Smorgasboarder Summer 2016 by Smorgasboarder Magazine

INSIDE: SURF-INSPIRED ART AND ARTISTS | SURF TRAVEL IN INDONESIA | THE LATEST SURFBOARD DESIGNS | INFLATABLE SUP TEST

№ 33

SURF +ART

- SUMMER-

2016

FIELDEY

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ALSO AVAILABLE

Custom Built This board has been custom built by hand in Australia. In fact, Mark can build just about anything to suit the surfer, home décor, the occasion and the budget.

• Fin boxes with all wood covers • Wood coloured fin boxes • Fin box install kits • Clear board grip tape - Let the beauty of the balsa show through with clear Versagrip Traction Tape. Environmentally friendly and suits all size boards. • Timber fins • Surfboards • Blanks • Cork tail pads & SUP deck grip

He is very particular with the stringer combinations. This board has 40 stringers and is for a 40th birthday. Balsawood is a fast grown wood that is sustainable. All boards and production are of an environmental friendly practice. Riley has been building boards since 1995 and continue to build unique boards. They build from light performance shortboards, to solid wallhangers, to classic birthday presents, light 12ft SUP and everything inbetween. With over 1,000 sticks of balsa in stock to choose from in big 160mm x 75 x 3050mm pieces, you just can’t go wrong.

• Aussie-made leashes • Raw balsa/ cedar DIY board kits • Instructional DVDs • Board racks • Tide clocks • LICK liquid surf wax. Wholesale enquires welcome

SURFBOARDS THAT DON’T COST THE EARTH!

SHIPPING ANYWHERE, INCLUDING NZ 4

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HANDCRAFTED IN AUSTRALIA Riley Balsawood Surfboards are made using renewable resource balsa and recycled polystyrene for performance, durability, beauty and lower environmental impact

Call 0412 376 464 or Email mark@riley.com.au

www.balsasurfboardsriley.com.au Australian Environmentally-friendly handcrafted surfboards for the individual in all of us, with a guarantee. Enjoy Responsibly SUMMER 2016 | SMORGASBOARDER

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DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES Our core aim in Smorgasboarder magazine always was and will be to be inclusive. We love all kinds of surfing, all kinds of surfers from the best to the worst (whatever that means to you personally) and all kinds of boards from long to short. When it comes to art we feel no differently. Art is as personal as is surfing, and there as as many varied forms of expression as there are waves to ride. Furthermore, art in any form is completely subjective - what makes art great for one person is as personal as what makes a good day out surfing for each of us. Art and hand shaping a surfboard could also not be more closely aligned as both take talent, skill and thousands of hours of practice to understand and never ever fully master… There will also be a new personal height to reach. But most importantly when all the stars align perfectly, both art and surfing simply make you happy. It’s with that intent that we’re so chuffed to present our second ever dedicated art edition! This mag is packed with some of our personal favourite artists - artists of vastly varying styles, levels of recognition and even commercial success, yet all tied together by an underlying love for surfing, surf culture and the ocean. Some paint boards, some paint canvases, some paint walls, some draw pictures, other sculpt in metal - all of them make many of you happy by putting their work out into the world and brightening someone’s day. Enjoy, get inspired, and go surfing!

Cheers!

rders

sboa the Smorga

An artist with a lens... Sydney photographer Brad Bessant sees Snapper Rocks on the Gold Coast from an angle not too many would imagine. Photo: Brad Bessant - Find him on Facebook at Brad-Bessant-Photography

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WELCOME SUMMER 2016 | SMORGASBOARDER

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WHAT'S

INSIDE... NOOSA RISING STAR 32 Meet Nic Brewer

DETAILS, CREDITS & STUFF Grab SMORGASBOARDER FREE at quality surf stores, shapers and cool cafés on the coast of Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, Western Australia and New Zealand... Be nice and buy something while you’re there. Or read it online.

MAGAZINE SUBSCRIBE FOR HOME DELIVERY

If you can’t get to a store or other venue to pick the mag up in person, you can also choose to have SMORGASBOARDER delivered to your door. See www.smorgasboarder.com.au. A few back issues are also available for $5 a piece, plus t-shirts & more!

$25 AUS & NZ - 1 YEAR - SIX EDITIONS.

THE COVER SHOT FUN WITH INFLATABLES 97 Jeff tests a blow-up SUP

Incredible mural art by Fieldey.... An impressive array of artists are featured in this, our second ever art edition. For creative inspiration, get reading from page 36 onwards!

THE USUAL LATEST

SMORGASBOARDERS

CONTRIBUTING...

GEAR

ADVERTISING/EDITORIAL: Dave Swan dave@smorgasboarder.com.au 0401 345 201

CLOSEOUT

NEW ZEALAND: ‘Jiff’ Morris jeff@smorgasboarder.co.nz 0220 943 913

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.

14 Reader photos 20 News 88 Surfboards 94 Ding Repairs 101 Directories 102 Columns 108 Socials 114 Aloha Barry

DESIGN/EDITORIAL: Mark Chapman mark@smorgasboarder.com.au SOUTH AUSTRALIA: James Ellis james@smorgasboarder.com.au 0410 175 552

Great summer e ns! Se surfboard desig re... mo Page 88 for

There’s only a few of us here, so please be patient when you get in touch - we’ll try our best to get back to you as soon as humanly possible. Get in touch to discuss any ideas you’d like to be considered for a future edition or online.

ACCOUNTS: Louise Gough louise@smorgasboarder.com.au GEAR TESTS & REVIEWS: Gus Brown gus@smorgasboarder.com.au

FEATURED WRITER

Jules Carey, a Canadian surfer gives her take on Indo. See page 80 12

E: editorial@smorgasboarder.com.au P: PO Box 501, Moffat Beach QLD 4551

BEST NON-DAILY PUBLICATION

QUEENSLAND MULTIMEDIA AWARDS 2013

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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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CRAZY KIWIS Smorgasboarder reader Tony Baker, photographed here by Ella Buckle on his 5’9” C-Wing Twin Fin shaped by Roger Hall - scores himself a kilo of coffee beans thanks to Raglan Roast. Enjoy Tony! If you’re in NZ, send in your surf shots and you could be the next reader to score a bag of beans. Email submissions to letters@smorgasboarder.com.au Great coffee, roasted daily. Volcom Lane, Raglan NZ WWW.RAGLANROAST.CO.NZ

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Warm summer waves in the protected corner of a back beach on the Mid North Coast of NSW. Photo: Chris Hewgill This issue’s reader photo scores a pair of Barz Optics ‘Tavarua’ floating sunnies! Get printed and enjoy some free stuff on us... Send your photos to: letters@smorgasboarder.com.au

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Chiko Rolls off menu for Girls Surf Day WORDS & PHTOS BY HEIDI ATKINS heidiatkinscreative.com

A bunch of wild women surfers stormed Point Impossible recently to conduct a board meeting for the annual International Women’s Day surfing competition. Slated for Saturday March 5, and hosted by Surf Coast Longboarders Club, Wild Women on Water (WWOW) is a day of celebration and laughs. Stylish shredding ladies (and kooky fun loving lasses) will be hitting Point Impossible or Spot for some waves, raising funds for local charity Bethany. Not just for surfers, there’ll be yoga, coffee and healthy barbeque breakfast, food van for lunch, onsite massage and a raffle you’d be bonkers to miss. Hang with fellow Surf Coast ladies and their families, to the tunes of past, present and loud legendary female musicians. Launched in 2010, the event has drawn new female members to the club, bringing a great balance, “and lowering levels of testosterone in the water,” explained ambassador and Australian champ Emma Webb. Competitors described the feeling of surfing and sharing waves with other gals. “My favourite sessions are with fellow female sliders, fun vibes, hooting and chatting amoung the waves,” said sponsor Ange King of South Coast Surfboards. “It doesn’t matter what level you are, everyone’s just happy to be out there,” competitor Laura Spencer explained. And as to the charitable side of the event, Elle Cooper of Bethany said, “Every little bit helps us to continue servicing the community.” To register or get involved please email: info@heidiatkinscreative.com, follow on Facebook #Surfcoast Longboarders Club or visit surfcoastlongboardclub.com.

Molly Powell steals one from Emma Webb. Photo: heidiatkinscreative.com

Ange King sliding down the line. Photo: heidiatkinscreative.com

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No drop-ins just party waves. Photo: heidiatkinscreative.com

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AKA: THE NEWS... COMMUNITY WHAT’S HAPPENINGS & OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS letters@smorgasboarder.com.au

smorgasboarder

WASTE NOT, WANT YES Every surfer worth their salt wants a clean ocean environment. Ports and marinas are the perfect place to start as they combine high levels of human activity with a hell of a lot of rubbish and pollutants such as petrol and oil. Enter the ‘Seabin’. Good friends, Andrew Turton and Pete Ceglinksi with the help of West Australian seed investors Shark Mitigation Systems have designed a prototype of their revolutionary ocean-cleaning technology and are now hoping to raise enough capital through a crowd funding campaign to launch into full scale production. Their automated rubbish bin is designed to be put in the water around marinas and ports and uses a shore-based water pump to pull water into the bin along with any floating rubbish, oil, fuel and other pollutants. A natural fibre bag then catches all the rubbish and allows for clean water to get pumped back into the ocean. Providing their crowd funding target is met, Seabins are expected to be available late this year and will retail for about $5,297 AUD. www.seabinproject.com

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FISHING FOR SKATEBOARDS On the recycling front there is another super cool new LA-based company called Bureo that is turning ocean waste into skateboards. They collect and recycle fishing nets from the coast of Chile and turn the nets into skate decks. One Bureo skateboard alone uses almost 3m2 of fishing net debris. So now there’s a way to cruise the streets and keep the ocean clean at the same time. Together Bureo and Net Positiva, a fishnet collection and recycle program in Chile, in the first year alone collected and recycled over ten tonnes of discarded nets. Shop.bureo.co

NEW BALSA WEBSITE He’ s become well known for his exquisitely crafted eco-friendly, lightweight surfboards and now Mark Riley has developed a new website to share his love of balsa. It’s all in the name of enhancing the experience for his avid followers both in the water, online and across the various social media platforms. “I really love building the most Eco friendly boards available in Australia by hand. My passion for shaping balsa surfboards sparks a broader interest in this great surfboard material” says Mark. Riley Australia was one of the first surfboard builders in the world to have their own domain name and web site back in January 1999. From that day they have been building balsa wood surfboards and sending them all around the world. Mark has expanded from balsa boards and clocks and added to the mix DIY kits, wood coloured boxes, fins, raw balsa, surfing and shaping accessories; everything you need to build a beautiful balsa board. The new website has been designed to provide the ultimate userfriendly experience with improved navigation and functionality throughout, allowing customers to access and buy videos with the option of sharing information across all major social networking sites. See more at: www.balsawoodsurfboardsriley.com SUMMER 2016 | SMORGASBOARDER

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RUN OUT SURFBOARD SALE NOW ON!

UP TO 30% OFF ALL EXISTING STOCK UNTIL SOLD

TAMAM SHUD If you think that you saw Tamam Shud play somewhere in the 1970s but can’t quite remember then you probably did. Purveyors of fine surf style music since the late ‘60s early ‘70s and major contributors to the Morning of the Earth sound track Tamam Shud are back with a new album, titled 8 years of Moonlight. John Cobbin from Brookvale’s Moonlight Studio where the album was recorded says – “every single session, and there were so many, was intensely creative.” We’ve always been a big fan of Lindsay and Tim’s writing abilities and Nigel’s tight snappy drumming. Pete’s dark rumbling bass has always sounded like a big surf at night.” The album was released on Sunday 24th January at Sydney Hi-Fi Mona Vale.

SHORTBOARDS - MINI MALS PERFORMANCE FISH’S - LONGBOARDS RON WADE SURFBOARDS (ESTABLISHED 1967)

23 Bassett Street East, Mona Vale NSW 2103 Open Saturdays 9am-4pm or call 0410 443 776 for an alternative time. Available 7 days.

Become part of an exclusive members only surf brand. (Surfers of all ages and skills welcome) Membership has its privileges: Visit www.1lovesurfing.com for details. Ambassadors wanted: Apply for a 1 Love Surfing Ambassadorship.

RESPECT THE RIDE!

It’s available on vinyl and for download at www.tamamshud.com.au

LETTERS CONSTRUCTIVE DEBATE

NEED SOME MAGS PLEASE!

“Hi Dave,

“Hey Guys,

I was stoked with the huge article on sharks.... Your research, statistics and attention to detail was excellent. You made constructive comments on the worrying and volatile issues we’re presently facing with sharks. You also covered the social and economic impact, shark mitigation warning devices and deterrents etc. Thanks Dave for a very positive and informative story.

Love the Smorgasboarder...

Cheers Donny” “Hi Dave I received the copy of Smorgasboarder in the post many thanks! Really enjoyed the shark debate - even though I surf in the Great White homeland and am considered high risk, I fully support their conservation. Cheers Andrew B“ 22

My partner and I have just taken over a surf/lifestyle store in North Fremantle WA and were wondering if we would be able to put some copies of your mag on the counter? Let me know! Cheers, Jim” If you’re like Jim and have a cool surf store, café or gallery and are keen to get some Smorgasboarders in store, please get in touch. There are a couple of ways we can arrange. Please note though, our mag is free but Australia Post doesn’t deliver it for nothing, unfortunately. We can arrange a single copy annual subscription for $25 or a bulk subscription from $150. For more details email subscriptions @smorgasboarder.com.au

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! Got a question you want to ask the Surf Sage about an old board you have found under the house or from a curbside collection? Email editorial@smorgasboarder.com.au and we will get Ondi onto it.

Q A

VINTAGE SURFBOARD COLLECTOR AND PROPRIETOR OF NOOSA’S UNDERGROUND SURF, ANDRE ‘ONDI’ MARSAUS, IS THE SURF SAGE AND HERE IN OUR REGULAR FEATURE HE PROVIDES THE ANSWERS TO ALL YOUR QUESTIONS.

Do you know anything about this KB Stinger? I’ve had it in the back of my garage for years and am interested in selling it? Cheers for any info on it mate, and how much it’s worth? Larry Hey Larry, yes, this is a Klemm Bell Stinger. It looks like a John Blanch shaped sting or stinger with no step bottom. It would be 1977 vintage if John shaped it as he was working at the Torquay factory during this period. I haven’t seen too many of these Victorian stingers. It looks watertight and has had a few repairs over the years but it’s nice to see it’s history is in tact and doesn’t look like it’s been restored in any way. It actually looks like a great rider and without seeing it in the flesh, a price guide is about $400.

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SURFBOARDS OF SIGNIFICANCE by Ondi Marsaus, Underground Surf Emporium & Cafe

BILL wallace TOOTHPICK This beauty is the last board Bill made before he retired in Noosa in 2012. It’s a replica of the 1942 toothpick model he first crafted in Bronte at 16 years old in his first workshop, which was a garage that backed onto a lane behind the house he lived in with his family. He was an apprentice Pattern Maker at the time. It was around the Second World War and anyone who had left school had gone off to fight. Bill, still at school, was working in a munitions factory building boats and weapons for the diggers on the front line. The first boards Bill made were inspired by Tom Blake’s original boards of that era. Due to the war however, materials were scarce and he had to substitute the proper materials for inferior ones. Cheap ply was used as a substitute for marine ply. Copper nails were used instead of brass screws. The scarcity of the materials and the fact there was no one to instruct Bill on how to make a toothpick meant it took up to a year to build. Once it was complete however, he sold it straight away and that was the beginning of a lifelong passion of building surfboards. Later Bill was able to access top quality marine ply for his toothpicks and built the structure of the boards with cedar sourced from the railway carriage coach works and wood from Kempsey, NSW. He charged the local groms and surfers 1 pound per foot. Bill is one of the original Aussie boardmakers who made a great impact on the surf industry and Underground Surf was honoured in 2015 to have Bill and his son Peter hand over the production of Wallace Surfboards to us. Various models are now being released under Bill’s watchful eye.

See this board in the flesh... well, TIMBER... at UNDERGROUND SURF Upstairs 9 Hastings St, Noosa T: 07 5455 4444 www.undergroundsurf.com.au SUMMER 2016 | SMORGASBOARDER

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LATEST & GREATEST

crete 26

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Concrete

curl

ne of our favourite surf shops in the whole country, Island Surfboards on Phillip Island, have collaborated with our very own super talented, witty and worldly-wise artist Curl, of the Aloha Barry cartoon fame (okay, he’s actually a PI boy, but we’re claiming him as ours anyway)… The graphic, designed by Curl especially for Island is available in a range of cool colours - green, blue and purple… Can we hope for a t-shirt too?…

Anyhow, as you can see from the photos, these decks can be put through their paces! Island also stock a range of hardware to customise your Curl deck with your own favourite truck, wheels and the like… So, what are you waiting for? Skate with some local pride and get yourself a killer new board while supporting Island and and our big mate Curl.

For more info, see www.islandsurfboards.com.au (And check out this edition’s Aloha Barry cartoon on page 114! Bogan eggs… Classic)

e curl SUMMER 2016 | SMORGASBOARDER

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LATEST & GREATEST For active and styleconscious surferr girls, you can never go wrong with the stunning range of swimwear from Hive. One-pieces, or mix and match bikini sets to suit your style. hiveswimwear.com

SURF TIME If you’re hard on your gear (and being generally unco, we certainly are...) then a Swiss military watch is for you... Strong, solid and available in Australia in a range of styles from CRNemetvarga. www.crnemetvarga.com

SMORG X AKYMBO SA artist Kym Nagler is behing this edition’s special Smorgasboarder t-shirt. Featuring a hot ‘surfing bird’ pocket adn backprint, you’ll never look more stylish... (Grey or Black) $30 for the shirt, or $40 for shirt and subscription. www.smorgasboarder.com.au

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PROPERTY SALES

PERMANENT RENTALS

HOLIDAY RENTALS

ere here? w u o y Wish r local u o y o t Speak e 1979... c n i s , s t exper

Photo: Paul Smith Images

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NOOSA FESTIVAL

A regular and outstanding competitor at the Noosa Festival of Surfing, Hawaii’s Honolua Blomfield. Photo: NFOS

NFOS: 25 & GOING STRONG WORDS: THOMAS LEITCH PHOTOS: SUPPLIED, NOOSA FESTIVAL OF SURFING

The Noosa Festival of Surfing will celebrate its 25th Anniversary in 2016, and its already shaping up to be bigger and better than ever before. With unprecedented numbers flocking to sign up, it has become necessary to limit competitors to a single age division, a new division has been opened – the Junior Girls’ Under 15 – and still the competitor list is almost full. Entry numbers are seeing a sixty six per cent increase on former years, the festival’s global renown drawing entrants from near and far. Nine nations and five of the Australian states are currently being represented, with several more expected to fill the remaining few berths. With the Men’s Under 18, Men’s Open and Men’s 50, 55 and 60-plus divisions all now full, many entrants will be needing to find their second choices to be able to take place in the 2016 Noosa Festival.

are booked well in advance for one of the biggest weeks in Noosa’s, and indeed, the Sunshine Coast’s annual calendar of events.

Please visit the accommodation section of our website for details on hotels, rates and deals available.

If you are wishing to take part in the 2016 Noosa Festival of Surfing or if you wish to join the festival as a sponsor, please visit our website – www.noosafestivalofsurfing.com - or contact festival director, Sam Smith at info@noosafestivalofsurfing.com as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

Join the festival on social media: Facebook: www.facebook.com/NoosaFestSurf Instagram: @noosa_festival_of_surfing

The traditional ho’okupu opening ceremony, welcoming friends from near and far. Photo: Geoff Fanning

With over 700 competitors and their families, not to mention the increase in tourists wishing to be part of the ‘8 Days of Pure Stoke’, much of Noosa’s premiere accommodation properties SUMMER 2016 | SMORGASBOARDER

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NIC BREWER

BURNS BRIGHT WORDS: PHIL JARRATT | PHOTO: KATRINA MCDONALD

or Noosa junior longboard sensation Nic Brewer 2015 was a stellar year. He took out the Junior Logger national title at the Australian Surfing Festival in August, won the Under-18 Alexandra Headland Winter Classic, and posted high placings in a string of other events. And the 16-year-old High School student from Castaways Beach is only just beginning. According to his mentors, he has the right combination of natural talent and positive attitude to go a long way. A lifelong waterman who started out surfing with his dad on a boogie board at age three, Nic developed his confidence in the surf as a Nipper at Sunshine Beach Surf Club. During his early years, a friend loaned him a seven-foot single fin and Nic realised that retro and longer boards suited his developing style. Nic started turning heads a few years ago in Noosa Malibu Club competitions, with his stylish turns and go-for-it attitude. When he began competing seriously, he soon became a regular finalist in the Under-15 division events. In 2014 Nic accumulated some impressive results including winning the U15 division of the Noosa Festival of Surfing and posting second place in the Queensland Longboard Championships. He achieved a creditable fourth place at the U18 Austalian Longboard Titles at age 14 and finished the year as Junior Champion of the Noosa Malibu Club. Nic’s excellent form continued throughout 2015. Nic joined Fuyu Surfboards, operated by Sunshine Beach shaper Paul Winter, as a team rider a couple of years ago. This association has seen him flourish in competitive and free surfing, and he has taken a growing interest in helping create what he rides, giving a lot of credit for his improvement to the ongoing development of the Fuyus under his feet. He says: “I really enjoy the process of refining my boards with Paul, and spending time in the shaping bay with him. I feel much more confident knowing that each board is made specifically to suit my surfing and to improve it.” Nic’s great results are partly attributed to understanding his boards and the conditions each is suited to. Fuyu Surfboards is proudly local, supporting events such as the Noosa Logger and Wrecks and Relics, and with a Noosa-based team in Nic, Gavin Robinson and Jackson Winter. It is also one of the few grass-roots surfboard companies still resisting the mass-production trend and producing custom handcrafted quality boards.

NIC

Nic has also benefited from being coached and mentored by former world longboard champion Josh Constable, and hot free surfer Jackson Winter. Recent international travels (to the Maldives in 2014 and Samoa in 2015) have given him experience in the more challenging reef breaks endemic to those regions. Nic can also be found indulging in his other great passion of fishing whenever the surf’s not happening.

Finishing school is top priority, and Nic was a recent recipient of the ‘Sunshine Coast Young Achiever’ award for his sporting and academic excellence. The money he received from this award will help with costs involved in attending future competitions, including Nic’s ambitions of winning another Australian title and having a crack at a longboard world title. It seems that Nic has what it takes. Article courtesy of fuyusurfboards.com

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LATEST: LOCAL

A lifelong waterman who started out surfing with his dad on a boogie board at age three

C BREWE SUMMER 2016 | SMORGASBOARDER

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GREAITLY FAM ES F ESCAP SUR

The deep south (New South Wales that is) appeals on so many levels. There are an endless number of uncrowded waves in the area, the water is always absolutely pristine, albeit on the “Norsca Fresh” cool side of things, and the fresh local produce from the sea and the land is on another level altogether. The most southern town of NSW is EDEN and its name is befitting of its appeal.

VISITING EDEN The freshest of fresh seafood!

THE WAVES

FISHING

Well I can’t say too much out of respect for the local surfers other than a visit to this region won’t usually see you go home empty handed. A number of spots may be fickle and heavily reliant on the sandbanks, but on the day they are something to remember for the rest of your life, and there are still plenty of other options to suit various conditions.

Eden is part of the Sapphire Coast and the region’s shimmering waters means it not only lives up to its name but they’re also teeming with fish, making it one of the state’s top fishing destinations. There’s plenty of reef, rock, beach and estuary fishing. Eden is particularly popular with game fisherman from December to May and there are even land-based game fishing options from the Pulpit and City Rock. Think of a fish and you will probably be able to catch it here.

There are waves here for all surfing standards. Fun little beachies can be had right out front of the Holiday Park on Aslings Beach. There’s a great right further down the beach that is best in 3-6ft and then there are islands and rock shelfs in the area that can hold up to 12ft plus. Oh, and just a little further north is Pambula Rivermouth. You may have heard of it. It’s the stuff of legend but is it real or a myth? You will have to find out for yourself.

FOOD First of all there is the freshest of fresh seafood available in this region whether you are catching it yourself, visiting a local fish and chip shop, heading down to the wharf, dining at a local pub, café or restaurant. There’s fish of every description and size and then there’s mussels and oysters. As I said before, it is another level.

As for the local produce there is a line on the Sapphire Coast tourism site that says something like ‘Every town in the region offers an outlet for the sort of food your grandparents used to talk about.” Roadside signs for farmgate sales, local produce markets, the multi-award winning Eden Smokehouse…. The list goes on and on. For more information: www.visiteden.com. au/local-produce/

WHAT ELSE? Food (again), history and nature are the drawcards. I have said enough about food so I will focus on the latter. Eden was home to shore-based whaling stations and a trip here is not complete without a visit to the Eden Killer Whale Museum and hearing the story of Old Tom, the legendary killer whale. You can also walk the killer whale trail, explore Ben Boyd National Park, kayak the Kiah River or partake in an oyster

tour on beautiful Broadwater Lake (there I go about food again).

SOUTH COAST HOLIDAY PARKS EDEN Opposite Aslings beach and with Lake Curalo as its backdrop, this park is a cracker. Recently renovated there are sites for motorhomes and vans, camping and 22 cabins to choose from to suit various budgets and groups with even some dog-friendly options. You can hire a bike here and ride along to the many enjoyable walks through bushland and national parks or kick a footy on the open grass area. southcoastparks.com.au

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LATEST: ARTISTS & GENERALLY CREATIVE FOLKS

She paints surfboards, she paints walls, she paints canvases and more... Let’s have a chat with amazing artist, Haylee Fieldes WORD: MARK CHAPMAN PHOTOS: SUPPLIED, COURTESY OF FIELDEY

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IELDEY has made a real name for herself in the art world, painting dozens of surfboards, walls and skateboards, cars – even bowling pins, a 2.4m remote-controlled jet boat and has even created artwork for the 2014 Iron Fist ladies range. Fieldey - or Haylee Fieldes to those who know her closely - was born in New Zealand in the 80s and moved to Norfolk Island, where she learned a love for the ocean. Ever the nomad, she left to study in Sydney, work in London, and finally settled in Perth. Here she learned to surf and decided to custom-paint her own surfboard. And so it began…

I BELIEVE FIELDEY - THE NAME, THE LEGEND — WAS BORN FROM THE MAKING OF THE FISH WIFE? TELL US THE TALE... To tell that tale I’ll have to travel way back into the mists of time when I was a wee little tacker who used to obsessively paint and draw all the time. I was always told I was going to be an artist and I believed it right up until I was about to finish school and I had a careers advisor who convinced me I’d die poor and alone if I pursued art as a career. Not wanting to die in a lonely garret missing an ear, I studied graphic design as a way to make money out of being creative. I did that for about 10 years giving up on my youthful dreams of being an artist and gradually becoming more disillusioned with the whole corporate design gig. I moved to Perth and took up surfing in 2011 for something to do here and also as a way to get over my long-held fear of the ocean… after 6 months I was no longer terrified of the

sea and reckoned I was more than ready to upgrade to a short(er) board (I know, rookie mistake) and decided to paint my sexy new 6’6” Superfish for fun. Having no idea how to paint a surfboard and some pretty rusty painting skills, I researched everything I could find online and asked a local surfboard shaper how to go about it. The name the Fish Wife is a bad pun, and the character that goes with it is a “reverse mermaid” the less alluring fish-headed cousin of a beautiful mermaid. Me and my brother decided to film the process and put it up on YouTube and I cringe a little bit to watch it now, but painting that surfboard kicked the whole thing off and started my career as an artist, which I now do full time. HA - take that career advisor!

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WHICH WERE SOME OF YOUR EARLIEST ART INSPIRATIONS - DO YOU EVER REMEMBER A “I JUST HAVE TO DO THAT” MOMENT? Well, since I was a super dorky kid the really early stuff was all about horses… like most young girls I was absolutely nuts for horses so I just used to paint and draw them obsessively. The kind of stuff I do now happens on an intuitive level… it’s a process where you sort of input all the variables of what you want to paint into your brain; size, materials, theme etc, and then your subconscious kind of mulls through it for a couple of days and then you wake up 42

at 2am with a ready-baked idea that seems to have come out of the blue but which is actually a product of your subconscious mind drawing together all the blanks and joining the dots. It’s classic “light-bulb” inspiration and so much of my better stuff comes from that process.

SURFBOARDS - YOU MAKE THEM COOLER. WHY SURFBOARDS IN PARTICULAR? Surfboards were a complete accident, I never thought as a kid that I’d be a surfboard painter… I was hell bent on being an “equine artist”. It was one of those lucky twists of fate that learning to surf coincided with wanting to

get back into painting and surfboards turned out to be that special X factor that gave me a specific project to work on.

WALLS, YOU MAKE THEM PRETTIER. WHY? It was a combination of Perth’s current obsession with street art and my natural inclination for bigger and tougher challenges. Walls are hard work, but people will pay good money to pretty up a wall and there’s something rad about seeing the deranged fruits of your imagination 3 storeys high!

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BESIDES BOARDS AND BRICKS, WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE MEDIUM? HAVE YOU DONE MUCH TRADITIONAL ART OUTPUT - PAINTINGS, PRINTS, ETC? My favourite medium is acrylic paint and last year I took a massive leap into the terrifying realm of painting “realistic” portraits on canvas. The blank rectangular-ness of the canvas was super scary at the start - with a surfboard I get a feel for the shape of the board and it’s personality; using that to help come up with the artwork for it. With a blank canvas or paper you’ve got nothing… it’s just so… rectangular?

IS THERE A PARTICULAR PROCESS YOU FOLLOW WHEN WORKING ON A PARTICULAR PIECE? Apart from coming up with the concept as I described earlier, the basic process is to work from the back to the front - starting with the background and then progress through to the main figure and finish with anything that may be in front of the main figure.

WHAT’S THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN AN ARTWORK FOR YOU (NO PRESSURE...) Well apart from a bangin’ concept filled with bad puns and vulgarity, the most important thing in any artwork is always the eyes. Humans are always drawn to eyes and it doesn’t matter whether you’re painting a human, horse, reverse mermaid or anything else, if their eyes aren’t alive and compelling, neither is the artwork. I’ll repaint the eyes 10 times if that’s what it takes to get them right.

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DESIGN VS ART? YOU KNOW THE INS AND OUTS OF BOTH - WHAT’S YOUR TAKE?

I’M SURE I SAW A VIDEO A WHILE BACK OF YOU AT AN ART SLAM - I THINK YOU DID AN AWESOME BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN? DO YOU DO MUCH IN THE WAY OF ART EXHIBITIONS? I don’t do heaps of exhibitions as I’m kept super busy with commissions but I do the odd art battle from time to time… they’re a lot of fun and I really enjoy hamming it up and performing in front of a crowd.

YOUR ART WORKSHOPS - HOW HAVE THOSE GONE DOWN AND WHAT DO YOU HAVE PLANNED FOR THE COMING YEAR THERE? Workshops are awesome fun - I love seeing people engage with their creative selves and really get stuck into doing something they maybe didn’t think they were capable of. A lot of people appreciate the fact that the workshops give them permission to take time out to be creative - there’s no phones, no distractions they can finally let all the other stuff go and get painting. There’s none planned yet, but I’m open to any proposals for anyone wanting to host art workshops in exotic locations ;)

For me being an artist is achieving my dream and I sometimes can’t believe I get paid to have so much fun. But I’m also very, very grateful I started out with design though That was how I managed to make a career out of art, it taught me how to think about what I do as a product, how to market it and how to work with clients. Also when it comes to ‘getting out there’ having studied design means I can perform all my own stunts from building my own website, designing my business cards to already knowing how to go about social media.

ZOMBIES VS TIKIS? WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE SUBJECT MATTER? Oh man, I love them both, but I’m really drawn to gross stuff and I love painting gory ripped flesh, internal organs, skulls and other lovely things, so zombies would have to win there. Strangely enough I also like painting plants and flowers… rotting flesh combined with exotic flowers actually sums up my aesthetic nicely… ever heard of the ‘corpse flower’?

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WHO’S BEEN INSPIRING IN RECENT TIMES? ANY FAVOURITE ARTISTS CURRENTLY? ANY HOT TIPS FOR UP AND COMING ARTISTS, OR UNKNOWNS THAT SHOULD BE KNOWNS? My current favourite street artist is Alexis Diaz from Puerto Rico who does the most amazingly intricate murals. They are insanely good! Hot tips for up and coming artists is to make sure you put a lot of work into building a solid skill base and drawing every day - it’s the ol’ practice makes perfect cliché but I’ve found it to be super helpful. Also, being/ becoming an artist is hard and emotionally draining so it’s a good idea to surround yourself with positive people that support your goals but will also tell you honestly if an artwork isn’t right or needs more work.

SURFING WISE, HAVE YOU HAD ANY MEMORABLE MOMENTS RECENTLY? GETTING OUT MUCH? WHAT ARE YOU RIDING AT THE MOMENT? I’ve been flat out with work over summer so haven’t been able to get out as much as I’d like, but I’m on holiday down in the South West at the moment and caught some super fun waves at the incredible Boranup Beach last week. My favourite board is a 9’ mal with one of my artwork inlays, custom shaped by the awesome Chris McKenzie of Oceanline Surfboards.

WHAT’S THE BEST WAY FOR PEOPLE SEE YOUR STUFF AND GET IN TOUCH? Head on over to www.fieldey.com to check out my image galleries or drop me a line, join me for some acrylic high-jinx on instagram at @fieldey or if you want to paint your own surfboard you can check out my handy tutorials on my YouTube channel; Fieldey TV.

SUMMER 2016 | SMORGASBOARDER

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FIVE

quESTIONS FOR... It’s clear just by looking at different artwork that all artists have very different ways of seeing the world. We posed the same five questions to a group of surf-inspired artists who produce work of all kinds - from drawings, to prints, to paintings to art on surfboards themselves... Here’s their work and thoughts. WORDS: MARK CHAPMAN

Overlaid artwork: Top - Jimmy Wags, middle - Tony Ogle, bottom - Scott Christensen

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FIVE QUESTIONS FOR

LACHLAN OLIVE 1.

It would be a warehouse style setup. Probably secluded somewhere in northern NSW. It would have massive high ceilings and blank walls that could be covered in paint. A fridge always filled with beer. There would be an endless supply of Posca pens and spray paint. Anyone could come around and paint whatever they wanted on the walls, and I’d cook for them and hang out and paint. It would be the happiest place to raise a family.

WHO IS LACHLAN? One part graphic artist, one part smart-arse, Lachlan splits his time between making coffee and making art. Always planning the next exhibition or collaboration, and working on his brain child We Are Useless Machines, Lachlan is all over it.

DESCRIBE YOUR ULTIMATE ART CREATION SETUP - MATERIALS, MEDIA, LOCATION, WHATEVER YOU THINK WILL MAKE IT PERFECT...

WHAT’S YOUR GREATEST MOTIVATION WHEN IT COMES TO CREATING ART? Music. Hands down. Probably around 80% of my work is directly influenced by the music I’m listening to. Sometimes its painfully obvious and other times its subtle, but that influence is behind everything I put to paper.

His unique work is a culmination of smart-arse social commentary, tongue-incheek wordplay and pop culture.

WHERE DO YOU FIND HIS WORK? www.uselessmachines.tumblr.com Instagram: @lachlanolive89 3.

WHAT’S YOUR MOST MEMORABLE SURFING MOMENT? I remember driving down to Ballina just after I graduated high school. My mate drove us all down. He had this shitty old green van with 4 gears. Its top speed was like 80 kmph. It took us about 7-8 hours to drive from the sunny coast to Ballina. A trip that would normally take 4 hours. Those kind of trips are the best part of surfing. Travelling with good friends and laughing and pranking each other is the best!

IF YOU COULD HAVE LUNCH WITH ONE ARTIST IN THE WORLD, WHO WOULD IT BE AND WHY? If he was still alive, it would be Salvador Dali. Can you imagine sitting down and having cucumber sandwiches with Dali? Incredible.

YOUR MOST MEMORABLE ART CAREER MOMENT? The first show I ever did was with my two friends Wade Goodall and Sebastien Fougere. We got these old mannequins and cut out the crotch of each one and replaced it with a goon sack and that was where our guests got their wine. It was messy and funny. I also sold my first art piece at that show.

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TONY OGLE WHO IS TONY? New Zealand’s Tony Ogle is a highly successful art printmaker inspired by the pristine NZ coastline.“Screenprinting allows me to express my love of the New Zealand landscape and ocean environment with strong colours in a direct and graphic manner”.

WHERE DO YOU FIND HIS WORK? NZ Galleries selling Tony’s work are listed on website, www.tonyogle.com

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DESCRIBE YOUR ULTIMATE ART CREATION SETUP...

It would be my current studio with an art shop stock of materials within - but most importantly - a head full of inspired ideas waiting to energetically be brought to canvas. 2.

A moment of total synchronicity - when I had just dried off from a memorable point break session and was relaxing in the sunshine in the car, virtually parked on the beach watching amazing waves and rides go down with Eric Clapton’s Layla (long version) playing full bore.

WHAT’S YOUR GREATEST MOTIVATION WHEN IT COMES TO CREATING ART? Capturing and creating an image of the seen world that is filtered and shaped by an internal ideal of beauty, harmony, energy and balance, to create a work that resonates, in this way, with myself and hopefully others.

YOUR MOST MEMORABLE ART CAREER MOMENT?

WHAT’S YOUR MOST MEMORABLE SURFING MOMENT?

IF YOU COULD HAVE LUNCH WITH ONE ARTIST IN THE WORLD, WHO WOULD IT BE AND WHY? Lucian Freud - unfortunately now passed - I would have begged him to let me watch him paint for a day. His ability to paint the human body inspires me - an astounding painter and image maker.

The initial realisation that I could indulge my passion full time and not have to think about ‘another’ job to support myself and my family. SUMMER 2016 | SMORGASBOARDER

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FIVE QUESTIONS FOR

KYM NAGLER 1.

DESCRIBE YOUR ULTIMATE ART CREATION SETUP... Somewhere light and comfortable with a good sound system. A view of the beach would be good, a good variety of paint with timber odds an ends to make stuff and paint.

WHAT’S YOUR GREATEST MOTIVATION WHEN IT COMES TO CREATING ART? Probably a lot of pop culture influences from ‘50s, ‘60s, ‘70s… TV shows, magazines (Like Mad etc.), music, films and a lot of stuff around me to this day... And not taking it all too seriously.

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS YOUR MOST MEMORABLE ART CAREER MOMENT? Doing South Australian living art exhibitions with other artist friends of mine... And actually selling something. The Byron surfing/art fest, Kustom Lane gallery in Vicco…and a bit of a write up in Kustom Airbrush and Pinstriping mag (England) tiki feature… I just put it out there and see what happens. Oh yes,and doin’ tee layouts for Smorgasboarder!

WHO IS KYM? Kym’s a multi-talented bloke with a love for kustom graphics and art. And his love for fun and feelgood art is only rivalled by his expansive knowledge of the South Australian music scene. With his tongue firmly in cheek, not only does Kym create conventional drawings and paintings under the names of Akymbo and Von Nagler, he also makes tiki heads out of styrene foam and concrete, he paints hats, he makes lamps, plant pots, dunny-roll holders, he paints surfboards, skateboards, handplanes, paipos... In fact there’s very little that Kym won’t add his unique splash of colour and flair to (including this edition’s awesome Smorgasboarder t-shirt! See page 28 for a sneak peek).

FIND HIS WORK? Facebook: Akymbo Surf & Tiki Art

...AND WHAT’S YOUR MOST MEMORABLE SURFING MOMENT? The first time I surfed Noosa was pretty memorable!

IF YOU COULD HAVE LUNCH WITH ONE ARTIST IN THE WORLD, WHO WOULD IT BE AND WHY? Because I have a cartoony style it would have to big daddy ED ROTH! He developed fantastic lettering font styles, his hot rod monsters which I would copy as a kid (but nowhere as good) - his kustom cars, surfing and skateboard toons as well… Rat Fink!!! ’60s pop culture at its best! SUMMER 2016 | SMORGASBOARDER

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scott christensen 1.

Coolangatta - Rainbow Bay: fifth floor apartment, big white room with balcony and views to little Marley…. Coffee machine, beer fridge and quality sound system - no deadlines….

WHO IS SCOTT? Scott Christensen paints surf and the beaches along the Eastern Australian coastline with oil paint on stretched canvas. For the past 16 years he has carved a name for himself as one of Australia’s favorite ocean themed artists.

WHERE DO YOU FIND HIS WORK? His work is available in limited edition runs on canvas and acrylic glass and also as signed block-mounted posters which are all available directly though www.scottchristensen.com.au and these selected outlets: Big Shotz Gallery at Coolangatta, The Famous Glass Studio at Robina Town Centre and Raw Art Gallery at the Sheraton in Hastings Street, Noosa Heads. Facebook: scottchristensenseascapes Instagram: scottchristensenartist

DESCRIBE YOUR ULTIMATE ART CREATION SETUP...

WHAT’S YOUR GREATEST MOTIVATION WHEN IT COMES TO CREATING ART? The pursuit of perfection….

YOUR MOST MEMORABLE ART CAREER MOMENT? Becoming aware that I had the skills to paint whatever I want.

WHAT’S YOUR MOST MEMORABLE SURFING MOMENT? Can’t pick one but the Early ‘90s off Greenmount point – blinded by golden sunsets, warm water and surfing with my wife Shannon, so late into the evenings we could no longer see the waves coming: Bloody awesome.

IF YOU COULD HAVE LUNCH WITH ONE ARTIST IN THE WORLD, WHO WOULD IT BE AND WHY? Dave Grohl - for an intro-lesson on how to play the drums like a rock god. SUMMER 2016 | SMORGASBOARDER

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CRAIG BAIRD 1.

Most of Craig’s time was spent in the pit at the Rip Curl/ Moonlight factory in Torquay but he worked for other Vicco shapers and labels including Watercooled, Maurice Cole, Dave Boyd, Southern Soul Surfboards, Cruise Control, Rousa, etc, and a curious Jan Juc label Pink Bits.

WHERE DO YOU FIND HIS WORK? Drop in and visit craig in person at the Australian National Surfing Museum at 77 Beach Road in Torquay, or for more info on the museum see the website www.surfworld.com.au.

YOUR MOST MEMORABLE ART CAREER MOMENT? ... a rush order for Japan the day before my brother’s wedding. Sprayed 24 boards in 24 hours, was a zombie on the big day but got it done! Lots of Bertlemanninspired swirls from what I can remember.

WHAT’S YOUR MOST MEMORABLE SURFING MOMENT? I guess, one of those days that most surfers dream of. Picked a change in conditions and caught a dropping tide at my favourite spot. Not a drop of water out of place, sunlit overhead surf, gentle offshore, surfed better than ever before (or since probably) with not another soul around. Paddling back out you could see cutback trails on the water . . .

WHAT’S YOUR GREATEST MOTIVATION WHEN IT COMES TO CREATING ART? It is good to get fired up about projects and ride that wave of creative energy. Sometimes I just feel compelled to create but it can be a bit of a double edged sword. It is like the inspiration for each work comes with its own little packet of energy and a window of time in which it has to be completed, sad to say I have a bunch of half finished works at home.

“I think my first commission was for a band’s drum kit, and since then I’ve painted a diverse range of objects from dune buggies, hot rods, race cars, skateboards, guitars, garden gnomes, helmets, tool boxes to about 15,000 surfboards during a 26-year career as a surfboard artist.”

“Not all of my art has been on boards I have also had a few solo and group exhibitions in local galleries and have work hanging in people’s homes around Oz and overseas.”

For me now, getting into the spray room feels a bit like a familiar bit of furniture, and it is a kind of zen thing to put your brain in neutral, get your hands busy, trust your talent and just see what comes out at the end.

WHO IS CRAIG? Now Curator of Australian National Surfing Museum, Craig “Gonzo” Baird was inspired by art early on and began doing commercial art for people while still at school.

DESCRIBE YOUR ULTIMATE ART CREATION SETUP...

IF YOU COULD HAVE LUNCH WITH ONE ARTIST IN THE WORLD, WHO WOULD IT BE AND WHY? There are lots of artists I would love to have met but I get the feeling many of them might not be great company. I love Howard Arkley’s work but he didn’t seem like a happy or chatty bloke, so I’d go with Salvador Dali, I’m picking it would be memorable and probably some pretty good food to go along with it?

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OWEN CAVANAGH 1.

DESCRIBE YOUR ULTIMATE ART CREATION SETUP...

A large shed type set up , with gallery and cafe attached with public viewing area , space (studios) visiting artists , industrial spray booth and ventilated work areas. 2.

WHAT’S YOUR GREATEST MOTIVATION WHEN IT COMES TO CREATING ART? Being creative and seeing the joy on people’s faces when they see a piece you have created or they had commissioned.

YOUR MOST MEMORABLE ART CAREER MOMENT? Not realising at the time, in 2001, after having given the owner of a shed a carton of beer to let me paint it that it would become the now iconic “Wave” mural on the Sunshine Motorway back near Mt Coolum.

YOUR MOST MEMORABLE SURFING MOMENT? A six-hour session with only my brother and myself at Safi Morocco. 6-8 ft, couldn’t paddle another centimeter when the enforcers showed up...

IF YOU COULD HAVE LUNCH WITH ONE ARTIST IN THE WORLD, WHO WOULD IT BE AND WHY? John Severson, founder of the first surf magazine the world (Surfer in California, 1960). Photographer, artist, filmmaker, publisher...Dropping out to live the island dream - need l say more?

WHO IS OWEN? “A life lived large, with the ocean a defining path is strongly displayed in my work.” An unswerving commitment to the Sunshine Coast and protection of the pristine beaches hugging its shoreline are driving forces, while Owen’s love for surfing and any pastime connected with the ocean are a constant source of inspiration.

WHERE TO FIND HIS WORK? See more of Owen’s work on his website, www.solearte.com.au, or simply take a drive down the Sunshine Coast motorway to see the wave shed!

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“My own kids love them too...” Dean Geraghty SUMMER 2016 | SMORGASBOARDER

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Photo: Tom Woods

LATEST: ARTISTS & GENERALLY CREATIVE FOLKS

WHO IS JIMMY? James ‘Jimmy Wags’ Waghorn was born and bred in Grafton and now lives in Mullaway, NSW. At 34, Jimmy boasts ‘a wonderful wife, super cool kid, a blue eyed dog, lazy arse cat and a thing for painting weird shit.’

FIVE QUESTIONS FOR

JIMMY WAGS 1.

YOUR ULTIMATE ART CREATION SETUP... I would have to say on a South Pacific island, near a perfect left, crystal clear water, neverending packet of Poscas (paint pens), making enough money painting punters’ boards to live there with my family and go on annual snow trips in the off season, or the same deal, but here in Mullaway.

WHAT’S YOUR GREATEST MOTIVATION WHEN IT COMES TO CREATING ART? I’ve always been creative, since a little kid... Creating art can be a lot of things for me - creative release, stress relief, anger management, meditation. Sometimes its like something’s inside you that just needs to get out through your fingers.

Jimmy grew up on a farm near a river ‘doing the sort of things you do on a farm - horses, hooning round on motos, having glove gun wars’ and would hit the beach on the weekends with the family. ‘I learned to surf early, then skateboarding took over in my teens and early adult life. Now I’m living at the beach, I’m back into surfing and painting.’

FIND HIS WORK Facebook: Jimmy Wags Artist Instagram: @jimmywagsart Shop: www.jimmywags.com

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On a recent surf trip, other blokes were all talking up this spot for the mornings much anticipated swell and these guys had been here a few times. At breakfast a fella who had been building a boat at the place over the past few months spotted me, had seen I was a goofy tube sniffer and said “don’t get on the boat with the other 10 guys, the left out front will fire today with this swell direction.” I took his advice, saved some coin on the boat ride and surfed out front with old mate and an Israeli guy, scoring some of the best tubes I’ve had to date. Boat rolled back in, didn’t score and the motor broke down at some stage... Boys were spewing. 5.

IF YOU COULD HAVE LUNCH WITH ONE ARTIST IN THE WORLD, WHO WOULD IT BE AND WHY? Probably Jim Phillips - counter lunch at the pub, listening to the stories of the ‘80s skate scene, asking him about coming up with screaming fist etc... Jim’s art has influenced me a fair bit, drawing crazy characters. His art is so iconic - all those memorable artworks on skateboards of the ‘80s were Jim’s. Plus we have the same name, so he must be a champion.

Music plays a big part - headphones on and pencil wandering usually create my best (most random ‘out there’) pieces. Creating an artwork that people enjoy and relate to is motivating, making a living from being an artist is very motivating. Talking business, nothing like a deadline on a commission to motivate you. 3.

YOUR MOST MEMORABLE ART CAREER MOMENT? Probably joining an artist-run gallery in Coffs Harbour and the praise and support received from the other artists - many of whom were quite high profile in the area - which confirmed my wife and I had made the right decision, dropping half my business, moving to the beach, embracing the coastal lifestyle and to paint more. Having that support from my wife when others thought I was mad was the game changer - haven’t looked back. Having a guy order a ‘Grog Monster’ t-shirt to wear to Octoberfest was up there too.

AND WHAT’S YOUR MOST MEMORABLE SURFING MOMENT? Pretty much the same as most goofy footers - scoring the perfect left.

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ALKING

RASH WORDS: DAVE SWAN | PHOTOS: SUPPLIED

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Far be it talking ill of Congo artist Brett Martin, we are in absolute awe of his works that have transformed peoples’ waste into stunning art pieces. This is a man who together with his family live their life left of centre and in doing so are completely and utterly content.

ne of life’s great pleasures is chatting with interesting people you may not cross paths with in your normal day-to-day life. Through conversation you feel a sense of enrichment, gaining a different perspective on life, how they lead theirs and in turn how you can perhaps improve yours. Now some may scoff that I am getting a bit too ‘deep and spiritual’ but it is exactly how I felt following my interview with Brett Martin. Born in Ballina, Brett grew up around Lennox Head and understandably developed a deep love for surfing. Through his schooling years he discovered his other passion in the field of art and in particular, painting and sculpture. He furthered his studies in art at Southern Cross University finishing in 1997 and after a stint of travel through South America in 1998, he and his partner Joel returned to Australia settling in Congo on the far south coast of New South Wales in the Eurobodalla Shire. Think south of Batemans Bay and Moruya and you are right in the heart of God’s country, that’s the region. Here Brett furthered his studies completing a Diploma of Education and when Joel fell pregnant with their first child Asher, now fifteen years of age, he began work as an arts teacher. Through the years he worked at various public and Catholic schools and later with kids with handicaps, disabilities and troubled youths. His teaching career saw the family move to Lightning Ridge in North-Western New South Wales (near the Queensland border and a hell of a long way from the Coast). Brett picks up the story. “We moved out to Lightning Ridge when Joel was pregnant with our second child Alex, she’s now 13. I was teaching in a composite school from kindergarden to year 12. Anyhow after Alex was born a bit of responsibility cloud came over me and I thought we should get a home loan and all that sort of thing. You know, follow the conventional path. That feeling didn’t last long though. About three weeks later it came to a head and I thought, ‘Nah this is not for us.’ Joel and I decided we wanted to be parents that could spend quality time with our kids; to raise them the way we wanted to and not how they had to be in school or leave them sitting in front of the TV because we were busy off at work. So we didn’t pursue the conventional path. We were comfortable to step outside of the norm and do whatever we felt was best for our family.

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LATEST: ARTISTS & GENERALLY CREATIVE FOLKS “We moved back to the coast and began focusing on our artistic pursuits again. I started painting, doing album covers for bands and advertising work and made quite a name for myself down here. Joel was full on with her sewing. That is her expressive outlet. She makes clothing using materials sourced from Op Shops. “It was pretty awesome spending all day with the kids and doing what we wanted to do, surfing in amongst it all of course. But it got to a point where we began to get caught up in our new little world in a conventional way. It was actively taking up all our time and once again taking us away from our kids so we went, ‘Well, let’s just split.’ We had a Combi (I still have it actually), turned left on the highway and that was it. That was 2004 and we only got back a couple of years ago.” The family headed south and hung out in Tasmania for a year before eventually making their way across to Western Australia. “It was always a bit of a drawcard as I hadn’t been there before and once there, I figured we wouldn’t be coming home in a hurry. We ended up spending seven years in WA going up and down the coast. 66

“I think when you are not doing the conventional thing lots of opportunities come up that you can pursue. When people are working, paying off home loans and the like, they kind of can’t take those opportunities. So we followed this stream of opportunities that always arose as we met new people. It was like a pinball machine, we were zigzagging all over the place going from one good thing to the next good thing.” Through their travels Brett met a bloke who had a derelict house sitting on 160 acres of pristine bushland near Denmark (on WA’s South Coast 400kms south of Perth). The house had been vacant for some eight years and as a consequence, the bush had just consumed it. He wanted someone to fix it and look after it but could find no one interested. Brett and Joel decided to take it on. “When we got there the roof was falling down, there was garbage everywhere and the bush had completely overtaken the cottage. It was

an absolute mess. We spent the next five to six years living in this house and rebuilding it. It was a great experience. There were fifty fruit trees on the property and we could pretty much live self sufficiently. That house was really where our kids grew up.” In the Summer months Brett and Joel would work the markets and in winter they would head up north or overseas or “wherever we felt like going because Winter down in that south west corner is pretty full on.” That was their cycle for many years, doing whatever came along and whatever felt good for all of them. “It was such a happy time in our lives.” Their overseas jaunts saw them travel through Asia and South America, all the while home schooling their daughters Asher and Alex along the way. “We dragged the kids to Thailand one time for a number of months and then Laos another time. The last big trip we did was to South America

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“There was no formulated time or plan. It was just how we felt and everyday we did what we felt like doing.” for three months. Part of their home schooling was the girls learnt to speak Spanish. “They learnt about the history of civilizations and then we would go and visit those countries. It reiterated what they learnt and made it real. A lot of stuff in school you are learning from a book or what someone is telling you. We just wanted to educate our kids in a more realistic way, to allow them to see different countries and gain a better understanding of the world we live in. Places like the Amazon, which may not be there forever. To see how poor some people are and how they survive. We wanted to expose them to as much as we could so when they grow up they can make good decisions in their life. “We sort of went on a trip without an end. There was no formulated time or plan. It was just how we felt and everyday we did what we felt like doing. Going here, going there. We supported ourselves by working festivals and markets as we travelled around. “We were 8 or 9 years on the road and it was when we were in South America in 2012 that my eldest daughter (Asher) decided she wanted to go to school so we decided to head back to Congo and put them in Moruya High. We have been back here since the end of 2012.” The family have agreed to “settle down” for six or seven years while the kids undertake high school. Brett and Joel wanted to honour their decision and that’s meant Brett has opened back up his art practice.

BRETT’S ART “My art is my secret place, my expression. I was always a little bit introverted growing up and enjoyed time alone. I have never been one for crowds of people. “The main focus of my expressive outlet is my sculptures. I don’t want to do it however at the detriment of using resources so everything I make is done as resourcefully as I can using recycled materials. “My first step is always sourcing materials to work with, which I often find at Op Shops or in our natural surrounds; items people have thrown away or that nature has discarded. They can always be used for something. The materials more or less dictate the artwork I will make. I do a crazy amount of metal work because it is quite unbelievable how much metal is thrown out. It is quite disgusting really – appliances, cars, food tins, you name it. I cut it all up and rejoin it to something else as a bit of fun.” It is not only Brett’s sculptures but his paintings that utilise recycled materials. “A lot of the paints I use are from Council throw-outs. I basically find whatever I can to make something special out of waste.” Aside from the materials he gathers, Brett also finds creative inspiration through his life’s journey. “What really drives my art especially now is that it has to be relevant to my life. It has to fit right. A lot of the art I was making SUMMER 2016 | SMORGASBOARDER

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LATEST: ARTISTS & GENERALLY CREATIVE FOLKS

“What really drives my art especially now is that it has to be relevant to my life. It has to fit right.” initially when we returned was just pent up because we were travelling for so long and when I got here I just cut loose. I made a lot of stuff and as that expression started coming out, I started to refine it to be more in line with what is relevant to my life now.” Now in viewing some of Brett’s work, if you are like me, you are no doubt wondering what’s behind Brett’s seeming penchant for sharks. I was keen to know whether it was out of fascination or fear or if he had a particular encounter with one of our ocean-going friends. “If you see a shark as a surfer you are blessed as they are quite elusive. The catalyst that caused me to make a lot of shark art was through an experience I had. I was fishing off the point here and we were waste-deep in water. There was a school of salmon and a wave stood up on a little suck-up reef out there and a perfect silhouette of a 3-4 metre Great White shark appeared. We were only 15-20 meters away and you could clearly see it going so fast through the wave. In a second it just shot through and ripped up the school of salmon and that image stuck in my head. That is when I decided to make that Great White shark (made of tin cans). I wanted to pay it homage. That is also the reason why I did it about the same size. It was good making it and wrapping my arms around it and working on it with my hands. I got a feel for it. That shark is now outside the front of my house and when people see it they can approach it. It spins around and it moves. It freaks some people out but it gives them an opportunity to get close to it and see it for what it is.”

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“I think studying sharks and focusing on them has given me an appreciation for them instead of a fear.”

To me personally it is one of the greatest pieces of art I have ever seen and whilst you can’t quantify the value of an art piece by the amount of time it took to make, I was nonetheless curious to find out how long Brett spent sourcing his materials let alone sculpting the Great White. I was also keen to know whether he had indeed consumed what looks to be some 2000 cans of Baked Beans himself. “I am not sure how long it took. It’s a bit of a time warp because I kind of bury myself into projects. All of the Congo residents were collecting tin cans for me, otherwise it would have taken a lifetime. That’s also part of the reason it is out the front of my house. The whole town collected the materials. It is for all of them as much as it is for me. “I think studying sharks and focusing on them has given me an appreciation for them instead of a fear. The hammerhead was my last shark I made. The size of the fins is just something else. It’s a mad creature, evolution gone crazy. SUMMER 2016 | SMORGASBOARDER

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SURFING AND SURFBOARDS As with his art, surfing forms a large part of Brett’s life and indeed that of his family. “Growing up at Lennox and surfing the area was pretty bloody awesome. Boulders Beach was my local. I used to walk through the bush

to get to it. Only a few locals back in the day. The place is a bit of a circus nowadays although the recent spate of shark activity seems to have brought it back a notch. “Down here I pretty much surf by myself. It is a pleasure to be in the water all alone and pick any wave that you want, seeing the sun rise. My regular aim is to be barrelled with the stars still out. That is what I love.”

Aside from Brett’s night-surfing exploits (call me Mr Chicken but there is no friggin way I would surf at dark down where he lives as much as I love the place) he also gets the chance to regularly share a couple of waves with his partner Joel and daughters Asher and Alex. “Joel has been surfing as long as I have. It’s definitely an added bonus in a relationship having a partner that surfs and now that our kids do it as well it is awesome. It’s a bit of a dream for my missus and I that we would be out surfing with our kids and it’s great it is all happening that way.” A few years back Brett took to shaping a few surfboards of his own. He informs me he is now into double figures having made boards not only for himself but for family and friends. “The main reason I got into making surfboards was because a little while back I became a bit disillusioned with surfing and the techniques of making surfboards and their toxicity. I got to a point I was going to give it away because it was so mainstream and so crazy. Smorgasboarder was in fact the catalyst to getting into making timber surfboards, where I also happened to find the ad for Tree to Sea. It was precisely what I needed to bring my surfing into a more conscious state. Your mag is a breath of fresh air amongst standard mags, which I haven’t purchased for near 20 years.

“Down here I pretty much surf by myself. It is a pleasure to be in the water all alone and pick any wave that you want, seeing the sun rise. My regular aim is to be barrelled with the stars still out. That is what I love.”

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LATEST: ARTISTS & GENERALLY CREATIVE FOLKS “Making surfboards is relevant to me because I can go for a surf in the morning, trot back home, shape a board, put an artwork on it and it is a functional item you can use and even hang in the house. It ticks all my boxes.” Being a father of three kids the final few questions I wanted to ask Brett were in relation to his family and indeed how he has lead his life so far. I was keen to know whether he felt his kids truly appreciated the special childhood they have had. “I think now they are at school they are realising they have had a unique upbringing. I totally expect them to live in the city later on and do all sorts of things but at least they have a base they can always come back to. You have to learn through your own experience and it is through experience you can make better and more informed decisions. We are coming into the realms of drugs and parties and we only hope as parents we have given them as much info as possible so they come out the other side. “We are very proud of them both. Both Asher and Alex are unbelievable writers, they’re right into music, surfing and are full of action. We have never had a TV in front of them. Instead of all that time kids spend in front of screens our kids have been doing other things all their lives. They are very active awesome kids.” As to what the future holds Brett had this to say. “Money has never been a force in my life. I just need enough to get by. Even here in Congo, everything we own are things we have found in opshops or what we have been given. Nothing is precious. It is a weird existence but it is a fine existence.” He may consider possessions to be of no great worth, however the story Brett has shared with me about the life his family has lead is undeniably absolute gold.

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LOOKING

GLASS A feature on art and surfing would not be complete without catching up on the antics of a man who is most definitely one of my favourite interviews everÂ - the mad scientist, the guru of glass, eccentric board builder, artist and possibly even the devil himself, Neal Cameron.

WORDS: DAVE SWAN PHOTOS: S UPPLIED BY NEAL CAMERON

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first met Neal back in 2012 when he was living in his bus in a vacant lot amongst derelict buildings on the outskirts of Maroubra. His story became our feature piece in our Spring edition that same year (Issue 13 - read online at www.smorgasboarder.com.au). I recently heard Neal had moved south of Sydney down near good friend Mark Rabbidge late last year. And, true to form, he is already causing quite a stir in the local community recently showcasing some of his work at Escape Artfest, a 10 day festival on the South Coast of NSW in the Milton Ulladulla area celebrating local art, sculpture, music, literature, food and wine. Thanks to fellow artist and photographer Matt Dampney of Damp Design, Neal sent us some photographs from the exhibit. So what exactly are you looking at here? It’s just some of Neal’s weird and wonderful creations: kneeboards that are the benchmark of their craft, abstract paintings made from coloured resins, skateboards, skimboards, high-heeled rollerskates, a range of garments, fashion accessories and racey costumes made from carbon fiberglass, hell there is even a carbon bust or two sculpted off one of Neal’s lady friends.

His art may leave some wondering what kinds of things are going on in this man’s head but one thing is for sure, his work is amazing. It’s clear his impressive grasp for all things fiberglass has come from his ever-meddling ways. Never keen on understanding the actual ins and outs of the various chemical compounds and materials he used, he was just keen to see what they did. Throughout his life Neal has messed around and mixed things up that shouldn’t be mixed and somehow managed to not blow himself up in the process, ultimately creating truly unique works of art.

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Never one to take himself too seriously, Chris Garrettâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s art was simply born out of a desire to have some fun. We recently did a quick Q&A with Chris about the art that adorns his surfboards.

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WHAT’S THE INSPIRATION BEHIND ALL THE COLOURS, DRAWINGS AND LOGOS ON YOUR BOARDS? I MEAN WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON INSIDE YOUR HEAD HA, HA? I really like to have a lot of fun with my board making and creating aesthetically pleasing, functioning objects drives me to explore the possibilities and play with the boundaries. It’s art for surfing’s sake and having a shaped blank, that is already a piece of art to start with, it’s just a beautiful thing. Logos and drawings and scribblings are secondary to the shape, form and colour. Colour is a big one for me. I love the unusual and forgotten colours that create interest beyond the shape. I’m inspired by nature and particularly drawn to the earthy hues, textures and combinations that make our world such an awesome planet to live on.

I REMEMBER AROUND WHEN WE FIRST MET AND THE BOARDS YOU WERE MAKING, WHICH I ABSOLUTELY LOVED, YOU HAD WRITTEN “COW-SIZE” ON A LOT OF THEM. Ha ha yeah that was just to keep it all fun and heading in the right direction. Doesn’t really mean anything. Dumb and fun and it fits a cow!! Silly isn’t it?! The serious bit is the shape and performance of the board but the rest is just folly. Don’t take it or yourself too serious ... you may miss out on a good time.

ON THE ART SIDE OF THINGS, ARE YOU SELF-TAUGHT LIKE YOUR SHAPING? Art wise, like my shaping I was self-taught out of necessity. Having a keen eye for observation and exposure to a talented artist by the name of Robert Moore certainly inspired and empowered my expressive side for sure though. Experimentation and the desire to create are what fuel the passion and that allows me to have a privileged and joyful time. Hopefully I can bring that to my customers as well. www.chrisgarrettshapes.com.au

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Photo: Mick Curley SUMMER 2016 | SMORGASBOARDER

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“Un-crowded waves, endless barrels, and consistent surf in a tropical paradise is what we’re all after on a surf trip. We deal with the expense and tedium of travel in the hope of scoring some of the sickest waves of our lives. As we Styrofoam and towel wrap our boards, hoping that they don’t become the playthings of pissed off baggage handlers, we try to suppress our greatest fear; that we’ve paid all this money, travelled all this way, and we’re about to get seriously skunked.” Jules Carey - a Canadian surfer living in Indonesia -shares her reflections on surf travel. Surfer Narchi, Photo Mike Findlay 80

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LATEST: TRAVEL

“LIFE IS BETTER WHEN YOU’RE SURFING” WORDS JULES CAREY PHOTOS MIKE FINDLAY & HOWARD PATRICK

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LATEST: TRAVEL

“Life other than the here and now disappears the moment that you step onto the boat to come over from Bali.”

My last surf trip was no different, and it was with a mixture of excitement and trepidation that I headed off to surf some all-time Left-handers. As a Natural-footer I’m inclined to gravitate to Rights, but I decided that it was time to throw myself into my backside, and what better place, than at one of the best Lefts in Indonesia.

whistling through the prolific bamboo. Imagine, living in the jungle, with all the wildlife that it holds, while simultaneously having world-class waves on your doorstep. I was reminded, that here, in nature, this planet of ours is one hell of a beautiful place.

Indo has had an incredible season so far. Consistent swells have got the froth running high and I was psyching myself up to charge some gnarly waves on my 3 week trip. I was ready! What I wasn’t ready for was the mind-blowing natural beauty and wildlife that permeates through this area of Java.

Life other than the here and now disappears the moment that you step onto the boat to come over from Bali. Your first glimpse of your awaiting oasis renders world and personal stresses insignificant. There’s no timemanagement, no obligations, and no stress. There is only you, consistent surf, offshore winds, a couple of ocean-side hammocks, and the live 24hr nature channel that is your life.

There are no houses, no paved roads, and no pounding music. The only sounds that you’ll hear are the surf, the birds, the monkeys, and the wind

Set on the coast of Alas Purwo National Park, the beauty of this protected area has been preserved and its rich biodiversity continues to thrive.

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Photo Mike Findlay Photo Mike Findlay Surfer Alex Moore, local photographer

Monkeys are up at the first crack of light and their antics and curiosity amuse until their sunset bedtime. Jumping and sailing through the canopy, wrestling, fighting, ‘monk-ing’ each other, and of course observing every movement that we make. They wait for the opportune time to sneak down and pilfer whatever food is left on a table or out in the open. They’re an endless source of entertainment and I laughed at their antics for weeks on end. I knew that monkeys were social creatures but I never imagined that I’d see them play with other species. One morning, I wandered down for the early morning wave check. I’d just arrived when a deer and her fawn came tearing out onto the beach. I looked behind them wondering what was chasing them (I won’t deny that thoughts of the Javanese tiger crossed my mind),

but I quickly realised that they were sprinting through the sand and across the jagged reef in absolute delight. They were agile and mesmerizing. They chased and bounded as though they were running on solid, even ground. Half an hour and a quick swim later, they returned to the sandy part of the beach. It was then that I realised that I wasn’t the only one enraptured by the deer’s activities. A group of young monkeys, observing all from the treetops, couldn’t resist the urge to play any longer. In a matter of seconds, they cascaded down to join the young deer and the game was on! I sat transfixed for the next 20 minutes, awed by the play of fawn and monkeys, until finally overcome with exhaustion, the young deer ambled away with his mother and the monkeys disappeared into the jungle. I realised then that I hadn’t looked up once to watch the waves.

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Not only are monkeys and deer seen regularly, giant monitors inhabit the jungle as well. We watched in fascination as a monitor joined us at the dining hall, bringing with him a breakfast of his own. The struggling object in his mouth was a frog. There was no escape, and ever so slowly, the frog succumbed to being the monitor’s early morning snack. Simultaneously, the shy ‘White Crown’ monkeys are eating berries in a near-by tree; the braver Long-tailed Macaques have made away with the remnants of someone’s fruit plate; other monkeys are chattering and playing along the pathway; and the calls of the various birds fill the treetops. EVERY direction that you turn, the jungle is pulsating with life. Not to be outdone by the cacophony of the forest, the technicolor reef illuminates with infinite species of its own. To walk across the reef is to walk through fields of seaweeds, starfish, slugs, sea-cucumbers, urchins, sea-snakes, giant worms, angel-fish, and more variations of coral than I can list. Great spearing and snorkeling can be had and it’s not uncommon for Spanish mackerel or Tuna to end up as ‘melt in your mouth’ sashimi or as a perfectly prepared meal. Resident Dugongs are often seen in the line-up as well. There was one day however when there were no Dugongs in sight; the day that the Killer Whale showed up. Possibly the same Killer Whale that has been spotted at ‘Ulus’, this majestic creature decided that it was time for a surf trip of his own and appeared in Java. Charging the best waves to the hoots and cheers of everyone in the water; it was absolutely surreal! Giant dorsal-fin vibrating up a storm, more speed than you can imagine; this Orca was having the time of his life. You could almost hear him hooting himself as he whizzed by. He clearly loved the sensation of surfing powerful waves, almost as much as we loved watching him. Although I’m sure that Killer Whales have the ability to be dangerous to humans (especially when they’re kept in captivity, isolated from their pod, and have their young calf taken from them), this orca was out to play and posed no threat of any kind. This was a ‘one-day wonder’ and no further sightings of the surfing whale have been made here again; yet.

Photo Howard Patrick

“EVERY direction that you turn, the jungle is pulsating with life.”

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*Take Exit 41, M1 Motorway near the CUB Brewery

CALL 0490 029 405

Email storestuff@shipshapeselfstorage.com.au

www.shipshapeselfstorage.com.au

OFFICE HOURS:

Mon-Fri 9a m-4pm Sat 9am-1 pm SUMMER 2016 | SMORGASBOARDER

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Photo Howard Patrick

LATEST: TRAVEL

“Surfing in its purest form isn’t just about wave count and seconds in a tube. It’s understanding that EVERYTHING is interconnected. ”

Surfer Kimbo Fafie Photo Mike Findlay

ER WHEN YOU’RE SURFING The fact that the Killer Whale decided to surf here at all, is a clear testament of just how good the wave quality is. Although I could go into a detailed description of the wave set-up, I’m not going to. If you’re a surfer, and you know anything about the waves in Indonesia, then you know exactly where I am and how the line-up works. Suffice to say though that the waves here can satisfy every level of confidence. Deeper sections that can hold size with a make-able take-off and a following freight train ride; sections that you had better be on your game because you’ll need to drop straight into a heaving barrel; sections that you think you can make but pick you up and remind you that you’re no Kelly Slater. Surfing here is definitely not for the faint of heart. The waves can be humbling. They can also be the best waves of your life. No matter how your daily session goes though (thrown around like a rag-doll or a day of infinite barrels), you’ll inevitably find yourself on the beach at sunset; a cold Bintang in hand as stories of waves scored and beatings had are relived and shared. Told with equal enthusiasm are the experiences of wild boars, giant eagles, thieving monkeys, territorial woodpeckers, enormous lizards, weird-looking sea-creatures, and all the other unique experiences that were seen and felt over the course of the 86

day. To have a surf trip without the latter is to lose sight of what surfing really is; a complete synching with life’s natural rhythm. You don’t need to deconstruct this connection; you just feel it. Surfing in its purest form isn’t just about wave count and seconds in a tube. It’s understanding that EVERYTHING is interconnected. It’s knowing that rather than fight the current, we’re better off letting it guide and work for us. Don’t get me wrong. Surfing isn’t just a spiritual experience. There’s no greater buzz than on a wave well surfed. The feeling of connecting and harnessing a wave’s energy, and then possessing the skill to use that energy and rip, is indescribable to a non-surfer. They will never get it, and we will never be able to live without it. Surfing is the best reminder of just how damn lucky we are to be alive. So the next time that we paddle out, no matter where we’re lucky enough to be, let’s leave aggression and life dissatisfaction to those who will never know the beauty of surfing. Whether we’re surfing 3ft crowded burgers at our local, or scoring 8ft Indo with a few mates, there’s one thing that I can guarantee; Life is better when you’re surfing.

SMORGASBOARDER | SUMMER 2016

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Keep your goods dry wherever you are

1987 Watershack Smorgasboarder Ad.indd 1

4/01/2016 8:11 am 87

SUMMER 2016 | SMORGASBOARDER

1987 Watershack Smorgasboarder Ad.indd 1

4/01/2016 8:11 am

Jan_2016_Smorgas_Lifes Better.indd 87 1 1987 Watershack Smorgasboarder Ad.indd

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GEAR: BOARDS

SHAPER’S PROMOTION

5’8” x 18 ¾” x 2”

WHITE CROW by Robbie Marshall

Single to double 3 concave, light exit vee. A proven outline we have been using but have pulled the tail in a bit to create more whip out of turns. This is a performance shortboard foil that’s quite responsive in the weaker summer waves and holding it’s own when the swell picks up. Sprays can be done to whatever you can dream up.

6’8” x 21” x 2 7/8”

6’4” x 22” x 2 ¾”

6’0” 19” x 2 ¾”

by Robbie Marshall

PERFORMANCE FISH byOliverJason

CUSTOM

The order was to 4 create a shortboard for a larger framed guy whose go-to boards are usually in the 8 foot plus range and this is what we designed. 12mm recycled cedar stringer with recycled cedar glass on quads, an upright template with larger twin-style fronts and small rear stabilisers for pivot and drive. Flat deck, beaked nose keeping in as much foam as possible with a bevelled low volume rail to give responsiveness where it matters most. Excellent feedback from this one.

Glass on cedar quads and cedar stringer.

by Robbie Marshall

The customer approached me with the brief, “I’m riding a longboard, would like to go shorter without losing paddle power, like the thought of a Simmons and would like to use this board everyday” and this is what I came up with.

All round board for 3 most conditions. Single to double concave vee out the tail. Three set fins on this one for best performance. This one is an eps core with recycled pine pallets top and bottom and tint on the rails all in epoxy.

Nice wide curvy outline that pulls in a little at the tail, a lot of foam in the centre that rolls out to a finer rail. Think this would be perfect for those who want paddle, performance but don’t want length. Built to order...

JASON OLIVER SOUL ARCH SURFBOARDS Ph: 0404 348 131 E: enquiries@soularchsurfboards.com Soularch Surfboards soularchsurfboards

HOLLOW WOODEN SURFBOARDS

Ph: 0416 475 362 Email: jasoliver@live.com

jasonoliverwoodensurfboards. blogspot.com Boards available at: UNDERGROUND SURF, Noosa Heads

SMORGASBOARDER | SUMMER 2016

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SHAPER’S PROMOTION

GEAR: BOARDS

Short t... and swee 5’0” x 21” x 2 7/8”

PACEMAKER II by Mark Rabbidge

I’ve refined the 4 board a little more and it’s even faster than before. An absolute rocket. For fat, facey waves or little zippers, this board suits the jaded shortboarder or amped longboarder - anyone who wants to draw some new lines, from intermediate to hero. Made here in Ulladulla. Don’t sell out our heritage. Use your head - buy from an Aussie (us, or someone else will do) and keep your freedom of choice alive.

5’10” x 20 ¼” x 2 ½”

DEAD MANS HAND

5’6” x 21” x 3”

BEAN CUTDOWN

by Jesse Watson

by Mark Rabbidge

Flat rocker, Roll vee in tail, with a single box fin. This is a revisited design. I used to cut down perfectly good longboards to make these things. Simply cut off the nose and tail and reshape middle piece. I’d use original fin usually reshape it too. Late 60’s recycling.

RABBIDGE SURF DESIGN Bendalong, NSW Ph: 02 4456 4038 M: 0427 767 176 www.markrabbidge.com

5 The shortboard equivalent of an oldskool fish... It throws down the longest cutbacks, loves high lines off the top, will boost easy and is a cake to land on too. Super fast + super sick. 4/4 +4oz bottom, black pigment top with sacred geometry custom inlay. Barbie ferrari pink pinlines and a five fin setup. We can design any custom inlay you like in house. whatever it is we can make it happen. Boom!

BLACK APACHE SURFBOARDS @blackapache Look us up...

P: 0410 419 791

E: blackapache@me.com

blackapachesurfboards.com

5’10” x 21” x 2 5/8”

SMARTBOARD V2FLEX Custom handshape by Mitchell Rae

3 or 4

“Custom handshaped to suit needs, body weight and fitness. Glass, light and strong. “Forward control point with very fine tail rails to suit the girls lighter on the back foot. “A sweet, ultra fast all rounder, smooth as silk. Feel sensitive handling, tight arcs and the acceleration of the V2 Flex. “Designed as a quad, can be ridden as a thruster.”

OUTER ISLAND SURFBOARDS 7 Bayldon Drive, Raleigh, NSW Ph: 02 6655 7007 info@outerislandsurfboards.com outerislandsurfboards.com outerisland.blogspot.com SUMMER 2016 | SMORGASBOARDER

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GEAR: BOARDS

SHAPER’S PROMOTION

SNIPER

5’8” x 18 5/8” x 2 5/16” = 28.0L

6’2” x 18 ½” x 2 3/8” = 29.2L

OUTLAW

5’10” x 18 5/8” x 2 ¼” = 25.7L

• •

• • • •

• • •

5’8” x 18 7/8” x 2 ¼” = 25.7L

• •

Small wave / shortboard Low nose / medium tail rocker Deep single concave Medium boxy rail

Shortboard Medium nose and tail rocker Deep single concave Medium / Low boxy rail

WACKO •

Step-Up / slab board Med nose and tail rocker Slight single concave to double concave Med boxy rail

NAPALM •

Step-Up board Medium nose and tail rocker Slight single concave to double concave Medium boxy rail

RDS are proudly WEBSTER SURFBOAyne bster made in Ballina by Wa We 8 M: 0416 049 205 1/13 Clark St, Ballina NSW 247 om.au E: info@webstersurfboards.c .au com rds. W: webstersurfboa

SMORGASBOARDER | SUMMER 2016

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SHAPER’S PROMOTION

GEAR: BOARDS 5’10” x 20” x 2 3/8”

FLYER DIAMOND by Rory Oke

6’4” x 20 ½” x 2 5/8”= 39L

SLIPSTREAMER

A variation of our Frazfish model, the Diamond Flyer is made using a hand shaped Ocean Foam PU blank and 6oz cloth, purple/black marble tint, wetrub finish, and fitted with a Futures AMT twin + trailer fin setup.

by Chris Garrett

7’0” x 21” x 2 ¾”

7’0” x 20 5/8” x 2 ¾”

FUNBOARD

Handshaped Ocean 3 Foam PU blank, 6 oz cloth and Speedfins FG s120 fins.

Fabric inlay 4 x6 x4 3 glassing FCS fins. Don’t be a sheep! Bring in your favorite fabric and let us inlay it into your new custom board.

by Rory Oke

With its flowing outline, subtle concaves and soft rails, this model’s a very smooth, forgiving board to ride.

OKE SURFBOARDS 1/1-7 Canterbury Rd, Braeside, VIC, 3195 Ph: 03 9587 3553 okesurfboards.com

by Leighton Clark

** Clark Surfboards will release some exciting news during 2016 ** Stay tuned amigos...

Units 7 & 8, 9 Chapman Road, Hackham SA 5163

E: leightonclark01@yahoo.com.au

M: 0422 443 789

facebook.com/thedingkingAUS

Oatmeal resin tint and 1 custom set fin... A contemporary approach to a timeless design. The low forward rocker for an early glide into the wave and a modern tail lift to keep the business end functioning without compromise. The flattish deck and foiled low rail, combined with the slight vee to double concave and set fin, puts you firmly in control for a clean styling ride that is going to take the stoke to a new high. A tasty resin tint and it may be your new favourite. CHRIS GARRETT SHAPES PHANTOM SURFBOARDS Ph: 0424 450 690

E: phantomsurfboards@gmail.com

www.chrisgarrettshapes.com.au Custom surfboards available at: SUNHOUSE Coolangatta, or order from Chris direct. SUMMER 2016 | SMORGASBOARDER

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TRIED & TRUSTED

blanKS and run Family owerned55 years for ov

oUR ConSISTEnCy IS THE bEST In THE woRlD blanKS: A multitude of different lengths, rockers and weights STRInGERS: An extensive

variety of timbers of varying widths

9’6” x 32” x 4 3/8””=143 litres.

FLOUNDER by Andy Jordan

5 Similar in shape to the 9’6 x 29” with a bit more rocker in the nose and tail and added volume for stability. Plenty of vee throughout. Added volume provides more stability and is great for the larger rider (90kg+) or beginner in the surf. Quite loose in the tail, giving plenty of maneuverability. The deck is flatter for stability, especially when paddling through waves or crossing over to the flat. Thicker rails for stability in turns.

SHaPInG ToolS: All you need to make a board from scratch

5 STEwaRT RoaD, CURRUmbIn QlD Call US on (07) 5534 3777 92

TAURANGA, NZ

12’6” x 29” x 6 ¾” = 247 Litres

SEA HAWK

by Andy Jordan

All LSX race/tour 3 boards have a flat deck for easy moving, comfort, stability and maneuvering turns. The decks are all concave vee shaped easier for drainage, while giving the paddler a lower centre of gravity. These boards all have a deep nose with a flat bottom for a faster, smoother more efficient ride with plenty of glide. Lower volume bow helping minimize any wind effects. All the tail shapes are similar soft square tail for quick maneuvering and stability around turns. (In NZ 0800 787 464) P: +64 (07) 5701953 M: +64 (027) 2433011 W: www.liquidstixx.co.nz

SMORGASBOARDER | SUMMER 2016

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SHAPER’S PROMOTION

GEAR: BOARDS LADIES SINGLE FIN

V-FLEX

NOOSA LOG

NOSERIDER

Designed for the lighter girl or lady. A 1 refined single fin, with pinched rails & a narrow diamond tail through the backend. Manoeuvrable single fin with good nose riding capabilities.

Classic mid 60’s template, with low slung hips and 1 pinched rails, gives an old-school feel while allowing excellent pivoting from the tail. The V-stringer tapers out towards the nose giving greater flex and nose-riding capabilities. Great single fin board for noseriding and trimming. Meets “logger” criteria.

This board gives true meaning to our catch-cry 1 “style is everything”. Pinched rails for less volume and slightly rolled bottom give this heavy log a sensitive feel. Quite light underfoot with great noseriding ability, the added weight creates nice glide through slower sections and adds strength. Hand shaped by Peter White, meets “logger” criteria.

A true nose-riding machine, perfectly suited to Noosa’s point waves, revelling in long, clean walls from knee-high to overhead, this model runs well in a range of conditions.

TYPICAL DIMENSIONS Length: 9’3” Width: 22 ½” Thickness: 2 ¾” Glassing: 6oz/6oz + 6oz Fin Set-up: Single 9” Dolphin

TYPICAL DIMENSIONS Length: 9’3” - 9’6” Width: 22 ¾” - 23” Thickness: 2 ¾” - 3 1/8” Glassing: 7.5oz/7.5oz + 6oz Fin Set-up: Single

CLASSIC MALIBU

TYPICAL DIMENSIONS Length: 9’1” - 9’8” Width: 22 ¾” - 23 ¾” Thickness: 2 ¾” - 3” Glassing: 7.5oz/7.5oz + 6oz Fin Set-up: Single

Featuring a flatter rocker, heavier glass, pinched rails; and our famous SQUID-tail design. Loose with a relaxed and pivoting style, while heavy glassing and wider stringer add forward momentum.

TYPICAL DIMENSIONS Length: 9’6” - 10” Width: 22 ¾” - 23” Thickness: 3” - 3 ¼” Glassing: 8oz volan/ 8oz volan + 6oz volan + 6oz volan patch Fin Set-up: Single

STYLE IS EVERYTHING: FINS Get a new fin to match that log, and tweak it to surf the way you want. 15 different styles available in different colours, fabric inlays and wood inlays. Check them out on our website or come in and have a look to add some style to your surfing and your board.

WE’RE BACK FOR A SUMMER OF FUN! 16 Mary Street, Noosaville, 4566 P: (07) 5474 3122 E: info@classicmalibu.com www.classicmalibu.com Follow us if you share our passion for quality manufactured surfboards Classic Malibu Surfboards, Noosa

@classicmalibu

Classicmalibu1 SUMMER 2016 | SMORGASBOARDER

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KEEN ON A CAREER IN AD SALES?

WORK WITH SMORGASBOARDER

NO SURF BUMS NEED APPLY

Work ethic? Initiative? We want to talk to you. Working on a surf mag is a hell of a lot of fun but there’s a lot of hard work too. We’re after a motivated guy or girl to be a PartTime Advertising Sales Executive - energetic, organised, with exceptional communication skills, working 3 days a week out of our Maroochydore office. The position would best suit those looking to get into media or who are early on in their career. Sales experience is beneficial but not essential. Once fully trained, you will be calling on new clients, as well as servicing existing clients.

SURFBOARD

DINGS New Zealand RAGLAN, NZ

7 days, 10am to 5pm except winter - catch us if you can +64 7 825 0544

MIAMI

KAIKOURA, NZ

Mon - Fri 8.30am - 5pm, Sat 9am - 1pm 0404 804 498

SURGE SURFBOARDS

Bust your board? Call us 24/7 027 428 7453

Queensland AGNES WATER/1770

REEF 2 BEACH Mon-Sat, 9-5pm, Sun,10-4pm 07 4974 9072

Please send applications to: dave@smorgasboarder.com.au

tions BUCKOS SURFBOARD & SUP REPAIRS AND RESTORATIONS

SUNRISE SURFCRAFT Round the clock 0421 140 653 Sunrise Beach

2 Park Street, Coolum Beach 07 5408 4600

MOFFAT BEACH

THE FACTORY SURFBOARDS

Monday-Friday 9am-5pm, Saturday 8am-12pm (07) 5492 5838

LABRADOR

GC SURFCRAFT REPAIRS Mon-Fri 9am - 5.30pm Sat 9-12pm 0401 016 088

Mon-Fri 10am - 5.30pm Weekends by appointment 0422 304 078

THE SURFERS SHED Seven days, 9am - 5pm 0437 246 848

PHILLIP ISLAND

ISLAND SURF SHOP, COWES

7 days, 9-5pm 03 5952 2578

CRONULLA

THE DING SHOP

BURLEIGH HEADS

MT WOODGEE

1730 Gold Coast Highway (07) 5535 0288 Sun-Fri, 9am - 5pm Sat 8:30am - 5pm

CURRUMBIN

MT WOODGEE 2 Stewart Rd (07) 5598 2188 Sun-Fri, 9am - 5pm Sat 10am - 4pm

NOOSA REGION

COOLUM BOARDROOM

We are offering a base salary package which includes a car allowance and an uncapped commission structure.

KOMA

RAGLAN LONGBOARDS

A love of surfing

A drive to get results

SOUTHPORT Mon-Fri 9am -5pm, Sat 9am -12pm 0402 863 763

COOLUM

Maturity to engage with people of varying ages

CENTRAL COAST

tora Repairs & Res

APPLICANTS SHOULD HAVE:

Car and valid driver’s licence

BUSTED YOUR BOARD? GET IT FIXED HERE...

MAXIMUM SURFBOARDS 46 Currumbin Creek Rd Mon - Fri 9am - 5pm Sat 10am - 3pm Sun by appointment 0400 338 098

RILEY BALSA SURFBOARDS

WOODEN BOARD REPAIRS Mon-Sat 9am-4pm 0412 376 464

WOLLONGONG

SKIPP SURFBOARDS

Mon - Fri 9-5pm Sat 9-4pm, Sun 9-3pm 02 4228 8878

SHELLHARBOUR

BROWN DOGG 7 days a week - Just call 0416 455 985

JERVIS BAY

INNER FEELING SURFBOARDS

YAMBA

ROUSA SURFBOARDS

PLANK SHOP

Mon-Sat, 10am-5pm, 0403 693 333

TOMBSTONE SURFBOARDS

THORNBURY

COFFS HARBOUR

SURF CRAFT REPAIRS

JIM NEWTON 4/6 Druitt Court Open most days, just call. 0402 864 062

THE DING KING

Clark Surfboards Mon - Fri 9am - 5pm 0422 443 789

LONSDALE

MID COAST SURF Call us for a quality repair 08 8384 5522

SOUTH COAST

MR DAMAGE SURFBOARDS

Call Mark 0416 199 764 mark@mrdamagesurfboards. com.au

Victoria BELLARINE PENINSULA

Tues - Fri 9am - 4pm, Sat 9am - 12pm 0432 330 826

MID COAST

Seven days, 9am - 5pm 02 4441 6756

New South Wales

02 6645 8362

South Australia

ZAK SURFBOARDS

Mon - Fri 10am - 6pm, Sat 10am - 5pm 03 9416 7384

DO YOU FIX BROKEN BOARDS?

Promote your surfboard repair business for $15 an edition. Call 0401 345 201

TORQUAY

STONKER

Seven days, 9am - 5pm 03 5261 6077

Applications close 5pm Friday 26 Feb 2016.

SMORGASBOARDER | SUMMER 2016

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“SO IT WAS LIKE 1960 OR 70 SOMETHING... AND THERE WAS LIKE THIS BIIIIIIRD, MAN! AND IT WAS LIKE SURFING, MAN! ...I’VE BEEN SITTING HERE EVER SINCE WAITING TO SEE IT AGAIN..” WE’RE UNBELIEVABLY CHUFFED TO PRESENT THE AKYMBO X SMORGASBOARDER ‘SURF IS FREE’ T-SHIRT WITH FRONT AND BACK PRINTS BY SOUTH OZ ARTIST, KYM ‘VON’ NAGLER. YOU CAN OWN ONE TOO!

PLUS GET A KYM NAGLER “SURFING BIRD IS FREE” T-SHIRT FOR ONLY

JUST WANT HOME DELIVERY OF THE MAG? ced irts produ Quality sh olution SPD! by Ev

(6 ISSUES TO READ WHILE YOU PAT YOUR BONGO)

THE SERIOUS BUSINESS OF SUBSCRIBING & BUYING SHIRTS HAPPENS ONLINE:

WWW.SMORGASBOARDER.COM.AU

SUMMER 2016 | SMORGASBOARDER

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CLOSEOUT: TEST EVERYTHING

SET ABLAZE

Recently my kids have taken to the surfing bug. “At last!” I thought to myself, having never wanted to push them into it. They have always been happy to splash about but never over-the-top enthused. I just hoped that one-day when they got older we might all share a few waves out the back together. I suppose it is the dream of many a surfing dad or mum. Of late my daughter Phoebe in particular has really started getting into it. She has surfed off and on throughout summer for a few years now and is developing into a competent surfer. Give her a month and she will already be better than her dad but that is not really saying much.

Anyhow, at the level she is at now I thought I would review the board that is best suited to her ability and the waves Phoebe is riding. And yes, it is still a softboard. When kids are learning to surf a fibreglass surfboard is a danger to themselves and to those around them if they can’t control it, let alone ride it. Believe me, I saw many a kid (and a few adult learners) wielding their weapons throughout the Christmas holidays. LEARN on a softboard! They are not uncool. Their graphics nowadays make them look like a “proper” surfboard anyway. And they are a lot cooler than sporting a set of stitches from where the board gave you a new piercing you didn’t plan on. In previous years Phoebe had been on an 8’ softboard - the perfect learner size in my opinion. Not too unwieldy and big, and large enough to provide a good stable platform. As she progressed however she wanted something that was a little more

manoeuvrable so she could get a feel for turning on the wave but that still had good float and paddle power. The solution turned out to be a 5’10” El Nino Fish. This board turned out to be ideal and really elevated her surfing through the summer break. It may be short at less than 6’ but it still has plenty of volume. It’s length made it easy to whip around and the extra wide fish tail provided the stability she still needed. The thickness provided the float and paddle power to get on some small summer sliders. The rigidity of the bottom enabled the board to trim and glide as opposed to some softboards that make it feel like you are surfing a thong.

EL NINO 5’10” FISH. RRP $399.95 ELNINOSURF.COM.AU



Phoebe’s loving the El Nino Fish!

SMORGASBOARDER | SUMMER 2016

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DOES IT WORK? TRIED AND TESTED

...while this 5’6” Albacor e has also been brin ging a big smile to m y dial.

2/02/2016 4:31 pm



DOES WORK IT ? TRIED A ND TES TED

THE WHIP 8’10” × 29” × 3.93” (150 litres)

www.paddleboarding.co.nz

THAT

CRACK WHIP

INCLUDES: • Red Paddle Co backpack • HP pump, repair kit • Water-resistant phone case • RSS batten • Removable US Fin Box system

WORDS: JEFF MORRIS

don’t know about you guys but I hate travelling on airlines with sporting equipment. For me there’s nothing worse than carting oversize luggage such as surfboards or snow skis around airports. Better to rent when I get there, usually.

After a conversation with Roman Hartmann at Surfari Surf Store in Zurich last year I realised that for many people things aren’t always as easy as throwing a board on the roof or under your arm and heading for the nearest expanse of water with waves on it. He sells heaps of Red Paddle Co. inflatable SUPS to people with little storage space and when the only sensible travel option to the ocean is an aircraft. I have had quite a bit of experience with Red Paddle Co. Sups over the last few years doing lessons and rentals off my

local beach. Initially I had no interest in them at all, but seeing their development, innovations and almost indestructibility, my respect for them grew and grew. Then I found out that they had developed a model specifically designed for surfing. It’s called The Whip, it’s 8’10” × 29” × 3.93” (150 litres) and I needed to have a crack at it. It’s taken 6 years of design development for the Whip, they realised that you can’t just copy a hardboard shape and expect it to behave in the same manner because it won’t. The main challenge is maintaining SUMMER 2016 | SMORGASBOARDER

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CRACK

THATWHIP 98

SMORGASBOARDER | SUMMER 2016

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rigidity while keeping the board reasonably thin (under 4 inches, not bad for an inflatable). They have achieved this with a batten system that slides into a sleeve on each rail. They call it the RSS Batten System, sort of like rail stringers. The other piece of technology that has made for a more rigid and lighter board is a construction method called MSL Fusion, which you can check out on their website if you really need to know that stuff. It has two thruster-type built-in fins and a removable fin which screws into a fin box. All this basically means is that they’re really into it and ya gotta love that. The good folks at Paddleboarding NZ lent me one, along with a 3 piece bamboo shaft paddle which fits neatly with the board and pump into a really well designed travel bag that has wheels on the base for easy rolling, some back

pack straps so that you can carry it to remote breaks, a couple of well placed carry handles and everything easily loaded and unloaded via a front opening zip system. Weight is around 12 or 13kgs and you can squeeze in a wettie and towel as well. Once again great design.

SO HOW DOES IT TRAVEL AND HOW DOES IT RIDE? First trip I took it on was to the Coromandel Peninsula on the North Island. Air New Zealand charged me $30 each way as an extra bag which I thought was reasonable, unfortunately there was no swell and constant westerly winds for the entire time that I was there, which I thought was predictable, so it never came out of the bag.

Next trip was to Sydney, super easy travelling with the Whip, Air New Zealand charged me $50 each way this time, starting to get a bit unattractive I thought, really need to get some use out of it. Chucked it into the back of the airport shuttle and off to the Northern Beaches for family, friends and any number of breaks working in a multitude of conditions, all now SUP surf accessible in Mum’s 1984 Toyota Corolla with no roof racks. No need to walk to Long Reef and pray a Southerly doesn’t hit before you get there. Just fold the Whip into thirds (leaving the RSS battens in the rails) chuck it in the back seat and off you go. The first day was 40 degrees Celsius and pumping it up in the car park was a bit of a challenge - wishing someone would invent the

SUMMER 2016 | SMORGASBOARDER

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Gee Hard model – blows itself up. Apparently you can inflate these to around 25psi, but I reckon you’d have to be Arnie Schwarzenegger to do it. Best I could get was around 17psi, but that’s really solid anyway. First paddle out was in a small swell and as I went over the first wave I could appreciate if the board wasn’t pumped up to a good level, you would feel like you’re surfing a bouncy castle. It’s definitely different to surfing a standard hardboard SUP as the board sits high and on top of the water so that you feel every bit of water movement, add a strong wind to 8’10” x 29” and it can be a bit of a challenge, but you do get used to it and pretty soon I was getting a few nice rides. Once I got the feel of the board I found that it was quite easy to ride further up the nose longboard style as well as being quite manoeuvrable towards the tail. It certainly attracts plenty of stares and questions as you might expect. My basic explanation is that it’s a great traveling board. One guy said it would be a shame if you turned up at 6’ and perfect Angourie and that’s all you had to ride. My reply was if you’re travelling with limited resources and space, such as a hire car and family and you turned up at perfect Angourie with nothing, that would be a bigger shame.

Like everything it’s how you approach it, so with a bit of practice, perseverance and good paddle skills the Red Paddle Whip surfs just fine, so well in fact that a young Spaniard by the name of Xavi Masdevall won the inflatable division of the 2015 Euro Supa Surf Champs on one. This is a great product that perfectly does what it’s designed to do, be easy and cheap to travel with, catch some waves, with the added bonus of a possible quiet paddle in some great locations. The guys and Red Paddle do a great job of designing, constructing innovative inflatable paddleboards, they’ve turned a bit of a skeptic and naysayer into a bit of a convert over the last few years. I’m looking forward to their next offering. P.S. I reckon these would be great shark repellents – shark bites into 8’10” of 20psi paddleboard, shark inflates in 2 seconds then travels 500 metres across ocean at approximately 100kms per hour in a circular fashion, shark has stomach ache for 3 days leaving plenty of time to safely exit the water.

Not only is JEFF ‘JIFF’ MORRIS the guy that runs around for Smorgasboarder in NZ, he’s also a mad keen surfer and SUP rider, world traveller, gear tester and an ace with a keyboard. jeff@smorgasboarder.co.nz

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TALKING BOARD DESIGN WITH JESSE WATSON OF BLACK APACHE SURFBOARDS

RELATIVE PERCEPTION “RELATIVE PER-WHAT? WHAT THE HELL IS HE TALKING ABOUT?” YEAH I HEAR YOU, AND NO THIS ISN’T GOING TO GET ALL MYSTIC AND CRYPTIC AND TO ALLEVIATE ANY JOHNNY UTAH/ POINT BREAK INSPIRED FEARS YOU MIGHT HAVE WE AREN’T GONNA HOLD HANDS AND “START CHANTING” EITHER, SO REST EASY.

So what am I talking about? Well I’m not 100% sure either. It’s a term I’ve coined (probably not the first though) to define a situation that I really feel should be the jumping off point for all of our discussions. It helps us to set the parameters, the framework… the modus operandi if you will within which we will explore the following topics and have them stay in context for the masses.

So anyways back to relative perception. What is it? Lets split it up with what are likely some less than accurate online descriptions I stumbled onto, that while probably not accurate, suit my purposes so lets throw grammar and accuracy under the wheels and run with it.

RELATIVE: “relates to the condition

of one observation or object when it is considered in connection with another.”

PERCEPTION: “the conscious mental registration of a sensory stimulus” Put ‘em together and what do you get? If the answer is headaches don’t feel bad, revel in your stupidity with the rest of us. You’re not alone. Let me put it like this. As a shaper the hardest part of shaping a board is making sure you and I are on the same page. Making sure that when I describe something to you, that you understand it the way I do, that your perception matches mine. When you say flat rocker it means the same thing as when I say flat rocker. When you say a lot of foam, it’s the same as when I say it. Now I shape more than just a couple of boards each year for all types of surfers of varying ages, heights, weights, abilities and sexes etc. So that’s a pretty big spread and it’s unlikely that all or even any of them will think like I do. Your perception is relative to your experiences in surfing, as are mine - and never the twain shall meet. (You see how I tied that in? Pretty good huh?) So then what? Well if you’ve surfed for a decent length of time and remember the not too far-gone days of ordering custom boards it usually went something like this;

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CLOSEOUT: COLUMNS (CIRCA 1990-2000) 1.

Customer goes to shaping bay/factory see’s shaper in person

Shaper takes his weight and height (if you’re lucky)

Shaper determines what this customer needs based on what the shaper thinks the guy/girl needs and what the shaper is currently riding more than likely.

Customer says OK and leaves to wait for the call; “its ready mate”

Customer has no idea what he/she ordered or why, other than what he/ she was told to.

Sometimes the board is magic sometimes not

Customer spends the rest of his/her life trying to find a board that is as good “as that board I had before”

Customer can’t do this because he/ she has no idea why it worked or what he needs.

Customers surfing becomes bipolar - sometimes awesome, sometimes hating surfing - because of his boards and whether he/she can find a good one that “works”

The same was true of shop fronts too where you went in and were handed whatever Occy just rode to his world title comeback after shedding a good 30kg destroying Bells on his backhand. You stood there in your Hot Tuna shorts and Bad Billys t-shirt (Bad Billys

is back too!) expecting you’d be ripping next surf, but you weren’t a rejuvenated Occy, and you weren’t surfing Bells in a finals heat either most likely, so what were the chances of that happening? Well thankfully the dark ages of surfing are mostly over and the religion of information has gifted us the notion that surfers should know why their boards work and what sort of boards they can, and should ride, but so many of us still don’t. That is the whole point here really – the whole mantra of these articles – to enlighten you the reader, to turn on the lights in the dark room for the surfer and to make your surfing experience better for you. To have you surfing in a way that makes you happy and gets the most out of your time in the water. Now my theory is that happy customers are repeat customers. That notion of the closely guarded secret, the idea of the shaper as some sort of mystical guru with the power to bestow upon you some magical weapon capable of changing your life - if only you unwaveringly accept what you’re told and ask no questions of course (that you should even dare to pose your feeble questions to this elevated being!) - is a big old pile of warm horse poop. Personally I tend to divulge too much information rather than too little, ask anyone who has ever met me. I’m sure my customers need a little lie down after we’re through, but the more ‘you the customer’ understand the process, how it works, why it works - the more times we are going to hit the mark in the little custom order dance and the more times I’m going to see your face or have you clogging up my inbox and voicemail, which is great. My house extensions won’t pay for themselves

now will they? This becomes especially true given the sheer volume of orders I receive from other parts of the country and the world at large. In today’s small world having a shared vision of relative perception between the shaper and customer is ABSOLUTELY CRUCIAL. To do this the key is getting inside the customers head. More than anything else this is, I feel, the key to good design and a happy customer. I could shape you a board that might be my Sistine Chapel but if it doesn’t float your boat it might as well be a kickboard and a pair of floaties for all the good it’s going to do you. So how do I as a shaper and hopefully the other shapers out there overcome this? How does your local shop jockey who has you cornered against the board rack, asking “ya need a hand mate or are ya happy just lookin’?” figure out the difference between your dream board and the proverbial turd? … Well we/they should be asking questions… lots and lots of questions. Then after all that, you guessed it, more questions. I question my customers like a wild-eyed Spanish Priest during the inquisition. I hammer them like a parent hammering a teenage son who’s late in the door after curfew. I’m merciless, relentless, a real hound dog hungry for the bone of truth. I expect one day someone will either just walk away mid conversation saying, “it’s just not worth it!” or hang up on me, or worse. However if you do unwittingly find yourself on the receiving end of my barrage, before you crack under the strain, admit defeat and leave to order your board online without any input from anyone, shaper or shop staff, know this: It’s for your benefit SUMMER 2016 | SMORGASBOARDER

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CLOSEOUT: COLUMNS

in the end. This is the only way I can truly guarantee that you will be on the receiving end of my best work. Even the little pimply faced shop jockey needs to be asking these exact same questions if he’s going to play perfect match with you and a new shooter. When Dexter the little 80’s robot spits out a compatibility report and the divider disappears to reveal your new love you want to see your dream girl not a walrus. So you better hope they’ve been asking questions and paying attention to the answers. Otherwise its goodnight for you and the walrus - enjoy your complimentary gifts on the way out the door. When I am the one giving you the inquisition I want to know about everything. What you ate for lunch, your theories on quantum physics, your mothers maiden name, how old you were when you stopped wetting the bed… well not really but I do want answers. Some of my more standard questions include the following:

After we’ve talked about the old stuff in your quiver it’s my turn. I will want to know things like: 1.

What type of board are you after?

How do you want it to surf?

Where will it fit wave range wise in your quiver?

Are you planning on increasing or reducing your quiver?

How old are you?

Where are you surfing?

Are you just a one-board guy/girl?

What kinds of breaks?

How often are you surfing?

How long have you been surfing?

If you are planning on getting more boards shortly, particularly if they are from me what boards are they?

What are you riding mostly – right now, this week?

How many boards are in your quiver?

Who shaped them?

Dimensions on all of them, or at least your favorites?

10. Do you have a wide range in your quiver or six 5’11 thrusters? 11. Are they heavy, light? Construction methods? EPS, Epoxy etc.? 12. Which is your favourite, why? What does it do best that you like? 13. Are you a top to bottom style surfer or more down the line style? 14. Do you get low to your boards or do you have a more upright stance? There is a whole bunch more but you get the idea for now. It’s about me trying to get a sense of your personal “relative perception” of the surfing experience and what it is you want me to contribute to that experience.

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“I QUESTION MY CUSTOMERS LIKE A WILD-EYED SPANISH PRIEST DURING THE INQUISITION.”

What is your budget?

What types of characteristics are you looking for in your board?

What is it you enjoy most in surfing? Big turns? Speed runs?

10. What is it that this board is really trying to give you in the water? Again there is a multitude of others but this is the basic idea. I look at myself as more of an engineer than a shaper. I look at each customer or order as an equation, a bunch of variables that we are trying to create a solution from. I look at those variables, the desired outcome, I make sure you and I are on the same page, then we move forward. It’s easy after that, it’s just advanced hydrodynamics.

likely had in common with each other. The end goal is to help you the customer make informed decisions and have real and valuable input into your shapes. It’s a win-win. Being able to walk into a shop knowing at least in part what you’re after makes board shopping in a retail setting awesome. It makes calling up a shaper for a custom order a super exciting experience. If that is not currently the case for you then this series of articles will hopefully help you to change that. By the end of this you’ll all be laying down your hard earned dollars for new shooters. Hassling your local core board store and thumbing the racks with optimism. Next issue we are going to start with the basics. We will start with some of the bigger subjects but also some of the most important ones, and… ready for it? The Pendulum Effect… Yet another catchy phrase that I just coined right now while I’m typing. I am seriously on fire right now… stay tuned. Watch out next issue for some schooling on the basics... www.blackapachesurfboards.com

Every customer that I cross paths with gets a lesson on board design. The how and why of what makes a board work. Which features produce which result and how to identify boards that will work in the future. Why exactly your favourite boards from the past worked and perhaps what they

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SUN SAFETY WITH SUN ZAPPER

HOPS

4 TIPS

I suspect it was the absolutely incredible smell that initially drew brewers and herbalists to experiment with the flowers of Humulus lupulus or the “wolf amongst the weeds” as the Latin name roughly translates. They soon realised that when hops were added to the boil the beer tended not to spoil. This is due to compounds called humulones that once boiled become inhibitory to certain beer spoilage bacteria. These compounds also added bitterness to the brew, which helped to balance out the malt-derived sweetness. Germans became such a fan of these properties that they soon passed the Reinheitsgebot, a law prohibiting the use of any other herbs in brewing (people were putting in all kinds of psychoactive herbs before then!). Hops also have a mild sedative effect – as if you needed another excuse for drinking a good hoppy Pale Ale after a hard day’s work.

Over the last two years we have helped hundreds of delighted customers design, develop and deliver affordable original art as a centrepiece for homes, offices and as gifts. Here’s a few things we’ve learnt.

THE WOLF AMONGST THE WEEDS

THANK YOU TEAM At Sun Zapper we’re super lucky to have the support of our ambassadors, surf shops and retailers, supporting clubs and sun-savvy users. All these beautiful guys and girls love this sunburnt country just as much as we do. In saying that, they also know why it’s important to protect ourselves from the harsh Aussie sun. So here’s a big thank you to all of you! I would like however to especially thank our ambassadors. We may be a bit biased here but our ambassadors are the best bunch of sun-loving humans on the planet! They are surfers, bodyboarders, ocean photographers, content creators, swimmers, sailors… let’s just say they live and breathe the salty air. They spread our sun safety message here at home and abroad, they capture the most awe-inspiring content and feature it in Smorgasboarder and/ or upload it to the Internet reaching thousands of people. Our ambassadors are actively out there, day in and day out, zinc’d up and ready to take on any task they have at hand. A big thank you to Josh, Luke, Michael, Dylan, Joe, Joel, Ray, Warren (pictured above), Jacob, Nathanael, Jaidyn, Lawrence, Holly, Oscar and Toby. So if you think you share these qualities then send me an email at melanie@ sunzapper.com.au and we’d be happy to have you on the Sun Zapper team.

A relative of hemp, the flowers of hops form only on the females of the climbing vine-like plants that are grown (away from males plants) on tall wire trellises. They tend to grow best in temperate climates and some of the world’s hopspots (hops become cheesy in flavour when left in the sun!) are Germany and the U.S.A., with Australia and New Zealand also gaining a reputation as producers of new and interesting hop varieties. Hop flavours are often described as fruity, floral, herbal and/or spicy and different strains are used to give beer styles their unique characters. The flavour of the hops depends on the strain as well as terroir the area that they’re grown in. With the boom in craft beer and the generous use of hops in styles such as Pale Ales and IPA’s, the price of hops is soaring with some varieties fetching $50/kg. We love our hops here at Byron Bay Brewery and I’ve been generous in hopping our Pale Ale, using a combination of Australian Galaxy hops with American Citra, Columbus and Amarillo. We also dry-hop the beer, a process whereby hops are added during the fermentation after the yeast has created some alcohol, thereby better extracting the essential oils that contain the awesome aromas and flavours.

ON CHOOSING SURFBOARD ART

1. FANTASIZE – MIND SURFING IS FUN An image of that perfect wave, beach scene can be amazing. Immediately transporting you someplace else. Choose an image that means something, something that you have a connection with – a local break, a place you have visited or would like to. 2. OLD OR NEW BOARD? If you have a board you could repurpose it? Is it in fair condition (reasonably smooth and with no unrepaired damage)? This may help, especially if it is an ol’ fav - the outcome is all the more special. A new board can offer a completely different look - sleek, smooth, clear of damage. It’s a great way to have the art leap off the wall.

3. SIZE MATTERS Knowing the space you want to fill is key to the next steps. A surfboard is typically 6-10 ft long (we think hanging them sideways works well – but you can do it standing up). So choose a wall that will allow for something of this size, a good bit of space at either end will help make the board pop… 4. NOT EVERY IMAGE IS A WINNER Surfboards are weird shapes - typically a 4:1 or greater ratio. This is a lot different to your average photo. If your heart is set on a whole image and it won’t work just by itself, you consider a cool collage design. Be prepared to manage the compliments for your new piece... And send them our way!

The Sun Zapper range is Aussie made and owned. Find Sun Zapper at your local surf store, Woolworths, Big W, IGA and FoodWorks.

Alastair Gillespie holds a Bachelors of Science in Microbiology, is a madkeen surfer and the Head Brewer at Byron Bay Brewery.

Dave West is half of Ctrl V, creating custom graphics for surfboard wall and surfable art.

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www.ctrlv.com.au SUMMER 2016 | SMORGASBOARDER

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CLOSEOUT: LIVE IT UP

“If you open your mind, you’ll open the doors & a good time will be had.”

YEO HAUS SINGLE FIN SURF JAM PHOTOS: HARLEY LEWIS & RADAR

The Yeo Haus Single Fin Surf Jam, held down on the south coast of South Australia was a day for celebrating surfing and our culture. Bringing the community together through wave riding, it was no doubt good times were going to be had. With Yeo Haus being a modern, creative clothing lifestyle brand based in SA, a surf comp replicating their outlook on surfing culture and good times was the ideal way to bring in the New Year. It wasn’t your ordinary comp - an array of boards were supplied, the boards were numbered and the number you picked from the hat determined what board you had to ride for your heat. This format evened out the playing field as surfers had to get creative on their given craft, as coffin rides, one footers and head stands were rewarded, as having fun on the wave was the top priority. It was an intimate day with spectators less than a stones throw from the surfers, so applauding and hollering lit up the ampitheatre with good vibes all round. As Yeo Haus states “If you open your mind, you’ll open the doors and a good time will be had.” SUMMER 2016 | SMORGASBOARDER

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CLOSEOUT: LIVE IT UP

“Established in 2004, the Gold Coast DSA has a dedicated core of volunteers”

SUNDAY SMILES Sunday, December the 6th once again saw the Gold Coast branch of the Disabled Surfers Association take to the water, bringing broad smiles to the faces of the participants and volunteers alike. Established in 2004, the Gold Coast DSA has a dedicated core of volunteers drawn from many parts of the local community and their “Lets Go Surfing” days are held at Flat Rock beach, Currumbin. Once again, the action was captured by local photographer and DSA volunteer, Glenn ‘Pugs” Hardwick. For more on his involvement see our last issue (Smorgasboarder Xmas, #32). For more info on the DSA, see http://disabledsurfers.org and the Gold Coast branch at http://disabledsurfers.org/qld/gold-coast-branch/. For more of Pugs’ work, see http://lookslikeme.com.au SUMMER 2016 | SMORGASBOARDER

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Backyarders... Hits the spot...

Good friend Gav Webster recently sent in these photos of the new stick he made at a wooden board-building workshop on the northside of Brisbane run by Stuart Bywater. Stoked with the experience he is already planning to head back and build another board or three. Not a bad idea really. At the rate Gav dings his boards it’s always handy to have a few in the quiver. Here’s hoping anyway his wooden board is a bit more sturdy than his fibreglass ones and can withstand him landing on them as a regular occurrence, or Gav’s occasional trip to the rocks. We are sure in due course Gav will be able to put together a column for Smorgasboarder on, “How to repair a wooden surfboard.” Well done Gav. Great to see you have caught the bug. Impressed you even managed to place under the glass the Webster family coat of arms. Hope it has a big fin. Stay Moist.

SUMMER 2016 | SMORGASBOARDER

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CLOSEOUT: ALOHA BARRY 114

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