT TOUGH ENOUGH TO ENJOY THE SANDPAPER OF A DECK GRIP. THE BOYS AT TRINITY DISTRIBUTION RECKON THEY CAN FIX IT. ROB SHOWS US HOW...

STEP 1: Tear the existing grip off of your current skateboard - in this case a Risen pintail longboard. Just get a corner of the grip up and use some elbow grease.

Put your foot on the deck and give it a good, hard yank to peel it off.

STEP 2: Grab a piece of Trinity Neoprene deck grip from your local skate shop and measure it up to the size of the deck.

STEP 3: The Neoprene deck grip is like one giant sticker.

Simply stick it on and carefully trim the edges using a blade or utility knife.

STEP 4: Get your thongs off and roll down to your local break in total comfort, without exfoliating your soles. So comfy, you’ll want to roll around all day...

BOARD GIVEAWAY Other than a few footprints from the test run, this Risen longboard with the Neoprene grip is as good as new and here for you. Send us an email telling us why you need it, and we’ll have a laugh and see who gets it. letters@smorgasboarder.com.au mar/apr 2011

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HAVE STICK, WILL TRAVEL WORDS: CORY McBRIDE PHOTOS: KAHUNA CREATIONS AUSTRALIA

Having grown up in California’s Bay Area and Salt Lake City, Utah, Kahuna Creations Rider Cory McBride was stoked to spend this summer in Australia. While his biggest passion is skiing and snowboarding, he says he didn’t have much of a problem leaving the snow for a season to spend four months in one of the most incredible countries in the world.

His mission down under? To spread the word about the Kahuna Big Stick – an invention that lets you paddle on longboard skateboards- hence the term Street Stand Up Paddling. With a rubber contact on the bottom, the Big Stick lets you propel yourself with your upper body, giving you a solid SUP-style workout on dry land. Over to Cory...

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21/02/11 12:03 AM

GEAR: SKATE mar/apr 2011

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HAVE STICK, WILL TRAVEL

e but spent I lived in Melbourn d getting a taste roa the on much of my time y has to offer. ntr cou ng ndi of what this outsta inary 1,400 ord ra an ext My first trip was t coast, ending in eas the ng alo mile road trip azing and was long but am Noosa. The drive had some d an ple peo l coo I met some really y. wa the ng alo great competitions

Merimbula

The first stop was Merimbula - a small surf town half way between Sydney and Melbourne. We were a sponsor of the 30th Merimbula Classic, a weeklong competition of Street SUP, windsurfing, paddle boarding, and kitesurfing. For the crowning event, 80 professional and amateur athletes competed in a Street SUP / SUP relay race. This was the most intense competition of its type I have ever been involved in, and I was thrilled my team came in second of twenty.

Surfers Paradise

When the Merimbula Classic came to an end, I headed north to the Gold Coast in a van full of professional kitesurfers. The drive took the good part of a week, since it was interspersed by paddleboarding and kitesurfing stops. When we got to Surfers Paradise we set up for the PKRA Pro Kite World Tour, which unfortunately had constant rain that killed the wind. During down time the kiteboarders did some longboarding with the Kahuna Big Stick, which showed up in the official PKRA World Tour video.

Since we needed the van for the kitesurfing tour and I had stores to visit, I ended up longboarding with the Big Stick from shop to shop. I rode about 70 kilometers in three days to make all my visits, which would have been totally fine if it wasn’t pouring down rain the whole time. I definitely saw a lot of Surfers Paradise during this time, but it wasn’t exactly the beach utopia I was expecting!

Melbourne

No matter where I end up living, I will always think of Melbourne as my home away from home. I made such good friends here, and the riding was fantastic. I had serious thrills longboarding down the Dandenong mountain roads, and it was always refreshing riding along the St Kilda Foreshore. The music scene here is unlike anywhere I’ve ever been, and I love the atmosphere of downtown Melbourne.

isbane River Cruising along Br

Brisbane

I spent a couple days in Brisbane, escaping the rain and enjoying the Queensland weather. I did some downtown skating and paid visits to a couple of sweet shops. I very much enjoyed my stay in Brisbane.

Unfortunately floods devastated the city a couple of weeks later, and the skate scene didn’t escape its wrath. Upon my return to Melbourne I found out how bad it really was: shops had been underwater, closed, and dealing with the massive city cleanup.

My thoughts go out to everyone in Queensland as they deal with the flood’s aftermath.

Noosa

While in Melbourne, I was able to do and see some of the coolest things of my life! I got to paddleboard around Phillip Island before a Street SUP demonstration with Islantis Surfboards in Newhaven.

Kite Republic took me kitesurfing in St. Kilda, and I saw absolutely incredible ocean sights such as the Twelve Apostles off the Great Ocean Road. A definite highlight was watching the Australian Tennis Open and paddleboarding down the Yarra River.

Australia is one of the most beautiful countries on the planet, and I was ecstatic about the feedback here for the Kahuna Big Stick. People are stoked when they learn how to ride Street SUP, especially those who have never been on a board. With Australia already the most popular country for Street SUP outside America, you can tell the sport is about to explode in popularity, which will give me an excuse to come back!

The last stop on my first Australian road trip was Noosa. We ran a clinic where we gave demonstrations to ride with the Kahuna Big Stick at Adventure Sports Kitesurf Australia before kitesurfing at the local sweet spot. We showed up in the local news twice from being there just over a day. It was sad to leave Noosa as the people there were so cool and friendly.

Sydney

After getting back from Noosa, I spent two weeks in Melbourne over Christmas before driving back to Sydney for New Year’s celebrations.

I fell in love with Sydney during my time there. There aren’t many places in the world I liked better than Manly Beach. I am thoroughly impressed by the beauty, surf, and people found in Sydney and hope to return in the very near future. The riding was unbelievable, and the people were particularly excited about longboarding with the Kahuna Big Stick.

Yarra River SU P fun

Noosa - Easy to love, hard to leave

- On land...

The Merimbula Classic

...and in the water!

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For more on the Big Stick and Street SUP, see: www.streetsup.com.au

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GEAR: REVIEW

ST TE EVERYTHING

Th eF iik Div isio n

WORDS: GUS BROWN

ANOTHER EDITION AND ANOTHER PILE OF GEAR TO TEST! AND THIS IS JUST THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG... BOARDS, WAX, A HAND-PLANE...

Testpil ot M ick gets a ll sty ley with the S tinger The Fiik Stin ger

A VERY HANDY LITTLE DEVICE

Two GREAT reasons Charge up these electric boards, do a few runs and within minutes every kid in the neighbourhood, big or small will be pestering you for a go. Which is totally okay, because the Fiik Division and Fiik Stinger have so much get-upand-go that you can be well down the road by the time the would-be-riders get near. They’re left wondering what the hell you were riding. Harsh? Trust me, you really won’t want to share once you’re on and going.

As we’ve said in the past, these are definitely not kids’ toys! Fiik boards have plenty power and can generate good speed quickly, even with a full grown adult on board.

These two are very stable, yet extremely easy to turn.

They are completely capable of handling rougher road surfaces, however, with smaller wheels than the Street Surfer or Big Daddy, the Division and Stinger prefer a long, smooth road or even better - a concrete bike-path.

Pull the trigger, cut a few lines... you are in for one exhilarating experience.

Like their big brothers, both boards get to around the 35-40 km/h top speed and are equipped with the same braking system, safety always being a high priority.

These two are the all-rounders of the Fiik skateboards range, with the Stinger a bit more responsive of the two while the Division is slightly more stable. Both boards we tested utilised the lead acid battery, however you can soup-up performance by choosing the lithium version for improved power, speed, and acceleration.

These are still ultimate boys’ (or girls’) toys - have a go and you’ll be hooked on electric skateboards for good.

For more, see www.fiikskateboards.com

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Bodysurfing is where it all began, they say, and any surfer worth their salt understands this skill and joy of riding waves in its most basic form. The next evolutionary step is to get some fins on your feet and pull out a handsurfer - in this case a wooden hand-plane made by the multi-talented Thomas Bexon.

The doc59 handsurfer has a great, natural feel with all the complexities of a surfboard shape. A miniature version of a wide swallow-tailed fish with a super concave channel, it’s wooden, yet light in construction, and feels good in the hand. As it’s not strapped on like some plastic models, it provides more freedom when waiting for the sets. You can even shove it into your boardies when heading out so that your hands are both free for swimming.

The handsurfer extends to about your elbow. On the right wave you can really get your body out of the water and improve your speed to get the most out of each ride. Just make sure you hold onto it tight in the dumpers so you save yourself some time retrieving it!

Beautifully crafted and just as beautifully stored in a hand-sewn pouch, this is truly a quality product worthy of its place in any waterman/womans’ toolkit. But most importantly, it’s just a hell of a lot of fun out in the water. www.thomassurfboards.com

SEE WHAT STICKS Everyone has their personal preference when it comes to what wax works. Thing is, if you don’t try what’s out there, how would you know what works for you? So, we thought we would wax on a little more...

TREE-HUGGER

Not just grip, the wax has stick. Pull your foot from the board and you can actually hear the suction.

Suited to hippies or those just keen on green as this wax is all natural, made from bees wax and mineral clays. Goes on easy and the super-sticky texture is very different to standard wax. It could probably also be used to put your favourite surf poster on the wall.

RRP: $4 Packaging: Recycled paper Ease to Open: Rip it.

Size: 75g Fragrance: A slightly sweet honey earthy odour. treehuggerwax.com

STICKY FEET

We have heard the talk on the street that this WA wax rates highly amongst those in the know... And now we see what all the fuss is about. This wax has great traction and feels really firm underfoot. A fairly high-density wax, so you get plenty of go for your dough.

RRP: $4 Packaging: Cool, overgrown matchbox.

Ease to open: Simple and multi-use pack keeps wax clean and ready Size: 100g Fragrance: Raspberry cordial. The kids will love it but we hope it doesn’t make them as hyper. margaretriverwax.com.au

ONE COOL WAX-OFF TOOL

If the only time de-waxing your board pops to mind is when the surf’s pumping, mainly because its just a pain to do when you get home from a great session, then the Tool is the answer. Unlike some wafer-thin wax removers the Tool gives you good leverage and helps you to move even the crustiest wax quickly and easily.

And if you are soft like me, it doesn’t hurt your hand as much as a traditional wax comb. toolssurfaustralia.com.au

21/02/11 12:16 AM

Snake charmer collection - pollen top and buzz pant.

Silverbuzz collection buzz bikini

Fashion & Function

Carnival collection beehive frill bikini

NOOSA HEADS BASED SWIMWEAR LABEL, HIVE SWIMWEAR HAS RELEASED THE NEXT SERIES OF THEIR BEAUTIFULLY DESIGNED FUNCTIONAL WATER GEAR.

The new 2011 collection, which also includes ultra chlorine resistant styles, is tested under duress for durability and function over a number of sports including surfing, surf lifesaving, swimming and kiteboarding.

The shoulder straps are adjustable to provide a comfortable and secure fit. Made using the highest grade lycras, the designs reduce neck strain by avoiding tieing up around the neck. Because everyone is built differently, all styles are sold as separates so you can get the best fit top and bottom. Styles shown here retail for $89.95 per set.

You can find Hive Swimwear in many fine surf stores around Australia.

You can find stockists and view more at www.hiveswimwear.com You can also check out Hive’s gear in person at the Noosa Festival of Surfing fashion show on Thursday, March 17.

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GEAR: FASHION Selected styles form the Hive 2011 range. There’s definitely something for everyone and every occasion, from chilling at the pool to getting out in the surf.

Hive Swimwear team rider Natalie McCarthy is a model, surfer and Sunshine Coast local.Here she is in the hippy chick collection beehive top and bee sweet pant. mar/apr 2011

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History...

WORDS BY GUS BROWN

BELLS BEACH RINGS IN HALF A CENTURY AUSTRALIA AND THE WORLD’S LONGEST CONTINUOUSLY RUNNING SURFING EVENT AT BELLS BEACH IN EASTER, IS TURNING 50 YEARS OLD.

Photo: Peter Ginane, SurfWorld Museum Collection.

GETTING THE CHOP

When friends run friends over. Than

ks Luke.

CLOSEOUT: RELAX

A little bit of

LE FIN. IT MEANS THE END IN FRENCH. WHICH IS PERTINENT GIVEN ITS EXCELLENT SLICING CAPABILITY. WORDS BY DR. PETE KIRKHAM The battle wounds I’ve seen in my clinic are mostly long-healed ivorywhite scars each with their own story. But they all have a common thread. The fearful rush of an oncoming board. The anticipation of certain collision. The chaos of impact and just as suddenly the moment has gone.

The relief of survival is tempered by the raw pain which runs in a line up your side. Your fingers find the tender groove where the fin has been. A red plume of blood emerges around you. Back to shore with haste and anxiety. A towel to stem the bleeding and then straight for the nearest clinic or hospital (hopefully with a mate to help).

Generally, soft tissue wounds like this simply need firm pressure and then stitches. But occasionally an artery might be snagged. This is the stuff of movies, but it does happen. The femoral artery sits in the groin and is perhaps the most common artery to be hit. Arterial blood is bright red and spurts in pulses. Immediate very firm pressure is required and pressing really hard with two fingers would do.

I have never seen a fin injury to the head from surfing, but I have from a windsurfing board. Years ago, on a windsurfing trip to Greece, an adjacent German contingent seemed intent on breaking world water speed records. With control out of the window a jibing speed-merchant struck a swimmer in the shallows by the beach. Funny what you remember, but I recall his bald head ducking to avoid the board, the awful jolt of the windsurfer as it hit, and the scarlet line from ear to vertex as the poor victim surfaced. And my horrible realisation... oh no, the fin! Thankfully he was able to walk up the beach, towel clutched to head, and sit in the shade until an ambulance arrived.

Surfers wear their ‘fin scars’ with pride.

A mark of honour. Email your damage pics to letters@smorgasboarder.com.au.

A free copy of smorgasboarder for the most impressive. Or something else...

Dr. Pete Kirkham is a general practitioner at Nambour Medical Centre. www.skinclearclinic.com.au

Ahh, Bells... So much history, such an icon of our surfing culture.

First held in the early 60s this competition turned professional in 1973, with bell ringers including Australian surf legends such as Michael Peterson, Mark Richards, Mark Occhilupo, Layne Beachley, Stephanie Gilmore and many others. Bells is renowned for being one of the world’s best right-handers, breaking on a gently sloping limestone reef. It can handle surf up to and in excess of 6 metres.

Traditionally known as the Bells Beach Classic this event is an icon of the Australian surf culture and equivalent in the sporting calendar to the Melbourne Cup, the Boxing Day Test or the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race.

The place to experience surf history in Victoria is the SurfWorld Surfing Museum in Torquay. They are mounting an exhibition called “Bells Gold - a 50 Year Surfing Celebration” that will be launched at SurfWorld during this year’s Rip Curl Pro. The exhibition will feature never before seen images, including photos from the first ever contest organised by Peter Troy and Vic Tantau in 1962. It will also have a collection of memorabilia, surfboards and trophies from the event, and images and stories from people who have been a part of it over the past half-century.

The people, the place, the event... It’s all such an integral part of our surfing history, and fantastic that it’s being commemorated and celebrated as it should. Do yourself a huge favour and drop in to SurfWorld if you’re making it down for the contest or just doing a general surf pilgrimage to Torquay.

For more see www.surfworld.org.au

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abiolne T e e f f Co Co llect

MUSIC

BOOKS THE HISTORY OF SURFING

We look at books that - as a surfing fan - you just have to own and leave lying around for your visiting mates to drool over.

MATT WARSHAW (2010)

 Surf history books. I love them. But an often unavoided evil is the should-have-been-there, in-crowd angle taken on the telling. And there tends to be an unavoidable duplication of imagery. Sure, some shots are iconic, but they can be done to death. So, it can be a seen one, seen them all scenario for the old surf history book.

THE MARSDEN LEES VICES EP

INDEPENDENT RELEASE



EXTREME SURF BENJAMIN MARCUS (2008)

 What length would you go for the ultimate surfing experience?

Extreme Surf talks to the nuts who take on places like Dungeons, Jaws, Cyclops, Shipstern’s Bluff and the Cortes Bank. It reviews what surfers will endure for that moment in the green room – from monster waves to arctic temperatures, toxic beaches, evading civil wars, running the risk of shark attack and being grated across razor-sharp coral reef.

To use a quote from the book by big-wave surfer from the sixties Buzzy Trent, “Big waves are not measured in feet and inches, but in increments of fear.” I felt a little intimidated just reading this quip.

Extreme Surf will get your adrenalin pumping as you marvel at the men and women who seemingly surf without fear. Either that, or have a few less brain cells than the rest of us. After reading it you will find you will be telling yourself to harden up the next time a decent storm swell comes around.

The CD cover with the band in their skinnies (stovepipes in ‘ye olde English’) sets the scene for this indie-pop-rock fest from Sunshine Coast musos and surfers, The Marsden Lees.

Unearthed by Triple J in 2010, the three piece have released their debut EP Vices to showcase their potential, recorded onto analogue reel to create that raw feel and sound that indie folk love so much.

The Marsden Lees have managed to create a distinctive and attractive three piece rock EP which sounds strangely familiar and most definitely distinctly Australian. All five songs are individual enough to hold your attention, with a particular standout for me being the bluesy In the Water. Lyrically and vocally strong, The Marsden Lees music may truly have some broader, mainstream appeal if they get the airplay they’d need.

Currently honing their live skills, it’s going to be interesting to follow their development. Good luck to ‘em.

Vices is definitely worth a listen or better still check out The Marsden Lees at a live show.

See www.themarsdenlees.com for more and to give the tunes a listen online.

Gus Brown

This is most certainly not true of former SURFER magazine editor Matt Warshaw’s The History of Surfing - an almost 500-page doorstop of a publication. More of an encyclopedia than a coffee table book, this book is jam-packed with reading, reading and more reading. Interesting reading. Yes, there are plenty fantastic photos too, but unexpected and era-establishing ones such as a shot of a San Diego surfer holding a new Bob Simmons Slot board in the early 1950’s, or the ruins of the Clarks Foam moulds when the company pulled the pin in 2005 help to set the tone for this book.

The story hops from island to continent and back, following the development of our favourite water activity from its earliest documented incarnations through to around 2009, just prior to the book’s publication in 2010.

Truly covering world surfing as a culture, art, sport, industry and way of life, The History of Surfing is a perfect buy as everything from an insightful reference volume to a thoughtful birthday gift for a surf fan – one that could easily keep you reading until your next birthday. I know I will be.

For more on Matt Warshaw’s very cool range of books and long history of innovative and interesting writing, check out www.mattwarshaw.com Mark Chapman

160 pages, easy to read, intriguing. You should be able to pick this up online for around $30 or so.

Dave Swan

Book? doorstop?

Excellent either way... mar/apr 2011

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SURF DIRECTORY QLD CENTRAL COAST REEF 2 BEACH SURF SHOP 07 4974 9072 Shop 1, 10 Round Hill Road Agnes Water/1770 www.reef2beachsurf.com

WIPEOUT SURF & SKATE 07 5450 7272 1/938 David Low Way Marcoola Beach

OLD WOMAN SURF SHOP 07 5448 7025 Santorini Shop 6, 15 Mudjimba Esp Mudjimba

SUNSHINE COAST

DA BOMB

NOOSA SURF WORKS

07 5451 0620 3/25 Plaza Pde, Maroochydore www.dabombsurf.com.au

07 5474 4567 1/11 Bartlett St Noosaville www.shotgunsurf.com www.lagunabaysurf.com

OCEAN ADDICTS

07 5309 6624 103-105 Aerodrome Rd Maroochydore www.oceanaddicts.com.au

WATERLINE

07 5474 1010 2/15 Venture Dr Noosaville www.zeewetsuits.com

BEACH BEAT

CLASSIC MALIBU AUSTRALIA 07 5474 3122 Cnr Gibson and Eumundi Rds. Noosaville www.classicmalibu.com

07 5443 2777 164 Alexandra Pde Alexandra Headlands www.beachbeat.com.au

ALEX SURF

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE

07 5474 1222 3 Gibson Rd, Noosaville

07 5452 6276 188 Alexandra Pde Alexandra Headlands www.alexsurf.com.au

ON SURFARI

WORLD SURFARIS

07 5474 2162 197 Gympie Terrace Noosaville www.onsurfari.com.au

1800 611 163 2/174 Brisbane Rd Mooloolaba www.worldsurfaris.com

GOLDEN BREED

SURF PLANET

07 5476 6200 Shop 5, Buderim Marketplace Buderim www.surfplanet.com.au

07 5455 3722 15 Noosa Drive, Noosa Heads www.goldenbreed.com.au

BLUEWATER PLAYERS

07 5473 5079 Shop 3A 11 Sunshine Beach Rd Noosa Heads www.bluewaterplayers.com.au

BACK BEACH

07 5473 5676 Cnr Lanyana Way/Arcadia Walk Noosa Junction www.backbeach.net.au

SOLACE

07 5455 4826 20 Duke Street, Sunshine Beach solacestore.blogspot.com

SURF AND STREET SHOP 07 5471 3489 224 David Low Way Peregian Beach www.surf-shop.org

COOLUM SURF

07 5351 1742 Shop 14, 8-26 Birtwill St Coolum Beach www.alexsurfshop.com.au

BLUE LINES

07 5351 1986 Shops 17 & 18 1776 The Esplanade Coolum Beach

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Pick up the next edition of smorgasboarder at any of these fine businesses - out in May. Businesses that advertise in smorgasboarder allow us to bring you the magazine for FREE. So, be sure to support them!

DA BOMB

(07) 5437 9201 7/12 Thunderbird Dr Bokarina www.dabombsurf.com.au

BEACH BEAT

07 5491 8215 Shop 2&3 4-6 Beerburrum St Dicky Beach www.beachbeat.com.au

THE FACTORY

07 5492 5838 15 Allen St Caloundra thefactrorysurf.com.au

SURFWARE AUSTRALIA 07 5491 3620 2 Bulcock St, Caloundra

BEACH BEAT

07 5491 4711 119 Bulcock Rd, Caloundra www.beachbeat.com.au

BRISBANE PRIMITIVE SURF

07 3266 1001 601 Nudgee Rd, Nundah www.primitivesurf.com

GOODTIME

07 3391 8588 29 Ipswich Rd Wooloongabba www.goodtime.com.au

GOLD COAST SURF FX

07 5531 3199 127 Ferry Road Southport www.surf-fx.com

SIDEWAYS

07 5592 3849 3012 Surfers Blvd Surfers Paradise sidewaysboardsports.com.au

DUKE’S LONGBOARDS

07 5572 0477 2578 Gold Coast Hwy Mermaid Beach www.dukeslongboards.com

STUART SURF DESIGN 07 5572 0098 2576 Gold Coast Hwy Mermaid Beach www.stuartsurf.com.au

GANGSTA SURF

07 5526 6969 Shop 1/ 2558 Gold Coast Hwy Mermaid Beach www.gangstasurf.com

GREENLINE

0412 398 585 2544 Gold Coast Hwy Mermaid Beach www.greenlinepaddlesurf.com

BOARD CULTURE

07 5572 9866 2438 Gold Coast Hwy Mermaid Beach www.boardculture.com.au

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE 07 5526 6377 2251 Gold Coast Hwy Nobby Beach

THE BOARDROOM

07 5527 7877 2084 Gold Coast Hwy Miami

LOWEN 88

07 5526 5161 2a/2172 Gold Coast Highway Miami www.lowen88.com

HARVEY SURF GALLERY 0414 557 624 Unit 3, 10 Pacific Ave Miami www.harveysurf.com

MT WOODGEE

07 5535 0288 1730 Gold Coast Hwy Burleigh Heads www.mtwoodgee.com.au

PATAGONIA BURLEIGH 116 Surfcoast Highway Burleigh Heads www.patagonia.com.au

WORLD SURFERS

07 5535 4037 63 Lower West Burleigh Road Burleigh

SEAN SCOTT PHOTOGRAPHY

07 5520 2774 Old Burleigh Theatre Arcade, Shop 10, Goodwin Tce Burleigh Heads seanscottphotography.com.au

DALE CHAPMAN SURF DESIGNS 07 5593 8411 Unit 3/48 Junction Road Burleigh Heads www.chapmansurfboards.com

MY PHOTO EXPERT

07 5535 2763 3/71 Township Drive Burleigh Heads www.myphotoexpert.com.au

GOLD COAST SURF WORLD 07 5525 6380 Tomewin Street, Currumbin www.surfworldgoldcoast.com

FIREWIRE SURFBOARDS

07 5587 7700 1/49 Currumbin Creek Rd Currumbin www.firewiresurfboards.com

DMS

07 5559 5949 3/56 Currumbin Creek Rd Currumbin www.dmshapes.com

D’ARCY HANDSHAPES

07 5559 5866 1/8 Hawker St Currumbin www.darcysurfboards.com

SHAPERS

07 5534 4228 9/7 Traders Way, Currumbin www.shapers.com.au

MT WOODGEE

07 5598 2188 2 Stewart Rd Currumbin www.mtwoodgee.com.au

DIVERSE

07 5598 4848 476 Gold Coast Highway Tugun www.diversesurf.com.au

DORRINGTON SURFBOARDS

KIRRA SURF/WORLD SURFARIS 07 5536 3922 Shop 6, 8 Creek St Bilinga www.kirrasurf.com.au

UNDERGROUND SURF

07 5599 1040 Shop 3/31 McLean St. Coolangatta www.undergroundsurf.com.au

MT WOODGEE

07 5536 5937 122 Griffith St, Coolangatta www.mtwoodgee.com.au

COOLANGATTA BOARD STORE 07 5536 7850 152 Griffith St, Coolangatta www.cbsboardstore.com

SEAN SCOTT PHOTOGRAPHY 07 5599 1150 Shop 3, 110 Marine Pde, Coolangatta seanscottphotography.com.au

COOLY SURF

07 5536 1470 Cnr Dutton St & Marine Pde Coolangatta www.basesurfboards.com

NSW NORTH COAST SIDEWAYS

07 5524 6699 2/13-21 Greenway Dr Tweed Heads sidewaysboardsports.com.au

FULL FORCE SURFBOARDS

07 5524 2933 Factory 18 / 48 Machinery Drive Tweed Heads

SURF XCESS

02 6674 5350 88 Marine Parade Kingscliff

CABARITA SURF SHOP 02 6676 3151 1/38 Tweed Coast Rd Cabarita Beach

BRUNSWICK SURF

02 6685 1283 1/12 The Terrace Brunswick Heads www.brunswicksurf.com.au

MCTAVISH

02 6680 8807 91 Centenial Circuit Byron Bay www.mctavish.com.au

07 5599 4030 16 Musgrave Street Kirra www.dorringtonsurfboards.com

MADDOG SURF CENTRE

BOARD CULTURE

MC SURF DESIGNS

07 5536 5866 Gold Coast Hwy(outside airport) Coolangatta www.boardculture.com.au

02 6685 6395 91 Jonson St, Byron Bay www.maddog.com.au 02 6685 8778 3 Banksia Drive Byron Bay www.mcsurf.com.au

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NORTH COAST SURFBOARDS

SANDY FEET

BOARD CITY

DIVISION SURF

MUNRO SURFBOARDS

JUNGLE SURF

ADRIFT SURF

RAISED BY WOLVES

SALTWATER WINE

BOARDERLINE SURF SKATE

SUGARMILL SURF EMPORIUM

SURFERS CHOICE

POWERLINEZ

BATEAU BAY SURF N SPORT

WICKS SURF CENTRE

ONE EIGHTY SURF COMPANY

LONG REEF SURF

WIND SURF ’N’ SNOW

02 6685 6896 1/29 Acacia St Byron Bay www.bearsurfboards.com.au

02 6685 6211 29 Acacia St Byron Bay www.munroesurfboards.com.au

T&C SURF DESIGN / MCCOY 02 6685 7485 10 Acacia Street Byron Bay

BYRON BAY LONGBOARDS 02 6685 5244 Shop 1 - 89 Jonson St Byron Bay

MADDOG BEACH SURF CENTRE 02 6685 6466 4 Jonson St Byron Bay www.maddogbeach.com.au

HO’OKUPU

02 6685 8861 2/9 Lawson St Byron Bay hookupusurf.com

UNPLUGGED

02 6685 7441 Shop 1/ 2 Lawson Street Byron Bay www.unpluggedbyronbay.com

ALL ABOVE BOARD 02 6687 7522 68 Ballina St Lennox Head

MADDOG SURF CENTRES 02 6685 6094 45 River St, Ballina www.maddog.com.au

TRIPLE X WETSUITS 02 6686 3939 10 Piper Drive, Ballina www.triple-x.com.au

THE PLANK SHOP

02 6645 8362 Top of the Hill, Yamba

SOUND LOUNGE

02 6646 3909 16 Yamba St, Yamba

02 6584 1995 5/21 Clarence Street Port Macquarie www.sandyfeetsurf.com.au

WATER SURF+ART+CAFE

Distinctively relaxed atmosphere, exceptional food, coffee and tea, great service, photographic art from Australia’s best photographers, exquisite gifts and select surfwear and boards.

(02) 6651 4500 370 Harbour Drive, Coffs Harbour Jetty www.watersurfartcafe.com

THE LOG SHACK

NEWCASTLE

02 4334 6532 473 The Entrance Rd Long Jetty www.surferschoice.com.au

MARK RICHARDS SURFSHOP

02 6653 1965 49 First Ave, Sawtell www.sunpatchsurf.com.au

02 4961 3088 755 Hunter St, Newcastle markrichardssurfboards.com

VALLA SURFBOARDS

SURFHOUSE PHOTOGRAPHY

SLIMES

02 6568 8909 8 Monro St, Nambucca Heads www.vallasurfboards.com.au

61 Hunter Street Newcastle surfhousephotography.com

COASTAL CURVES

PACIFIC DREAMS SURFSHOPS

ESS BOARDSTORE

02 6568 6902 Ridge St, Nambucca Heads www.coastalcurves.com

02 4926 3355 7 Darby St, Newcastle www.pacificdreams.com.au

SONIC SURF

SANBAH

02 6568 4666 1 Cooper Street Macksville

SCOTTS HEAD SURF SHOP

02 6569 8344 Scotts Head NSW 2447 scottsheadsurfschool.blogspot.com

WAVE WEAR

02 6566 5177 1/15 Livingstone St South West Rocks

CRESCENT HEAD SURF CO. 02 6562 8306 02 6566 0550 1 Crescent Head Tavern Crescent Head

02 6652 8146 28 Orlando St Coffs Harbour www.cooperssurf.com.au

02 6554 0351 Shop 4, Boomerang Drive Pacific Palms

SUNPATCH SURF SHOP

XS SURF

02 6654 0033 56D Beach St, Woolgoolga

BOOMERANG BEACH SURF

CRESCENT HEAD SURF SHOP

INNER VISION SURF ‘N’ SKATE 02 6583 7790 80 William St Port Macquarie

SALTWATER WINE

02 6584 4877 1/125 Gordon St Port Macquarie www.saltwaterwine.com.au

16 Maitland Rd Islington www.thesurffactory.com.au

02 4962 2420 Shop 27, The Junction Fair Union Street Newcastle www.sanbah.com.au

BREAKAWAY SURF CO 02 4943 2699 181 Pacific Hwy Charlestown

EGANS

02 4945 8055 575 Pacific Hwy Belmont

THE SURF SHACK 02 4945 8965 703 Pacific Hwy Belmont South

SWANSEA SURF SHOP

02 4971 4422 164 Pacific Hwy Swansea www.swanseasurf.com.au

CENTRAL COAST BEACHIN SURF

02 43 96 5159 262 Main Rd, Toukley

02 9997 4838 9b Waratah St Mona Vale www.raisedbywolves.com.au

02 4332 7175 421 The Entrance Rd Long Jetty www.boarderlinesurfskate.com

SURF FACTORY

NSW MID NORTH COAST

COOPERS SURF CENTRES

02 6554 7979 5 Wharf St , Forster www.saltwaterwine.com.au

02 9979 5334 Cnr Bungan and Waratah Sts Mona Vale www.divisionsurf.com.au

02 4332 8355 133 The Entrance Road The Entrance www.adriftsurf.com.au

02 6658 0223 392 Harbour Drive, The Jetty Strip Coffs Harbour www.thelogshack.com.au

33 Smith St, Kempsey

02 6654 1049 76 Beach Street, Woolgoolga www.xssurf.com

02 6555 8556 4/25 Manning Street Tuncurry www.junglesurf.com.au

02 4397 1092 150 Main Road Toukley www.boardcity.com.au

02 9913 2128 16a Waterloo St Narrabeen www.powerlinez.com.au

02 4332 1157 101a Bateau Bay Road Bateau Bay

02 4385 8440 Shop 2, 82a Ocean View Drive Wamberal www.180surfco.com.au 02 4365 5511 1/203 The Entrance Rd Erina

02 9971 0760 1103 Pittwater Road Collaroy Beach

02 9982 4829 1012 Pittwater Rd Collaroy www.longreefsurf.com.au 02 9971 0999 17 Anzac Ave Collaroy www.windsurfnsnow.com.au

THE PERFECT WAVE

251 The Entrance Rd Erina www.essboardstore.com.au

02 9939 0890 Suite 38, 42-46 Wattle Rd Brookvale www.theperfectwave.com.au

THREE POINTS SURF

02 4382 1541 170 Avoca Drive Avoca Beach www.avocasurfscholl.com.au

CHAOS SURFBOARDS

02 9907 2769 Unit 1/236 Harbord Road Brookvale www.chaossurfboards.com

STS THE BOARD CENTRE 02 4342 2555 326 West St Umina

BENNETT SURFBOARDS

NORTHERN BEACHES BEACH WITHOUT SAND

02 9913 3332 2/1329 Pittwater Rd Narrabeen www.sugarmillsurf.com

02 9905 5157 180 Harbord Rd Brookvale

DRIPPING WET SURF CO

02 9918 2763 1a Nth Avalon Rd Avalon

02 9977 3549 398 Pittwater Rd Mona Vale www.dripwetsurf.com

RAISED BY WOLVES

SUNSHINE SURFING

02 9918 8861 U 2/40 Old Barrenjoey Rd Avalon www.raisedbywolves.com.au

02 9977 4399 89 Pittwater Rd Manly www.sunshinesurfing.com.au

LITTLE DRAGON

SIX OUNCE

0403 974 967 1 Bramley Lane Newport Beach

RON WADE SURF DESIGN 02 9979 7071 0410 443 776 23 Bassett Street Mona Vale ronwadesurfboards.com.au

0408 259 783 48-50 Pittwater Rd Manly www.sixounceboardstore.com

ALOHA MANLY STYLE

02 9977 3777 44 Pittwater Rd Manly www.alohasurfmanly.com.au mar/apr 2011

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SURF DIRECTORY CONTINUED DRIPPING WET SURF CO

CRONULLA SURF DESIGN

02 9977 3549 93 North Steyne Manly www.dripwetsurf.com

02 9544 0433 8 Cronulla St Cronulla cronullasurfdesign.com.au

BASE SURFBOARDS

02 9976 0591 46 North Steyne Rd Manly www.basesurfboards.com

EASTCOAST STAND UP PADDLE

MANLY LONGBOARD CO.

Dedicated to SUP - Sydney’s original Stand Up Paddle outlet. Performance, flatwater, race, and distance boards – we have a board to suit all skill levels.

02 9977 0093 39 Belgrave Street Manly www.manlylongboard.com

SURFECTION

02 9977 6955 110 The Corso Manly www.surfectionmosman.com

0413 456009 0418 294854 27 Throsby Close Barden Ridge eastcoaststanduppaddle.com.au

HERITAGE SURF AUSTRALIA

02 9977 7623 24 Darley Rd, Manly www.heritagesurfaustralia.com

WOOLONGONG

SURFECTION

02 9969 1011 522 Military Rd Mosman www.surfectionmosman.com

FINBOX BOARDSTORE

02 4268 2050 1/ 269 Lawrence Hargrave Drive Thirroul thefinbox.blogspot.com

SUPER SWELL

02 9144 3229 166 Mona Vale Rd St Ives

SURF PIT

SYDNEY SOUTH

02 4283 7196 2/100 Railway St, Corrimal www.surfpit.com.au

BONDI UNDERGROUND

BYRNE SURF AND SKI

02 9365 0870 2/72 Campbell Pde Bondi Beach

02 4226 1122 115 Princes Highway Fairy Meadow byrnesurfboardsaustralia.com

DRIPPING WET SURF CO 02 9300 0055 180-186 Campbell Parade Bondi Beach www.drippingwetsurf.com

SKIPP SURFBOARDS

SURF CULTURE

(factory showroom) 02 4228 8878 24 Flinders St, Wollongong www.skippsurfboards.com.au

02 4229 1202 231 Crown Street Wollongong

02 93895477 40 Bronte Road Bondi Junction www.surfculture.com.au

CARABINE SURF DESIGNS

CRONULLA JACKSON SURFBOARDS

02 9524 2700 57 Captain Cook Drive Caringbah www.jacksonsurfboards.com.au

TRIPLE BULL

02 9524 4822 41 Captain Cook Dr Caringbah 02 9544 0354 23 Kingsway Cronulla www.triplebullsurf.com

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02 4229 9462 36 Flinders St, Wollongong

EXTREME SNOW, SKATE & SURF 02 4226 3145 80 Market St Wollongong

BOARDOM

02 4227 2777 206 Keira Street, Wollongong 02 4295 3373 1/16b Addison St Shellharbour Village

Pick up the next edition of smorgasboarder at any of these fine businesses - out in May. Businesses that advertise in smorgasboarder allow us to bring you the magazine for FREE. So, be sure to support them!

NSW SOUTH COAST ZINK SURF

02 4233 1189 136 Terralong St. Kiama www.zinksurf.com.au

NATURAL NECESSITY SURF SHOP 02 4234 1636 115 Fern St Gerringong www.nnss.com.au

AQUATIQUE

02 4464 1881 123a Queen Street, Berry www.aquatique.com.au 02 4421 8159 125-127 Junction St Nowra www.aquatique.com.au 02 4441 5530 55 Owen St, Huskisson www.aquatique.com.au

OCEAN & EARTH SURF STORE 02 4441 2482 12 Springs Road Sussex Inlet www.oceanearth.com

SUN & SURF SHOP

02 4441 1938 Shop 1, 168 Jacobs Drive Sussex Inlet

AKWA SURF

02 4454 5222 Shop 1, Mellick’s Corner, Princess Highway, Milton www.akwasurf.com.au

SOUTHERN MAN SURF SHOP 02 4454 0343 138 Princes Hwy Ulladulla www.southernman.com.au

SALTWATER DREAM 02 4472 3811 2 Bay Central Batemans Bay

OFFSHORE SURF SHOP

02 4474 4350 66 Vulcan St, Moruya www.offshoresurf.com.au

NAROOMA SURF & SKATE

MERIMBULA SURF SHOP 02 6495 1515 Merimbula Drive , Merimbula

SALTWATER DREAM

MELBOURNE

CORE SURF SKATE AND KITE

03 9416 7384 319 Victoria Rd Thornbury www.zaksurfboards.com

02 6494 3374 49 Toalla St Pambula Village www.pambulasurfshop.com.au

COUNTRY VIC SURF SHACK

03 5155 4933 507 Esplanade Lakes Entrance

ATOLL TRAVEL

1800 622 310 4 Bridge Street Foster www.atolltravel.com

SERIOUS SURF STUFF 03 5674 2540 1 Williams Street Inverloch www.strapper.com.au

VORTEX SURF & SKATE 03 5672 4112 54 McBride Ave Wonthaggi www.strapper.com.au

PHILLIP ISLAND

TRIGGER BROS SURF & SAIL 03 9537 3222 Shop 2, 1 St Kilda Rd St Kilda www.triggerbros.com.au

REPEAT PERFORMANCE SURF (THE BOARD STORE) 03 9525 6475 87 Ormond Rd, Elwood www.rpstheboardstore.com

BRIGHTON SURF CO. 03 9593 2211 43 Church St, Brighton

SHQ BOARDSPORTS 03 9598 2867 81 Beach Road Sandringham www.shq.com.au

MORDY SURF CENTRE 03 9580 1716 628 Main St Mordialloc www.mordysurf.com.au

OUTEREEF

03 5678 5677 73 Phillip Island Rd, San Remo www.outereef.com.au

03 9588 2533 45 Governor Road Mordialloc paulowniaparadise.com.au

FULLCIRCLE SURF

OKE SURFBOARDS

03 5678 5873 115 Marine Pde, San Remo www.fullcirclesurf.com.au

ISLANTIS

03 5956 7553 10-12 Phillip Island Rd Newhaven www.islantis.com.au

FULLCIRCLE SURF

DSC SURFBOARDS

ISLAND SURF CENTRE

02 6493 4849 4/28 Lamont St Bermagui Raw Surfboards 02 6494 4466 Lot 1291 Tathra Road Kalaru www.rawsurfboards.com.au

ZAK SURFBOARDS

PAULOWNIA SURFBOARD SUPPLIES

03 5956 7453 4-5 Vista Pl, Cape Woolamai www.fullcirclesurf.com.au

BERMAGUI SURF SHOP

03 5952 3443 65 Smiths Beach Rd Smiths Beach www.islandsurfboards.com.au

02 6495 1600 39 Market St, Merimbula

02 4476 1422 30 Princes Hwy Narooma

0424 867 962 Princes Highway Narooma

ISLAND SURF CENTRE

03 9587 3553.

Factory 1 1-7 Canterbury Rd, Braeside www.okesurfboards.com

TRIGGER BROS SURF & SAIL 03 9770 2223 7 Rossmith St, Frankston www.triggerbros.com.au 03 5989 8402 Point Leo Rd, Point Leo www.triggerbros.com.au 03 5984 5670 46 Ocean Beach Rd, Sorrento www.triggerbros.com.au

03 5952 2578 147 Thompson Ave Cowes www.islandsurfboards.com.au

PENINSULA SURF CENTRE

ISLAND SURF SHACK

03 5975 1800 835 Nepean Hwy Mornington www.peninsulasurf.com.au

03 5952 1659 148 Thompson Ave Cowes

03 9783 3811 40 Wells St, Frankston www.peninsulasurf.com.au

03 5985 4637 2137 Pt Nepean Hwy, Rye www.peninsulasurf.com.au

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DING REPAIRS BEAN SURFING

03 5984 5199 4 Ocean Beach Rd Sorrento

VIC SURF COAST MURFS LONGBOARDS

03 5255 5525 82 The Terrace Ocean Grove www.murfslongboards.com.au

STRAPPER SURF

03 5255 2666 67b The Terrace Ocean Grove www.strapper.com.au

GREEN ROOM SURF SHOP

03 5256 2996 64 The Terrace, Ocean Grove www.greenroom.com.au

RASTA’S EARTH & SURF SHOP 03 5254 3255 51 Hitchcock Ave Barwon Heads www.rastasurfboards.com.au

TONIK SURF CENTRE 03 5254 1470 60/62 Hitchcock Ave Barwon Heads www.tonik.com.au

STONKER TORQUAY

03 5261 6077 1a Baines Court, Torquay www.stonker.com.au

SOUTH COAST SURFBOARDS

03 5261 2670 1C Baines Court Torquay www.southcoastlongboards.com.au

BLUNT

TIGERFISH

03 5264 7271 12/15 Bell St, Torquay www.tigerfish.com.au

ANGLESEA SURF CENTRE

03 5263 1530 111 Great Ocean Rd Anglesea www.secondhandsurfboards.com.au

LORNE SURF SHOP

03 5289 1673 130 Mountjoy Pde, Lorne

SHARKY’S

03 5289 2421 Mountjoy Pde, Lorne

HODGY’S SURF CENTRE 03 5237 7883 143 Great Ocean Road Apollo Bay www.hodgys.com

SHIPWRECK COAST PORT CAMPBELL TRADING CO

03 5261 5666 3/108 Surfcoast Hwy, Torquay www.basesurfboards.com

STRAPPER

03 5261 3508 96 Surfcoast Hwy, Torquay 03 5261 2312 106 Surfcoast Hwy, Torquay www.strapper.com.au

TORQUAY SURFING ACADEMY 03 5261 2022 34A Bell St Torquay www.torquaysurf.com.au

SURF ESTEEM

Aldinga Central Shopping Centre 08 85577201 www.surfesteem.com

ONBOARD SURF WIND SNOW 21 Saltfleet St Port Noarlunga SA 8294 3866 www.onboardsurf.com.au

JRS SURF & SKI CENTRO COLONNADES

83847466 www.jrssurfandski.com.au

FLY BOARDRIDING

ISLAND SURF

03 5562 5681 132 Liebig Street, Warrnambool

SOUTHERN GUNS 03 5562 0928 176 Liebig Street Warrnambool

SOUTH AUSTRALIA CUTLOOSE SURF

MID COAST SURF

BASE SURFBOARDS

20 Cottage Road, Hackham 0422443789 leightonclark01@yahoo.com.au

TAYLORS SURFODESY

TORQUAY SURF WORLD

03 5261 4420 116 Surfcoast Hwy, Torquay www.patagonia.com.au

THE DING KING / CLARK SURFBOARDS

Shop 41 Seaford Shopping Centre 83860100 www.flyboardriding.com.au

03 5261 7590 Shop 2, Surf City Plaza Torquay

PATAGONIA

15 Albert Place Victor Harbor 08 85525466 www.thesurfshop.net.au

03 5598 6444 27 Lord Street Port Campbell

4 Piping Lane Lonsdale 83260939 www.cutloosesurf.com.au

03 5261 4606 Surf City Plaza Torquay www.surfworld.org.au

THE SURF SHOP

8/200 Dyson Road Lonsdale 83845522 www.midcoastsurf.com.au

PREECE’S SOUTH PORT SURF

159 Esplanade, Port Noarlunga South 83860404 www.preece-sthport-surf.com.au

BARREL SURF

10c Cadell Street Goolwa 08 85555422 www.barrellsurf.com.au

BIG SURF AUSTRALIA 24 Goolwa Rd. Middleton 08 85542399

363 Brighton Road Hove 82969776

ONBOARD SURF WIND SNOW 1-3 Lights Landing Holdfast Shores, Glenelg 8294 3866 www.onboardsurf.com.au

JRS SURF & SKI

Westfield Marion 83770322 www.jrssurfandski.com.au

BENJAMIN WALLBRIDGE SURFBOARDS AUSTRALIA 27 Oaklands Rd Somerton Park 83764914 www.wallbridge.com.au

JRS SURF & SKI

Tea Tree Plus 83964822 www.jrssurfandski.com.au

SANCTUARY SURFERS 201 Waymouth Street Adelaide City 0403134478 www.sanctuary.net.au

SYDNEY NORTH

AGNES WATER/1770 REEF 2 BEACH

(Mon – Sat, 9-5pm, Sun,10-4pm) 07 4974 9072

BROOKVALE SURFBOARD REPAIRS

SUNSHINE COAST

(M-F,8:30-5:30pm, Sat and Sun, 9-4pm) 0403 971 072

DA BOMB

CHAOS SURFBOARDS

(Mon – Sat, 9-5pm, Sun,10-4pm) 07 5451 0620 - Maroochydore 07 5437 9201 - Bokarina

(M-F,9-6pm, Sat & Sun 8:30-6pm) 02 9907 2769

BRISBANE

BONDI JUNCTION

(Mon-Fri, 8:30-5:30pm, Thurs 8:30am-8pm, Sat, 8:30-4pm, Sun, 10-4pm) 07 3266 1001

(7 days , 9:30-6:30pm) 0408 259 783

SIX OUNCE

PRIMITIVE SURF

WOOLONGONG

SKIPP SURFBOARDS

MIAMI

M-F,9-5:30, Thurs 9-7:30pm, Sat 9-4, Sun 10-4) 02 4228 8878

DINO’S DING REPAIRS

(M-F 9-5pm, Sat 9-12pm) 0409 727 735

JERVIS BAY

TUGUN

INNER FEELING SURFBOARDS

DIVERSE

(7 days, 9-5pm) 02 4441 6756

(M-F,8:30-5:30pm, Sat and Sun, 9-4pm) 07 5598 4848

NAROOMA

DSC SURFBOARDS

COOLANGATTA

(7 days, 9-5pm) 0424 867 962

UNDERGROUND SURF (7 days, 9-5pm) 07 5599 1040

THORNBURY

ZAK SURFBOARDS

BYRON BAY

(Mon-Fri,10-6pm; Sat 10-5pm) 03 9416 7384

BYRON BAY DING REPAIRS (Mon-Fri, 8:30-4:30pm) 02 6685 6770 0409 849 442

TORQUAY

YAMBA

(Mon – Fri, 9-5pm) 03 5261 6077

02 6645 8362

PHILLIP ISLAND

STONKER TORQUAY

THE PLANK SHOP TOMBSTONE SURFBOARDS

ISLANTIS

(Tues-Fri, 9-4pm, Sat, 9-12pm) 0432 330 826

COFFS HARBOUR

ISLAND SURF SHOP - COWES (7 days, 9-5pm) 03 5952 2578

THE LOG SHACK

(M-F, 10-5pm, Sat & Sun 10-2:30pm) 02 6658 0223

LONG JETTY

S & D SURF DESIGNS

(7 days , 9-5pm) 03 5956 7553

FULLCIRCLE SURF (7 days, 9-5pm) 03 5956 7453

SOUTH ADELAIDE

(M-F, 9-4pm, Sat 9-12pm) 0437 032 614

THE DING KING (M-F, 9-5pm) 0422 443 789

SNOW & SURF CO.

187 Rundle Street Adelaide 5000 8223 5277 www.snowsurf.com.au

SOUTHERN SURF 36 North Tce Port Elliot 0885542375

FIX BROKEN BOARDS?

Promote your repair business for $15 an edition. Call 0401 345 201 mar/apr 2011

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CLOSEOUT: RELAX

4.

AUSTRALIA DAY & MORE BOARDS

The beach, BBQs, beers and boards...

What a great way to spend Australia Day. Mark Pridmore brought a quiver More Surfboards to Maroochydore Beach for all to try out and enjoy.

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Along with the new Traveller - which was launched on the day - there was also a great range of interesting finless creations and More boards of all descriptions to ride and experience.

Having a few fun rides and chatting to some friendly folks made for a very enjoyable morning. Community events like this one are truly special, so make sure you support ones like it in your area. And bring on the Currumbin Fish Fry. Make sure you follow the Traveller’s journey around Australia online at www. smorgasboarder.com.au PHOTOS: 1. The More line-up 2. Trent and the Frankenstein Fish-Finger 3. In the More tent with Rocket, Cain, Mark, Timo and Ray 4. F ather and son Marty and Quinn Bruce 5. Mark gives the Traveller a go 6. Steve , Matt and Ryan 7. Sam and Ned Archer 8. Interested onlookers check out Is that the coolest deckthe More tent

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grip ever? It just may be ...

TELL US ABOUT YOUR EVENT

If you have something on the go, let us know.

Email us on: editorial@smorgasboarder.com.au

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