LOVING SURFING AMAZING PEOPLE CRAFT & CRAFTSMANSHIP
SMORGASBOARDER F R E E
S U R F
M A G A Z I N E • A U S / N Z
MAN OF MANY BOARDS EDDIE ‘CAPTAIN FROTHALOT’ WEARNE
BODYSURFING THE MALDIVES • IMMERSED IN FILM • SPRAY GUNS • DREAM SURF PADS • TRAVEL TALES
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Surfer: Marcus Aboody
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DETAILS & STUFF WHERE TO PICK SMORGASBOARDER UP Grab it FREE at quality surf stores, shapers and cool cafés on the coast of Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and New Zealand, as well as a few select spots in Western Australia.
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THE COVER SHOT
$21 IN AUSTRALIA OR NZ GETS YOU SIX EDITIONS.
NZ photographer Paul Kennedy snaps Rye’s Eddie Wearne on one board of many. Read more on Page 74
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STUFF, THINGS & ADVERTISING Dave Swan dave@smorgasboarder.com.au 0401 345 201 NEW ZEALAND THINGS ‘Jiff’ Morris jeff@smorgasboarder.co.nz +64 (0)220 943 913 STUFF & DESIGN Mark Chapman mark@smorgasboarder.com.au 0400 875 884 SOUTH AUSTRALIAN THINGS James Ellis james@smorgasboarder.com.au 0410 175 552
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STUFF, ACCOUNTS & EVERYTHING ELSE Louise Gough louise@smorgasboarder.com.au GEAR TESTS, MUSIC REVIEWS & OTHER THINGS Angus Brown gus@smorgasboarder.com.au
CONTRIBUTIONS This is YOUR mag. It’s here for you to tell your stories, show your pictures and share your thoughts - and score some free stuff on the way too, to boot. Ideas & submissions: editorial@smorgasboarder.com.au. There’s only a few of us, so if you don’t hear back right away, we’re not ignoring you, we’re just running madly or “testing equipment.” Don’t be so sensitive. Sheesh. Yes, we do pay for some content, but just like us, you’ll hardly retire off it. That said, we’re always keen to meet nice new people to share the journey with, so drop us a line.
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 illustrations. The opinions and words of the authors do not necessarily represent those of the publisher. All rights reserved. Reproduction in part or whole is strictly prohibited without prior permission.
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PUMPED AND READY TO GO!
Reader Tracey Weston sent in this shot of real surf dedication in Gunnamatta, VIC. “Ten minutes after this was taken, there was lightning, crazy wind... “ she says. “Every normal person was heading for the hills and this guy was whooping it up. I don’t know who he was, he wandered in front of the camera, mentioned it being a great day and disappeared into the water!” For more cracker reader photos, go to page 12. Power Base Fins & Boxes - Completely Integrated
NOTE #16:
A CHANGE OF SEASON
“The only constant is change, continuing change, inevitable change, that is the dominant factor in society today. No sensible decision can be made any longer without taking into account not only the world as it is, but the world as it will be.” These are the words of sci-fi author and science professor, Isaac Asimov (1920-1992).
Wow, would he ever be giving the “I told you so” grin if he were alive today. The acceleration in the rate of change since his passing in the early ‘90s has been phenomenal, with concepts like supercomputers and household robotics becoming realities in everyday life. Not so long ago, a company called Pukas Surf in Spain even launched a surfboard with a built-in computer. That’s right, not even our little pursuit of watery happiness has been left untouched and unaffected. Whether change is for better or worse however, the upshot is that change is constant. And while it’s not dramatic change, you’ll notice a few tweaks to this edition of Smorgasboarder. With a new-look cover and a few little design tidy-ups throughout the mag, we’ve done a bit to freshen the look, but made no change in the volume of reading material!
In amongst all of that reading is the awardwinning work of Tim Bonython, who has captured the changing face of surfing in a film career spanning decades - page 50. Read about a change from the regular surf trip, with two boardless buddies, making the most of the Maldives - page 66. As always, there’s the ever-changing parade of brand new and brilliant board designs from the best and brightest of the Australian and NZ board-building community - page 130. Also, that other all-important change is the few extra dollars we keep in your pocket by keeping Smorgasboarder free... Make sure you save it up and spend it with one or more of the great business that support us, to ensure there’s many more editions to come. And finally, enjoy the change of season with the cooler weather it brings! All the best, and fingers crossed for good waves this Autumn!
Cheers!
ers
sboard
orga the Sm
MORE POWER MORE CONTROL
OWEN WRIGHT
Chooses DXL CERAMIC C4 with Power Base Boxes
www.powerbasefins.com.au 02 4323 4818
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE
66 NO BOARD REQUIRED
You get real close and personal with the water when you’re surfing without a board
50 IMMERSED IN FILM The changing face of surf filmaking... A talk with Tim Bonython
12
READER PHOTOS
26
LADIES FIRST
42
RANDOM TALES
66
BODYSURFING
74
MANY BOARDS
84
SURF SHACKS
92
COLLECTORS
96
Fourteen pages of fully fantastic photography... By you! Renate Moerman talks about being a girl in the surf A travel journal from the road delivering Smorgasboarder
Byrne Owen Wright
Two brave souls with no surfboards on a Maldives surf trip True smorgasboarders ride them all.. literally. Here’s one who does Meet the architect that designs dream beach houses Cole Thomas shows us his great collection of surf and skate gear
RED ISLAND
A true undiscovered gem of surfing is under threat
NIGHT 104 SUMBA A great little travel
tale from years ago, but still fresh today
GUNS 116 SPRAY Shane Egan and
Daniel Joyce discuss the art of airbrush
146 MASTERSTROKE Buzz Thompson talks about music and surfing in Victoria
THE USUAL BITS THE LATEST
116
TRUE SPRAY GUNS
Kings of the airbrush share a bit of their knowledge and work
12 Reader Photos 28 Letters 30 News and community
GEAR
116 Artists 130 Board profiles 142 Gear tests
OWEN PRO
O ZONE
5’10/18.38/2.25
5’9/19/2.25
6’0/18.5/2.38
5’11/19.25/2.38
6’2/18.62/2.38
6’1/19.5/2.5
6’4/18.75/2.5
6’3/19.62/2.62
6’6/19/2.62
CLOSEOUT 149 150 152 157 162
Columns Store profile Books Socials Aloha Barry
C O N T R O L
S Y S T E M
SURFTECH AUSTRALIA
www.surftechaustralia.com.au 02 4226 1322
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READERS’ PICS Magic moment at Seaford SA. Photo: Joe Montesi
BECAUSE THIS IS YOUR MAGAZINE...
There’s a little something in the mail for all the photographers who have a shot in here. Maybe it’s a surf DVD? Perhaps a great CD? Hey, it’s a surprise, like Christmas in March...
SEND IN YOUR PICS: letters@smorgasboarder.com.au
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We get so many amazing everday people sending in incredible shots all the time, from hobbyist photographers through to pros, from people having fun with their GoPros to some who just happened to get lucky with an iPhone. Every edition, we tear our hair out (figuratively of course) agonising over which ones to put in, because there’s always so much great stuff to choose from! This time? No agonising, we decided. We’re putting in as many of your great shots as we can in one brilliant READER PHOTO FEST, so we hope you’re as stoked to see your snaps in the mag as we are to get them to our inbox! Enjoy...
Randy French
Flowmaster L:12’6 W:32” TH:5.08” V:279.9L F:Single Wood
L:12’6 W:32” TH:5.08” V:279.9L F:Single AST
L:11’6 W:30” TH:5.7” V:240L F:Single AST
SURFTECH AUSTRALIA
www.surftechaustralia.com.au 02 4226 1322
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READERS’ PICS READERS’ PICS Matt Foy giving a Tom Wegener ‘Joker’longboard a good ol’ run. Photos: Kylie Foy
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READERS’ PICS South Coast, loving it and living it up. Photos: Chris Lovell
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READERS’ PICS Avalon, Northern Beaches. (We’ve had this cracker in the trunk for far too long... Finally, Tom!) Photo: Tom Bennett
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SUP BOARD CARRY SLING Assists when carrying boards long distances
SURFBOARD STORAGE STRAPS Holds 2 x surfboards flush on the wall
SUP BOARD STORAGE STRAP Holds 1 x SUP & 1 x paddle flush on the wall
STORE & CARRY YOUR BOARDS EASILY AND AFFORDABLY!
More info online
WWW.ELOFANT.COM www.facebook.com/elofantboardstraps MAR/APR 2013 | SMORGASBOARDER
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Josh Cammarere (12) surfing West Sumbawa last year. Photo: Tony Cammarere
Bells Beach: Samuel Dunlop
Callum (9) full concentration, on-shore YCW, Phillip Island. Photo: Paul Copeland
Wave warrior Isabel Nagel (5) at North Broulee Photo: Ross Wilson
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READERS’ PICS Kale Battistin, Kawana Pocket. Photo: Sam Hall
Koa McCelland (5), Wollongong. Photo: Rick McClelland
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Northern NSW blue, Cabarita Beach. Danny Brown
Somewhere on the Sunshine Coast Photo: Millie Crook
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READERS’ PICS Big at Manly. Photo: Adam Salman
Paul Scholten, Emerald Beach NSW. Photo: John Scholten
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READERS’ PICS Contrast. Somewhere around Newcastle. Photo: Daniel Lobb
... and the Gold Coast! Photo: Chris Munro - www.redhotshotz.com 24
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LADIES FIRST
NOT BEING DROPPED IN ON: Renate on a fun day in Noosa - no fuel for a rant in this photo! Photo: Hamish Laing
JUST WEAR A BIKINI “For you chicks, it is easy to get waves. All you have to do is wear a bikini.” Have you ever said or thought this? Now go and stand in the corner and think about it for a while. Shame on you, for uttering such a sexist remark in these modern times! Let me get it straight once and for all: it is NOT that easy being a female in the water. If anything: it is sort of hard actually, more often than not. WORDS: RENATE MOERMAN PHOTO: HAMISH LAING
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For some reason blokes are convinced it’s all easy play out there for girls. While you probably enjoy being behind the hottest chick on earth - duck diving, wearing a tiny Brazilian bikini, unfortunately, in real life Miss Reef doesn’t surf your local break and the actual girls in the line-up usually sit either left or right from you. Mostly on your outside, haven’t you noticed? Not because the ladies can’t figure out where the best take-off spot is, but because if they do position themselves there, you thankfully use them as a marker to paddle around - just to go and sit a little deeper. Honestly? Now, be truly honest with yourself: have you ever given a girl (that was not your girlfriend, sister or daughter) a wave? Have you? If your answer is ‘yes’: good on you. (Applause). But, have you also snaked a greater amount, or hassled, blocked, dropped in on? You have, haven’t you? I know. Because that is reality. Guys do that. All the time. Not just the ones that shred, but any guy-with-board, from kook to pro. Over the years, I’ve distinguished different kinds of male nuisances in the water. Let’s see if you recognise yourself as one of them: THE OSTRICH Without even looking properly, a lot of guys seem to think ‘she’s not going to get it’ and blatantly drop in. Paddling back out they’ll still look the other way. THE FRENETIC The ones that have been spending their weekends at the beach for, let’s say, the past year or two. They’ve now reached the level that they can trim along the wave and of course think they’re ripping. They either assume that they’re better than any girl, or still feel the need to prove themselves, but they sure put a lot of effort into that hassling! THE DELIBERATE BLOCKER On some dudes, usually 60+, women can have the effect of a red flag to a bull. ‘Females don’t belong on waves’, their face says, as they cut us off. Often these are the guys with double standards. On bigger boards, surrounded by mates, they take wave after wave and share them among themselves. But uh-oh, if a wahine gets a couple of rides in a row... ‘How rude is she?’
NI
LAST BUT NOT LEAST: THE MACHO They drop in just because they can. After all, we’re an easy target. It’s not too hard to out-paddle us, and we most likely won’t beat you up...
DIFFERENT, BUT THE SAME Did you notice a little sarcasm before? Good.
Sarcasm shows I’m annoyed, but not overly angry. Because, don’t get me wrong, I love men. I love being around them. It’s good fun. I have always had more male than female friends, and in that sense it’s great to be ‘the chick in the water’. Not that I see myself different from any other surfer. I am not after privileges. You don’t have to give me waves You can of course, but don’t have to. I’ll work for them myself. But it needs to be fair play. I know that generally men are stronger, paddle faster and that they can be just that bit earlier with their take-off. And that’s okay. Maybe I even like it that way. I don’t mind a bit of a pecking order. It’s the fact that males hassle us ladies more frequently than they do other males that gets to me. If there are fifty odd surfers out - and they all drop in twice how much fun do you think I have?
THE GREATER MAN THE GREATER COURTESY I remember vividly the expression on one surfers face. He dropped in on me while I pulled in a barrel at Bells. He looked at the wave - his face lit up (it was a beauty) and then he glanced at me. I could tell his eyes saying ‘Oh, a chick’ and without thinking twice he burned me. Is it because I come from Europe, that I am more accustomed to chivalry? Small courtesies sweeten life - that’s what I think. Like flirting, but with grace. Not that it’s just surfers - away from the beach it is not much different. They often take me by surprise, chaps jumping queues in front of me at the supermarket... Only in the ocean it’s more frustrating. We’re all there to have a good time, and paddling costs more energy than standing in line, or opening a door for oneself. There is one situation though, I noticed, when men naturally do give away a lot of waves: Yes, when they are out surfing with their girlfriend, sister or daughter. Funny thing is though, the waves they give away are seldom theirs. Time and again they are mine...
TRUE OR FALSE? What do you reckon? Join in the conversation on Facebook and share your thoughts! www.facebook.com/smorgasboarder
MAR/APR 2013 | SMORGASBOARDER
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letters@smorgasboarder.com.au
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“First Point Noosa, lining up the barrel, a gumby tried to duck dive his Mal in front of me! The doc said an inch either way, I would’ve lost an eye, or be dead. I said ‘Lucky it hit me in the head - might have hurt otherwise’. She didn’t think I was funny. Haha... Steve Halpin
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Byron Sunset Happy Hour! Monday to Friday 4-6pm Half price selected Tapas (Calamari and dips) $5 select beers & house wine, $10 Margaritas
Photo: Martin Fox
Open every day Breakfast, lunch and dinner. Tapas till late.
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Photo: Jane de Wet
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SURFING TRANSPORT SOLUTIONS You’ve struggled at some time, loading boards into or onto the ute, car or van, haven’t you? But not to worry - you’re not alone! We recently got some great photos sent in to offer up some solutions to everyday board transport problems... Above left, Jane de Wet from the Sunshine Coast snaps proof of how many boards her hubbie can fit into a Hilux - a valiant challenge to Eddie Wearne from Shed Nine surf shop in Rye on the Mornington Peninsula (right). And below, Martin Fox shares an innovative new rack system. Classic. Advice? Get some roofracks, van straps and tie-downs from the cool companies that advertise in Smorgasboarder already!
Jervis Bay Stand Up Paddle
MAL VS MAL
ABOUT TO EAT SAND...
“These are a few shots I took with my GoPro. They were taken at Shelly Beach on some crazy sandy shore breakers! To shallow for a surf board, but great for the body board.” Jessica Lucas, Sunshine Coast
“Copped this tap on the head from my 9’8”G&S, trying to suck too much out of the shore break at Mettams, WA.” Mal McQueen
Lessons, Tours, Board Hire www.jervisbaystanduppaddle.com.au
0403 354 716
MAR/APR 2013 | SMORGASBOARDER
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NEWS THIS IS THE
WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE LOCAL SURFING COMMUNITY editorial@smorgasboarder.com.au
facebook.com/smorgasboarder
twitter.com/smorgasboarder
Floating Sunglasses
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Ph 07 5576 4365 30
SUP SPEED DEMON
Jenny, the vice president of the Disabled Surfers Association, Mornington Peninsula branch, has such a need for speed she insisted on some handlebars for her SUP ride. Matt Drysdale obliged and sent in these superb photos. Thanks Matt. He is now onto his next project - a specially designed paddle so Jenny can take to the water by herself. Great to see you getting amongst it Jenny, there is absolutely no stopping you, nor should there be. For more on the DSA, see disabledsurfers.org
AND SHE SAID YES
Last edition, Kristin Bower of Indy Surfboards, the man behind the switchfoot surfing movement, proposed to his long time girlfriend Cerise through the pages of Smorgasboarder (see his move in the interview on pages 120-123 Jan/Feb 2013 at www.smorgasboarder.com. au). We were only too happy to get behind the cheeky idea. Thankfully Cerise said a great big ‘Yes’. Phew. Congrats guys!
GOT NEWS?
Send it in. Upcoming events, charity happenings, interesting stories, email to: editorial@smorgasboarder.com.au
SMORGASBOARDER | MAR/APR 2013
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SURFING AND SHARKS: We’re sure film crew were hard to come by...
SHARKS & STORMS SURFWORLD FESTIVAL’S PICK OF INTERNATIONAL FILMS, 2013 Aussie big wave extravanganza Storm Surfers took out the Peter Troy ‘Spirit’ Award for best capturing the spirit of surf adventure. The film, directed by Chris Nelius and Justin McMillan and featuring surf legends Tom Carroll and Ross Clarke-Jones made up part of the schedule for the largest surf film festival in Australia held at the Surfworld Museum Torquay during January. The 2013 festival attracted record crowds as patrons flocked to see films from Australia, Spain, Japan, England, Finland, South Africa and the USA. South African documentary Surfing and Sharks won the audience award for Best Surf Film, with Cyrus Sutton‘s Under the Sun taking Best Cinemantography and the Spanish film Sand, Paper, Stone by Gabriel Garcia Magrina enjoying the Best Short Surf Film spot. For more info on the festival, see www.surfworld.com.au or join up on the Surfworld Facebook page, www.facebook.com/SWMTorquay. For trailers of the movies, see www.surfingandsharks.com, www.stormsurfers.com.au and underthesunsurf.blogspot.com.au.
FREE STUFF TO
WIN! The folks from Madman Entertainment have put up copies of the Storm Surfers DVD for you to win. How? See our FREE FEST promotion on page 41! MAR/APR 2013 | SMORGASBOARDER
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TOUGH AS NAILS Recently we caught up with Graham King of King Surfboards and he let us inspect the results of a new foam formula he’s created. It’s white, bright and out of sight. After several attempts to dent his new foam blanks, we gave up without making a scratch.
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Over 100 entrants will get down on their knees and rip it up. It’s a great excuse for like-minded individuals to get together and surf for the love of surfing. For more details see: www.kneeboardsurfaustralia.com
NEW OWNERS
Round 1 of the Australian Kneeboard Circuit for 2013 will begin at Phillip Island this March 16 and 17. There is no professional kneeboard scene so the gathering is purely social.
GOOD COUNSEL
The world’s first ‘Surf Council’ has been inaugurated on the Gold Coast. A gathering of all surfing groups in the region has formally agreed to an official body that will act as the voice for the surfing community in the city. For info go to www.surfcouncil.org
SPOT ON
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Matt Johnston of MCJ Surfboards is just about to open his new surf store at Waihi Beach, north island New Zealand, called The Surfspot. Should be open mid March with everything good - locally made NZ surfboards, fins, surfing hardware and skate gear as well as a ding repair service and surf lessons. Mob +64 (0)2 2031 7110
Paul and Ken, the boys from the Log Shack at Coffs Harbour are moving on. This little cracker of a surf store along with the building are up for grabs. Expressions of interest call (02) 6658 0223.
And while some move on, some move in. Graeme and Brenda from the Island Surf Shack at Cowes on Phillip Island have sold their business and so it is we welcome the new owners, Max and Kerri. All the best for the future guys.
STOP THE BOMBS
Why as humans do we often look at the easiest and quickest way of doing something rather than the right way? The practice of ‘fish bombing’ is reportedly getting out of control in the Mentawais. The technique of bringing a heap of dead fish to the surface is destroying the ocean floor, turning reefs into wasteland. Check out this clip to see the devastation that has already taken place and sign the petition to take action. www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_ JglSkSEEc www.change.org/en-AU/petitions/ stop-bombing-the-mentawai-reefs
Surf • SUP • PWC • Gel Coats • Kayaks • Outriggers
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GOT NEWS?
Send it in. Upcoming events, charity happenings, interesting stories, email to: editorial@smorgasboarder.com.au
SMORGASBOARDER | MAR/APR 2013
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The sixth annual BaliSpirit Festival (Mar 20-24) is nearly here. It’s not too late to book tickets to this spiritually charged event that celebrates yoga, dance and music - which includes Sunshine Coast dub/dance act OKA (above). Attracting top yoga and dance instructors, healers, musicians and several thousand guests over five days and four nights, the event involves daytime workshops, world music concerts and holistic healing sessions. The festival emphasises giving back to the local Balinese community through creative and meaningful outreach initiatives. All up, it’s a good excuse to get to Bali. See www.balispiritmedia.com CDs to
STOOPID VIDEO
On the subject of music - check out the new Slightly Stoopid video online for a new take on crowd surfing...
WIN!
Glenn ‘Surfalot” Carter of Scotts Head, North Coast, NSW
INTO THE SPIRIT OF THINGS
Short to long, every Ron Wade surfboard is built for peak performance Over 40 years of experience goes into every Ron Wade design.
See P41
The Wildfire7’2”
NOT BAD FOR A NEWBY
The Bull 9’3”
www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxJtBEfAT_E
Grant Newby, the man behind the Alley Fish Fry and Wooden Surfboards Show & Ride, has begun making his own line of surfboards – and not just for him to ride! The boards are Paulownia vacuum bagged over EPS with a lanolin finish. Says Grant, “The raw wood feel is something that just blows people away.” And reportedly, there’s no need for wax. The boards become ‘sticky’ as soon as they’re wet. “It is fun to watch peoples reaction when they come back after riding the boards. They float so well and you can surf them so much shorter than you ever imagined.” www.surfboardsbygrantnewby.blogspot.com.au or call (07) 5539 5969 to chat to Grant in person. For Fish Fry 2013 action, see page 157.
For more information and quotes, please contact us: Email sales@ronwadesurfboards.com.au Mobile 0410 443 776 For wholesale enquiries, please call 02 9979 7071 Visit Mona Vale showroom, 9-4pm Saturday or by appointment.
www.ronwadesurfboards.com.au MAR/APR 2013 | SMORGASBOARDER
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LATEST: COMMUNITY
The good deeds keep flowing from the Loud Life boys and their friends. Gus Murray – co-founder of the up and coming clothing brand – recently joined up with five other surfers for a trip to Bali - for a surf, skate and to invest in the lives of the less fortunate.
SPREADING ABOVE: Soccer with the kids LEFT: Gear going to good homes BELOW: Views for reward
THE LOVE Headed up by Josh Lean of Kite X Academy under the banner of Love is A Verb , the purpose of the trip in particular was to work with impoverished and underpriviledged youth in the area. “We were able to give three local groms three new surfboards and they were stoked,” Gus reports. “We also donated eight brand new fully set up skateboards to the Bali Life Orphanage in Pechatu, and left twenty decks over there. “ “We gave a village soccer organisation 30 new Adidas balls, and donated some extra money for their cause. They were over the moon we helped out in that area and helped teach 90 kids. Love is A Verb was born out of a desire to create a platform for people to give generously and reach out to those less fortunate both locally and overseas. See www.loveisaverb.org to find out how you can be involved. “All in all it was an amazing trip”, Gus tells us. We’re sure it was, and hope it will be repeated many times to come. Once again, well done boys.
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Riley Balsawood Surfboards are made using renewable resource balsa and recycled polystyrene for performance, durability, beauty and lower environmental impact
HANDCRAFTED IN AUSTRALIA
Instructional DVDs: Learn To Surf, Build A Solid Balsa Board, Build A Foam Core Balsa Board Raw Balsa • D.I.Y. Kits • Surfboards Blanks • Tide Clocks •Fins • Fin Boxes
THE FLYING FISH
5’11”x20 ¾”x2 ¼”
Cedar deck, balsa rails, tail, nose and bottom. Removable quad or twin fin setup with fins! Less than 4kgs.
Call 0412 376 464 or Email mark@riley.com.au
SHIPPING ANYWHERE, INCLUDING NZ
www.balsasurfboardsriley.com.au Australian Environmentally-friendly handcrafted surfboards for the individual in all of us, with a guarantee. Enjoy Responsibly
MAR/APR 2013 | SMORGASBOARDER
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LATEST: & GREATEST
PATCH IT UP Covers dings instantly and sticks to everything including wet surfaces and wax. Puka Patch is basically super strong waterproof ding tape. Can be used on epoxy and PU boards. Save your ding repairers having to dig a heap of crap out of the hole. 5 clear patches to a pack. www.pukapatch.com
A CLEAR WINNER Another option to wax if you want to
maintain the beauty of your prized stick. This environmentally friendly, space-aged traction tape suits all board sizes and won’t rip you apart like sandpaper but is sticky when wet. RRP from $10 www.balsasurfboardsriley.com.au
X-RATED WEBSITE TRIPLE X WETSUITS have launched their brand
LATEST &GREATEST
new online store. It’s simple to navigate around so purchasing ‘the hottest wetsuit you’ll ever wear’ just got even easier. An extensive range of sun protection wear and custom rashies are also available.
Range includes collaborations with Duane Peters and Jason Adams
www.triple-x.com.au
TANGLE FREE It looks like any other
leggie, with one small exception – a half ounce sliding weight which is heavy enough to let the leash trail behind you when paddling and sink when sitting in the line-up. Available exclusively at zaksurfboards.com
IRON FEET Woohoo! Iron Fist’s range of shoes has landed. Made by skaters to be as tough as tough can be, and with the style and flair that is Iron Fist’s unmistakeable style of streetwear, these could easily be your next favourite pair of shoes. RRP from $69 - $85. www.ironfistclothing.com.au
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Photo: Jarrod Slatter
TWO COOL IDEAS TO MAKE TRANSPORTING THAT BIG BOARD A WALK IN THE PARK...
SLING ME ONE SUP CARRY SLING by Elofant Straps.
Easy to use and only RRP $30. Made from strong, 50mm wide polypropylene webbing with Tri Glide buckles and padded shoulder protection. www.elofant.com
IT’S A BREEZE Carrying up to 2 SUPs, the SUPWHEELS is particularly a great SUP transport solution for those windy days. Never-go-flat solid rubber tyres, foam covered chasis, salt water resistant. RRP $199. www.streetsup.com.au (See the test on page 142)
Visiting the
NOOSA FESTIVAL
OF SURFING?
SHOW THEM YOU CARE It’s not a board bag, it’s a board blanket.
See DW boards in the flesh at
Wally’s Water Gallery, Lorraine Ave, Marcoola (only a quick drive South of Noosa)
Wrap up the ones you love and keep them safe and warm. RRP from $75 NZD. A range of equally cool beach bags as well RRP $39 NZD. www.sadhanasurfboards.co.nz
MAR/APR 2013 | SMORGASBOARDER
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LATEST: & GREATEST
PUT SOME ART ON IT Kade SP of Phillip Island beautifies his boards. Photo: Courtesy of Molotow
Originally a range of German street art products, MOLOTOW, is now a full suite of art gear to brighten up your surfboard, skateboard and just about anything else, and has just become available in Australia. With a range of pens, sprays and more, this is the full suite of products you need for doing art on boards. For more information and inspiration, check out www.facebook.com/molotow.australia
SHOW US YOUR ART,
WIN A BLANK CANVAS! RECKON YOU HAVE A GREAT IDEA FOR ARTWORK ON A SURFBOARD? Send in your best idea of artwork YOU HAVE CREATED and you could be in line to win one fantastic prize pack... 1 x brand new, blank JOEL BECK Surfboard! 1 x set of MOLOTOW art products to get creative with! 1 x set of GASFINS carbon-base fins to drive your board! 1 x pack of HURRICANE accessories, including legrope and deck grip!
Send your entry, with contact details by 14 June 2013, to competitions@smorgasboarder.com.au. Thanks to Joel and Shaun of CO-LAB in Wurtulla for putting up the surfing gear and thanks to Romy and Clarke of Molotow for the art materials. NOTE: This competition is not open to professional artists. For full terms and conditions, see www.smorgasboarder.com.au 38
SMORGASBOARDER | MAR/APR 2013
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MAR/APR 2013 | SMORGASBOARDER
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GET ONE YEAR’S HOME-DELIVERY SUBSCRIPTION TO SMORGASBOARDER FOR ONLY $21. 6 editions over 12 months, delivered to your door Never risk missing out on a copy again AND you go into the draw for not one surfboard, but to:
WIN ALL OF THIS GEAR!
YES, ALL OF IT! FOUR BOARDS + A STEAMER... ALL YOURS.
THE PRIZE INCLUDES:
1 x 9’4” VAMPIRATE Hulawindy longboard 1 x 5’9” SAMSARA V-Drive surfboard 1 x 3mm TRIPLE X Titanium Steamer (m/f) 1 x speedy FIIK Stinger Electric Skateboard 1 x 39” SMOOTHSTAR Dolphin Cruiser Longboard
ONE PERSON WILL WIN ALL OF THIS! It’s only open to our subscribers, so that’s way better odds than the lottery! And you’re a winner anyway with your year’s home delivery to smorgasboarder for your trouble. Buy one for yourself. Buy one for a friend. Buy one as a thoughtful birthday present. Every current, paid subscription counts as an entry, so you can enter as many times as you like!
WWW.SMORGASBOARDER.COM.AU OR CALL 0439 842 924 TO SUBSCRIBE BY PHONE
Promotion closes June 30, 2013. The prize will be drawn on July 1, 2013. Open to all new and current smorgasboarder subscribers in Australia and New Zealand. For full terms and conditions go to www.smorgasboarder.com.au.
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FREE FEST FOOTWEAR BY IRON FIST! The awesome new range of shoes from the good blokes at IRON FIST hits the streets this month. We have three pairs to give away! www.ironfistclothing.com.au
PACKS OF CDS, DVDS & STICKERS!
IN-HOUSE SHAPING
We have copies of STORM SURFERS, on DVD and Blu-Ray kindly donated by Madman Entertainment! Tim Bonython has generously put up copies of the amazing IMMERSION DVD - For more on him and the movie, see page 50. Silverback has supplied a stash of SLIGHTLY STOOPID gear including CDs, stickers and a guitar pick! See slightlystoopid.com And there’s some cracker ALOHA BARRY stickers from Curl at PI!
CUSTOM SURFBOARDS
SURFBOARD MACHINE CUTTING SERVICE CUSTOM LAMINATING CUSTOM ARTWORK GAS FINS/PLUGS HURRICANE SURF ACCESSORIES
TO WIN:
Simply sign up to our email newsletter at smorgasboarder.com.au, and like our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/smorgasboarder.
10 TEXTILE AVE WARANA QLD 4575
There are SIX CD/DVD packs and THREE pairs of IRON FIST shoes going to good homes. GOOD LUCK!
(07) 5493 3539
Full details at smorgasboarder.com.au MAR/APR 2013 | SMORGASBOARDER
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IN ULLADULLA, THE SAUNDERS NAME HAS BEEN SYNONYMOUS WITH SURFING FOR OVER 38 YEARS...
NOW WITH TWO LOCATIONS ENJOY THE SAME GREAT SERVICE, BEST BRANDS & FRIENDLY FAMILY SERVICE
RANDOM TALES FROM THE ROAD A TRAVEL JOURNAL
For personal service and a great range of fashion and accessories, surfboards, skateboards, bodyboards and much more, visit Southern Man Surf shop in Ulladulla on your next surf trip.
CALL US: (02) 4454 0343 T7/119 Princes Hwy, Ulladulla The Woolworths Centre Ulladulla NSW 2539
LIKE US ON
WWW.SOUTHERNMAN.COM.AU The Core Board Store... Live the Search at the South Coast’s largest Rip Curl flagship store. 100% Locally owned in partnership with Southern Man Surf.
CALL US: (02) 4454 4904 LIKE US ON 138 Princess Hwy, Ulladulla NSW 2539 ripcurl@southernman.com.au
WWW.RIPCURL.COM.AU
Southern Man Surf sponsored rider Scott ‘Whippy’ Denis Photo: Stork
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WORDS AND PHOTOS: DAVE SWAN
We have a great deal of fun putting Smorgasboarder together from writing to designing and working with the many varied businesses that make it so special. What is possibly most fun however is getting on the road and meeting these people face to face.
Over the course of time, our little network of friends on Facebook, following our progress down the east coast of Australia and across to New Zealand as we personally deliver the mag, has grown and grown. Yep, you heard right. No hordes of staff and a list of strategic partners. We deliver Smorgasboarder in person - and at this point, we want to say a big thanks to James over in SA who does the same, Dean in WA and Jeff on the south island of NZ. Anyhow, we thought you may be interested to see a few excerpts from our road trips, the people we meet along the way, the places we surf and the top little coffee shops and cafes we visit to refuel... Oh, and the occasional spot we stop for a cold beer at the end of the day. With this in mind, we have decided to open up our travel diaries for those interested. To follow it live, Simply like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/smorgasboarder and you have a ticket to ride.
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DAY 5
WHAT A DAY! If the searing heat wasn’t enough, the official temperature recorded south of Nowra was 49 degrees (yes that’s a ‘4’ not a ‘3’), I also had to contend with an armed robber who had eluded police, crashed his stolen vehicle and was on foot with a gun running through bushland towards Culburra Beach. WHERE WAS I? Heading back from Culburra Beach towards South Nowra having visited Daren Glennan at Entity Surfboards. Super friendly bloke with a range of fine boards from short through to long. HAVING DODGED THE CROOK and numerous police cars heading in each and every direction, I made my way to Mark Rabbidge’s place in Bendalong. The NSW bushfires are still raging. Places to avoid today – Bendalong! COULDN’T SEE ANY FLAMES just smoke as I made my way though Dean’s Gap. Even though my windows were up and the air con on full, I could still feel the heat from the fire on my ears as if I was standing next to a fireplace. Those fire fighters are amazing.
NEEDED TO UNWIND with a quick, cool dip. Not much swell about but it’s time to test the pink - ahh, magenta Pacemaker. MARK RABBIDGE’S PLACE. Could chat to him all day. Absolute top bloke. Working on some super cool cars. And I confess I couldn’t avoid picking up a tester. Super excited. It’s not pink, it’s magenta – but isn’t magenta pink? With the robbers and bushfires behind me, I head off for Eden, or so I think. The Pacific Highway is cut off near Eden. A strong southerly has kicked in and brought large gums down across the road. Bushfires have also whipped up near Bega and Pambula just to the west. Going to stop at Narooma, love this spot.
DAYS 6-8
BIG DAY’S DRIVE along the Victorian Shipwreck Coast from Cape Bridgewater (about an hour from the SA border) to Lorne. Came across a cool new store/ café at Lavers Hill called The Shoppe run by Kim and John Vince featuring local arts and craft, superb coffee and food and some cool surf gear with some sweet boards by Darren Dickson of Torquay on display.
AFTER MY LITTLE SURF I rewarded myself with a beer, as you do, at one of my favourite pubs in the world, the Wye River Hotel. One of the local lads told me there had been a 4m White hassling surfers at Kennett River the night before and a fisherman in his dinghy at Wye River the night before that. So pleased I decided to jump in by myself for a surf just before dark around the corner from there.
AFTER A BIG DAY’S DRIVE from Narooma through to Lakes Entrance and on to Phillip Island I have arrived at Cowes. The place is chock-a-block. What the hell? It’s still school holidays, there’s a circus in town and the Tough Mudder event is on. 14,000+ competitors. I don’t stand a chance of getting a spot for the van. Lucky. Amaroo Holiday Park. Unbelievable. Less than 100m from the main drag. AND, I can’t believe it, there is an awesome, awesome Japanese restaurant in the campgrounds.
Wye River Hotel
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RANDOM: ROAD DIARY
Mickey T’s turf. Photo © Raglan Longboards
New Plymouth Boardrider’s beachfront clubhouse
The Mighty Eel - EEL667
DAY 15-17 ARRIVED AT RAGLAN. I love this place. Got a site at the Raglan Kopua Holiday Park – great spot, right in the centre of things. Watched some kids ripping at the skate bowl beside the park then headed across to the Harbour View Hotel for a beer and a meal. CAUGHT UP WITH MICKEY T AND SUNNY from Raglan Longboards. Two of the nicest people you will ever meet and some 44
of the sexiest boards I have ever seen. The only problem was, there was no swell. So my yearning for another Mickey T board full of magic will have to wait until next trip
CALLED IN TO SEE WALSHY (Robert Walsh) from Del Surfboards working on a super sweet single fin. These would have to be some of the most meticulously crafted surfboards I have ever seen. The quality of the glassing is out of this world.
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Is surfing Raglan's world famous left hand breaks on your bucket list? Then tick it off and come on over! Tents, campervans or caravans, backpackers, cabins or motel units.
OPUNAKE, just down the coast from New Plymouth. First pulse of swell to come through since in NZ. Never surfed here. Time to christen the spot. Hope everyone is having a good day at work because that was a little cracker. Big thanks to Brent and Craig from Dreamtime Surf Shop for the loan of the mal. Real good blokes.
Hosts: Mary and Rob Clark Address: Marine Parade, Raglan
Phone: (07) 825 8283 Email: stay@raglanholidaypark.co.nz
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DAY 21 ONE OF THE BEST DAYS OF MY LIFE, NO JOKE. The header for this page could easily have been, “Why I love Roger Hall.” An absolute master craftsman and one of the nicest guys on the planet. I caught up with Roger for a surf at Waipu Cove and rode a couple of his finless Hot Curl Fastback numbers. I am hooked for life. ROGER EXPLAINED HIS BOARDS TO ME... “This is my 6’ Hot Curl Re-evolution model. The idea behind it is I am re-evolving the 1930s Hot Curl and bringing it into modern surfboard terms. This is my favourite so far. I am been having so much fun on this I am scheming up a couple more. One is a refinement of this and another is built from the same chassis, so to speak, with a completely different body. It will incorporate concave wings.
L-R: 6ft, 9ft, 8ft.
“THE MAIN THING WITH THESE BOARDS IS YOU HAVE TO FREE YOUR MIND OF HOW YOU WOULD NORMALLY RIDE A SURFBOARD.”
Roger, on weed
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“I have been playing with the ratios of the tail width and the tail height as well as the concave trimming platform through to the convex control. I always look to put a good stringer in them so they have a good bit of internal heft as well. It gives you good paddle speed so you can get a nice early line into the wave. “The main thing with these boards is you have to free your mind of how you would normally ride a surfboard. You ride the boards really far forward and your feet are closer together in a traditional stance or you place them parallel to the stringer. You surf more from leaning on your rails. The board pivots off the forward rail curve and you steer it. The tail then comes in behind your line and pushes you in that direction. “Moves are the opposite of what you would normally be accustomed to. A cross step, with weight transferring to your front foot, will swing the board away from the wave and set up a cutback or reset the board into the pocket. “They sit really well in the pocket. The weight in the tail acts as a counterweight and a bit of a driving force. My 9’ noserider also has a decent chunk of wood in the tail so it has a more neutral buoyancy than the foam, which has a tendency to float up the wave. I am experimenting with various hypotheticals.” MY PERSPECTIVE ON IT: I am always after a different ride sensation. Not only did the Fastback satisfy my desire but it delivered one of the most fun surfs I have had in months. Whilst the boards may look difficult to ride, they are far from it and were perfect for the little sliders we had on the day. Plus with a thick blanket of seaweed on the shoreline, no fins meant no entanglement. IF THAT WASN’T ENOUGH we finished 3-4 hours surfing with a few beers, okay maybe more than a few, and homemade pizza at the Waipu Pizza Barn. Not only were the pizzas sensational and their own home brew addictive, the brothers who run this unbelievably funky little bar/ restaurant Clayton and Jeff were absolute classic blokes and a lot of fun, as were all the staff. I will return, there is nothing surer. An absolute cracker of a night. As I said, one of the most fun days of my life.
BOARDS, LESSONS, ADVICE, CLOTHING & MORE! RETRO BOARDS & GEAR LOCAL CLOTHING BRANDS
On the way to Fitzroy Beach, the Beach Street Surf Shop is modelled on yesteryear, not the chrome-and, NZ 39 BEACH ST, FITZROY, NEW PLYMOUTH glass boutiques that masquerade as surf shops! Real 00 (06) 75804 P: +64 surfers offering real advice, plus the best selection of .co.nz street@xtra E: beach boards on the coast. Open everyITS day, all hours, surf ALL ABOUT dependent - as they should be! We also offer lessons from beginner to advanced. Our surf coach, Daisy Day, is also Like theBeach region’s Street Surf Shop on Facebook! best and most famous surf photographer. The shop is home to Lost in the 60’s Surfwear and the MAR/APR 2013 BlackSand label and we have a good range of secondhand boards on offer.
BEACH STREET
SURFING!
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The Heated Undersuit
turns every
wetsuit into a
steamer
DAY 23 OH BUGGER. Time to get to work again. Weather is fine, swell is on. Piha YEEHAA! Call in to Piha Surf to catch up with Mike – always good to chat. So down to earth and a really nice guy. And ahhh, I borrowed one of his beautiful boards. PIHA IS FAST BECOMING MY FAVOURITE WAVE. It is always pumping. The big rock kept telling me to have one more wave but then I heard sirens on the beach. First time for everything. Cleared out of the water with a tsunami alert. Caught up with Fiona from the Piha Domain Camp, lovely lady. The park is absolutely awesome, just metres from the beach but hence I wasn’t able to stay with the alert in place. Time to keep moving. Caught up with Pete, who is one funny bugger and runs The Piha Store. He fixes me up with a coffee, pie and a Karma Cola to go. Legend.
NEXT TIME REMEMBER! You can follow these trips on Facebook every time the new edition of the mag is released. Simply follow us on www.facebook.com/ smorgasboarder. Plus, if you do, there are some great prizes up for grabs! See page 41 for more information.
Mike
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MAR/APR 2013 | SMORGASBOARDER
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IMM LEFT: Filmmaker Tim Bonython. ABOVE: A screen still is just a taster of what his films hold in store.
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LATEST: INTERVIEW
MMERSED THE WORLD & WORK OF TIM BONYTHON The definition of ‘immersed’ is to be covered completely by liquid, or be wholly and deeply engaged,
engrossed and absorbed in a subject. There could be no truer description of award-winning surf filmmaker Tim Bonython’s world of water, and the passion and commitment he has shown to capturing the world’s best surfers in full flight. WORDS: DAVE SWAN
IMAGES: COURTESY OF TIM BONYTHON
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laTEsT: INTERVIEW
Early Days Born in Tennyson, a beachside suburb of Adelaide, Tim Bonython walked out the back door of his family home and quickly discovered the playground that would keep him enthralled for the rest of his life. Even though he lived on a beach with no surf, he found all manner of things within the ocean to consume him from catching fish in milk bottles to spear fishing. Later on when his parents moved to the inner-city suburb of Paddington in Sydney, he discovered a new frontier, Bondi Beach. Tim attended Cranbrook School in the eastern suburbs not far from Bondi, along with another, now famous surfing family, the Webbers, brothers Greg and John. He would regularly catch the bus down to the beach and in his first year managed to snap three Coolites. At this point his mother decided to buy him an old, second hand Ron Ford single fin. Tim explains his surfing progression. “I couldn’t ride it, so I started kneeboarding it and suddenly I was a kneeboarder. My relationship with the ocean, in a surfing sense, really took off. I was thirteen. I suppose you could say I was a bit of a late starter.” Tim began dating one of (radio presenter) John Laws’ daughters, and would regularly hang out at their Woollahra home. He noticed in John’s office, a Super 8 movie camera lying about... “I said to John I had noticed the camera sitting on the floor and explained how I was right into photography and asked whether I could borrow the camera. John replied to me, ‘Tim, I know you have been eyeing that camera off and you can have it as long as you promise to me you will make something out of it.’ So I started shooting surfing. “My first day, I filmed Cheyne Horan at Bondi. I would also go over to the Northern Beaches to shoot Peter Crawford on his kneeboard.
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YEARS OF EXPERIENCE: There are few icons of the surfing world that Tim hasn’t met or filmed during his career.
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I was blown away by how good he could surf a wave. Most people would take off and go slowly around the pocket whereas Pete would go straight down, do a big bottom turn, straight back up, hit the lip, carve back into the wave, disappear into the barrel, come out... He was doing things no surfer could do. He was an incredible athlete and an extremely talented photographer that inspired me.” It was at that point movies such as Crystal Voyager and Follow the Sun began to hit Australian movie screens and Tim was well and truly hooked.
“There were a lot of great films we used to see at the Opera House. I was about sixteen at that stage. I remembered seeing that point-of-view footage by George Greenough in the barrel at Lennox Head and I couldn’t believe that was what barrel riding was like. That was when it all started to come together for me and it was just a natural progression from there to shoot surfing.” After school Tim went back to Adelaide and worked as a DJ. The gig gave him the cash to regularly go off to the Yorke Peninsula surfing for three or four days at a time whilst camping in his Kombi van and shooting a bit of home movie surf footage.
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latest: INTERVIEW
“My first day, i filMed Cheyne horan at Bondi.”
“I got to know a guy called Peter Victorson. He had a surf shop called Top of Taps at Tapley’s Hill. Peter gave me a bit of coin to film the Coca-Cola Surfabout with the view we would show it at the local pub. I then asked if I could film that Bells contest and he gave me a couple of hundred more. That was 1981. I had never been to Bells in my life.
“That was the iconic year for professional surfing. It was when modern day surfing more or less was born with the introduction of the Simon Anderson thruster. Since then I have only missed a handful of Bells contests but that was the biggest and the best. Simon just stamped his way of doing things and showed the world the future on twenty-five foot faces.” mar/apr 2013 | sMorGasBoarder
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LIVING THROUGH THE LENS: Films like Tim’s let mere mortals experience the true power of the ocean from an armchair.
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Latest: INTERVIEW Tim then went back home to show his footage only a couple of weeks after the contest. His first venue was the Victoria Hotel and to his delight the line of people cueing to see his film stretched from outside the pub and right down the hill.
“From that point I have never looked back. Obviously back then there were no videos, DVDs or internet. I would just hit the road and screen the movies around the pubs showing surfers what was going on in the world out there.
“I thought, ‘This is it, this is the future.’”
“I would sit in the pub with my super 8 projector, an 8x10ft screen set up at the back of the room, a cassette deck, sound system and mic. I would sit there and narrate the film with one hand controlling the levels, and the other on the slow motion control. That was it for the next ten years - showing films in pubs and clubs, the good life.”
In 1998 Tim shot some absolutely incredible footage of monstrous waves breaking at a spot called Jaws off Maui in Hawaii. He turned the footage into one of the biggest selling surf videos of all time called Biggest Wednesday. It was this movie that spawned the Australian Surf Film Festival, a travelling road show of surf films now entering its 11th year.
Present day Tim is just as hyped and passionate about shooting surfing footage today, as he was when he started back in the late seventies although he has achieved a bit more balance in his life. Rather than “burning the candle at both ends” as he did when he initially returned to Sydney working in the Australian independent music scene at night before heading straight to the beach to shoot, he has settled down with his beautiful French wife and two kids. “I still enjoy the good life in terms of travelling the world but I have concentrated on my film career and family foremost. My passion still
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keeps me young and energetic. I am going to hold the froth as much as I can. It is who I am. “It is all part of the job and the energy goes with the anticipation. I look at a lot of charts and swell predictions. These things only happen in one day and it is really important to make sure you document those days. You 58
have to be energised, you have to be prepared because it is all guns blazing and you must make sure you maximise the moment. Often these guys are putting their lives on the line for that moment of glory and you have to be on the ball to capture it.�
Last year was a particularly memorable one for Tim. It not only marked the tenth anniversary of his Australian Surf Film Festival but it screened his most recent large-scale project called Immersion, which was seven years in the making.
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“these guys are putting their lives on the line for that moment of glory...”
Featuring giant Teahupoo, Jaws, Shipsterns and Cloudbreak along with interviews with the likes of Kelly Slater and Gerry Lopez, Immersion also documented all the different ways you can enjoy the ocean.
“I wanted to capture all the exponents of the other arts as well from body surfing with Mark Cunningham, kite surfing with Ben Wilson, windsurfing with Jason Polakow, goat boating with Ben John from Avalon, Tom Carroll with his SUP and bodyboarding with Mitch Rawlins and Ben Player.” mar/apr 2013 | smorgasBoarDer
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EQUIPMENT
The reality of surf media seems to be you make do with what you have. That’s not a complaint, but simply a matter of fact. You have to appreciate the industry for what it is and the fact you have the pleasure of dealing with real people day to day. It’s more about passion than commercial gain. Talking with Tim is confirmation of this belief. “The ultimate camera you can have is a Phantom Flex. It’s a $500,000 camera. I don’t own one. The company that makes Phantom is called Vision Research. These cameras deliver unprecedented high-speed image capture and go beyond HD to support 4-megapixel imaging. “The other cameras considered the bees knees are the Red Cameras started by Jim Jannard, the original founder of Oakley. He sold the sunglass company and decided to work on launching digital film cameras. They are now industry standard. The Red One 4k camera shoots 120 frames per second. It all ads up to a pretty expensive kit once you add a viewfinder, grip, batteries and a lense, which can cost as much as $100k. A good Sachtler (tripod) alone can be up to $18,000. Their latest is the Red Epic and it shoots up to 240 frames per second. Some of the most respected surf filmmakers have got one. “My camera is probably the best HD camera out there and is good for shooting surfing movies but they don’t shoot high speed. It only shoots 50 frames per second. It’s part of the Panasonic P2 range known for their good quality files and the fact they don’t suffer from too many glitches. I bought my cameras post the Sydney Olympics for about 2/3 their original price.” 60
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“I’M JUST LIVING THE DREAM, CHASING GREAT WAVES AND MEETING GREAT PEOPLE.” THE FUTURE As for what lies ahead, for Tim it’s slab hunting. “With the introduction of surf skis, Australia suddenly became a new frontier for big wave surfing but it has now become the ultimate frontier for slab hunting. “The biggest wave to me is not as exciting as the biggest slab. It comes with serious consequences when the water hits a shallow reef. The old school thinking that the biggest wave is the most exciting I believe is incorrect. “We have this massive coastline with dotted reefs creating the best barrels in the world. There are slabs such as Cyclops off Esperance in WA, Pedra Branca 30kms off the southeastern tip of Tasmania and no doubt dozens more way off the coast that are yet to be discovered. “I’m just living the dream, chasing great waves and meeting great people. It’s way better than being rich. As long as I can feed my family and keep them happy I am stoked.”
WIN A COPY OF IMMERSION ON DVD
We have copies of the fantastic movie Immersion to give away. For more information, see our FREE FEST promotion on page 41. For more info, to watch the trailer, or to buy the DVD, see www.immersionthemovie.com 62
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s Gift Voucher available er the surf - per fect for er ything! ev who has
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www.scooterstyle.com.au MAR/APR 2013 | SMORGASBOARDER
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PLANE & SIMPL When Richard and Garry showed up for a surf trip with not a board-bag in sight, surf guide Peter “Stumpy” Wallace and photographer Brett Wortman were understandably a little puzzled. It turns out the waves in the Maldives can be just as much fun without a surfboard as the “Two Bobs” showed the crew of the Handhu Falhi. WORDS & PHOTOS: BRETT WORTMAN
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TRAVEL: PLANE TRIP
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TRAVEL: PLANE TRIP
WHEN
Richard Winston and Garry Baker showed up with no board bags in sight, surf guide Peter “Stumpy” Wallace and I wondered if there had been a mistake, and if the pair had perhaps booked the wrong tour. Aged 65 and 54 respectively and definitely not looking like the average surfer, my theory was that they were senior environmental scientists here to save this beautiful island nation from drowning in a sea of horrid plastic - wishful thinking on my behalf, and the problem of plastic in the oceans remains but that’s another tale very much needed to be told… After lapping up the confused looks of their fellow guests burdened by cumbersome board bags, Dick and Gazza finally put us out of our misery and revealed they were bodysurfers, and this was in fact their third tour of the Maldives. Their first two trips had been to the central atolls and they were back to see what the outer atolls could offer them. BELOW: Dick and Gazza ready for action. Photo: Brett Wortman
Dubbed ‘Two Bobs’ by Stumpy due to their striking resemblance to a couple of buoys when floating in the line-up, the pair live and breathe the sport. Back home at Cronulla they surf most mornings at their local - Wanda Beach - with a bunch of equally nutty enthusiasts known as the Wanda Teabags. It was here that the pair first met. In his other life, Gazza is a semi-retired food technologist specialising in ice cream who’s travelled the world sourcing specific varieties of seaweeds and plant seeds for food use. He is also in high demand judging ice cream and gelati for major competitions around Australia and even in New Zealand and India. Dick, on the other hand, is a retired electrician who ended his working years at the ABC on infrastructure for their radio and television network. In the Maldives, however, they were simply the Two Bobs.
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LEFT: Travelling light for a fantastic surf trip Photos: Brett Wortman
...BY STUMPY DUE TO THEIR STRIKING RESEMBLANCE TO A COUPLE OF BUOYS WHEN FLOATING IN THE LINE-UP...” MAR/APR 2013 | SMORGASBOARDER
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TRAVEL: PLANE TRIP Despite their age and lack of flotation, Gazza and Dick proved to be quite the chargers and they held their own in the line-up even when other boats were sharing the break with us. Two Bobs used special handplanes designed by a mate back home, and wore unique lycra uniforms with long sleeves and hoods to protect them from the elements. With Speedos below and lycra hoodies above, the outfits weren’t complete until they had strapping tape across their noses as extra sun protection - because sunscreen and zinc just wasn’t enough. I hope I’ve painted a funny enough picture, because the look was nothing short of hilarious. The best thing was though, that the pair laughed louder than anyone at themselves. It’s actually quite hard to pay someone out when they’re dishing the jokes at themselves louder than the rest.
“SPEEDOS BELOW AND LYCRA HOODIES ABOVE”
They taught us all about the finer nuances of bodysurfing, such as which handplanes and fins suited particular breaks. They explained the different types of bodysurfers, including the old-school headfirst variety, the two-handed athletic trickster variety that use individual boards on each hand, and their breed, who favour a single, large board for speed runs on big waves. Gazza, with his relative youthfulness and large athletic frame, was particularly good at jagging the bombs out the back. However, he’s as blind as a bat without glasses on, so Dick would act as his eyes and tell him when the best waves were coming and which direction he should swim. Strangely, Gazza would return the favour by regularly dropping in on Dick who didn’t seem to mind the company one bit.
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“THE BOYS WOULD END UP CATCHING THE BIGGEST WAVES OF EVERY SESSION” Two Bobs never hassled for waves and often others burdened with surfboards exploited their friendly nature. Patience is however one of their many virtues and without fail the boys would end up catching the biggest waves of every session and charging them past the entire line-up. It’s a shame Gazza was too blind to see all the fist pumps as he rocketed past, and that neither could hear our hooting due to the hoodies covering their ears. The best waves they’ve had in the Maldives were at Sultans at six-foot, but they could see a lot of potential in Tiger Stripes. The dedicated wave riders have also been to the Mentawis twice and twice to Fiji, where they scored 200-metre-plus rides at Namotu Lefts when it was over tenfoot - apparently the biggest and best body surfing waves of their lives.
Own a Coff’s Harbour icon + Freehold
As you read this, Gazza and Dick will be packing their planes once again to explore the southern Seenu Atoll with ten other body surfers. I can’t wait to share a few more laughs and get some more great shots of Two... or this time Twelve Bobs. Hilarious and inspiring. Thanks for the memories boys.
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CLASSIC.
What this shows is there really are no boundaries to making the most of the ocean. To experience the Maldives on the Handhu Falhi, see the World Surfaris website on: www.worldsurfaris.com.
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WHAT YOU WANT.
CUSTOM HAND SHAPES BY AL COLK SINCE 1966 Contact me directly: MOBILE: 0408 425 368 EMAIL: AL.TUBETIME@GMAIL.COM MAR/APR 2013 | SMORGASBOARDER
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MAN OF MANY BOARDS If there was ever on no discrimination. e core, overarching principle Sm orgasboarder mag .. azine was based of surfers of all le Ever. It’s being accepting of forw ard thinkers and on vels - from kookie experimental idea , it’s that of st beginner to mos absolutely psyche s, d and ready to gi being inclusive t se as on ed pro - but most ve every kind of bo importantly of al Years into it, we ar d un de l, being r the sun a fair go mig . who not only rides ht just have stumbled across the embodiment of th a wider variety of but does so with es absolute style an boards than quite possibly anyone e principles - discovering someo d a sense of hum ne else we’ve ever m our to boot. Meet a true smor et on our travels, gasboarder: Mor nington Peninsul a board junkie, Ed die Wearne. WORDS: DAVE SW AN AND MARK CHAP MAN
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S Eddie, Indo. Photo: Paul Kennedy - pkphotos.com MAR/APR 2013 | SMORGASBOARDER
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On the beach, surrounded by so many friends...
EDDIE WEARNE was born in Forster Tuncurry, NSW, and spent his childhood between Byron and Nimbin, and the Southeastern suburbs of Melbourne.
“We moved to the Mornington Peninsula when I hit high school”, he says. “Once that was over, I dropped out of Uni while living in Torquay. I have lived on the Goldy and spent a lot of time drifting, chasing waves and good times. I’ve spent most of the last decade between Rye and Indo, but I’d like to think I’ll never really grow up.” Eddie started riding skimboards and bodyboards at Wilsons Promontory at age twelve, and once he got a taste, was hooked and surfed between Pt Leo and Portsea during his teens - the small wind chop in Port Phillip bay around Mornington was a regular haunt for a kid with no wheels. This diversity of surfing conditions and early taste for a wide variety of boards just seemed to spiral to ridiculousness as Eddie (didn’t) grow up. As the epitome of a smorgasboarder, there’s not much Eddie won’t ride. He runs us through his quiver...
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SO MANY BOARDS “Skateboards, including Smoothstars, streetboards, longboards and electric boards... Snowboards, skimboards, different kinds of bodyboards for prone, dropknee, and standup stances... Fish, mini-Simmons, shortboards, kneeboards, mals... SUPs, alaia’s, handplanes and more pretty much whatever I can get my hands on... “I’m pretty lucky to be able to ride the different boards at work because of the ShedNine shop. My quiver is constantly growing, improving and evolving. All the different boards complement each other, and understanding how they all work and relate to each other, and how subtle differences affect the changes in the ride, is a major part of my fascination.” “Why focus on one instrument when you can learn to play a few different ones? To me it’s all about being able to have fun in any conditions. I’m stoked to paddle out on any size waves from half-foot slop to as solid as I can handle, as long as I’m riding the right board - the board that makes it the most enjoyable for those particular conditions. To quote from my latest Captain Frothalot surf comedy film: ‘A wise man once said he who rides many boards will never be bored.’ “It’s rewarding to fully understand and recommend the right craft to a customer. Surfing different craft is invigorating and refreshing and travelling to good waves with a heap of different boards, for me, is the ultimate.” Music to our ears… To give you an idea of the true versatility of Mr Frothalot ShedNine Wearne, we touch on a few areas he’s been involved in, starting off with a stint as a professional booger.
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LATEST: LOCAL Eddie, an alaia and mate Muklis Anwar
Finless? Damn straight... Yes, it’s a bodyboard.
Smooth moves on a Smoothstar. Photo: Dunxy
Snow problem at all. Photo: Wavetagger
Frothalot handplanes it MAR/APR 2013 | SMORGASBOARDER
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Varial flip. Photo: Furniss Dropknee in G-Land
BODYBOARDING AND FILM
GOOD OLD TRADITIONAL SURFING
“I had six stickers at age eighteen, knocked out many idols in competition, competed dropknee and prone in a variety of selected tour events all over Australia and overseas, and developed a hunger for larger and heavier waves.
“I’m thirty-five now, but in my mid twenties I stopped riding waves for a while - a little disillusioned by the experiences I had trying to make an income from bodyboarding. I skated solid for 18 months, then began to ride surfboards more than bodyboards.
“At times I was a dole-bludger, but I worked many odd jobs for cash, travelled a lot - happily existing on the breadline - but I never really completed enough events on the tour to reflect the ranking that I felt I was capable of.
“These days I love riding as many different boards as possible. I’m still frothing like a grom, maybe more than I ever have. Most of all, I enjoy riding finless boards standing up, it’s a really warm, smooth and flowing way of connecting with the wave - make one false move and its over.
“Coming from Victoria it was difficult to gain the recognition and exposure required by my sponsors. I was always one of the wildest, party-animal guys at the tour comps, and I became fascinated with extreme sports video production. I gradually became more involved with videos and my focus shifted to filming - producing and marketing surf, skate, moto and bodyboard films under the ShedNine label. I trademarked the ShedNine brand in the late ‘90s, produced 11 titles eventually topping the charts with Australia’s highest selling freestyle motocross DVD ‘The Return.’
“It’s ironic that where I live the waves are rarely suitable, so I’m always stoked to stumble upon those kinds of waves when I travel.”
“For quite a few years, instead of finding stoke filming someone riding waves, I became fascinated with the angles I could work with a handycam, shooting Australia and the world’s leading dirtbike riders, who took me under their wing. These were wild times. I was mostly surfing in the mornings and filming dirtbikes after lunch anywhere between home and the Sunshine Coast - amazing memories shared with amazing people
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SNOWBOARDING “I’ve been snowboarding for fifteen years, but never spent more than a couple of days there at a time. I drive a bus full of crew up for day trips throughout the season to Mt Buller. It’s great taking kids from my local area up there for the first time. Some of the kids who can skate and surf well already, and have a bit of ability, just come up and we kind of make ‘em go big (laughs). “The lines drawn while snowboarding can really complement surfing, skateboarding and particularly dropknee bodyboarding and finless surfing.”
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EDDIE’S DAY JOB “ShedNine is constantly evolving. First came the DVDs and tees, then a range of clothes and highest quality Aussie-made surfboards, skateboards and bodyboards. Opening a core board shop, right near the local Rye, Ocean Beach was a natural progression and a clear lifestyle choice made to support a close relationship to the ocean. “Off-season, we open at eleven during the week and stay open late all year, to allow for extended surfing sessions and dodge the crowds, as well as being open when people head for an after-work paddle. “These days we stock over seventy labels of surf, skate, moto, bodyboard and snow gear, boards, clothes and accessories. We’re constantly promoting our elite level team riders, and pushing to support them wherever possible. It’s been a great reward to see our team rider, Marti Paradisis, take out the Big Wave Awards this year. The guy is a maniac and really deserved it.
Eddie’s finless quiver. Photo: Moran
SKATEBOARDING “I was lucky during my teenage years that my friends were all based a little inland and we could not get to the surf all the time, so we skated heaps and experimented with rollerblading, BMX and the like. “I was never really interested in team sports and ball sports. Skateboards are perfect for someone who wants to learn to ride any of the other boards or work on stances and styles. “To me, skateboards are the link between, and the stepping stone to all other boardsports.
“I guess ShedNine is more of a hangout than a plaza-style retail chain, or an online shopping centre. Our shop is old-school - a real surf store, where people can touch and feel the real deal. We run barbies, film premieres, jam sessions, edit film and record music, with sandy kids all hanging out the front eating icecreams and skateboarding while the old man chills inside with a knock-off beer. It’s actually a huge amount of work, but all the crew involved love it. Community spirit. “Many people ask when we’re opening another five stores, I’m like just really trying to keep it on a level at the moment. Why run five or ten stores when we could still improve this one? ShedNine suddenly feels all middleaged, new-gen, but we’re all about stoking the groms - trying to inspire the next generation by setting a good example for the kids to live life to the fullest and push their skills and abilities to the next level, no matter what they ride.
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TRAVEL Between Eddie’s pro career of swell chasing, and his personal obsession with the ocean, he’s racked up a fair few miles on land and in the air in search of waves. “I’ve surfed in Indo, Hawaii, Japan, Fiji and many trips to WA, SA, QLD, NSW, and Tasmania. All surf trips - I just take skateboards for fun. Don’t get me wrong, I love snowboarding, but yeah, I’ve never been overseas chasing it… Maybe one day. “All these trips were amazing, but the ocean is my home. For me, Indo is the clear favourite. I fly there tomorrow for my fifteenth time. It’s nearby, and has the best waves and culture, and a great exchange rate. Over the years I’ve picked up a fair bit of the language. It’s like my second home.
Photo: Muizy
“I have worked every day, seven days a week since I got home from the last trip almost six months ago, only five days off in total. That’s how my wife and I keep heading back there - we both work megashifts. One day we dream of setting up a little accommodation for our friends to stay at over there, and just cruising, living the dream surfing and skipping chunks of the Vicco winters when our shop is quieter.”
WHO IS CAPTAIN FROTHALOT? “A few of the lads at home have been calling me ‘Captain Frothalot’ for a while cause I’m always frothing to surf, even when the waves are no good. “A couple of years ago, Surfing Life and Air Asia ran a short filmmaking competition to win an overseas trip on their ‘No Pro tour’. I first won a trip to Bali ,where I drew up the devil suits and the local tailors made my vision a reality. “The rest is history. I ended up winning flights, money and cameras over a couple of years. My wife’s pretty special and she loves filming, so she came along and lapped up the free trips. MAR/APR 2013 | SMORGASBOARDER
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Photo: Muizy
“We never planned to make a DVD. The forty-five minute DVD is basically those winning Youtube films padded up with some even wilder clips and music thrown together. It’s out there, it’s meant to be funny… Why blend in when you can stand out? Basically, Captain Frothalot, is my zany alter ego. All he wants to do is ride waves on as many boards as possible, he is always frothing to surf and he doesn’t mind a beer. “
While we’re not quite sure how that’s actually different to real-life Eddie, there are some notable interests that Frothalot might not have the same skills in, such as Eddie’s dabbling in music. “I play guitar, drums, clarinet, sing and am into freestyling Hip Hop. I’m a keen songwriter, but its kind of sporadic, I’ve got an album, and have played a few gigs, but surfing has always come first. This winter I’m looking forward to some cold weather, and hope to find the time to record some more.” So many things to do, so many places to visit, so many boards to ride... Meeting energetic, excited and dedicated people like Eddie Wearne make you appreciate that you don’t have to live your life shackled to any conventional idea of how things should be. Instead, make your own way and do it to the fullest. Go for it. Live it up, and simply tear the guts out of every bit of enjoyment you can find in life. We only live once, and it would be such a shame to miss out on filling that life with as many experiences as possible. I think I might need to go for a surf now.
To check out some of his raw, funny - even inspiring - Captain Frothalot video footage, visit Eddie’s website www.shednine.com. Or, be sociable and drop in to the ShedNine store in Dundas Street, Rye and make sure you pick up a copy of the Captain Frothalot DVD in person! 82
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LATEST: LIVING Insane views from a Bungan Beach residence designed by Peter.
LIFE IS BEACHY
Every surfer dreams of owning their own beach house overlooking their favourite break. We spoke with multi-award winning architect from Sydney’s Northern Beaches, Peter Downes, an avid surfer himself, who designs the homes dreams are made of. We discovered how a life chasing waves has led to the most fulfilling of careers. WORDS: DAVE SWAN
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IMAGES: COURTESY OF PETER DOWNES
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“Surfing lead me to exploring the Australian coast, which lead me to living in Avalon, which lead me to an architectural career designing houses on the coast all around Australia, all totally unplanned, of course, and through no great management on my behalf.” It’s uncanny how the planets can sometimes align - for everything to fall into place just when you need it most. And so it was for Peter Downes who grew up in the western suburbs of Sydney. He recalls the highlight of his earlier years to be when the family packed up the car and headed for Seven Mile Beach - just south of Gerroa in the Shoalhaven Shire, about two hours south of the Sydney CBD - to camp for the summer holidays. Around the age of fifteen, his family moved to Currarong, down near Jervis Bay and this is where Peter first caught the surfing bug. “It was a good place to learn because the waves there are generally pretty small and there was no one else around. I learnt on a 9’6” Ron surfboard.” His passion for the surf never waned. When he left home the lure of the sea was ever present, so Peter moved to Manly, on Sydney’s Northern Beaches. “I went to Uni, started an engineering degree part-time and during the day I worked as a draftsman. I realised I was pretty good at it, so after a while I dropped out of Uni and just focused on drafting. “It was the ‘70s and it was a great time for the mining industry. I ended up working as a draftsman, and then a site manager in interesting parts of Australia right through the ‘70s and early ‘80s. I used to design the material handling side of things from ship loaders to stacker reclaimers.” One job saw Peter based at Cape Cuvier, south of the Tropic of Capricorn, north of Carnarvon. He recalls his deployment fondly. “I went up there to supervise the construction of a ship loader. I took the job because just up the coast was Red Bluff, which was a secret in those days. A surfboard manufacturer in Perth had told me about it. I used to go up there on the weekend and surf with maybe two or three other guys in the water. “The water up there is just full of life. You could not put an extra fish in there without taking one out. Red Bluff is an amazing surf spot. In summer it’s dead flat. In winter it’s huge. I never saw it under 16ft. That was as big as I surfed it, but it is quite an easy wave, relatively friendly for its size. You paddle out in deep water and around into the wave. It’s not real sucky - you skate along the top of it. When it gets bigger, it gets more hollow and gnarly. “I got my best barrel ever there. I can still picture it, with the sun shining through the top of the wave prismatically from the barrel. I had just got there after some rain and the whole desert was covered with flowers. When you were sitting out the back looking towards land you could see this sea of flowers and smell the perfume. It was a really spacey experience.”
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WHALE BEACH: One of Peter’s designs with amazing views and an unbelievable position.
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DESIGNING DREAM BEACH PADS
lAtESt: living
“My lovE foR SINGlE fINS StEMS fRoM tHE SuRfING tHEy PRoDuCE.”
Peter continued to work as a freelance draftsman at various mining sites until the mid ‘80s when he headed back to the Northern Beaches and rented 3sqm of office space from a mate in Manly Vale. “After a while I got listed in the phone book under drafting so people would would ring up about a deck or a garage. By the ‘90s the engineering side of things had near completely dried up and the drafting got busier and busier.” It didn’t prove enough though, and with three young boys he was struggling to make any kind of headway financially. Peter was playing squash with a group of guys each week at the local courts when one of them, who knew he was quite broke and trying to find a new career, put a proposition to him. The said gentlemen mentioned he had just bought a block of land overlooking Bilgola Beach. “He said to me, ‘Have a go at designing a house for the site, and if I like what you come up with, I will pay you for it and build the house.’ I thought it was a really good opportunity. Thankfully, he liked what I came up with. Not a bad starting point for an architectural career.
BELOW: Peter at work on a budgetless house. Nice. Photo: Dave Swan
“It’s still one of my favourite houses. Because I didn’t know what I was doing, I didn’t have any restraints. With my engineering background I made it like a giant hollow pyramid with steel posts holding up the roof. It was eleven metres high and occupied two-thirds of the site. You couldn’t get away with it now because of energy rating issues and building restrictions. It was an opportunity that wouldn’t ever come along again. “I continued doing the odd small project and then a couple of other opportunities came along. I later joined the Building Designers Association, which is for people like me who haven’t got an architectural qualification. I submitted a house I had designed for their awards and amazingly it won the best house in NSW for its category, and I then went on to the national design awards. Since then I have won 44 state awards in various residential categories. “I was recently given an architectural diploma based on the work I have done to date - work experience (he laughs). So far I have completed about 1,000 projects and around 60-odd significant homes. Eight or ten are currently on the drawing board. One project of late is quite significant. The property is just south of Perth, and occupies a kilometre of beach. There is no budget. The client owns the world’s largest excavation company.” mar/apr 2013 | SMoRGASBoARDER
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SMORGASBOARDER | MAR/APR 2013
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LATEST: LIVING
DREAMING UP BOARD DESIGNS For twenty years Peter was busy with the business and raising kids and at that stage only had one longboard to speak of. When life settled down a little he decided to get more into surfing once again. “Through the years I have worked out I have probably bought and sold sixty odd boards and for all that money and effort I had only one board in the garage. So I thought I will keep buying one or two boards a year, but I will keep them. I started to think about what they were going to be, and how they would fit into my quiver. “I have always been fond of twin fins and single fins. My love for single fins stems from the surfing they produce. If you look back to Morning of the Earth and that super smooth downthe-line motion they produce, their speed and ability to do big cutbacks... They are just perfect. I have always enjoyed watching the likes of the late Michael Peterson surf, and the same goes for Joel Tudor today.” Along with single fins and twinnies, Peter also has a penchant for designing his own asymmetricals. “Way back I made this little 6’6” square tail single fin. It was fantastic on the forehand side. You could do a real big bottom turn and go straight down the line, but it tended to spin out a bit on the backhand side because the fin was too small. So next I made a 6’9” round tail with a bigger fin, and it was really good on the backhand, but not as good on the forehand. ABOVE: Peter at home with two friends. Photo: Dave Swan BELOW: Peter’s asymmetrical design plans and final product. Photo: Peter Downes
“I went back to the 6’6” and added angled side fins. That made it really good on the backhand, but it lost its magic on the forehand. When you stepped on the gas, instead of just wanting to go down the line, it now wanted to go up the wave face. So then I thought I would make a board that puts it all into one board. It was 6’6” round tail on the backhand side, and a square tail on the forehand. I put a small fin on the backhand side in the normal position and on the forehand side another little fin that was pretty much level with the main fin and another parallel to the stringer. It got rid of the tendency to go up the wave. “Anyhow, I rode that board for a couple of years and then got rid of it. Only a couple of years ago I experimented with
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Photo: Peter Downes MAR/APR 2013 | SMORGASBOARDER
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Home in Warriewood
“I SEE SURFBOARDS AS SCULPTURES. IT’S A REAL CRAFT.” this similar design again. It works just as well. I got the guys at McTavish Surfboards to shape it for me. I’m a fan of their boards because they are quite thick and have good, old school rails. I based it on the ‘Egg’ model because they have the volume and rocker I like and all they did was square up the rail to my specifications. The fins weren’t quite where I wanted them so I had them redone by a guy at Mona Vale.” The board is set up to ride goofy-foot and is 6’6” x 22” x 3” conforming to Peter’s ‘geometric formula. “One of the reasons I started making my own boards was because boards at the time were becoming thinner and lighter. So I made my own that were a little thicker and heavier. It made up for a lack of ability. They were easier to paddle, trim and get onto a wave. They plane through the slow sections enabling you to surf waves that no one else wants. Nowadays I won’t buy a board unless it complies by my formula. “I like surfboards that are fast by themselves. You don’t have to drive them. Single fins with a flat sort of rocker are like that. You don’t have to do a radical turn before they come alive.” Peter’s not out to make any money from his design. As he says, “I have the greatest respect and admiration for shapers. I see surfboards as sculptures. It’s a real craft. I would just like to get the kudos should my design ever be adopted. From what I can gather, there are a limited number of asymmetrical boards out there.” As for Peter’s surfboard quiver today, it’s like his design business: it continues to expand. You can sense he’s pretty content with life. Family, surfing, business... Things have turned out okay. As for where he now resides, he had this to say, “I moved up here for the surfing, and it proved to be the best thing for my career as well. It’s just a magic spot. I can be surfing at Palm Beach by myself or with a mate, and an hour later I can be at the Harbour Bridge in the heart of the city.” More on Peter’s work: www.peterdownes.com 90
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KELLY NORRIS
Photo by Smico
E C N A M R O F R S E E I P R H O HIG S & ACCESS FIN NALLY.
TERNATIO
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price tag. ithout the w e c n a rm o om RD ty and perf SURFBOA @gmail.c s n rself. Quali u fi o USED BY s y a LY s D g n U fi O • S R P 524 h to try GA 0417 980 MAR/APR 2013 | SMORGASBOARDER 91 Get in touc TURERS MANUFAC
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ALL DOWN
THE EAST
1/03/13 9:08 AM
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Cole Thomas’ shed is literally packed to the rafters with surf and skate memorabilia of the past 40-odd years. Photo: Simon Kettle
THE
A COLLECTOR’S PERSONAL HEAVEN
MAN CAVE
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PEOPLE: COLLECTORS
Like many a board fanatic, Cole Thomas’ love of board riding has flowed over into collecting. In fact, he started collecting before he realised, having held onto the very first skateboard he rode as a 12-year-old. His collection over the years has spread around the exterior of his home, but most of it lovingly stored in his man cave or ‘Surf Shack’ as Cole calls it. It’s here that intrepid interviewer Simon Kettle gets a chance to sit down and let Cole spill the beans on the art of collecting all things surf. WORDS AND PHOTOS: SIMON KETTLE Cole started skateboarding in the early ‘70s. A few years into his teens, he and a couple of mates headed down to Ted Bainbridge’s surf shop on the Nepean Highway in Frankston to buy their first surfboards. “The board I picked was a 6’2”, single fin swallowtail,” Cole says. His first wave came via the Frankston beach on a storm day. Waves only form in Port Philip Bay when there are huge winds and storms. Cole and his mates would walk down the pier, jump off, wait for a wave and ride it all the way down to the creek. Then they’d walk back and do it all again. “I always ended up filthy in that creek,” Cole tells me. As the boys started getting ‘older’ - still only 15 - they’d hitchhike to the surf, or catch the train to Crib Point, then jump off and pick up the ferry to Phillip Island to surf and camp overnight on the sand dunes - this was long before there were the houses that are there now. They used to do this nearly every weekend, until a licence finally gave them the freedom to go surfing everywhere from the Great Ocean Road to Phillip Island and through Gippsland on the Bass Coast. What seems like only a few boards and a few years later, Cole’s created his own cave of collectables.
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PEOPLE: COLLECTORS
“IF I FIND A NEW BOARD THERE’S ALWAYS ROOM… OR I’LL MAKE ROOM.” IF I COULD TURN BACK TIME
MAKING ROOM
“I probably really started to get stuck into the collecting side of surfing in my middle to late 30’s and I’d collect anything I could find to do with surfing and skateboarding. I already had a few artefacts, but around this time I consciously decided I was going to go after stuff. Then suddenly, everywhere I went, I would see something that I’d want, so I decided to grab everything I could: surfboards, skateboards, video tapes, magazines, records, posters and signs. Next thing you know I’m heavily involved in collecting, dealing and selling.
“There was a single fin Piping Hot surfboard, brand new, mint condition I’d come across about two years ago. I found it at the tip in a soft cover and paid only $5 bucks for it! It must have been sitting in someone’s shed for years, unused. I ended up selling it to another collector who he gave me $250 for it. Oh, it makes me feel sick! I’m kicking myself over letting that one go, but I sold it and a few others because I wanted... needed to get my Sandman panelvan on the road.”
“If I find a new board there’s always room… or I’ll make room. I come out into the ‘Surf Shack’ and look where I can move this board or that board. All of the things I’ve collected are out here or around the back of the house. My wife doesn’t really want this all coming into the house, which is fair enough. I do give her a call if I find something new or if we’re together I can just talk to her but she’ll probably just say, ‘oh, not another one!’ (Laughs) But she understands that it’s a passion for me.”
“I really just started this for me personally and the love of surfing. Now, I’m struggling to find the time to go look for these items but I’m still just as keen to collect anything I can get my hands on. Skateboards from the late ‘60s or ‘70s would be the thing I’m most keen to get hold of at the moment, but I think right now they are the hardest things to find. Or if I do find one, people are just asking too much money for them. I’d also like to find more twin fins like the Klemm-Bell I have here but they didn’t make many twinnies and they’re really hard to find.”
TOTAL CONTROL? “Well, it’s not ‘under control’ it’s just controlled by how much the boards are to buy. If I see a skateboard or a surfboard that’s not too expensive, I will keep buying them. But, I’m not going to the markets as much as I used to. School fees cost a lot of money, so when that finishes I can probably go and collect whatever I like. But, if there was something I really wanted or worth something, I’d find the money somehow.”
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Cole shows off his pride and joy Klemm-Bell. Photos: Simon Kettle
READY, SET …GO!
TO THE GRAVE “Well, it has to be the Klemm- Bell. When I found that board - which was only a couple of dollars from the tip too - I had an artist paint the picture on it and it symbolized my mark. It has a diamond tail, and I just love the thick rails and the fin on it. I had a couple of other KlemmBell boards but I moved them on. This is the last one I have, and I’ll never get rid of it.”
ADVICE TO THE INNOCENT “If someone wants to start collecting today, should they go for the old stuff or the new stuff that might be collectible in 30 years’ time? Mmmm… If they go with the old stuff, I’d say it would be pretty hard to start something up unless they’ve got a lot of money. Even finding the little things, like old VHS tapes are so hard to find now. You could go to the tip for a whole month and find nothing. Even the tips know what things are worth these days! There’s probably more of a chance to get into the modern stuff and wait to see what happens in the future.”
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Not far from magical, yet increasingly crowded Bali is a newly discovered, secluded, crescent-shaped bay with swaying palm and pandanus trees. It offers ultra-fun, consistent left and right-hand beach-breaks, with no one around. Day by day, empty A-frames break with just a couple of local surfers, and the odd tourist, to share the spoils of this untouched area.
GOLD WORDS: MICHAEL McCOMAS PHOTOS: MICK CURLEY
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WORLD: COMMUNITY
D MAR/APR 2013 | SMORGASBOARDER
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The place I am writing about is
Red Island – known to the locals as ‘Pulau Merah’. Red Island is situated a few bays west of the famous G-land - one of the longest, heaviest most perfect waves in the world - and is accessible from the ferry port in Bali of Gilimanuk. It’s surrounded by lush green hills and clear blue water with unusual (for this area) white sand covering the shore. It’s one of those rare places that cater for all ability levels of surfers from learners to pros. Red Island has something for everyone. In the corner of the bay, under a towering big dome-like island, is a mechanical left and right A-frame that breaks on all available swell, and on average breaks in the 2-4ft range every day. Further down the beach is more subject to the south swells and shifty beachies break on average between 3-5ft on most days.
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On solid swell, the A-frame in the corner turns into a long, left-hand point style wave, with big walls, great for practicing multiple cutbacks with the odd barrel section, whilst further down the beach turns into massive peaky mountains of craziness. Most days you find yourself trying to count how many waves you‘ve caught in the corner, whilst the right breaks into a user friendly deep channel the left runs down the beach and you find yourself completing many a runaround to the easy ‘drift out’ in the channel. Between surf sessions the guides can whip out the Zodiak and take you fishing, snorkelling or spearfishing around the nearby islands - often pulling up to a secluded bay and cooking your catch up on a ‘Indostyle’ BBQ. Red Island really is paradise, but unfortunately there is one catch… And it’s a big one.
Beneath the beautifully green, protected mountains lies one of the biggest gold deposits in the world. Whilst it’s debatable whether this is a good thing or a bad thing for the locals of the area, one thing is for sure that it’s a major threat to the environment. Whilst the area comes under a ‘protected forest’ status similar to our National Park status, there are efforts under way by mining interests to have these changed from ‘Protected’ to ‘Production’, which would see the area turned into an open cut mine, with a port terminal constructed in an adjacent bay, which would have ships running through Red Island, the pristine waters at G-land and possibly Bali. The greater majority of locals in the area are opposed to the idea of an open cut mine, as it would devastate local water resources, which they rely on for agricultural and fishing
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WoRld: COMMUNITY
“Red Island Really Is paRadIse, but unfoRtunately theRe Is one catch... and It’s a bIg one.”
mar/apr 2013 | sMoRgasboaRdeR
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WORLD: COMMUNITY
Photo: Mick Curley
“NOT ONLY DOES TOURISM HAVE A LESS NEGATIVE EFFECT ON THE ENVIRONMENT, IT ALSO CREATES NEW OPPORTUNITES FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH...”
BELOW: WHAT AN OPEN CUT GOLD MINE ACTUALLY IS. Kalgoorlie’s Super-Pit. Wikimedia CC. Photo: Brian Voon Yee Yap
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GOL
WORLD: COMMUNITY
“IT’S A GREAT PLACE FOR ALL SURFERS FROM BEGINNERS TO MAL RIDERS TO NEW AGE AIR-FLARERS..” Photo: Mick Curley
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purposes. The proposed mine site is situated between two of the largest national parks in Java, the Meru Betiri National Park, which is home to one of the most important turtle breeding sites in Indonesia, and Alas Purwo National park where G-land is situated. As it stands, exploratory operations have ceased, after forcible removal of the company by local interests – a battle that now continues being fought in an international court. So, we continue to promote tourism to both locals and foreigners, to hopefully show the local forestry minister that not only does tourism have a less negative effect on the environment, it also creates new opportunites for economic growth with tourism related businesses. Time will tell how this plays out.
For more information on the accomodation at the newly built surfers’ stay, consisting of three large comfortable bungalows with private open air bathrooms, and amazing local meals with cold Bintang always available and a campfire out front to sit around at night, check out the A Red Island Surf Adventures website www. aredislandsurf.com or follow them on Instagram – aredislandsurf. A Red Island Surf Adventures run packages out of Kuta (Bali) with the option of surfing G-land, Balian, Medewi and other secret spots in the area.
One thing is certain however, and that is the waves at Red Island will always break, and as long as the crowds of Bali continually increase, we, as surfers, will always be seeking that new, uncrowded getaway - which you are guaranteed at Red Island. It’s a great place for all surfers from beginners to mal riders to new age air-flarers. Yes, Red Island’s waves are the true gold here.
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TALES: BACK IN THE DAY Occy’s Left
ONE NIGHT
IN SUMBA
While surf trips are about finding amazing waves, sometimes it’s other parts of the adventure that stick in your memory. It’s not always the epic, but often the little things that bring the colour and detail to our experiences. Almost 20 years on from a trip with two mates in the mid-’90s, Sunshine Coast surfer Shane Palethorpe recounts one of these little memories a quest for tinned food on the Indonesian island of Sumba. WORDS & PHOTOS: SHANE PALETHORPE
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Hotel Occy’s
Waingapu markets
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Indonesia chasing waves, a trip to Sumba would provide lasting memories, with one night in particular remaining with me forever. A month of good waves at Lakey Peak in Sumbawa had us fit and primed for further adventures, so two mates and I put our heads together and decided to escape the increasing crowd at Lakeys and head for Occy’s left in Sumba. The 12-hour ferry ride from Bima to Waingapu the capital of Sumba was great, with a beautiful sunset over the stern of the ship. We arrived just after dark to the bustling docks of Waingapu. Having no idea where we were going, we managed by blind luck to find a losmen to crash for the night, and the following day caught the public bus for the 8-hour journey to Waikabubak, the closest town to Nihiwatu - Occy’s Left. Eventually we found ourselves at Chief Metebulu’s village high atop the hills overlooking the bay where the left is located, and settled in for the night. The following day presented small waves not worth surfing, so some diving was the order of the day. However the next morning showed two-foot corduroy lines to the horizon, and the promise of a long period swell, so we decided to wait and see what the next day would bring. We were the only people in the water for the next few weeks, and the swell eventually topped out at 6-10 feet, with some awesome barrels shared between the three of us. Yet, although the village was a great place to be, and the chief very accommodating, there was one thing we were short of - food. We had been surviving on noodles with an egg or a bit of chicken waved over it for several days, and the term ‘hungry’ would be an understatement. We couldn’t go on much longer like this.
“WE WERE THE ONLY PEOPLE IN THE WATER FOR THE NEXT WEEKS, AND THE SWELL EVENTUALLY TOPPED OUT AT 6-10 FEET...”
Late one afternoon, a local teacher rode into the village on an old two-stroke motorcycle, and when I heard he was to stay the night, an idea hatched: use his bike to ride into Waikabubak for some food that night. After an arrangement had been reached, I grabbed some money from the crew, a large rucksack and headed off into town.
TALES: BACK IN THE DAY
AFTER many trips to various parts of
The sun was already setting when I departed, but figured I would be ok if I just followed the ribbon of tarmac that passed for a road. Along the way - probably every 500 metres or so - I would come across large pythons lying across the road, soaking up the last of the warmth from the day. They were not an issue while I had light, as I would just ride around them, but as night fell I was totally reliant on the feeble headlight on the bike to both spot and avoid the snakes. About a third of the way into town, with night now fully upon me, the engine cut out. Yes, I had run out of fuel, and unlike other parts of Indo where you have fuel for sale nearly everywhere along the roadside, there was no such luxury in this part of Sumba. I had not even checked the tank prior to leaving, and this would prove to be the catalyst for a crazy night in Sumba. And anyone that knows old two-stroke bikes will understand that the headlight is run from a magneto that’s only powered when the engine is going. Without the engine, no light. I would be pushing the bike along the road with no lights or villages along the way to shed any light on the direction I must take. The only indicator was the crunching of gravel on the road verge when the front tyre left the tarmac. But, that would prove to be the least of my worries… Whenever I felt the front wheel go over some sort of bump, I would run the next few metres and at the same time try to jump into the air. Try it - not easy, but with the adrenalin level high I managed it with ease. I must have gone over at least half a dozen snakes in this fashion on the trip to town. I eventually came to the range of hills between the coast and Waikabubak, and pushed that damn bike all the way to the top, where I could just see in the distance the distant lights of downtown Waikabubak. Comforting, but still a long way to go. Coming down the range of hills gave new meaning to the word excitement, I had to listen very carefully for the crunch of gravel to avoid going over the edge of the cutting, and after another hour or so managed to push the bike into town. MAR/APR 2013 | SMORGASBOARDER
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TALES: BACK IN THE DAY
At what passed for the petrol station, I started to fill the tank. Something made me fill it right to the top. Lucky I did, as I would need most of it to get back later in the night. I found the local Chinese run “ sell everything” shop and proceeded to clean them out of whatever I could carry in the rucksack: tinned strawberry jam from Australia, tinned NZ butter, Indo bread, tinned Chinese luncheon meat, and whatever else could be eaten. The rucksack was almost full when I left the store and headed off into the night again, only this time with a headlight to show the way. Feeling quite chuffed at my efforts to firstly get into town, and secondly to have such a treasure of food to return with, I couldn’t wait to get back to the village for a real feed. After about an hour on the road I realised I was horribly lost. To add to that, the rear tyre had totally gone down, leaving the bike sliding its arse-end around all over the place, but I had no option but to keep going... Slowly. I didn’t even know if I was on the right road, and was hopelessly lost. In the far distance, I could see a glow of lights, and made my way towards them, down a dirt track, ending up at some sort of mining camp with about 300 guys working there. It seemed to be around 10pm at night, but I was only guessing.
Although I had trouble with the dialect, there was one word I understood only too well - anging (dog) - and this would be the centrepiece on the table. When I tried to tell them in Oz we have dogs as pets, they just laughed at me. Whether this was because of the mess I was making of their language, or the fact we kept them as pets, I will never know. However, the generosity had been outstanding in helping me with the flat tyre, so not wishing to offend anyone, I had little choice but to hoe in and try to forget I was eating Fido. Let me tell you, dog meat must be one of the worst meats I have ever tasted. Even a strong curry would have trouble masking the flavour, but then again, it was probably all in my head. Following dinner, they all pointed to where I should be heading. As I rode away, I heard a big cheer from the workers. I thought they were just giving me a send-off, but no, I had already started heading in the wrong direction, and they were yelling trying to point out my error. But off I went, thinking I was on the right track.
Simon and Shane, Sumba jungle
The guys all came racing out to greet me. Although I couldn’t understand a word of their dialect, they soon had the rear tyre off and started fixing it for me, as the manager of the mine invited me to sit with them and eat. I thought the night had been interesting up to this point… How wrong I was.
“I DIDN’T EVEN KNOW IF I WAS ON THE RIGHT ROAD, AND WAS HOPELESSLY LOST.” MAR/APR 2013 | SMORGASBOARDER
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6-10 foot Occy’s
“DOG MEAT MUST BE ONE OF THE WORST MEATS I HAVE EVER TASTED.”
How wrong could I be? After another hour or so of getting lost again, I spotted a feeble light from beside the road coming from a small shack. I approached the shack to find an elderly guy with his meager possessions, and I tried to convey my problem to him, where I was trying to get to… Imagine diagrams in the dirt if you will. Eventually he took pity on me and indicated he will accompany me on the back of the bike, to the turnoff I need to return to the village. Sumba is a balmy place with high daytime temperatures, but at night the temperature plummets and it gets pretty cool. After about 30 minutes I can feel the old guy shivering behind me and figuring I have the direction sussed by now, I decided to take him back to his home, and make it back on my own. When I dropped him off, I tried to offer him some money for his help, but like so many people who don’t have much, he wouldn’t take anything. I ended up leaving a wad of notes under a plate on the table. I hope he made good use of it and wasn’t offended. Soon, I was lost again, but this time not too far from the turnoff to Metebulu’s village, and after a further hour or so of going in circles, I accidentally stumbled into camp with my mates all waiting up and wondering where the hell I had been. It would have been well past midnight by this time. What a mission, but I had enjoyed every minute of it, and the adventure is as clear today for me, as it was on that crazy night in Sumba. The following morning we would luxuriate in French toast cooked on the sides of a wok, and let me tell you, food had never tasted so good.
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Days later, the swell had died down and other surfers started to arrive, so we felt it was time to leave our paradise and return west to Bali. To have surfed Occy’s left was fantastic. To have it at 6 to 10 feet was amazing. To have no other surfers around, it was a dream. And to have that one crazy night in Sumba? Priceless. 110
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Photo supplied by Warrick Mitchell
TRAVEL: SNOW
FRESH TRACKS The weightless feeling of carving fresh powder snow is a sensation like no other. There’s almost a certain mystique to it that is hard to describe unless experienced first hand. Warrick Mitchell recalls his quest to make fresh tracks with a heliskiing mission he undertook on the South Island of New Zealand. WORDS & PHOTOS: WARRICK MITCHELL
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With a short break from work, we jump
almost straight from surfing Byron onto a Brisbane flight and soon find ourselves touching down to the winter snow in Queenstown. I had with me a snowboarder from Europe and a skier who bases his worldly snow travels out of the Gold Coast. It was early winter and New Zealand was getting doused in powder making us keen to get amongst it. Stepping off the plane in Queenstown you are immediately greeted by the towering jagged peaks of The Remarkables and fresh winter air. Surrounded by two national parks, Queenstown has a landscape that inspires movie makers and adventurers alike. The mountains are pushed up by the IndoAustralia Plate and shaped by two million or so years of grinding glaciers and eroding weather systems. The feeling as you hop off the plane into the small bustling resort is surreal and seems to never grow old. We load our gear, and ourselves, into a rental campervan and head over the hill to the resort of Lake Wanaka. With its clear waters and steep alpine backdrop, Wanaka has a perfect setting, and the many bars and restaurants
whet our appetite in the anticipation of the days to come. We’ve timed our visit well, with fresh powder falling overnight.
(The helicopter flies all day, dropping groups into different spots. You decide where to go and how many runs.)
Our next day riding in Wanaka is stunning, but we soon hit the road north towards the large Canterbury mountains on a mission. The South Island straddles the Alpine Fault line where the Pacific and Indo-Australian plates crash together coming ashore from the deep water off Kaikoura. They make their way south all the way down into the Fiordland, before heading back out to sea. The result is the dramatic South Island and Southern Alps rising high out of the South Pacific Ocean. At its largest in the center of the South Island are Mount Cook and Tasman, towering at approximately 3700 and 3500 metres respectively.
Our goal is to join Mark and Marie Claire (then owners of Helipark), to experience both the heli accessed riding of Helipark and to fly across the mighty Rangitata River for a second day to heli ski in the mountains to the south. For this we want a fresh powder day, and while we wait for the snow, we decide to hit the numerous club fields starting an hour to the north.
We make our way to the north of New Zealand’s biggest peaks to the Rangitata Gorge, which twists deep into the base of the Alps. By the time we’ve made the long spectacular drive in, we are closer to the west coast than the east coast where we started out. At the end of the road, Helipark NZ, situated on a high country station and lodge, is developing their vision for the world’s first heli-accessed free-ride park.
We choose Broken River for our day with an overnight stay. It’s an experience all in itself. We load the gear lift and make the hike up the access path under the native trees. At the top we re-unite with our gear and hit the ‘nut cracker’ rope tows. The riding is challenging and rewarding and overall down-to-earth. The night’s accommodation is perfect, nestled on the verge of the native forest and the alpine realm. We stay in central-heated, self-contained cabins and share exciting travel stories with others who are chasing the winter powder. The Broken River Lodge is also licensed and comes with a chef if you choose to dine.
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LEFT: Mt Potts backcountry heli-drop
Next day we enjoy a daybreak start, greeted by friendly Keas (the world’s only alpine parrot) on the snow-covered steps up to the lifts. We enjoy the mornings riding before heading back to Helipark as a fresh storm and snow is rolling in and our names are on the top of the list for the following day’s heli time. We wake from our cabins at the Helipark base camp - Mount Potts Lodge - just before daybreak to a crisp and clear still morning. Coffees, breakfast and laughs are enjoyed while we gear up and the sun warms the valley. We don our transceivers, the blades start to spin and we load the helicopter ten metres from our doorstep ready for the day ahead. Warrick is no stranger to choppers, and is the man behind HeliSurf NZ. www.helisurf.co.nz
“WE’VE TIMED OUR VISIT WELL, WITH FRESH POWDER FALLING OVERNIGHT.”
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TRAVEL: SNOW
JUST UP THE ROAD Jase Johns of Queenstown’s NZ Shred takes us alon on a little trip of discovery
It’s early on a Tuesday morning in July and my fingers are cold, as I try to push the last roof clamp down on the snowboards. I pour more hot water into my cup of tea, as the rest of the crew are just starting to filter through the shower. We’re about to set off on another mini-Roadie. I’ve got some folks over from the Sunshine Coast who have flown in for a weeks’ snowboarding. They’re after a mix of ‘big and commercial’ as well as some sort of quintessential ‘Kiwines’s in the mix. Having spent the last seventeen years in the region and in the snow industry, I’m hard pressed thinking of a more appropriate adventure. I turn the key, and the engine of the NZSHRED Landcruiser rattles into action – that diesel hum, I liken to a ranchers most faithful horse, with the confident look of “Where would you like to go, Boss?”. Driving away from Queenstown feels wrong, but greener (or in this case, whiter) pastures lie but a short two and a half hours drive away. Everyone’s asleep, so I’m in charge of the tunes, as we roll in to Omarama. Here’s a chance to fill the truck with juice, as well as get some fresh caffeine into our veins before the last push.
The weather report looked great for today and tomorrow and that fresh snow on the road over the Lindis Pass, which had kept me concentrating while everyone else slept, reminded me that there should be some great riding ahead. Just as the road started to get straight and boring, the sound of the indicator as we turned left at the big timber “Welcome to Ohau” sign, resuscitated those in the back seats... We were getting close. You could see Ohau Ski Fields wedged in one of the numerous basin valleys that dropped from the Southern Alps, and poke their tentacles towards the picturesque Lake of the same name. Weaving through a stand of old man pine, we round the corner and our first signs of accommodation… Ohau Lodge. We pass the bunk rooms and campervan parks before hitting the office and main building. I confidently tell the crew to hang tight and I’ll check what the score is. As I walk into the Lodge, and up the stairs, you can’t help but be taken by the eclectic mix of architecture, that screams of the untold number of winter travellers
WORDS & PICS: JASE JOHNS
who’s weary legs have also clambered up these secret steps. As I chat to the young girl behind the counter, Louise the owner, springs up from behind the computer at the back of the room. “Well, you’ve picked another great few days to come up!”, she says with that combination of warmth and welcome annoyance that you get from someone working when they wish they could play. It’s great and it’s real. Our rooms aren’t ready... Why should they be, it’s only just 11am. So I quickly check the weather report on the counter before heading back to the truck, where I find everyone has got restless and I am now the only person not already in snowboarding gear. I’ll do it up the hill – “Right, you guys ready to head up?”, I say more out of courtesy, as we have already turned up the Access Road. A little smile crosses my face, as we pass the old shack just before the first water crossing … it’s covered with stickers, all snow-related. And I spy the NZSHRED one right
in the middle and reminisce on its attachment, many years earlier, on a ‘stir-crazy’ mission, when a blizzard not only shut the ski field, but also left us well entrenched at the Lodges bar, due to all roads north and south being cut by snow. With the eagerness of seagulls to as stray chip, we head straight for the ticket office. The afternoon is settled and the snow is chalky. The views are breath-taking, back down the valley to Lake Ohau and across the MacKenzie Country plains. It’s getting to midafternoon, so I ask if anyone feels like a hike. The track has been cut half way to the ridgeline, so it is slightly more than a plod, for those extra joyous lines. Another few runs and we are all starting to think of refreshments. It’s an easy roll back down to the Lodge. After settling in and showering, we all meet for a pre-dinner drink at the bar. The delightful homestyle meal fills everyone up and the bar again calls, as much to have a drink, as it does to see if you know anyone else or to swap stories of runs now long gone. Everyone settles in, in their own way. Some play pool, others board games on the couches, a few brave souls take to the outside verandah seats. You can’t see much, however the reflection of the moon in the flat Lake water, suggests a chilly night ahead. My day is done. The next day we awaken to a day much like a repeat of the day before, a great little example of what can be achieved without the big budgets and marketing matrices.
OHAU SKI FIELDS: A great South Island snow option.
Jase runs NZSHRED in Queenstown, stocking a range of snow, surf, skate and SUP gear. www.nzshred.co.nz
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SPRAY GUNS
If ever there was an artform inextricably linked to surfing, it’s the skill of spray - the art of the airbrush. We chat to a current king in the field, and a living legend of the art.
“ART GETS EVERYWHERE”
PART 1:
Talking about people, places and painting anything in sight:
DANIEL JOYCE
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GEAR: INTERVIEW MAR/APR 2013 | SMORGASBOARDER
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GEAR: INTERVIEW
DANIEL JOYCE
is a multi-talented artist that has turned a travelling freelance gig and his skill at art into a full-time business and career. With a wide variety of work in his portfolio, his feel for faces and incredible portraiture has even seen him as an entrant in the prestigious Archibald Prize - a national art competition for which he produced a portrait of Newcastle legend and international surf icon, Mark Richards. Portraits, cartoons, art on boards – not being tied to any one product or material of choice, his work has been displayed on surfboards, skateboards, vans, canvas, walls‌ the list seems endless. Phew. With that bit of a background sketch, we let Dan fill in a few details WORDS: MARK CHAPMAN PHOTOS: COURTESY OF DAN JOYCE
FAR LEFT: The Surfing Legends series. MIDDLE: Dan out front at home. LEFT: Skateboard artwork MAR/APR 2013 | SMORGASBOARDER
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“Art gets everywhere on anything,” Dan says. “There’s always a way. I’ve been putting some ink into skin lately ...working on doing some more of that. I haven’t graff’d up a train yet. Trucks and aircraft, but no trains. I probably spent too much time as a grom in the ocean, as opposed to the city subway. Some of that urban graf work is pure talent though.” Dan’s a self-taught artist with a love for art and the ocean that started off at a very young age. “As a grom I just went on fishing camping trips with my dad, mum ‘n bro every weekend,” He explains. “I would do sketches of these trips when I was at school - I was a fisho first and still am. By the time I started paddling out with my mates from school I’d already had an appreciation and knowledge of the ocean and all its medicinal qualities. “I drew faces at school, so I love my pencil portrait and caricature work. I love transforming concept sketches either for my own body of work or for a client - into large-scale, full-colour applications, whether it’s a mural on a wall or custom car, or a composition from my surf photos that I will turn into a panoramic beachscape on canvas. “Photographing and sketching the waves and places I surf then turning them into big panoramic colour paintings is the go.”
“I DON’T MISS A MORNING SESSION OR GOOD SWELL. BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, I DON’T MISS A DEADLINE.” Dan tells us that the same as any young bloke finding some work along the road to keep the surf and snowboard travel dream alive, he would use his art where he could to fund and extend his travels to some magical places around the world.
YES, ANYTHING: There’s not much Dan hasn’t applied ink, pen or paint to.
“A few months in Mexico would rate pretty high,” he says of some of his choice picks of places. “I’d recommend surfing the north-west coast of Ireland during their summer... and Guinness. Back-to-back seasons snowboarding in Austria will teach you a lot about surviving on the road and being in the 120
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snow gave me a deeper love for the ocean. I’d recommend that trip to any of the young crew. “A Mentawais boat trip with your mates is something you have to do, although there’s a pretty nice head high peak running lefts down the beach just out front of here… Got some crackers this morning, so my fav’ spot is definitely where I live.” And despite being incredibly busy with a mountain of work, Dan makes sure to make the most of that magic at home as often as possible. “Too much work is no good for your health. Nothing gets me pumped more than when I’ve got several art jobs backed up with deadlines or whatever. I’ve got a beautiful family to feed, so I put pressure on myself to smash all my jobs to a quality finish on time, though without balance in life, work becomes impossible. “I live 5 minutes walk from my beachbreak and reefbreaks and I work 5 metres from where I live, so it’s important I don’t miss a morning session or good swell. But more importantly, I don’t miss a deadline. I work at night a lot! “If the surf and work is pumping at the same time however, it can get tricky. Too much surfing while stretching deadlines usually means I’ll paddle out and have a shocker.” As far as the art goes, airbrushing is Dan’s main medium, which he explains is fast and versatile for what he does. He explains a little about the process behind it all. “If you’ve ever blasted a spray gun or done some aerosol can work, it’s the same principal with compressed air - just that an airbrush allows fine, hairline control. Just pull the trigger for a few thousand hours ‘till you get the feel for it! “I don’t call myself an ‘airbrush artist.’ I’m just an illustrator who uses an airbrush as one of his tools. There’s a lot of ‘airbrush artists’ out there who only know masking and taping and stencil techniques to get results. That’s fine, and there’s loads of tricks you can learn this way - even
possibly a market for those type of graphic effects, if you want to spend your time masking and taping and using a stencil knife in order to paint smooth fine lines. 99% of my work with an airbrush is total freehand. It’s just another discipline, so the harder you work at what you want from it, the more you will be rewarded.” But the reward goes both ways, as Dan uses his art for good too. From day one he has donated artwork to various causes. In fact it was his involvement with ‘SIDS and Surfest’ back in 2000 that inspired him to start work on the Surfing Legends project - caricatures of men’s world champion surfers, of which the originals have all been signed. This cool series of caricatures he explains “illustrate trademark characteristics of a person around an easily recognisable melon.” Spreading smiles and good vibes, Dan believes it’s all about karma to give back to the people who need help, which in his case happens to be via surfing-related fundraisers. While artworks are like children, we were curious if Dan had any particular favourite pieces? “My latest piece is my best,” he says. “The surfing legends collection which is a work in progress is a favourite. The collection is for sale with a clause that lets me continually add more legends and champs as they arise. “I’m pretty stoked with all my pieces, as they have all involved a similar amount of energy to produce. By far my best work though, is my wife and 3-year-old daughter, with grom number two due in March 2013.” Dan welcomes people getting in touch about any of his art, so if you’re interested in finding out more, or need some artwork done, drop him a line. For questions, comments, orders, shows and latest works, see www.danieljoycedesign.com or look up ‘danieljoycedesign’ on Facebook.
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SPRAY AN GUNS UNEXPECTED
PART 2:
JOURNEY SHANE EGAN The work - and adventures - of
THE ‘SMAUGASBOARD’. A beautiful board with beautiful artwork, and my, my - how well that name rolls off the tongue.
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“Being able to pack up my Airbrush and pencils enabled me a nomadic, surfing, lifestyle and gave me the honour and pleasure of working with some of the great shapers and characters of that era”.
WORDS: MARK CHAPMAN PHOTOS: COURTESY OF SHANE EGAN
This began an annual pilgrimage for Shane and his wife-to-be Chrissie Charlton (daughter of Kirra legend Johnny Charlton)
Born in 1952, Shane Egan grew up around Narrabeen and Warriewood on Sydney’s Northern Beaches, but after leaving school developed a bit of wanderlust and set off to explore… “It was the ‘Morning of the Earth’ years, and the North Coast and beyond beckoned. After a few trips south and north I settled for the warmer climes of Coolangatta - a great time to be there in the early 70’s. Then, as the Gold Coast got busier, I began frequenting New Zealand. My brother Dale and I had been trying to save some dollars to get over there and ended up winning a couple of return tickets in a shopping mall raffle! (laughs).
and me. They planned to spend summers in NZ and winters on the Gold Coast – a pretty perfect arrangement by anyone’s standards. New Zealand, however, ended up offering Shane a lucrative employment prospect, which saw him spending a little bit more time there than originally foreseen.
GEAR: INTERVIEW
You might not instantly recognise the name, but even if you only discovered surfing yesterday, you will most definitely be familiar with something Shane Egan’s artistic hand has touched. A creator in art and surfboard design, Shane’s airbrush work of the 70’s is the stuff of legend - not to mention his involvement in either the design or print of almost every iconic surfboard decal of the era. Now a resident of Tonga, he fills us in on his incredible journey through Australia and New Zealand through one of the most inspiring and experimental decades of surfing history.
“We rocked up to Whangamata at the end of our second trip, where Kingsley “Knackers” Kernovske had leased Bob Davie’s board factory and began Natural Balance Surfboards,” he explains. “He wacked a wad of cash down on the shop counter and said ’Stay’.” Shane says New Zealand was still pretty much a fledgling surf community then - great people and an absolutely beautiful country with quality, empty waves all over the shop. He found himself exploring his creativity in a big way including sticker design, airbrushing boards, paintings and large murals, but also got into refined board design.
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GEAR: INTERVIEW
“IT WAS THE ‘MORNING OF THE EARTH’ YEARS, AND THE NORTH COAST AND BEYOND BECKONED.” “I convinced Kingsley to build the first Modern Mal there around ’76 and I built the first snowboard there circa ’77-‘78. After the first initial rush to Bali had settled, we opted for a few extended trips up there from ’79. And again around ’83, with our two little ones (son Chas & daughter Hayley) in tow, we went up with Jeff Doig’s crew to set up the first board factory. Our last stay in NZ, before the big move to warmer waters again in Tonga, was ‘85. “I’m a big Tolkien fan. Chrissie and I did a trip back to NZ earlier in 2012 and visited the Hobbiton set at Matamata and Weta Cave in Wellington - great! I always pictured NZ as Middle Earth! We also caught up with Bob, Taff, Rollie & Pete and all the old surf shop crew who were still chillin’ out at Whanga.”
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Shane formally trained as a screenprinter and while on the Northern beaches was involved in the production of iconic logos and surfboard decals including ones for McCoy, Goodtime, Oke, Michael Peterson and more. “I did a few years at a display company in Brookvale, screen printing and colour mixing with Manly surfer Ian “Goody” Goodacre,” he tells us. “All good experience but from Narrabeen, I started doing extended trips up the coast, supported by selling handdrawn decals to the local board builders. It was a simple idea which added individuality to boards. “All I needed was an ink pen, a 6-pack of coloured pencils, a stock of rice paper and a flat surface (usually the picnic bench closest to a surfbreak). Basically, less space than a spare pair of boardies.
“It was Geoff McCoy who first asked me to draw one up to be printed. ‘Jim the Printer’ was producing the board decals at Brookvale and while the arty, multi-coloured designs were in vogue through the 70’s, he’d hook me up to do them all. “Most of the decals were either designed and or colour-separated by me. Some manufacturers had their own ideas, but I still did all the separations. This involved doing separate, overlapping greyscale drawings for each colour. “No computers, and camera separations were way more expensive than what I could do them for back then. Never saw the designs in colour ‘till they came back from the printer, so it was always fun to see how they came up! “Some guys like Alan Oke (Oke Surfboards) and Brian “Fury”
Austin (Goodtime) already had recognisable logos but asked me to embellish on it. In this case his ‘Oke’ tree became stranded on a tiny island with perfect waves peeling around either side. “I designed a couple for Michael Peterson based on right hand barrels & tropical fruit. He couldn’t decide though what name he wanted to call his boards so he had me draw up a bunch of different names on a separate sheet to cut out and place over the coloured decal as the whim took him. “My personal favourite is the design I did for Wilson Surfboards at Raglan. The view out to Indicators was just so picturesque I went all Art Nouveau. “Turns out I’ve gone the full cycle and reverted back to screen printing my own art on t-shirts & sarongs. I started doing rock and
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fashion design t-shirts towards the end of the 70’s into the early 80’s and now unusual designs just for our shop.” But drawing logos for decals was far from the extent of Shane’s art on boards. After painting some backgrounds on boards with a spray gun connected to the back end of a vacuum cleaner, Shane’s mum – a commercial artist herself at the time - bought him an airbrush and QLD surfboard manufacturers Joe Larkin and Keith Paull offered him some shaped blanks to put his hand to. “I guess I never looked back and I pretty much had a free run of all
the better surf factories on the Gold Coast and Byron Bay and by ’75 New Zealand as well. I took full advantage of the mobility of the adolescent profession which allowed me to travel to different surf locations and work alongside many of the best shapers of the era. Having started out hand drawing decals, I often included this technique to add detail and focus to a board mural. I also included pencil inserts in many of my airbrush paintings.” “I started out airbrushing sleek, glossy, single fins - with no legropes, for rocky point breaks - a rather disappointing combination
in retrospect. Some of the sleekest were through the ‘Stinger’ era. The second round of the Twinnies were nice too and Keith Paull and I smoothed out the chunky US Bonzer design and produced a beautiful pin-tail version with the channel keels coming out at flyers. “I started my own shaping career at Keith’s and went from chined concaves to shaping full, multi curve-channel thrusters. With such board designs the tape-ups, framing the murals, had to suit the sleek lines but the art within could be anything from wistful mermaids and perfect fantasy surfbreaks to dragons or space surfers.
Shane also kept his brother Dale sponsored with boards through his competitive career. “He was pretty much on top in his early years and gave good feedback for my board design. There was no monetary reward then so he opted for the ‘soul surfer’ life - something that can actually be a lucrative career these days - Go Rasta!” Shane describes his work as ‘Surreal Fantasy... always in perfect harmony with nature’. “I tried to create my own world from the fusion where everything is fantasy perfect and surreally bright, MAR/APR 2013 | SMORGASBOARDER
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GEAR: INTERVIEW
the waves crispy sharp, wrapping endless point breaks and inhabited by surfing elves. The whole vision was so 70’s - “searching for empty perfection”! “My work was mostly inspired by the literary world created by Tolkien (The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings which I carried around like a stack of bibles) & Robert E Howard (Conan) and the artwork of Frank Frazetta, Dali, Rick Griffin and Bill Ogden.” And speaking of Tolkien, one of Shane’s works has a particularly special place for us – the Smaugasboard! He explains… “The Hobbit obsession led me to airbrush this board for myself around 1975. I designed the board with retro - already back then influences and had Keith Paull shape it. The airbrush is of Smaug the dragon, in his treasure cave conversing with Bilbo the Hobbit, supposedly invisible at the time. “I called it ‘Smaugasboard’, after the dragon, with a pun on the spread of food. It was one of a continuous string of retro-inspired designs including a mini Plastic Machine (circa ‘74) and the first of the Modern Mals we built at Whangamata.” Art-wise, airbrushing is insanely difficult to master – a fact that few would understand today, since the advent of Photoshop and digital art. So for those who don’t
understand exactly how it works, we asked Shane to give us a quick explanation of the process to produce an airbrushed image. “While the airbrush has its limitations, for what it can do, it’s the perfect medium - especially for skies and water, where there are mostly soft edges, fades and colour blends. There was no airbrush academy, or book of instructions - I just had to work things out as I went along. “Martin Worthington was doing his own thing at Hot Buttered in Sydney, and there was no peer group to compare notes. There was no specific paint for the airbrush. This took a lot of experimentation as well - especially for painting on the foam and being glassed over. There was fading, de-laminating, bleeding, clotting and spattering to overcome and different stencil materials to test. “I would sketch the layout in the lighter colours and add layers of darker colours - all the while the images becoming more in focus and dimensional. Knowing just when to stop was often determined by the swell conditions. The fibreglass layer over the top enriched the effect and became almost jewel-like. “It was a beautiful era really. Surfing was an art and so was the board building process. There
wasn’t much money involved - we just did it for the love of surfing. In comparison, I think today the surfboard has the status more befitting a tennis racquet. And with regard to today, what about how the digital world has changed what art is, and how it’s produced? “Well, you know... I used to have thick calluses on my fingers from the airbrush, and you had to swing your arm around quite a bit, with big swooping movements. I just don’t know how that action would translate to a mouse. “While I’m amazed at where the digital world has taken us, it is kinda sad to see the virtual disappearance of art as we knew it. But hey, after Dali, Frank Frazetta (of Conan art) and Surf Airbrush, there’s not much that hasn’t been done. As a result, stuff just gets wackier in an attempt to be different - and that’s okay, but not quite the same. “With Photoshop and digital reproductions, you can have anything printed on anything, and that has dispelled a lot of the magic. Commercialism also hasn’t helped individuality. “I believe that movies are where art is presently at its best, but this requires a makeover. The technology is there for us to make beautiful audio-visuals, but our
minds are in the gutter. There are a lot of great stories out there, so no excuse. I’m a big fan of 3D. Some people have a problem with it but it works for my eyes. Can you imagine what would be going through Walt Disney’s head, watching today’s 3D digital animation? Shane tells us how he’s always really thrived on the creative process of art and functional design. Thesedays, with a small beach resort to run, and the art mostly about designing for their shop, he says he still just enjoys being creative and treading new ground - from building his home, resort accommodation and landscaping the surrounds to writing and surfboard design in particular, for which he still has a unique taste for. “I’ve always had a couple of boards including a state-of-the-art and one of my retro-fusion designs - which has been a parallel evolution on the Plastic Machine-theme. I’m finally content with where the design has come to. and now it’s my main board. “ The waves here are really fast and hollow and it works perfect - crazy! It has lots of different features, like re-designed, cropped fins... But the most obvious are the cropped nose and tail - effectively reducing the board length by a foot. No more points for me!
Cape Woolamai Beach,
“I’M FINALLY CONTENT WITH WHERE THE DESIGN HAS COME TO.”
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Cape Woolamai Beach, on Phillip Island, Victoria
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“I used to shape my own boards till I moved to Tonga then just had Neal Purchase Snr. make them to my design. He went into retirement about the time I wanted my ‘Cropped Compact’ shaped so I e-mailed Neil Oke the details and picked up the board on the way through to King Island - he did a great job! “I had been invited down to the KI finless gig with Derek Hynd, my brother Dale, violinist Richard Tognetti, Tom Carroll, Tom Wegener and a crew of luminaries for the Musica Surfica documentary in 2007. Quite a few people must have seen the documentary, as it won awards, and there are now some replicas and similar boards to my design popping up about the place. There’s a guy from Lennox who won design awards in the US with a very close version and even Tom Curren has been riding a square one. Some young guy from the States is making an asymmetrical version.”
LIVING IN UTOPIA Finally, with Shane’s unique perspective and intimate knowledge of how surfing has changed over the last few decades, we wanted to know if, looking back, the ‘Utopian Dream of the ‘70s’ was ever a reality, and if he sees the possibility for ever achieving it in the future? “Sure, a lot of people lost the plot shortcutting with drugs but for me the ‘Utopian Dream of the ‘70s’ was a reality, and for the most part still is. Mind you, it is like living in the past, so you have to find somewhere you can do that... And those places are running out. That is to say, the future is eventually catching up to the remotest locations, and there is always someone wanting to sell it out from under your feet. “It definitely doesn’t go hand in hand with a growing population. This is where wave pools come into the equation to take some of the pressure off otherwise pristine locations Go Greg (Webber)!” What a priviledge to share such great insight. Let’s hope we can also all keep the dream alive for as long as we live.
0407 218 591
WWW.SURFNRAK.C0M.AU
For more on Shane and his work, see his website, www.bluebananastudios.com which he says is another one of those “yet-to-be-completed projects.”
Sutherland Shire, NSW, 2230, Australia
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T E A M R I D E R // J O S H S L E E P
E D S I N N O T T // S H A P E R 2 / 8 1 c e n t e n n i a l C i r c u i t , BY R O N B AY espsurfboards.com 0404 059 321
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GEAR: BOARDS
SHAPER’S PROMOTION
6’ x 22” x 2 5/8”
5’5” x 22” x 2 7/8”
5’5” x 21” x 2 ½”
5’7’’ x 20 ½’’ x 2 ¼’’
JELLYFISH KISS
DISCO BIKKY
THE KEEL HAULER
LUCY’S LIKENESS
By Goran Peko
by Dicko
For the heavier surfer or anyone who likes a board that catches heaps of waves. Retro look and feel with a deep single concave running through most of the bottom. Custom orders welcome.
CONSTRUCTION
X4
South Coast Foam PU foam and polyster resin. Shapers Stealth S7 and S5 fins
Single flier step-tail pin with a massive bonzer double concave. Quaddy set up and plug for Knubster.
CONSTRUCTION
4+1
All PU, handshaped and 2 x 4 and 1 x 4 bottom with finish coat polish.
SHAPER COMMENT
Fastest board in the water from 1 to 4 ft. Sweet.
SHAPER COMMENT
My personal board for smaller waves, a bit shorter, a bit wider... A lot of fun making this.
KOMA SURFBOARDS 4/39 Bailey Crescent Southport QLD 4215 Ph: 0402 863 763 www.komasurf.com 130
DICKSON SURFBOARDS M: 0437 246 848 E: dickosurf@gmail.com Shed 4, 10 Baines Cr, Torquay, VIC Look for Darren Dickson Surfboards on Facebook
By Andrew Wells
‘70s inspired traditional fish outline blended with modern rails, this board manages to hide plenty of volume. It has a flattish rocker with a single to big double concave out through the tail.
CONSTRUCTION
2 OR 4
Burford blank with 6/4oz top and 6oz bottom. Twin keels or quad.
SHAPER COMMENT
Fast and fun. The extra volume gives it plenty of paddle power and the twin keels give it plenty of speed and drive. Great in small waves, even better in head high long open faces.
WELLSY CUSTOM HAND SHAPES
Lennox Head P: 0407 889 049 sales@grownsurfboards.com.au grownsurfboards.com.au
by Dave Porter | TREEHOUSE
One for the ladies. Completely custom for Treehouse ambassador Lucy Farrier, currently making her way around Oz by tent and 4WD.
CONSTRUCTION
X3
Lightweight, stringerless EPS foam blank. Locally sourced Hoop Pine deck laminate. Durable epoxy resin and ‘S’ glass. Futures thruster.
SHAPER COMMENT
Lucy wanted a board that was light and would paddle well, while still being easy to duckdive - something unique that reflected her smooth approach to surfing. Safe travels Lucy, we hope you have an amazing adventure and score heaps of great waves!
TREEHOUSE HANDSHAPES Ph: 0415 925 739
E: dave@treehousehandshapes.com
treehousehandshapes.com
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SHAPER’S PROMOTION
GEAR: BOARDS 5’2” x 18” x 2”
5’10” x19 ¾” x 2 ½”
5’9” x 20 ½” x 2 ½”
THE GANET
THE LADYBUG
STUBBYLICIOUS
Grom board 4’10” to 5’6”. Nice outline, a touch wider in mid point and tail, but having extra width and full rail. Extra tail lift and extra concave really gets these things going, allowing them to turn using speed instead of losing it.
Made for summer fun waves, 1½-4ft. Suits learners to advanced. Wide mid point following through for area through the tail. Standard nose, but a lot of volume under the chest for paddling. Deep single concave and extra tail lift. Fun board that works 5’9 to 6’1, up to 21” wide and 3” thick.
by Matt Johnston
by Matt Johnston
X3
CONSTRUCTION
Handshaped - no machines apart from a planer. Poly blanks 4 x 4 x 4 glassing, FCS plugs, Shapers S3 fins.
SHAPER COMMENT
Every grommet should have one. All boards can be seen at The Surf Spot, 4 Beach Rd, Waihi Beach. New shop, new look under construction.
CONSTRUCTION
X3
Handshaped poly blank. 4 x 4 x 4 glassing. FCS plugs and Slater fins from Shapers.
SHAPER COMMENT
By Jesse Watson
Fabric inlay. Comes free with a beard kit and attachable beaver tail for your wetsuit.
CONSTRUCTION
1+Bs
4/4oz deck, with über-modern fabric inlay. 4oz bottom with custom 8 ¼” Volan flex fin and mini sidebites. So hipster.
SHAPER COMMENT
THE board for summer. So far past retro, it’s verging on postmodern. Next week it’ll be in rehab - it’s THAT COOL. Super fast, super sick, super cool. you know you want it. Look of feined interest not included.
6’2” x 18 5/8” x 2 5/16”
LENNY THE OX by Wayne Webster
If you like drive and love to arc on clean open faces of the wave, LENNY THE OX is your choice of board. Featuring a medium nose rocker accelerating through to a smooth, clean tail curve, it has a slight single to double concave throughout the length of the board and wants to be surfed hard and fast. Available in all tail shapes.
COMMENT
3, 4 OR 5
Perfect for the point breaks of the NSW North Coast.
Great all-round board, shaped without machines apart from a planer.
MCJ SURFBOARDS/THE SURF SPOT 4 Beach Rd, Waihi Beach NZ Ph: +64 (0)2 2031 7110 E: surfspot22@gmail.com
BLACK APACHE SURFBOARDS Ph: 0410 419 791
blackapachesurfboards@live.com.au blackapachesurfboards.com.au
WEBSTER SURFBOARDS 1/13 Clark St, Ballina NSW Ph: 0416 049 205
E: info@webstersurfboards.com.au
webstersurfboards.com.au
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GEAR: BOARDS
SHAPER’S PROMOTION
ORDER
ORDER
NOW
NOW
9’6” x 22 ½” x 3”
9’6” x 23” x 3 ¼”
HOBIE CLASSIC
RETRO CLASSIC
Designed for the surfer that is looking to sit back and enjoy the glide. A classic shape with 50/50 rails, rolled vee bottom and a smooth rocker flow will give you a taste of that smooth classic 60s board.
A real modern classic with a smooth flowing outline, small amount of rocker and 60/40 makes this board a great all around classic style design. The Retro Classic is extremely user friendly in mushy to good surf for all varieties of surfers.
By Hobie Surfboards
CONSTRUCTION
1+2
5 stringers with 2” Balsa/ Redwood T-band and ¼” Redwood offsets. 8oz Volan glass and a clear or resin tint finish. Single Hobie glass-on fin (wood or fiberglass) and a timber tailblock.
By Hobie Surfboards
CONSTRUCTION
1+2
Triple redwood stringers, 8oz Volan glass with deck & tail patch and a clear or resin tint finish. Single Hobie glass-on fin and a timber tailblock.
SHAPER COMMENT
SHAPER COMMENT
Perfect for point breaks and mellow reef rides. Beginner to intermediate surfers.
A fast paddler, it glides and turns smoothly. Perfect for point breaks and mellow reef rides. Suits anyone.
E: info@hobielongboards.com.au ®
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NSW, QLD Ph: 0418 423 222 VIC,SA,WA Ph: 0437 200 400
9’6” x 22 ½” x 3 1/8”
THE BAMBI
By Carabine Surfboards
This is a conventional longboard, nice and wide in the nose, flattened rocker and double concave vee bottom in the tail.
CONSTRUCTION
1+2
PU foam, 6 + 4oz deck and 4 + 4 oz on the bottom. 8’-10’ fin, with a set of GL’s in the sides.
SHAPER COMMENT
Easy to ride, with good flow. Ideal for Bellambi Pools (I think that says it all).
9’4” x 22 ½” x 2 7/8”
DRIFTER ‘67
By Carabine Surfboards
Drifter has some of the smoothest riding characteristics of any board you’ll ever ride. The pinched, hulled nose sets her up on a plane effortlessly when paddling. The gentle bottom curvature makes for smooth rail transitions, and critically does not drive you unintentionally and needlessly ahead of the wave’s curl, as is common with flat bottom profiles.
CONSTRUCTION
X1
Volan top and bottom with cool patches. Glassed on 10”.
CARABINE SURFBOARDS 36 Finders Street Wollongong, NSW Ph/Fax: 02 4229 9462 www.carabinesurfboards.com.au
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SHAPER’S PROMOTION
GEAR: BOARDS 9’1” x 22 ½” x 2 5/8”
9’4” x 23” x 3”
9’1” x 22 1/8” x 2 11/16”
7’2” x 21 ½” x 2 ½”
CUSTOM MAL
NOSE RIDER
HP LONGBOARD
THE TOI-TOI
Made for Matt L, whose order consisted of “Make me a 9’ mal, tinted, glass on fin, no leggie plug, and make it sick.” This is what we came up with... He loved it!!
Nose scoop with 20” nose and 15 ½” tail (available pin, round or square). All Australian-made.
An evolved high performance longboard for competition or free surfing. Lean, mean, fast and loose, it allows you to approach the wave any way you want to.
Leighton Clark | CLARK SURFBOARDS
CONSTRUCTION
X1
Resin tints by Mick Higgings and a glass on fin
SHAPER COMMENT
Custom boards are our speciality. Love to hear about what you are riding and what you want to ride.
CLARK SURFBOARDS NOW IN A NEW LOCATION Units 7 and 8, 9 Chapman Road Hackham SA 5163 E: leightonclark01@yahoo.com.au M: 0422 443 789 Available at www.onboardsurf.com.au
by Soul Surf Designs
CONSTRUCTION
By Mickey T
X1
Farrelly blank, 6 x 6oz deck and 6oz bottom. Curved deck and 50/50 rails. Centre fin box with Dion 9 ½” Dolphin or Hatchet Fin. Matt or Polish.
SHAPER COMMENT
Incredible on the nose, and super easy to paddle and turn.
SOUL SURF DESIGNS 10/90 Mona Vale Road Mona Vale NSW 2103 P: 02 9979 2226 www.soulsurf.com.au Join us on Facebook.
CONSTRUCTION
2+1
Handshaped PU, 6oz bottom, 6+4oz deck. Gloss and polish, sanded gloss or sand/profinish. Also in EPS/ EPOXY.
SHAPER COMMENT
This season I’ve put a little more nose rocker into the HP, allowing the board to fit into the wave better and tighten up the turning radius, without losing the noseriding ability Lean rails, vee double concave bottom contours and squash tail make it a quick and lively board. Custom orders to suit.
By Mickey T
Full tail outline and relaxed rocker make for easy wave catching and get-up-and-go without needing to fling the body around too much, although it responds equally well to a bit of body-flinging.
CONSTRUCTION
X3
Typically 5oz bottom with 2 x 5oz deck to keep it little lighter. Gloss and polish finish. FCS thruster.
SHAPER COMMENT
Wide enough to be very stable but thin enough to be easy to handle. We always have one in our rental fleet and the feedback is overwhelmingly positive from a wide range of people. I often use it as a stealth shortboard to sneak a few waves off the crowd.
RAGLAN LONGBOARDS
257c Wainui Road, RD3, Raglan 3297 NZ (on the way to the beach) Ph: +64 (0)7 825 0544 Mob: +64 (0)274 460 396 E: mickeytsurf@hotmail.com raglanlongboards.co.nz MAR/APR 2013 | SMORGASBOARDER
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GEAR: BOARDS
SHAPER’S PROMOTION
5’10” x 19 ½” x 2 5/8”
6’8” x 20” x 2 ¾”
From 6’-7’
6’10” x 21 ¼” x 2 ¾”
THE SINGLE GYMMIE
SLICK STICKS
SINGLE FINS
GENERAL MANAGER By Feral Dave
A diamond-tail single-fin with double concave into a vee to increase speed, and relatively flat rocker to pick up waves easily.
Retro-style single fin. First shaped in Dunedin by Carsey in the early ‘70s, this board has been modified to suit today’s surfing. It has a rolled bottom into a vee and, as with the old model, it has a flat rocker for easy paddling into waves.
Length: 6’-7’ Width: 20” - 21” Thickness: 2 ¼” - 3” Single or double Flyers. Roll under nose to slight concave in middle to tail V with concaves.
SHAPER COMMENT
Made here in Ulladulla. Resin tints or paint. Choice of box or glass on fin.
by Graham Carse
SURFER COMMENT
“This board goes mean. It’s fast, really fast, and so responsive. Goes really well in hollow waves. With all that foam in the nose, it paddles into waves really easily.” Simon Dickie
SHAPER COMMENT
This gymmie was custom-shaped to fit feet of all shapes and sizes. The single fin combines old-style surfing with a flair for blowing up when you’re feeling adventurous.
by Graham Carse
I made this board for a mate so that he could recapture his youthful days as a soul surfer.
QUARRY BEACH SURFBOARDS 75 David St, Caversham, Dunedin NZ
Ph: +64 3 455 7414 M: +64 27 518 8678 www.qbsurfboards.com 134
by Mark Rabbidge
CONSTRUCTION
X1
MODERN-VINTAGE COLLECTION
A 2+1 board that paddles like a longboard, rides like a short board. Refined rails and pin tail for you to keep pushing harder through each turn.
CONSTRUCTION
2+1
Burford’s PU, 6oz glass with custom resin tint and cut laps. Greenough single with side bites.
SHAPER COMMENT
I have been working on these boards for a few years now. They look old and go new. You can ride them traditionally or as you like, your call!
We wanted a board to surf the points when it’s too big for a log... What we got is a board that could almost replace everything for traditional or longboard riders.
RABBIDGE SURF DESIGN Ph: 02 4456 4038 M: 0427 767 176 Bendalong, NSW markrabbidge.com Email: sales@markrabbidge.com
DIVERSE SURFBOARDS 476 Gold Coast Hwy, Tugun, QLD 4224 Ph: 07 5598 4848 dave@diversesurf.com.au www.diversesurf.com.au
SHAPER COMMENT
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SHAPER’S PROMOTION
GEAR: BOARDS Any size - Custom
Any size - Custom
9’2” x 22 ¼ “ x 2 7/8”
6’2” x 19” x 2 ½”
THE ISLANDER
THE STUBBIE
PERFORMANCE Daren NOSE RIDER byGlennan
SEMI-MOD SINGLE
A narrower tail than our Fish. Slight single to double concave, wide point in front of centre
Remake of my 1960’s model. Updated bottom shape and rocker, slight concave chines, bottom to tail pod vee.
Michael Cundith
CONSTRUCTION
YOU DECIDE
Standard, strong, not too heavy and very durable, single to 5-fin.
Dimensions for the above board is 6’8”x 20 ½” x 2 ⅝”
SHAPER COMMENT
Great paddler. Fast and loose. Indo reports are unreal and local comments great. The Islander suits all surfers, holds in well, is fast and manoeuverable. Stoked.
MICHAEL CUNDITH SURF DESIGNS 3 Banksia Dve, Byron Bay Industrial Estate, BYRON BAY Ph: 02 6685 8778 info@mcsurf.com.au www.mcsurf.com.au
Michael Cundith
CONSTRUCTION
YOU DECIDE
Strong, not too heavy and durable, single to 5-fin. Custom for you. Above board is 5’10” x 20” x 2 ½”.
SHAPER COMMENT
Customers feed back is fantastic. Great for paddling into waves, fantastic for late take-offs as it’s wide, stable, and accelerates instantly. You can feel it rise up on top of the water. 5-fins works perfectly for wide tail. Holds in, is loose and has heaps of drive with amazing trim speed.
CONSTRUCTION
2+1
King poly foam, Newkem polyester resin with red and aqua pigment, 2 x 4oz bottom, 4+6oz deck, gloss and polish. Fins: 10” fin box 9” Soulflex Fluid Foils fin with FCS side bite option.
by Daren Glennan
CONSTRUCTION
X1
King polyurethane foam. Newkem polyester resin with translucent blue tint, 2 x 4oz bottom, 4 + 6oz deck, gloss and polish. Fins: Single 8” fin box running 7” Fluid Foils single fin.
ENTITY SURFBOARDS 1-2/2 Regmoore Close Culburra Beach NSW 2540 Ph: 0423 987 492 www.entitysurfboards.com.au MAR/APR 2013 | SMORGASBOARDER
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GEAR: SHAPERS
SHAPER’S PROMOTION
FREE SHIPPING!*
FIVE MINUTES WITH
IAN BYRNE WORDS: DAVE SWAN
From 6’0” - 6’2”
From 5’9” - 6’1”
NEW KONG MODEL
THE 4+5 COMBO
Especially suited to the old school power surfer. The new round square version with FCS 5-fin option is a good choice for bigger guys who want a high performance small wave board.
Combining the channel bottom with a shorter and wider highperformance board, the 5-fin setup is a must for variety. Works in pretty much any conditions, from 2-6ft+.
by Ian Byrne
CONSTRUCTION
by Ian Byrne
X5
CONSTRUCTION
Burford PU blank, 4 x 4oz deck and 4oz bottom. Carbon tail strips. FCS fins.
X5
Burford PU blank 4 x 4oz deck and 4oz bottom. FCS fins.
SHAPER COMMENT
SHAPER COMMENT
They’re quick off the mark and have higher top end speed combined with the maneuverability of a performance shortboard.
Kong has a long history with Mt Woodgee and has spent a lot of time with Ian Byrne to work on his equipment.
Ph: 07 5535 0288 www.mtwoodgee.com.au Join us on Facebook Stores at Coolangatta, Currumbin, Burleigh Heads
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Australia-wide on all Mt Woodgee stock boards up to 6’8! (Offer excludes Movement and reduced to clear surfboards)
Am I correct that you have been with Mt Woodgee now for some 33 years, 18 as a shaper? People serve that kind of time for murder. What’s the connection and how did it all start? When I first came across to Oz to work I started at Hot Stuff Surfboards sanding and then moved across with my brother on Byrning Spears (shaper Al Byrne, who incidentally was at Hot Stuff along with the talented Gil Glover - now at Mt Woodgee - and Nick Aganosi, the owner of Mt Woodgee). Nick and I got on well and when he formed Mt Woodgee it was an opportunity to get away from sanding. He gave me a whole heap of reject blanks and let me cut loose in the
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WHICH IS THE ORIGINAL? Amazing attention to detail has gone into the limited edition replica of Kong’s orginal ‘89 Pipe Masters board. Even the decals have been painstakingly recreated.
shaping bay. One thing lead to another and then Wayne (McKewen) came along and then Gil (Glover). We formed a good team with a good mix of experience and enthusiasm. I have been lucky to work with some talented shapers, and you take a bit from each and how they approach shaping - different ideas for different applications. You are a staunch advocate of handshaping, start to finish, can you explain your perspective on crafting boards? It’s the true form of shaping a surfboard. When you get a real good handcrafted board it is a gem, a magic carpet of sorts. It’s not a production line thing - it’s more personal. I do use machines these days. It’s good to have an understanding of both. The machines are pretty precise now, and it enables you to have more time to focus on design. That said, I still shape at least three or four boards a week by hand. You need a real understanding of how to hand shape before you jump on a machine. You need to understand the fundamentals of design There’s a lot of satisfaction, and a lot more work mind you, when you shape a board by hand. You sit back and go, “Wow, I created that. It feels good.” I’ve heard you state your aim is to make boards that are both fast and manouverable. Does one counter the other? I like my boards to have a lot of drive because I find once you gain a deal of speed it loosens up anyway. I would rather a board that does a couple of big manouvers than one you can flick around, but has no real spark. I want to jump on it and go, “Whoa, this thing is really taking off.” What design elements do you refine to achieve this? Either a deep concave or a refined tail so the tail bites in, or alternatively concaves that go into a channel setup. I’ve been enjoying mixing my boards up with four fins as well of late. Weve been setting them up so you can ride them as a thruster or a quad. I’ve loaded them up with four fins and channels. I thought it may be a little too much, but it’s turned out to be real fun and I’m loving it. For the benefit of our readers - particularly those learning about the nuances of surfboard design - would you mind explaining what you believe deep concaves achieve, as opposed to a board with a flatter rocker? It gives the board lift. A board with flatter rocker may be fast and easier to surf but it doesn’t give you that spark, which I find exciting.
You shape such a wide range of boards would you mind touching on some of the style of surfboards you craft? We cater for everyone. I, of course shape my version of our Bullet, which is a semi-fish, but it’s essentially a scaled-up version of a high performance board, only wider. Wayne and I have developed our own different models of the Bullet to suit our different styles of surfing. That’s the good thing about having two shapers working together - we bounce ideas off each other. They say two heads are better than one. Gil is also getting back into the shaping side of things and adding to the mix. Any projects in particular you are working on of late? As opposed to a six-channel, I’ve been working on a four. A lot of people freak out with the six-channel, but with the four it still has the channel feeling, but is a little more neutral. It’s slightly looser. I’ve put four fins with it and it’s so fast. By rearranging the fins they’re also less loopy with big round carving turns. You can put it up vertical in the face. Tell us about the replicas of the Kong (Gary Elkerton) model. Having worked with Kong over the years, I know what he likes in his boards. We have stayed true to the original design. They worked back in the day, and there’s no reason why they won’t work just as good now. Some features are similar to what I do today, with a bit more refinement in some areas. A lot of the older boards were more user-friendly, and that’s why they’re being brought back. Boards in the nineties were fairly narrow and highly rockered and you had to ride them right in the pocket. That’s the exciting thing at the moment - surfers and shapers are getting more creative, and we’re also seeing single fins and twin fins being revisited. It mixes it all up a bit. People aren’t worried any more about only walking down the beach with a Ferrari style of board. They’re just as happy to walk down with something really different. It makes it fun, because everybody is after a board that specifically suits their style. Years before we were all making the same boards because that was what people wanted, and it all got a bit stagnant I feel. MAR/APR 2013 | SMORGASBOARDER
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GEAR: BOARDS
SHAPER’S PROMOTION
9’10” x 23” x 2 7/8”
7’-9’
9’1” x 23 3/8” x 2 7/8”
9’1” x 22 ½” x 2 5/8”
GRUGSTEP
SUPERMAL V2 FLEX By Mitchell Rae
CHOK’S MAL
RICK’S MAL
This is 8’ x 21 ½” x 2 ¾”.Custom handshaped to suit needs, body weight and fitness. Spiral chine entry, medium concave.
Pinched rails throughout, with the wide curvy tail, makes this model ideal for smooth, easy, rail-to-rail surfing.
Concaved nose, flatter through the middle with a soft vee running though the tail. Super thin tail with slightly more lift.
Matt Williams | THE FACTORY
Round 50/50 rails and a thin overall board makes for long, smooth effortless noserides. With tail pulled in and round, you’ll still do flowing longboard turns, but also slide into any pocket for a full noseride.
1, 3 OR 4
CONSTRUCTION
Highest quality foam and fibreglass, glassed on fin.
V2 Flex with Kinetic Carbon Construction panels, to control flex pattern, increase the reflex/ ping out of the turns. Light, medium or strong glassing.
SHAPER COMMENT
SHAPER COMMENT
SHAPER COMMENT
THE FACTORY SURFBOARDS 17 Allen Street, Caloundra QLD Ph: 07 5492 5838 E: Williams.h.m@hotmail.com thefactorysurfboards.com.au
OUTER ISLAND SURFBOARDS 7 Bayldon Drive, Raleigh, NSW Ph: 02 6655 7007 info@outerislandsurfboards.com outerislandsurfboards.com outerisland.blogspot.com
CONSTRUCTION
X1
This board comes from 7 years of shaping with Tom Wegener.
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CONSTRUCTION
by Neil ‘Chok’ Oke
Extremely quick, positive and manouvreable.
X1
Ocean Foam blank, 6oz polished bottom and rails, wetrub deck. One big fin.
The new version of a favourite longboard I have been surfing for the last 25 years.
by Rory Oke
CONSTRUCTION
X1
6oz polished pigment colour. Ocean Foam blank.
SHAPER COMMENT A modern performer with an old school look.
OKE SURFBOARDS 1/1-7 Canterbury Rd, Braeside, VIC, 3195 Ph: 03 9587 3553 www.okesurfboards.com
SMORGASBOARDER | MAR/APR 2013
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WHAT TAPE?
Let the beauty of the balsa show through with clear Versagrip Traction Tape. Environmentally friendly and suits all size boards. Buy online: www.balsasurfboardsriley.com.au
Chris McCormack 10’ SUP with versa tape
Call 0412 376 464 or Email mark@riley.com.au SHIPPING ANYWHERE, INCLUDING NZ
www.balsasurfboardsriley.com.au Australian Environmentally-friendly handcrafted surfboards for the individual in all of us, with a guarantee. Enjoy Responsibly MAR/APR 2013 | SMORGASBOARDER
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GEAR: BOARDS
SHAPER’S PROMOTION
6’4”/ 6’6”
6’0” x 20 ¾” x 2 5/8”
6’1” x 18 9/16” x 2 ½”
6’0” x 21 ½” x 3”
PLUS ONE ASYMMETRIC
USA WEIRDO RIPPER
JULIAN WILSON DRIVER
Channel Islands USA
STOKER V MACHINE
Matt Biolos | Lost USA
Bruce Fowler | Deadshaper
This board started with exWest Oz turned Cali ripper, Yadin Nichol mowing some foam in one of the Channel Islands shaping bays. It’s a high-volume board for those small to medium days. An exceptionally forgiving board, it has a wide outline, wide point well forward and a nice thick foil throughout, with a square-winged swallow tail and lots of vee though the fins. Oh, and Dane ripped on one at Huntington during the US Open of Surfing and he is bringing one to Snapper for the Quiky Pro too! Comes with Futures five plug set-up.
This board doesn’t need much introduction – it’s a Matty Biolos shaped board for top-10 CT surfer Julian Wilson. It’s the Driver model, which is one of Julian’s go-to boards for Lowers and the US Open of Surfing which Jules happened to win last year. Fins are FCS.
The Stoker V Machine, shaped by Bruce Fowler out of California, continues the great tradition of experimental board design from that part of the world. It’s flat and packs a heap of volume in a small package – it will paddle like a longboard but perform like a real shortboard. It’s effectively a one-board quiver, in everything from mushy one foot to punchy overhead.
George Gall and Joe Vergilio
You don’t see one of these everyday! Although asymmetric boards have been around for a while, the boys at Plus One in San Diego start from a very different premise to the standard. This is not a board that goes only left or right – you can surf these boards whatever your local break throws up. We surf differently on our backside compared to our frontside, and hence a symmetrical surfboard may actually limit our potential. So the boys have altered the rail lines and have two different rocker lines. The Future fins on this one were given to Zak by George in San Diego. George was running a very large glass fin on the shorter rail line, a mid-sized F6 plastic and the centre fin was a shaved down almost grom- sized plastic fin.
TORQUAY STORE OPENING SOON!
WIN IT!
Stay tuned to the Zak Surfboards blog for an upcoming competition where you could take home JW’s very own board! See zaksurfboards.blogspot.com.au
WIN THIS BOARD!
COMMENT
The Stoker V Machine is suitable for all levels of surfer from beginner to pro and will be available in Zak Surfboards from mid-March.
In conjunction with these fine shapers, we will be offering custom orders, made in the USA and Hawaii and shipped to Australia. ZAK SURFBOARDS 307 Victoria Rd, Thornbury Victoria Ph: 03 9416 7384 E: zak@zaksurfboards.com zaksurfboards.com 140
SMORGASBOARDER | MAR/APR 2013
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SHAPER’S PROMOTION
GEAR: BOARDS 750ml longneck
Around 18” x 8” x ¾”
6’0” YELLOW
7’0” PINK
SKULL LAGER
HAND PLANES
BEGINNER SOFTIE
BEGINNER SOFTIE
Glenn ‘Cat’ Collins | SURF 1770
So good, you’ll bottle it. What an excellent glass job. As usual, shaped by me - Glenn Cat. Airbrush by Lil’ Tone.
by Dave O’Reilly
Headstone, Phatbat, Eclipse, Seafood Platter (and Pintail) or one for each day of the week. Bodysurf with unreal results. Turn, carve and get barrelled like never before.
CONSTRUCTION
X2
100% Australian grown, milled and shaped Paulownia sealed with raw linseed/gum turpentine mix or bio varnish gloss finish.
SHAPER COMMENT
Cherry Pop
Surfboards and surfing props E: surf1770@bigpond.com www.surf1770noosa.com
Turns unsurfable onshore days into hours of fitness and fun. Requires boardies with strong drawstring. It’s no fun up the beach with just fins on...
SURFING GREEN Coolum Beach, QLD Mobile: 0412 042 811 surfinggreen.com.au
GERAGHTYSHAPES.COM
GERAGHTYSHAPES.COM
The ideal beginner’s surfboard for a bit of maouverability! Soft, stable and strong enough to learn on, and small enough to throw around in the water a bit for fun.
With a bit more length and width, the 7-footer is the ideal size for a beginner’s surfboard! Soft, stable and strong enough for your kids and adults - to learn to surf.
CONSTRUCTION
CONSTRUCTION
Dual slick bottom with dual wooden stringers, soft EVA decks, rubber rail protection... All with Fused decks and rails (which prolongs the life of every board due to sun and heat exposure) and comes with 3 soft rubber fins.
Dual slick bottom with dual wooden stringers, soft EVA decks, rubber rail protection... All with Fused decks and rails (which prolongs the life of every board due to sun and heat exposure) and comes with 3 soft rubber fins.
COMMENT
COMMENT
Learn to surf and have fun! Softboards start from as little as $199.
Learn to surf and have fun! Softboards start from as little as $199.
GERAGHTY SHAPES Dean: 0422 442 044 E: info@geraghtyshapes.com www.geraghtyshapes.com MAR/APR 2013 | SMORGASBOARDER
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Short board, long board, fish, nugget, pintail, swallow tail, squash, square, single fin, thruster, quad, body board, body surf, skate board, snow board, skim board, balance board... Been there, ridden those, keep riding them. The observant reader might have noticed my list is long but not complete. I have to admit: I have never used a paddle before, while riding a board. And yes, I am pretty zesty to try that Stand-Up Paddling!
DOES IT WORK?
Photo: Mark Chapman
SMORGASBOARDER TRIED AND TESTED
WORDS: RENATE MOERMAN
GOING BIG
THE FIRST SUP EXPERIENCE ON THE FLOATIEST OF ALL... The best thing about soft-tops is you are less likely to kill yourself or any other surfer in the water. Having said that, I would not recommend taking this huge puppy (10’4” by 32 ½” wide) to a busy break. Because this board resembles the Titanic it’s super stable and allows a stand-up virgin such as myself to jump on it with ease and paddle away on the flat water of the inlet.
I’m quickly able to build my confidence on the board, enough so I am game to tackle a small break with no one out. The board is thick - which is great for flotation, catching waves easily and it’s stable, as I mentioned - but I have to watch out not to dig the big rails in the tiny ripples I take off on! The fact I manage to ride my second one nearly to the shore shows it’s definitely do-able.
WORDS: RENATE MOERMAN
GERAGHTY
SOFT SUP PROS The overall size of the board in terms of its length, width and thickness make it an easy board to learn on.
CONS The board’s sheer width, which makes it so stable, in turn makes it a little more difficult to turn. Pivoting around on your paddle takes a bit of effort.
THE WRAP Great board to take out on flat water and practice in uncrowded, small waves. Will build confidence quickly to take your SUP’ing to next level.
EXTRA I love the adjustable carbon fibre paddle. You can adjust the height and the sound the wind makes brushing the pinholes makes it sound like a flute (and I sing along).
MORE INFO For more on the Geraghty range of softboards, see: www.geraghtyshapes.com or call Dean 0422 442 044 142
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GEAR: TESTS Photo: Mark Chapman
Carlene says:
“I USUALLY PADDLE FROM CAR PARK TO POINT, BUT I DON’T LIKE PADDLING BACK AGAINST THE WIND. THIS CARRIER IS PERFECT FOR THOSE WINDY DAYS; NO WAY I MANAGE TO CARRY MY BOARD ALL THE WAY ALONG THE BAYS”
SUPWHEELS Carlene does the carry - Photo: Renate Moerman
Now there is one thing you should know: I am a bit lazy, so there is a slight risk involved in sending me out to ‘objectively’ review anything designed to make life easier... The idea of carrying one of those monstrous SUP boards makes me feel tired already, and I would have no difficulty rating this carrier 5 stars out of 5, without even fitting the wheels on the frame! But wisely, I invite my friend Carlene (a real SUP-er) along to assist me in giving the SUPWHEELS a go.
BEFORE...
AFTER!
1. The traditional long-distance carry... This method is guaranteed to make you three inches shorter.
2. Look at the first image on the instruction leaflet, put on the wheels, then the washers, then the pins. Easy.
3. The board goes fin-first on the carrier, with a rubber strap to hold it in place. It worked best when you pull the board as opposed to pushing it.
THE WRAP: It’s a smooth ride; on pavement, in sand, and even down the steps. The best of all: these wheels never go flat! WHAT’S IT WORTH?
$199. Not super-cheap, but considering you can get to the beach with ease and carry up to two SUPS, you can’t really put a price on comfort.
MAR/APR 2013 | SMORGASBOARDER
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Photo: Elliott Chapman
DOES IT WORK? SMORGASBOARDER TRIED AND TESTED
WORDS: MARK CHAPMAN
SMOOTHSTAR
BARRACUDA From 30” to 39”, Smoothstar skateys are built for all sizes, from groms to grown-ups. When I first got hold of the Barracuda - the smallest in the range - I thought: “Oh yes, this is the grom board - I’ll get the kids onto it.” I can now report back that there is no chance in hell I’m giving this one up to the kids. Bigger obviously doesn’t mean better, as this little rocket is fast, loose and more responsive than a startled crack-junkie.
PROS
CONS
Compact, sturdy and extremely high quality construction. Perfect for landsurfing when the waves aren’t playing along.
At the short 30” the kids will think it’s theirs, so you may have to find a secret hiding place for it.
WHAT MAKES IT WORK? IT’S WHAT’S UNDERNEATH THE BOARD THAT DOES THE JOB
TECHNICALLY SPEAKING... LENGTH:....................30” WIDTH: ...................8 ¾” DECK:.........Maple/Birch” WHEELS: .......62 x 46mm EXTRA: ............ Thruster I turning mechanism
THE WRAP At $299, the Barracuda isn’t bargain basement buying, but you get what you pay for, and this baby is worth every cent! 144
No, I don’t mean the graphics, although the WWII Tomahawk fighter plane inspired look is very slick (and comes in a few different colour combos). What I’m referring to is the Thruster turning mechanism, which essentially allows the front truck to rotate. Spring-loaded, the Thruster lets you turn way beyond the range of a normal skatey, and - here’s the magic - allows you to be selfpropelling. You’re pumping the board like a shortboard surfboard, rather than putting your foot down to give it a push along.
MORE INFO The Smoothstar website has loads of info, videos, photos and you can even buy one online. www.smoothstar.com.au
SMORGASBOARDER | MAR/APR 2013
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Damo Davis digging it. Photo: Dave Swan
DOES IT WORK? SMORGASBOARDER TRIED AND TESTED
WORDS: DAVE DRUERY
VAMPIRATE
GRAVE DIGGER This has a fishy/mini-s hybrid look about it, but I prefer my mate Darrell’s description. He reckons its shape reminds him of a old style ‘stubbie’ - short and squat with a flat top. And like an icy stubbie on a hot day, the Gravedigger feels great when you pick it up - well balanced, attractive to the eye, and inviting. When you try it, you realise its truly something special - a perfect blend of ingredients, combined to create something unique that transports you to places you never dreamt of visiting.
PROS
CONS
As a surfer, Ozzie Wright I ain’t, but this board makes you feel like a legend.
Seriously... Nothing.
TECHNICALLY SPEAKING... LENGTH:.................. 5’2” WIDTH: .................... 20” THICKNESS: ......... 2 5/8 ” FINS: ................ twin keel EXTRA: .....funky artwork
THE WRAP If you’re looking for a shortboard that works anytime, but particularly when the only alternative is a longboard, then this board is for you. Never thought I would enjoy surfing such a shortboard. The Gravedigger has opened up a new dimension in my surfing, absolutely love it !
DIGGING THE GRAVE THE GRAVEDIGGER GETS A WELL-DESERVED SHOVELFUL OF PRAISE Mark Gnech and Ozzie Wright of Vampirate have created a board which is not only heaps of fun to surf, but looks like a stunning piece of art. I love the deep, wide, swallow tail and squared off shovel nose one less thing to impale yourself on - as well as the twin fin set up and flat template. Having so much volume for such a shortboard the Gravedigger paddles like a longboard and it’s the easiest board to duck-dive and catch waves on. Once you get used to the length, you find it generates amazing speed down the line without a lot of effort, enabling you to comfortably link manoeuvres. It flies through flat sections, has a positive feel underfoot, and wants to turn without sliding or skating. Aim it onto the shoulder of a wave and it wants to cut back into the pocket with little or no effort.
I suspect the performance and feel of the board is in part rail, tail and fin design and part what’s happening underneath. There’s a fair bit of vee in the nose, flat through the middle leading into a deep single concave running through the fins and out the back. I had the chance to surf the Gravedigger in a variety of conditions and locations from 1-3ft. It works well everywhere and loves small, sucky waves. Hey, but don’t limit yourself to thinking it’s only for small, trashy beach breaks. In less than perfect 2ft Teatree (Noosa) it went like a dream - in good 3-4ft point waves I think it would blow your mind.
MORE INFO vampiratesurfboards.tumblr.com
MAR/APR 2013 | SMORGASBOARDER
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CLOSEOUT: MUSIC
“I FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE WITH FAST DRUMMERS... IT SEEMS TO MATCH THE SPEED OF FAST TUBE RIDES.” 146
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MASTERSTROKE MASTER STROKE Yet another passionate surfer born of the wind swell waves of Port Phillip Bay, Buzz Thompson lives a Peter Pan style life of music, bands and of course - surfing. Calling the Surf Coast of Victoria home, Buzz spent over a decade involved in the annual Falls Festival, held in Lorne. He’s organised shows, managed bands and driven international acts around on national tours. Firmly entrenched in the music industry, he’s taken the next big step in his life and launched a cracker of an indie record label, Masterstroke Records. In a beautiful circle of life, it’s surfing that led him to the musical existence he now leads. It’s funny how being friendly in the water can take you places, isn’t it? Buzzs fills us in on how it all came to pass... WORDS: MARK CHAPMAN
“Williamstown itself is on the Peninsula, out on the other side of Melbourne. You can see it across from St Kilda. When the weather has been hot from the north you get 30 knot winds and waves can blow up there a few times a year – it can even blow up to a four foot, stormy wind swell. The waves would quite often be knee, to even waist high, and when you’re a grommet of eight years old, that’s more than big enough. “And that’s kind of all we knew at the start. And of course, there was a massive skateboard craze as well. Late ‘70s and ‘80s, if you couldn’t get down the coast you were surfing the wind waves or you were going crazy on people’s driveways. It was a sort of surf-skate scene.” And a vibrant scene it was, with Buzz’s love of waves fueled by well-attended surfing film screenings in the Williamstown Hall. “Hundreds of us would go and see them. We’d be there and see people surf Bells, and places in Hawaii and Indonesia... I saw surfing in those films before I had even seen real, proper groundswells. “I remember when I was in my teens, I got taken down the coast by one of the older guys who I managed to give $5 worth of petrol money, to get my seat in the back of the car. We went down to Torquay. There was an offshore wind and there was like a 2ft, solid groundswell. It was the first time I’d seen something like that myself - apart from in a surfing magazine. It was completely mindblowing - like you’d seen paradise. MAR/APR 2013 | SMORGASBOARDER
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BUZZ THOMPSON
...carving his own path
Surf
like no one is watching... market yourself like everybody is. And that was enough. In his early twenties Buzz moved down the coast near Lorne. It was here, surfing the local breaks, that he got to know Simon Daly, founder of the Falls Festival - a meeting that would set his life on course. “I became friends with Simon in the surf around Lorne. He was into music and so was I, and we’d run into each other in Geelong or Melbourne at shows too. I was inbetween jobs once, and asked him if there were any jobs available on the farm, setting up one of the festivals. That was Falls 1996, the fourth year of it.
aRT
Haus C R E AT I V E
And so it came about that Buzz went on to become one of the key organisers of the Falls Festivals until 2009, when he finally left to take on the full-time artist management role of Dan Sultan and Scott Wilson, who by 2010 had bagged seven major awards including two ARIAS and two independent awards. Now, together with Scott, he has taken that a step further in the form of Masterstroke Records. “I suppose it’s our love of independent music, and love of bands staying independent... It seems to be the way it’s going not just music, but lots of other things. People are really carving their own paths. “In the long term, we’ll forge our own scene a little bit and try to work with bands that we are passionate about, giving them the freedom to be themselves, and join in with us.”
Classic Surf T-shirts s from Surfing Legend lastwaveoriginals@gmail.com • Call 0400 497 534 • www.lastwave.com
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And what kind of bands are these? The first release on the label, the self titled Stompy and the Heat album (which we reviewed in the last edition and have played to death ever since) is all about raw rock ‘n roll, as is their overseas act, The Graveltones , and the latest signing from Melbourne King of the North. “We’re interested in not taking things too seriously, and fast rock and roll seems to be a better match with surfing and skating. The roots scene… Ben Harper, Jack Johnson, and all those type of bands have connections to surfing, but I feel more comfortable with fast drummers... It seems to match the speed of fast tube rides. Heavy guitar riffs feel like there’s more energy and more like what I enjoy.” Living fast involves staying up late, but Buzz reckons it doesn’t hurt the early starts for surfing – in fact it’s just the opposite, he says. “Once you’re on the band scene and you start to become a little successful, part of your contract of your show is a drinks rider (a list of requested backstage refreshments for bands) so there are lots of after-parties, VIP parties... I think it’s a struggle for musicians with alcohol and late nights. They do need something to fall back on, so being a surfer makes it much easier in that regard, as you know you’re going to have to get up early. The surfing life is a fantastic balance from some of those industry traps.
The self-titled disc from Stompy and the Heat is the first release from Masterstroke Records - for fans of extremely cool, very raw rock ‘n roll. More on Stompy and Masterstroke: soundcloud.com/masterstroke-records or get connected on Facebook.
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ASKING THE TS INDIAN POIN QUESTION OF VIEW DISCOVERY ”...IF OUR SURFBOARDS ARE THE BASIC DEFINERS OF OUR SURFING CULTURE, THEN WE ARE BY DEFINITION: ‘UNSUSTAINABLE.’ ” www.sustainablesurf.org
Why should we care about what our surfboards are made of? Does the composition of your average surfboard really make that much difference to the preservations of our oceans? Most importantly – why should we change? These questions beg to be answered and yet we often shrug off any guilt we may feel when purchasing surfboards we know to be toxic to our ocean environment. So why don’t we change? Why is it that the majority of the surfing population still ride environmentally unsustainable boards? Is it performance-based or consumer-driven? Do we like the look of our fancy, white, plastic sticks, or is it the lure of imitating our favourite surfing heroes that causes most of us to put our blinkers on? Lower prices, honest ignorance, convenience or just the simple ease of access to these foam wonders of the surfing world? It’s most definitely a combination of all of the above. But is it all just doom and gloom? Of course not. There’s a strong movement embracing the need for change in the industry. Shapers are greening up their materials, factories and processes and some are even experimenting with sustainable alternatives. While many may not know it, we are fortunate to already have the necessary components to change the mainstream to a more sustainable surfboard without losing the performance. The next generation of materials and processes for creating surfboards can dramatically lower the negative environmental impacts, and they are now well-tested and widely available. If individual surfers start asking a few questions of their shaper, and shopping around for shapers who are starting to embrace sustainability, they may not only kick off a snowball effect but may just tap into a well of ingenuity and creativity, to help get back to the original ecology of early surfing with a twist of modern magnificence.
As we found out in the last ‘Stu the Brew’ column from our Jan/Feb edition, it was the clever Brits who first invented the magical pale ale. So it was too, the Brits, who then developed India Pale Ale. And this is the tale of how it came about.
Guardsg,s le d d a P Nose &pe & Leash Plu Rail Ta
The flavour sensation that had spread across Britain and the thirst for this new Pale Ale lead to a glut in the market. Too much of the special nectar was brewed and thus with the market saturated, breweries looked to the colonies to expand their sales. The beer was subsequently shipped to India, which meant it had to survive months at sea, and not only that, had to be fit for consumption after it arrived. Never fear, the Brits had cottoned on to the fact that hops were a natural preservative and so by adding even larger quantities they had a beer that could make the journey, resulting in a beer with a shipload of hops in it. The beer became known as India Pale Ale or IPA for short.
k Fins Pro Tec
In more recent years we have seen the emergence of yet another new style; the American Pale Ale, it is significant for a couple of reasons. First brewed in the late seventies, it was made with a new hybrid hop that for the first time displayed more of a fruit-like character, flavours like citrus, passionfruit and lychee were prominent in these new hops. The malt character was similar to its British cousin, big and bold, but the hop aroma was like nothing else before. A new style was born but more importantly, this beer has a substantial claim to being responsible for starting the modern craft brewing revolution. As you can start to appreciate, beer is no longer JUST BEER - there are many variations on the original and as many interpretations as there are brewers. My advice, well, it’s just the same as looking for new waves... Keep an open mind, don’t be afraid to take the road less travelled and generally you will be rewarded for your effort.
Nicola O’Reilly is the better half of the nice folks from Surfing Green, a couple passionate about providing sustainable surfing products.
Stuart Richie is the head brewer at the Byron Bay Brewery at Skinners Shoot Rd, Byron Bay. Stu knows his beer.
surfinggreen.com.au
byronbaybrewery.com.au
pair Kts
afe Re Travel S
SURFTECH AUSTRALIA www.surftechaustralia.com.au MAR/APR 2013 | SMORGASBOARDER
02 4226 1322
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cLOsEOut: SURF SHOP
STORE PROMOTION
takE it aLL Back Golden Breed’s all about nostalgia - and sticking to it.
“GOLDEN BREED: uNcONDitiONaL aND puRE accEptaNcE Of aLL kiNDs Of wavE RiDiNG.” 150
Setting foot through the door at Golden Breed surf shop in Noosa Heads is like stepping back in time. The store has the feel of a beach shack from the seventies or eighties. Island style fitting rooms, bamboo wall-covering, doors made out of recycled timber and decorative hula girl statue-lamps. Even the boardroom in the back would have done well as a hangout shed for surfies back in the day! There’s comfortable seats with hibiscus-longboard prints, mags to read and video’s to watch… And 50-odd boards, in the range from classic to retro.
WORDS & PHOTOS: RENATE MOERMAN
Golden Breed took off in the ‘60s in California as a counter-culture to established surf brands, as most of those were starting to become overly commercial. Golden Breed organised parties and surf get-togethers, rather than competitions. And they contracted controversial big wave rebel Jeff Hakman as ambassador, supporting him to become the world’s leading pro surfer. Brought to Australia in 1969 as a ‘surfer’s brand’ Golden Breed immediately became a huge hit, and was renowned for its centerfold magazine ads designed by artist Peter Ledger.
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GB store assistant Shelby
The legendary brand seemed to disappear off the radar for a while but has been back for a decade or so, much to the joy of blokes living their second childhood. “Often super stoked, they go: ‘It’s always been my favorite brand!’” says Josh who works at the Noosa store. The collection contains everything that makes the heart tick a bit quicker: corduroy board shorts, aloha shirts, ‘80s-style tees and stubby holders with Peter Ledger’s prints. “Golden Breed is what it is, and they are sticking to it”. No doubt during the Noosa Festival of Surfing (March 10 - 16) these super stoked guys from all over Australia and across the ditch will be restocking their wardrobe. Incidentally, Golden Breed are now into their fourteenth consecutive year as a major sponsor of this event. But the shop in Noosa does much more than just cater for the older legends - it carries the retro concept through all the way, combining nostalgia and fashion and really has something for everyone. High quality apparel from funky retrobrands Captain Fin Co, Rhythm, surf/ street fashion by West and Insight, Hive bikinis, thongs from Reef and Dupe, sd
and Carve shades, as well as unique Australian-made accessories.
it’s all good - Golden Breed take custom orders for all their shapers in store.
“The store is now in its fifth year and sales are great. Our original plan was to bring the Golden Breed brand alive. Now we want to finesse the concept and roll out a heap more stores”, says Golden Breed main man Nick Van De Merwe. “ We are madly working on a site on the beaches in Sydney... so stand by for that one.”
The store is situated only a short stroll from the points, the beach and the accommodation-strip that is Hastings Street. It’s often the first stop for surfers from out of town, to replace a broken leash (choose from FCS, Far King, Hydro), stock up on wax or drop down a mm or two in wetsuit - thickness (Matuse, West, GB). And even if you didn’t bring a board, Golden Breed is the place to go - their board-hire range stretches far further than the usual 8 ft soft-top and backpacker boards.
The Golden Breed vision includes ‘unconditional and pure acceptance of ALL kinds of wave riding’, something that of course is music to our Smorgasboarder ears. Surf mats in different sizes for the little ones - not the ones we are used to seeing George Greenough on, but I’m sure they float adults too - entry-level body boards, soft-tops and numerous other beach-and-water toys too. Only local shapers are represented in the board range: Classic Malibu, Thomas Bexon, Formula Energy, Josh Constable’s Creative Army and Neal Purchase Jr. (exclusive retail point in QLD). Very much slide point-style - not too many thrusters... But no matter what you surf,
WHERE IS IT? ‘On the roundabout of Noosa Drive and Noosa Parade’ 15 Noosa Drive, Noosa Heads 07 5455 3722
OTHER GOLDEN BREED STORES:
Pacific Shopping Centre (Gold Coast), The Wharf (Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast), Factory Shop, Caulfield (Victoria). MAR/APR 2013 | SMORGASBOARDER
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CLOSEOUT: BOOKS
THE SOUTH SEAS - NEW ZEALAND’S BEST WAVES CRAIG LEVERS AND BRENT COURTNEY PUBLISHED BY PHOTO CPL
“IT ONCE AND FOR CERTAIN DISPELS ANY POSSIBLE MISCONCEPTION THAT NEW ZEALAND ISN’T A SURFING DREAM DESTINATION”
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You have to love the opening to this book. In fact, you probably couldn’t sum up surfing New Zealand any better than this: “New Zealand can lay claim to being the southernmost surfing community in the world... As you’ll see from the images in this book, the human element in this environment is most likely sporting a beanie, a Swandri (an iconic kiwi brand of heavy woolen check over-shirt) and gumboots… “It’s not the place you come to sip chilled beers while the warm trade wind fans your sun-kissed skin and the sun dips over the coral reef you’ve been sessioning all afternoon. No, this is where you crank up the car heater and wait for the circulation to return to your hands and feet on the way to the pub for a jug of the finest local lager and a piping hot steak’n’cheese pie… “And that’s what this book is. It’s not a surf guide and it’s not a bucket list. It’s better: a visual celebration of New Zealand’s great waves and a tribute to surfing at the end of the world.” I own a fair few of these kidns of classy coffee table photographic books, but this has without doubt become my favourite. It covers New Zealand’s surf exploration past and present with stunning photography, breaking the ‘Land of the Long White Cloud’ down into its respective regions. It once and for certain dispels any possible misconception that New Zealand isn’t a surfing dream destination, showcasing the huge variety of unbelievable waves from the tip of the North Island down to the frigid waters at the bottom of the South Island. Available in virtually every kiwi surf store - or at least the classy ones that carry Smorgasboarder - and via the web. Check out the preview and ordering options at www.photocpl.co.nz (Dave Swan)
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S R I A P E DING R
R BOARD? BUSTED YOU HERE... GET IT FIXED
AGNES WATER/1770
REEF 2 BEACH
Mon-Sat, 9-5pm, Sun,10-4pm
07 4974 9072
ALEXANDRA HEADLAND
ALTERNATIVE SURF
Sun, M - F 8:30-4:30pm, Sat 8-4:30pm
HULABALULA PUBLISHING
Get ready for extended bedtimes, as you and the little ones get equally sucked into this large format, wordless, make-up-your-own-story book. From the mind of Frank Scrivano, each large spread is hand-illustrated by artist/designer and keen surfer Leroy Sams, and features all the hustle, bustle and daily happenings of favourite beachside spots on the Sunshine Coast, such as Noosa, Coolum, Mooloolaba and more. According to the press release, the book’s content “portrays a culturally diverse, inclusive and peaceful way of life, with a focus on key themes such as community, care for the environment, positive relationships, and healthy, active living.” That it certainly does, all in a sturdy, board format that should handle a fair beating as only littlies can dish out! What a great way to spend some quality time with the kids, expanding their imagination, and yours, as you make up stories together. For more info and to buy online, see www.hulabalula.com.au (Mark Chapman)
DR DING
Mon-Fri 8am - 5pm Sat 10am - 4pm, Sun 10am - 2pm
0403 693 333
MC SURF DESIGNS
ZAK SURFBOARDS
02 6685 8778
03 9416 7384
SURFBOARD REPAIRS
Mon-Sat, 10am-5pm,
0431 740 940
THORNBURY Mon - Fri 10am - 6pm, Sat 10am - 5pm
07 5475 4811
WURTULLA
LENNOX HEAD
NICHOLSON SURFBOARDS
TORQUAY
QUICKFIX SURFBOARD REPAIRS
STONKER
Mon - Fri 7-3pm, Sat 7-midday
FRANK SCRIVANO/LEROY SAMS
BELLARINE PENINSULA
ROUSA SURFBOARDS
Mon - Fri 9am - 5pm, Sat 9am - 1pm
REPAIRS & RESTORATIONS
WISH YOU WERE HERE: SUNSHINE COAST
BYRON BAY
Mon - Fri 10am-5pm
0438 631 153
Facebook.com/nicholsonsurf
0432 361 791 02 6681 3142
MOFFAT BEACH
BALLINA
EPOXY BOARD REPAIRS
PHIL’S FOILS
Seven days, 9am - 5pm
03 5261 6077
THE SURFERS SHED Seven days, 9am - 5pm
0437 246 848
PHILLIP ISLAND
By appointment
Mon - Fri 9-5pm
THE FACTORY SURFBOARDS
02 6686 7858 0401 841 298
ISLAND SURF SHOP - COWES
YAMBA
03 5952 2578
0427 019 420 Mon, Wed-Friday 9am-5pm, Saturday 8am-12pm
(07) 5492 5838
SLS SURFBOARDS
Mon, Wed, Fri 11- 5pm, Sat 8 - 12pm
0424 314 183
NOOSA
PLANK SHOP 02 6645 8362
TOMBSTONE SURFBOARDS
Tues - Fri 9am - 4pm, Sat 9am - 12pm
0432 330 826
UNDERGROUND SURF
BUDGEWOI
07 5455 4444
BUCKO’S SURFBOARD
7 days, 9am - 5pm
SOUTHPORT
KOMA
Mon-Fri 9am -5pm, Sat 9am -12pm
0402 863 763
MIAMI
DINO’S DING REPAIRS
Mon - Fri 9am - 5pm, Sat 9am - 12pm
0409 727 735
TUGUN
DIVERSE
Mon-Fri 8:30am - 5:30pm Sat & Sun 9-4pm
REPAIRS & RESTORATIONS Mon-Fri 10am - 5.30pm Weekends by appointment
0422 304 078
MID COAST
THE DING KING
CLARK SURFBOARDS Mon - Fri 9am - 5pm
0422 443 789
LIQUID STIX
0437 032 614
Mon - Fri 9am - 5pm Sat & Sun 9am - 3pm
WOLLONGONG
SKIPP SURFBOARDS
Mon-Fri 9am - 5:30pm Thurs 9am - 7:30pm Sat 9am - 4pm, Sun 10am - 4pm
02 4228 8878
BROWN DOGG
DIRECTION SURFBOARDS
7 days a week - Just call
0450 556 233
JERVIS BAY
KIRRA
INNER FEELING SURFBOARDS
0408 701 467
08 8376 4914
SANDLOCK SURFBOARDS
Mon - Fri 9am - 4pm, Sat 9am -12pm
CURRUMBIN
Mon - Fri 10am - 4pm Sat 10am - 2pm
Mon - Fri, 12.30pm - 5.30pm Sat 12.30pm - 5pm
SEAFORD
SHELLHARBOUR
GRB SURFBOARDS
ADELAIDE
WALLBRIDGE SURFBOARDS
LONG JETTY
07 5598 4848
Open hours 9am to 5pm
7 days, 9-5pm
0416 455 985
Seven days, 9am - 5pm
02 4441 6756
SURFBOARDS
0407 606 685
LONSDALE
MID COAST SURF Call us for a quality repair
08 8384 5522
RAGLAN, NZ
RAGLAN LONGBOARDS
7 days, 10am to 5pm except winter - catch us if you can
+64 7 825 0544
KAIKOURA, NZ
SURGE SURFBOARDS Bust your board? Call us 24/7
027 428 7453
FIX BROKEN BOARDS?
s Promote your repair busines for $15 an edition. Call 0401 345 201 MAR/APR 2013 | SMORGASBOARDER
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Brought to you by
SURF TRIP ACCOMMODATION
COOLUM BEACH
Noel Mooney - 0417 756 076 coolumbusinessandtourism.com
Welcome to a world of beachbreaks, boosts, barrels and brilliant fun - Coolum Beach on the Sunshine Coast North Shore. Beyond the tourist strip of Mooloolaba and just south of the righthand pointbreaks of Noosa, the water here is warm all year ‘round and there’s no shortage of surf breaks. It’s a true surfers playground and a top destination with a unique personality and charm. Here are your top choices for accommodation.
EXECUTIVE ACCOMMODATION
PET-FRIENDLY ACCOMMODATION
YOUR CHOICE OF HOLIDAY APARTMENTS
Managing over 25 executive beach homes and apartments from Twin Waters through to Coolum Beach, Coolum Holidays has the perfect property to indulge all of your needs while on vacation.
Take your four legged friend on your next holiday! Enjoy a stress free holiday knowing your pet is safe with you. Pet friendly holidays are becoming increasingly popular and Coolum Holidays has 30 holiday homes that specialise in providing the right accommodation for you and your pooch. All our holiday homes adhere to strict policies and conditions so that your holiday with your beloved pet is safe, secure and comfortable.
Managing an array of self contained apartments on the beautiful North Shore, Coolum Holidays will help you find the perfect apartment to relax in whether it be for two nights or two months.
All of our executive properties are tastefully decorated throughout and provide a high standard of facilities including swimming pool, air conditioning, bbq and pay television. Accommodating singles, couples and families, our portfolio of executive accommodation will surely not disappoint. P: 1300 303 423
www.coolumholidays.com.au
A $110.00 non refundable pet fee applies to all bookings made – a small price to pay for peace of mind. P: 1300 303 423
www.coolumholidays.com.au
From $1300 a week, shorter stays available
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From $490 a week, shorter stays available
Stay in one our apartments and stretch out with more privacy and space than a hotel room, perfect for an extended stay or corporate accommodation. We can offer you a great deal on one, two and three bedroom apartments – phone our friendly booking consultants today. P: 1300 303 423
www.coolumholidays.com.au
From $490 a week, shorter stays available
COOLUM BEACH GETAWAY RESORT 3-7 First Ave, Coolum Beach A modern 4½ star resort. 18 spacious, air-conditioned 1, 2 & 3 bedroom townhouse-style units and apartments with self-contained kitchens, laundry and lock up garage. Tropical gardens, heated pool and spa, half tennis court, plus bike and surfboard hire. One street back from the beach with a quiet, pleasant family atmosphere. Proximity: Only a short stroll to Coolum’s fabulous beach, alfresco dining and shopping. Located centrally on the Sunshine Coast, the tourist attractions, world-class golf courses and rainforest walks are all within easy driving distance. P: 07 5471 6759 F: 07 5471 6222 Australia: 1300 723 263 E: info@getawayresort.com.au www.getawayresort.com.au Phone for your special price
SEACHANGE COOLUM BEACH 1864 David Low Way, Coolum Beach
A world away from the everyday... 35 boutique holiday apartments with style and character... The ideal retreat for your tropical getaway. Designed to be different from the rest, Seachange features fully selfcontained one, two bedroom and family apartments - some with private rooftop spas and ocean views, all immaculately presented by resident managers who offer you personalised friendly service. Isn’t it time you experienced Seachange? Proximity: Walking distance to beach, local shops, restaurants P: 07 5471 7799 F: 07 5446 5380 Freecall: 1800 008 112
info@seachangecoolumbeach.com.au seachangecoolumbeach.com.au
Call for best rates
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BUSINESS PROMOTION
SURFING COOLUM Surf spots within close vicinity include Coolum main beach where a consistent left-hander reels in from in front of the surf club. At the southern end of the beach below the lookout at Point Perry, when the swell is 4 foot plus, a quality righthander can break close to the rocks. This wave is definitely the standout when it’s on but typically a place for the chargers in the surfing community. Just over the headland the FIRST and SECOND BAY (from the water it is really one bay) are also popular and fairly consistent. Although surrounded by rocks, the bottom is largely sand and the lefts and rights can be found depending on where you want to sit. In rare conditions, THIRD BAY breaks but this is definitely rocky and risky.
COOLUM CAPRICE 1770 David Low Way, Coolum Beach Located right in the heart of Coolum Beach, our ocean view, fully self contained apartments cater for couples, families and groups. With 1, 2 or 3 bedroom apartments to choose from, Coolum Caprice boasts the best views and location in town. Proximity: Middle of town, walking distance to shops and restaurants. Directly across the road from the beach and Surf Club. 15 minutes Sunshine Coast Airport and 1½ hours from Brisbane Airport. Phone: 07 5446 2177 E: relax@coolumcaprice.com.au www.coolumcaprice.com.au From $140 per night Smorgasboarder reader special:
Call today for 20% off!
ENDLESS SUMMER RESORT 9-21 Frank St, Coolum Beach
COOLUM SEASIDE 6-8 Perry St, Coolum Beach
This is the perfect place to stay in Coolum for holiday resort accommodation. Ideal for couples or the whole family. Choose from fully self-contained and spacious apartments located in a peaceful setting, away from traffic, but only a 100m stroll to the surf beach, main restaurants and sidewalk shops. Fantastic 25m heated pool, waterslide, children’s playground and mini golf on-site.
Perfectly positioned to take full advantage of the Sunshine Coast’s natural scenic beauty and holiday attractions. Our fully self-contained AAA 5-star rated one to four bedroom apartments are air conditioned and have Austar, LCD TVs, CD & DVD players. Roof terraces are available with majestic coastal & hinterland views. Facilities include 3 heated pools, 4 spas, tennis court, gymnasium, internet lounge/ library and poolside barbecues.
Proximity: 100m to patrolled surf beach and shops. Phone: +61 7 5471 9800
E: holiday@endlesssummerresort.com
www.endlesssummerresort.com Keep an eye on our web page for specials throughout the year or call direct to ask for our special surfer’s rates.
Proximity: Short stroll to patrolled beach, shops, cafes and restaurants. Phone: 1800 809 062 E: info@coolumseaside.com www.coolumseaside.com Check our specials online
COOLUM MOTEL & BUDGET ACCOMMODATION 1862 David Low Way, Cnr Ann St, Coolum Beach
ELEMENT ON COOLUM BEACH 1808 David Low Way, Coolum Beach
Coolum Motel is ideally located across from beautiful Coolum Beach. We offer a variety of room types ranging from Private Ensuited Rooms to Budget and Backpacker style and facilities. For a family friendly venue offering fantastic deals and discounts Stay with us!
This is seaside luxury right on Coolum Beach. These self contained luxury Coolum beach apartments combine the best of urban chic and beachside living. Stay in either a one, two or three bedroom holiday apartment right in the heart of Coolum and right across from Coolum Beach. Surf all day and stay in style at Element on Coolum Beach.
Proximity: Short walking distance to restaurants, shops and clubs. Phone: 07 5471 6666 E: info@coolummotel.com www.coolummotel.com From only $ 35 per night. Quote this magazine for 20% DISCOUNT!
Proximity: 1 minute walk to beach, shops and restaurants. Phone: 1300 139 744
stay@elementoncoolumbeach.com.au www.elementoncoolumbeach.com.au
From only $149 per night in a one bedroom apartment
Dates and conditions apply
MAR/APR 2013 | SMORGASBOARDER
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Planning a surfing holiday or weekend away? These fine accommodation options offer great proximity to surf beaches in some of Australia best surf spots and beyond. Get out there.
VICTORIA
TASMANIA
SURF TRIP ACCOMMODATION
NEW SOUTH WALES
MARRAWAH BEACH HOUSE 19 Beach Road, MARRAWAH
SILVERWATER RESORT 17 Potters Hill Rd, San Remo
SOUTHVIEW BULLI 19 Southview Street, Bulli
The Beach House is located on an organic beef farm on the wild, west coast of Tasmania. The comfortable, self contained twobedroom cottage has spectacular views of the Southern Ocean and easy access to the beach. The perfect base to explore the wilderness of the Tarkine and Arthur River areas. 1 ½ hrs drive from Burnie Airport and 2 ½ hrs drive from Devonport Ferry.
Spacious one, two and three-bedroom self-contained apartments all with spectacular bay views and modern conveniences. Complementing the 4.5 star accommodation is an excellent range of resort facilities including indoor and outdoor pool, billiards and games room, tennis and basketball courts, restaurant and bar.
Southview is a bed & breakfast and self contained holiday accommodation, nestled between Sandon Point Beach and Bulli Beach. Recently rated 4.5 stars by AAA tourism it is the perfect place to unwind and perfect for the surfer and their family.
Proximity: Close to quality reef and beach breaks as well as the local general store and hotel. P: 03 6457 1285 or 0428 571 285 E: marrawahbeachhouse@activ8.net.au
Proximity: Five mins to surf beach, two mins to town Phone: 1800 033 403 res@silverwaterresort.com.au www.silverwaterresort.com.au
Rates from $140 per night
From $175 per night
QUEENSLAND
PORTOBELLO BY THE SEA 6 Beerburrum St, Dicky Beach Caloundra
PIWIWIWI SURF CAMPERVAN RENTALS Raglan NZ
Fantastic surf spots right on your doorstep. Moffat, Neill Street, Dicky Beach all within a 5 minute walk. Luxury accommodation within 50 m of some of the best restaurants Caloundra has to offer.
DON’T STAY... EXPLORE! The only campervan rentals company in New Zealand aimed at surfers. Vans are kitted out with all the gear you need including straps to hold your boards safe INSIDE the van. PiwiWiwi is a small, friendly company based in the magic surf town of Raglan.
Proximity: Nestled Between Sandon Point and Bulli Beach Telephone: 02 4268 6303
Proximity: Across from patrolled Dicky Beach, on-site dining and shopping. Phone: 07 5491 9038
www.southviewbulli.com.au
www.portobellobythesea.com.au
From $145 per couple
From $325 for two nights.
E: info@southviewbulli.com.au
NEW ZEALAND
E: info@portobellobythesea.com.au
Transfers to and from Auckland Airport available. Raglan Office: +64 7 825 0974 NZ Free Phone: 0800 74 94 94 E: info@piwiwiwi.co.nz www.piwiwiwi.co.nz From $25 per night
NEW SOUTH WALES
SCAMANDER BEACH SHACK 130 Scamander Ave, SCAMANDER This is the ultimate authentic beach shack and only $130 per night, anytime of the year! Amazing location right opposite Tasmania’s premium east-coast surfing beach. Uninterrupted views of waves and the Scamander River mouth provide breathtaking scenery sitting in the comfort of the shack. An ideal getaway for surfers and their families or keen fisherpersons plus a cosy getaway for a couple. Proximity: Right opposite Scamander Beach. Phone: 0400 912 583
www.scamanderbeachshack.com
$130 per night, all year round
TV 156
gym
laundry
KIAMA COVE BOUTIQUE MOTEL 10 Bong Bong St, Kiama UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT Kiama Cove Boutique Motel is in a fantastic location right near the heart of Kiama overlooking Surf Beach. The motel offers ocean views, king sized beds in most rooms, off-street parking, free Austar, swimming pool and a fabulous sun lounge area overlooking the beach. Proximity: Right on Surf Beach and a short stroll to the main street of Kiama. Phone: 02 4232 4500 E: info@kiamacove.com.au
www.kiamacoveboutiquemotel.com.au
Room rates are from $90 to $200 for family rooms
kitchen
parking
wi-fi
9 Shirley Street, BYRON BAY
COOLANGATTA SANDS HOSTEL Cnr McLean and Griffith Street, Coolangatta
Outrigger Bay is the perfect Byron getaway for the ultimate relaxing holiday. With direct access to the beach, these fabulous 2 or 3 bedroom apartments are not only in a stunning location but are also so close to Byron’s great restaurants and bars. This is an ideal location for a surfing holiday with the family or a group of friends.
Your ultimate surf HQ! Where else can you find some of the world’s best beaches and beach breaks on your doorstep - Kirra, Snapper Rocks, D-Bah, Rainbow Bay, Greenmount and Coolangatta? Free breakfast, free pick-up, economical shared and private rooms. Stay three nights and you can travel to Byron Bay for free on our shuttle bus! Part of the Coolangatta Adventure Crew.
Proximity: DIRECT ACCESS to beach - only 50m walk. 2 min walk to town centre shops. P: 02 6685 8646 E: info@outriggerbay.com www.outriggerbay.com
Proximity: Across from great surf breaks, restaurants, nightlife Phone: 07 5536 7472 E: hostel@taphouse.com.au
From $195 per night
Rates from $29 per night
pool
airconditioning
www.coolangattasandshostel.com.au
family-friendly
pet-friendly
PIHA DOMAIN SURF CAMP 21 Seaview Road, Piha, NZ What a phenomenal location for surfers and their families! Piha Domain is a large, family-friendly campground in the heart of Piha Village, accommodating tents, caravans, campervans and also has cabins to hire. Only two minutes walk from one of the best surfing beaches in New Zealand, this is one of the best value for money camps in the country. Proximity: Right on the beach in front of the iconic Lion Rock and only a short stroll to shops. Phone: +64 9 8128 815 E: pihacamp@xtra.co.nz Rates from $10 a night for tent sites spa
bbq
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Photos supplied by Grant Newby
THE ALLEY FISH FRY 2013 Another year, and another Currumbin Alley Fish Fry! Seven years in the community showand-shine organised by Grant Newby is far from slowing. The day dawned with brilliant sunshine and held throughout the day, but rough, unstable surf conditions saw only the experienced tackle the difficult waves. An ecletic mix of beautifully handcrafted wooden hand planes, a travelling Japanese soul surfer and musician, families enjoying surf culture together and in the many strange and wonderful saltwater sleds that saw the light of day at the heart of what the Fish Fry means to people. More at: thealleyfishfry.blogspot.com
BLEACHED
AZ, BRO...
Out and about around the 2013 Bleach Festival on the Gold Coast... Photos supplied by Soul Arch Media
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DALY HEAD... Now a protected break
CLOSEOUT: RELAX
MC Tim Bonython talking through early Yorkes film footage
Buck Rogers, Andy Short, Ray Agnew, Quenten Agius, Ed Satanek
Headphone Piracy 158
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* Boards not included
Daly Heads Surfing Reserve Plaque
Small surf businesses,cool products and more! Advertise here - call 0401 345 201 for details.
SURF DIRECTORY
onlY
$30
SUP
toUGH, affoRDaBle & SImPle StoRaGe D aR Bo Rf & SU SolUtIon foR all BoaRDS!
StRaPS
Like us on Facebook - elofant board straps. Order straps online from
www.elofant.com
GETTING A HEAD
CUTS WAX LIKE BUTTER Moulded grip
Polymer casing Clean wax!
The Daly Head National Surfing Reserve, the first along Australia’s southern coastline, was dedicated on 12 January this year after the Formby Bay Environmental Action Group and the local surfing community put in two years of hard work to get it recognised. Photographer Harryart had to say: “A big mention to Ed Satanek, who really did - and has done - rallying, fundraising, regenerating interest and general dedication to this whole event. He wouldn’t want credit for it out loud, but I and many others take our hats off to this Yorkes protector and legend.”
ONLY5! $11.9
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Well said Harry, well done to Ed and all involved. Harry graciously also supplied some shots from the celebrations of the day. Enjoy.
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MAKING A SURFBOARD?
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ROLLING INTO AUSTRALIA DAY Victorian Skateboarding and YMCA Riverslide Skate Park got the Street SUP crew involved in this year’s Australia Day Parade in Melbourne to promote people young and old to participate in the fun and healthy lifestyle of skateboarding. By the looks of things, a very fun day was had by all! For more on Street SUP, see the website: www.streetsup.com.au Photos supplied by Street Sup
WOODWORKERS
L-R : Gary, Graeme, Darren, Jonathan, Skye, Wally, Dion, Gretta, Rob The first 2013 Tree to Sea workshop was held in February, over three very hot and humid days. Eight great looking boards where made, including a few new models. A new rail system made boards quicker to lay up and allowed for stronger boards with more flexibility of rail shape. New instructor Darren has also joined the Tree to Sea team to be able to increase the amount of workshops to meet demand. If you are interested in a workshop, email info@treetosea.com.au. 160
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IMPROVED QUALITY BETTER MEMORY
NEVER STOP
Photos by Brendan Dowd
EXTREME STRETCH KEEPS SHAPE LONGER
SURFING
PORT FAIRY SWAP MEET
from ZEE, Available DIRECT ores or from select surf st
Over 150 surfboard enthusiasts, collectors and onlookers attended the first surfboard swap meet held in Port Fairy over the Australia Day weekend. The event was hosted by locally-owned Go Surf School,and organiser Keith Curtain said the event was an outstanding success! www.gosurfschool.com
Jordan Lockett/Adam Robertson
Local Matt Dwyer
Oscar and Trevor
Peter and Adam Robertson
With years of local experience and the highest quality materials, every ZEE WETSUIT is built to last. Made locally and 100% Australian owned. NOOSA: 07 5474 1010 Unit 2, 15 Venture Drive, Noosaville, QLD MOOLOOLABA: 07 5444 7007 122 Brisbane Road, Mooloolaba, QLD
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www.zeewetsuits.com OPEN HOURS: Mon-Fri: 9 - 5, Sat: 9 - 12
BOTH STORES OPEN 6 DAYS! MAR/APR 2013 | SMORGASBOARDER
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25/02/13 11:24 AM
With hundreds of reef passes, it might be worth going with someone who knows
It’s what we can’t tell you that matters
Ry Craike, Maldives punt.