“THOSE WHO FLOW AS LIFE FLOWS KNOW THEY NEED NO OTHER FORCE.”
LAO TZU
SURF IS FREE... LIKE MAGS SHOULD BE
IT’S A BEAUTIFUL DAY MAT McHUGH OF THE BEAUTIFUL GIRLS TALKS ABOUT LIFE AS A SURFER & MUSICIAN
WHAT LIES BENEATH P78
FAMILY-FRIENDLY SAMOA P70
SO MANY BOARDS P83
THE MAGAZINE FOR THOSE WHO LOVE TO SURF ISSUE #3 JAN/FEB 2011
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IDERS TEAM R right wen W
AUSTRALIAN DESIGNED & TESTED
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Stockist Enquiries - 0421 551 189 QLD Stockists Beach Beat - Alexandra Heads Beach Beat - Caloundra Beach Beat - Dicky Beach Darkside Skateboards - Miami Goodtime Surf - Woolloongabba Hurley Burleigh - Southport Kirra Surf - Coolangatta KTM Action Motorcycles - Nerang KTM - Brisbane Local Knowledge - Noosa Local Knowledge - Nobby Beach Primitive Surf - Nundah Roar Industries - Currumbin Surf Connect - Brisbane Nth
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NSW Stockists Aloha Manly - Style Manly Bay Action - Byron Bay
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INSIDE
ALL THE USUAL BITS THE LATEST
Feedback News And greatest Back from the dead
P14 P16 P20 P40
TRAVEL
Sweet home Caloundra P54 Family time in Samoa P70
GEAR
Fins - what drives you P78 Latest surfboard designs P83 Skateboarding P95
History P94 Music & Books P104 SUP class P107 Get fit and healthy P108 People out and about P114
CLOSEOUT
26 32 44 46 90
WHAT A BEAUTIFUL LIFE
VICCO IMAGES AND INSPIRATION
IN IT FOR A KNEELY GOOD TIME
THE DEBATE IS ON: LOCAL VS IMPORTS
TESTING GEAR OF ALL DESCRIPTIONS
Mat McHugh is living the dream, playing guitar and surfing
Scott Wintle shares thoughts and images from the Surf Coast
We chat to elders of the kneeboard fraternity and ask why
Shapers, retailers and manufacturers get in the ring to tell it how it is
We give some cool finless boards, wax and more a good run
Phillip Island’s Stu Campbell lays a few lines down somewhere near Woolamai. Photo: Jules Elliott 6
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DETAILS & THINGS
WHAT WE’RE ALL ABOUT
Smorgasboarder is for all of us that love surfing, whether it’s to relax, unwind, get in a healthy bit of exercise or to catch up with friends and family.
WHERE TO PICK US UP
Quality surf stores, shapers and cool cafes within 10kms of the coast from Agnes Water to Warrnambool. We also supply select stores in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. For a full list of distributors, visit the directory in the back of the mag or at www.smorgasboarder.com.au - or get to your local surf shop and talk to some real people in the flesh. If you see a local store advertised in the mag, they are sure to have the lion’s share of smorgasboarder in your area. We first and foremost support those who support us. Smorgasboarder is published six times a year - September, November, January, March, May.
CAN’T GET THERE? SUBSCRIBE
If you want Smorgasboarder delivered to your door, you can become a home subscriber. The mag is still free, but Australia Post need to get paid. $18 gets you six editions. Just sign up at www.smorgasboarder.com.au and go and wait by your mailbox. It’ll arrive every two months. Back issues are available for $5 per copy. We only have a few of our first two left so they are worth their weight in gold!
THANK YOU
Thank you once again to all our creative contributing writers, fantastic photographers and excellent people who made this edition possible. Again and as always, Louise ‘Squirrel’ Gough and Gus Brown are champions. Helen Chapman and Katie Swan deserve medals. Jamie Willems was a great board tester.
THE TEAM
If you’re after any information on advertising, distribution, editorial, subscribing, contributing or just plain getting involved in some way, drop us a line... Mark Chapman mark@hugecmedia.com.au 0400 875 884 Dave Swan dave@hugecmedia.com.au 0401 345 201
CONTRIBUTORS
WRITING TALENT: John Hart, Pat Quirk, Clayton Beatty, Dr Pete Kirkham - who dodged this edition, Nigel Potts, Craig Baird, Grant Shankster and Sunny Oliver-Bennets. PHOTOGRAPHIC GENIUS: Yes they are - make sure you check out the photo credits on each pic and tell them how much they rock. Tech specs: Mark - studio@hugecmedia.com.au Money matters: Dave - money@hugecmedia.com.au Ideas & submissions: editorial@smorgasboarder.com.au Distribution: mags@hugecmedia.com.au
WWW.SMORGASBOARDER.COM.AU
smorgasboarder is published by Huge C Media Pty Ltd ABN 30944673055. All information is correct at time of going to press. The publishers cannot accept responsibility for errors in articles or advertisements, or unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or 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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We print with Pep Central and Craft Inprint Group, an environmentally aware and committed printer whose business is founded upon the principles of minimising waste and maximising recycling. Nice work.
20/12/10 11:59 AM
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LATEST: EDITION
ENJOY SOME POSITIVE ENERGY I’m told that as an ocean wave passes, the water moves up and down in a circular pattern, only to return to its original position. People with a far greater understanding of the natural world than I have say this is true, so I believe them. Recently, a wise man of the sea we met on our travels, told us a little tale along the same lines - that we simply don’t ride the water. As the water only goes up and down in the same place, moved by an energy created by an event or force far greater and far further away, we are in fact riding pure energy instead. This is hardly a new concept for some, but a very exciting and humbling one to think about or be reminded of every now and again. While we love our boards and assorted equipment, the raw truth of connecting with nature, the universe, or whatever you would like to call it, is that magical secret ingredient that sets ocean pursuits so far apart from any other hobby, sport or pastime. Sitting out in the ocean, feeling the flow of energy while waiting for the next set can truly put in perspective just how tiny we are as individuals in the grander scheme of life. The ocean has been there for millions of years before us, and will be there for as long, after we’re gone. Long after we’re all forgotten, long after surfboards have changed to countless other shapes and materials, long after our 10,000th edition, the waves will keep rolling in.
The transient nature of our life on earth was brought into focus for so many surfers by the passing of Andy Irons - an icon of modern surfing, cut down in his prime. It was a sad moment for the entire surfing world. But, rather than dwell on the morbidity of it all, this event reinforces a very simple, yet powerful idea... Enjoy every day as if it’s your last. Fortunately for us all, there’s just so much to enjoy. Get out there, love life and your surfing, and make the most of every opportunity to get wet.
THIS EDITION “Three is a magic number” says the song... And magic it is to be putting the finishing touches on our latest magazine - our third small step in our quest to create something truly meaningful within the surfing community of the Australian east coast. Seeing this edition done is only a small part of the reward for us. What’s truly magic is the overwhelming positivity and excitement we’ve experienced from so many of the fantastic and fascinating characters we’ve met on our travels. We’re excited to see you so excited, so stay happy, stay healthy and enjoy #3.
Finding a quiet spot on the NSW South Coast Photo: Mark Chapman
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LADIES FIRST
HEAD OVER HEELS
IF IT’S TRUE THAT THE COUPLE WHO PLAYS TOGETHER, STAYS TOGETHER, TOP TANDEM SURFERS LILY AND FRED ARE A MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN.
Although there are waves in Normandie, in the North of France where Aurelie “Lily” Branger grew up, she didn’t start surfing until four years ago. Surfing was something she had always wanted to do, yet she only first stepped on a board shortly before meeting her future husband and tandem surfing partner, Fred Branger. Only a few short years later, Lily and Fred rate as one of the top tandem surfing teams and now run clinics around the world. Lily tells us a bit more...
“Growing up, I was doing gymnastics and a lot of snowboarding in the winter. I later got into skateboarding when I lived in Paris. It was awesome cruising in the city and there was a good group of people into downhill and slalom skateboarding that I became friends with. “Fred also grew up in France, but he was on the Atlantic coast near Bordeaux and he had been surfing, snowboarding and skateboarding since he was a little kid. He was a lifeguard for five years, and a surfing instructor for seven. I guess you could say he is a pretty complete surfer. “While living in California, where he went to university, he competed in swimming, shortboarding, longboarding, bodysurfing and he was one of the first to stand up paddle in the US. It’s there, and over in Hawaii that he got into tandem surfing. Now, he mostly just surfs Alaia or 16 foot toothpicks!” Tandem surfing - for which they are now wellknown - was the reason the couple met. “I started with Fred in January 2007. We actually met thanks to tandem surfing. He and I first got in touch
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through a surfing forum on the internet, where I used to organize carpooling to go surfing from Paris on the weekend. Someone had started a topic about Fred on tandem surfing and with my gymnastics background needless to say - I wanted to try right away. “The timing was perfect. He had just moved back to France and was looking for someone to tandem with... and fall in love with!” What is the appeal of tandem surfing? “First, it is very romantic. Second, surfing with a seasoned surfer in all types of conditions gives me a lot of experience and confidence for my own surfing. “Third, I am a big fan of circus and gymnastics performances and it seems to me that professional acrobats perform at a level which is unattainable, requiring thousands of training hours, but tandem surfing is more accessible. “The classic lifts are not hard to do with a bit of practice, plus it is an original and fun, and you can do it at the beach. Surfing good waves with my love, doing our moves while surfing... Well, it’s what gets me stoked. It also gives us the opportunity to do something
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“ SURFING GOOD WAVES WITH MY LOVE, DOING OUR MOVES WHILE SURFING... WELL, IT’S WHAT GETS ME STOKED.”
Photo: Edwart Ramirez
beautiful that makes us both very proud.” And fortunately, Lily says Fred’s never dropped her on purpose... “Well, it does happen that we wipe out, but no, he has never dropped me on purpose after an argument. Our rule is not to try anything we don’t think we can pull off, so we do not usually fall a lot. “When it does happen, we take our wipe out together. Fred grabs me and always does his best to make sure I don’t hit the board or the bottom. We’re not into the “wife-tossing” type of tandem surfing!” Lily and Fred have recently become parents. We wondered how soon there would be a third person on board in the water. “Soon! Lockie is only two months, but he is a strong little boy and growing very fast. I’m sure in no time we’ll be taking him on the board with us. “I love riding in tandem with my girl friends and sometimes we even switch position with Fred, so I am gathering some experience as the boat captain. At the beginning I will have him stand up on my shoulders, but in only a few years, Lockie will be lifting me over his head!”
You’ll be able to see Lily and Fred surfing at the 2011 Noosa Festival of Surfing. If you are interested in learning more about tandem surfing, why not attend one of their free workshops? See www.nalu-surf.com for more information. jan/feb 2011
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JOIN IN THE CONVERSATION:
Just a real surf shop...
Email all your innermost thoughts, letters, stories, photos, praise, rants to letters@smorgasboarder.com.au or send other contribution ideas, surf photography or fantastic ideas for stories to editor@smorgasboarder.com.au.
Surfboards, movies, art and memorabili a at the top of th e hill in Yamba .
Join us on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/ Smorgasboarder-Surf-Magazine/133229320054947 (or easier, just search for smorgasboarder) We promise not to poke you.
STAY FIT AND SURF HAPPY 10 CLARENCE ST, YAMBA NSW 2464
(02) 6645 8362
At 43 and having surfed for nearly 3 decades it has been so refreshing to read your mag! No big industry names, no pros on sponsored wave hunts, just great articles and real stories. I’ve read hundreds of the usual mags over the years and never once been inspired enough to send in a letter - until now. The letter published in your last edition - “you’re never too old” was so true. As you get older it becomes all too easy to pack on a few kilos, let your surfing slide a little. To all the guys on the other side of 35 - 40 stay fit! Eat healthy! Steer clear of all the processed trans fats we’re bombarded with. Definitely enjoy a few beers but don’t go silly and make it a nightly event. Even push a few weights and try a little yoga. You will be really surprised at the difference in not only your surfing but your whole energy levels and attitude. Couple this with a good quality Australian built custom board, (and pay your shaper the right money) and I guarantee the next time the swell’s double overhead you’ll be surfing with confidence and hopefully more than just a little style. Cheers and happy surfing. Grahame, Gold Coast
THERE’S A BETTER WAY I was interested to read your article on Noosa surfer turned boxer Israel Kani. From the perspective of an older surfer, someone seen by Kani as a weaker person of little consequence, his transition to boxer and exit from the water could not come too soon. Like so many folk surfing constitutes a major recreational part of my life. I have surfed for over 40 years. I am also a Mixed Martial Arts black belt and instructor, both surfing and martial arts enrich my life. They do not, however, cross over, they are separate endeavours with individual challenges. Your article highlighted what is present in the current surfing environment. No folk should have to pay lip service to someone such as Kani, he demands respect yet shows none. As proposed Israel Kani has chosen well to pursue boxing as he is clearly not capable of comprehending the “Aloha Spirit” of surfing. More pity to him. Nick, Box Hill We totally agree that there’s no place for violence and aggression in the water. You can never change your past, but Israel’s positive choices and life changes are a good example of how a person can move on. The more people cheering up, the better.
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GIVEAWAYS! Yes, we just love giving stuff away. This edition, we’ve got a few sticks of Board Bog to keep you afloat, two Surf N Rak t-shirts, a copy of the Surfer’s Textbook Making and Repairing a Surfboard CD and 5 copies of the Indo Surf & Lingo 20th Anniversary Edition book. Send in your letters and thoughts to be in line for the freebies! Email us on letters@smorgasboarder.com.au *Letters may have been edited for length and clarity
jan/feb 2011
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HOLY COW!
Coffs Surf Sistas, hitting the beach
OUR WINNING LETTER!
STOKED ‘SURF SISTA’ February... I turned 40 and life began again! Who’d have thought I’d be discovering a new sport, meeting life-long ‘Surf Sista’ friends and feeling like a kid with a new toy? My surf instructor is our local ex-world pro tour surfer, and is well respected. Cornetto-enticed challenges, ocean and life education, laughs, one-liners to ‘harden up’ and get aggressive, goals, achievements, and the never letting you leave the ocean without feeling like a slightly older version of Layne or Steph... That’s what he does for me. If I have to pay to feel that incredible, the wallet is open. I also recently showed my support by having a surfboard shaped for me by one of our awesomes... love it Ronnie! Smorgasboarder’s 1st and 2nd issues really helped me understand the intricate art of this industry. Thank You! But, who am I kidding? The colour was important there will always be ‘girly’ in me. “She” sat on the family lounge curing for a week while I stroked her in passing. How nervous I was at the first waxing - not my legs. Nothing compared to our first session together. Thanks Smorgasboarder for having the foresight to put your mag out there and being a part of my ‘fasttracking’. I’ve learnt so much in just two issues. I’m a better person for my new love. My headspace clears in the ocean. I’m still a newbie but I’m giving myself points for persistence. To all you gals and guys out there who have thought about it... Time to stop thinking and get stoked! Loz, Coffs Harbour
ROAD TRIP REMINDER Firstly, let me congratulate you on a fantastic magazine... Absolutely free. How do you do it? I grabbed a copy from a surf shop up in Coolongatta, NSW, on a recent surf and dive surfari to celebrate my 45th birthday. I stopped in and surfed a heap of places that I hadn’t surfed in 20 years from Sydney to Noosa. I hooked up with some old friends and made some new friends. Even though it was plainly obvious that I was a tourist, I was shown enough courtesy to grab some waves and have the time of my life. All in all, it was a good couple of weeks to re connect with life and put things into perspective. Being a Sydney boy and surfing predominately the south coast, I got really homesick once I read you articles on the Illawarra. Just took it for granted how good I had it down here, but it’s still good to get away.
High quality Steamer surfboard building kits now available online! Complete with wood, epoxies, glass, fittings, manual and more.
www.caPeboatworks.com.au 37-39 Chapman St, Fairy Meadow NSW 2519 Phone: 02 4283 1115
For something a little different
Southcoast Surfboards, Gato Heroi, Bing, Dick Van Straalen and a unique range of surfing memorabilia
Life is good when you are wet. Rex, Sydney
SOME SUP LOVING Well done on the great piece on SUPs. As a surfer of many years, I’ve also recently tried my hand at SUP and am loving every minute. It’s just one more way to enjoy the waves, when it’s not too crowded, that is. I loved the photos too. It’s good to see you including SUP in your magazine. It just just gives me one more reason to make sure I get the next one, so hopefully it won’t be a once-off occurrence.
5/21 Clarence Street, Port Macquarie Ph/Fax (02) 6584 1995 or 0416 226 774 More online...
www.sandyfeetsurf.com.au “The sum of all our actions is the key to a sustainable world.”
Jason, Collaroy We’re only too happy to be even a small part of your journey. Keep learning, keep surfing and never forget to stay as stoked as you are right now!
Don’t worry Jase. We’re still Standing Up. This edition we’re even kneeling down. Smorgasboarding all the way.
www.surfinggreen.com.au jan/feb 2011
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Surf-specific workouts
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To get started with your free surf-specific workout, visit...
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LATEST: NEWS
Surf Fitness Training
MAKING WAVES IN FIJI
John Milne of Hellfish Surfboards in Brisbane has recently signed on as the major sponsor of The Fiji Surfing Association. John will support the association with events, their team and junior surfing program. In doing so he will provide Fijian surfers with never before access to a shaper so they can develop their understanding of the various aspects of surfboard design and shaping. To this end he is also working with the association to develop a local surfboard manufacturing industry on the islands. On top of all this, he will be the Australian representative for the promotion of Fiji surf tourism. www.hellfishsurfboards.com.au
WOODEN SURFBOARDS...
GO WITH THE GRAIN AND BUILD YOUR OWN Have you ever dreamed of building your own wooden surfboard? This March, you have a unique opportunity to learn from one of the masters, as Rich Blundell - the co-founder of US wooden surfboard makers, Grain Surfboards - is visiting Australia and presenting two workshops in Mount Eliza on the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria. Rich, who is responsible for the Tree to Sea forum - the largest Wooden Surfboard Builders forum in the world - will be sharing the art of building hollow wooden surfboards using his personal ‘Strip & Feather’ method. As part of the workshop, you get to build one of his many proven designs, or get Rich to design one for you. At the end of the two days, you leave not only with some fantastic knowledge, but also with your own surfboard ready for final sanding and fibreglassing. You can expect plenty of attention, as each workshop - which runs for two days - is limited to only eight participants. The workshops will be hosted by Robert Ivers of Hollow Wooden Surfboards. For further information and workshop dates, please visit the website treetosea.org or phone Robert on 0409 211 751.
BEST DEALS ON LONGBOARDS
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392 Harbour Drive, The Jetty Strip, Coffs Harbour NSW Phone: 02 6658 0223 www.thelogshack.com.au 16
Expect plenty hands-on time with Rich Blundell (right) this March.
jan/feb 2011
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photo: Shane Newman
John Milne, supporting surfing development in Fiji
Stuart Johnson, in the Fiji Craig McElrath Longboard Classic Photo: Malia Johnson
NEW SIX OUNCE STORE OPENS IN MANLY Ben Lucas has opened his new store in 48-50 Pittwater Road, Manly. As we were going to print he was admittedly still setting it all up, but it’s great to hear he has new digs to house what is possibly one of the best collections of surfboards in the country. Congrats mate. Check out the shop, or see www.sixounceboardstore.com.au Almost done... The new Six Ounce Store
QUICKIES RPS REFURBISHED Speaking of new beginnings, RPS Boardstore in Elwood have finished their long awaited refurbishments. Their new open plan format means it is now even easier to spy that perfect SUP, kiteboard or snowboard you were after. For more on RPS and the updated store, see their website: www.rpstheboardstore.com
IN THE ASCIA DRIVER’S SEAT The Australian Surf Craft Industry Association recently voted in their steering committee as Adam Fletcher, Darren Handley, Dave Verrall, Michelle Blauw, Chris Garrett, Jon Liebetanz and Darren Burford. Richard Harvey and Jack Carroll were nominated as associate advisors. Any enquiries with regards to the ASCIA can be directed to Michelle Blauw on 07 5559 5866. Updates will be posted on www.facebook.com/pages/ Australian-Surf-Craft-IndustryAssociation/126311527423630 jan/feb 2011
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LATEST: FEEDBACK
Bill Zaffis, Yamba Photo: Trevor Skinner
Photo: Braiden Maither
THE WINNING SHOT
Awesome Victorian spray art by Jeff Tull. The On A Mission prize pack will be on its way to Jeff, and all photographers on this page score themselves an Elofant Straps board storage system! Send us your photos, get them published, get free stuff! letters@smorgasboarder.com.au
Robert Melady at Alexandra Headland Photo: 18 Millie Crook
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Morning Stretch Photo: Mark Bialey
20/12/10 3:29 PM
photo: Shane Newman
The Wreck at Byron Bay Photo: Matt Palmer
Stradbroke Island Photo: Steve Chapman
Unknown, Noosa Photo: Mark Bialey
Fairy Bower Photo: Adam Salman
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LATEST: & GREATEST
IT’S IN THE BAG On A Mission boardbags... We love them. Good-looking bags, well made and the cool zip across the top makes it really easy to get your board out quickly - and back in when it’s wet. More at ocimports.com.au
SURF GREEN & CLEAN Most of us like the idea of surfing being a very environmentally friendly pursuit. While you’re catching waves, you’re not damaging the earth or creating any pollution at all - except perhaps a bit of noise when you catch that wave of the day. Wavetribe products take this happy thinking another step forward with a range of greener products for surfers. There’s everything from legropes made from fully recycled material, to eco-friendly cork deck-grips, to a fin-wallet made from hemp. The Wavetribe range is brought to you by the friendly people at Surfing Green. Check out these products and more at www.surfinggreen.com.au
COOL THREADS
CLOTHING WE’VE DISCOVERED... SOME NEW, SOME NOT, ALL COOL. GREEN UKULELE
Funky, retro inspired prints on organic t-shirts. Look good and feel good about it.
RAKE CLOTHING
Not a new range, but still... Great art and cool prints. www.rakeclothing.com
OVS
Some cool new shirts from a new label in Victoria www.owlvursesskull.com
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HIPPY TREE
Zak Surfboards in Melbourne had some of these in stock. Sweet. www.zaksurfboards.com
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TECH STUFF CHILD’S PLAY Every surfing mum and dad dreams of the day they get to push the little one onto their first wave. The Learn2Surf Strap is a tool that can help that happen even sooner. With the strap around their waist, you can pull them to their feet and hold them steady. They get their first taste of surf stoke, and you beam with pride and parental joy.
COOL IPHONE APPS FOR SURFERS iSurfer - Surfing Coach and Beach Safety are two cool little iPhone apps, homegrown in Yamba by surfer Matt Jones, and they’re well worth a few clicks.
Also check out the Ollypop towel (below) with a printed surfboard and foot-markers, so they can practice their pop-us from the safety of the beach! More at www.surfbabysurf.com.au
iSURFER - SURFING COACH
$1.19 at the iTunes App Store The first, iSurfer - Surfing Coach is basically a mobile surf encyclopaedia, full of information on equipment, surfing techniques, tricks and much more.
STRONGER THAN ALL Well, that’s what the Ocean & Earth folks reckon anyway, of their new legrope the ONE. According to the marketing blurb, it’s 40% stronger and 40% stretchier. With most leggies, the breaking point is where the cord joins the mould around the swivel. To strengthen this weak spot, Ocean & Earth have tried a slightly different idea: to mould the cord and encapsulate the swivels at both ends all in one process. We’ve been testing one and so far, so good. We haven’t stretched it using a towbar and a tree, but in the water it does the job. More information at www.oceanearth.com
BLOOMIN’ COOL STICKERS Your car needs at least one sticker. Inbloom Stickers in Byron Bay make high quality vinyl stickers for your car, your surfboard, your skateboard, or just about anywhere you’d like to stick it. The stickers come in a range of sizes, colours and a number of retro and iconic designs, all with a chrome border. Inbloom Stickers also officially license six different Endless Summer sticker designs. To check out the stickers, and even order online, see www.inbloomstickers.com.au
No matter what level you’re at, there’s definitely a gem of advice in here for all surfers, but it’s particularly good for beginners as a pocket reference tool. Easy to navigate, all the sections allow you to flip for more information. iSurfer also has a section where you can keep a log of your surf sessions - great for anyone training, or keen to keep a record of their progress.
BEACH SAFETY
FREE at the iTunes App Store Beach Safety details information on rips and how to be safe in the ocean. Best of all, it’s available at our favourite price - FREE! Matt, who runs www.mysurfworld.com - an accommodation service following ASP surf events around the world, says the Beach Safety app was inspired by the countless times he’s had to pull people out of the water around Yamba. Along with detailed safety information on rips and currents, the app also has information on treatment of jellyfish and bluebottle stings, facts about sharks and more.
ONE IMPORTANT NOTE:
You have to be upgraded to the iPhone 4.1 software to install these apps. jan/feb 2011
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The more things change, the more they stay the same
36 years on, surfers still surf and Southern Man Surf still stands strong as Ulladulla’s original and best surf shop. Stocking the best range of surf, skate and bodyboards as well as leading surf brands such as Vern Jackson Surfboards, Rip Curl, Billabong, Roxy, Rusty and Quiksilver, you can expect the same great service and advice the surf community has enjoyed since 1974.
Sponsored rider Scott ‘Whippy’ Denis (photo: Simon Punch)
For personal service and a great range of surfboards and accessories, skateboards, bodyboards, clothing and much more, visit Southern Man Surf in Ulladulla on your next surf trip to the South Coast of NSW.
138 Princes Highway, Ulladulla, NSW 2539
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LATEST: COMMUNITY
20 YEARS FOR NOOSA THE NOOSA FESTIVAL OF SURFING TURNS 20 THIS YEAR. TO CELEBRATE, THEY’VE ADDED AN EXTRA DAY OF EVENTS AND PROMISE A JAM PACKED PROGRAM TO OUTDO ANY YEAR BEFORE.
Noosa in March... It seems every woman, man and his dog on a surfboard is there to take part in, or attend an event at the annual Noosa Festival of Surfing. We’re sure that 2011 will be no exception and that’s just fine by us. With nine days of events, on and off the beach, Noosa will be a hive of surfing activity from March 12 - 20. Competition events come thick and fast, with speciality divisions like the Old Mal Open - which we’re proudly sponsoring this year - the new Fin-Free Pro, and the Noserider Pro Trials sure to attract plenty of spectators. The schedule also includes a healthy representation of Stand Up Paddle events.
Tandem vs. SUP...
But there’s always more to the Festival than just the competition, and you don’t have to be a competitor to enjoy it. As for entertainment, the always-anticipated concert will be held in Noosa Woods Park, with a healthy line-up of surfy bands and assorted musos.
Jordie Brown
Roots singer Dallas Frasca will be this year’s headliner, playing alongside two personal favourites of ours - Byron Bay’s Marshall and the Fro, and Asa Broomhall. And we’ll be front and centre, getting ourselves in trouble, bidding at the annual Memorabilia Auction, as we do every year. For information, entry forms and more, see www.noosafestivalofsurfing.com When: 12-20 March, 2011 Where: Various locations around Noosa What: The Noosa Festival of Surfing Contact: 07 5473 5676 Early bird tickets might still be available for the ticketed events. See the website for more.
Standup guy... Tully St John jan/feb 2011
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WHEEL LIFE Sidewalk surfers and fans of the wheeled board variety will very much enjoy a visit to the Museum of Brisbane to experience a little bit of the history and culture of skateboarding in the region. The exhibition The Stoke: Skateboarding in Brisbane opened in November and runs through to the end of February, 2011. Skating in a museum... How cool is that? Featuring more than 120 boards - many from internationally renowned Brisbane born skateboarders such as Johnny Kwala - the exhibition looks at the evolution of skateboard design from the homemade styles made from four-by-two’s with roller skate wheels in the 1960s, and the Californian-born invention of urethane wheels in 1973, through to sophisticated built-for-speed and trick designs of today. But it’s not just a static display of history. The exhibition includes a free program of events including skateboarding parties, movie screenings, workshops and a few live demonstrations. Get there, check it out.
What: The Stoke: Skateboarding in Brisbane Where: Museum of Brisbane, 157 Ann Street, Brisbane Showing: Open until 27 February 2011 Opening hours: 10am - 5pm, seven days a week Cost: FREE
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Phillip Island plays host to the best kneeboarders from around the globe who will be competiting for glory and a trophy made by renowned artist and local surfing legend, Dave Fincher. The week-long festivities of the 2011 World Kneeboard Titles run from March 19 - 26 with competition events on the beach every day and activities every night. There’s plenty to do on Phillip Island, so March is looking good. For info and more: www.2011kneeboardsurfingworldtitles.com
LATEST: COMMUNITY
KNEEL, AND BE CROWNED
9 6 ‘ e c n i S
THE HIGHEST QUALITY, HANDMADE CUSTOM SURFBOARDS
Above: Action from the 2009 comp in NZ. Photo: Rob Slater Right: limited edition commemorative figurines by Dave Fincher
THE FORCE WAS WITH THEM “Empire Wealth Finance paid their talent, including local longboard legend Grant Thomas. Although they surfed well, I can neither confirm nor deny whether it was cash bribes that got them across the line. Hats off to them for being so pro-active. “Between team nominations and the surf auction we raised over $25,000. Adding that to other donations and events from throughout the year, our tally is more than $200,000 we’ve donated to the community since the event started in 2005.
Evo 7’0 by Greg Hogan
“The support from local businesses this year was amazing and the vibe on the beach and at the after-party was nothing short of inspiring,” Corbet said.
Turbo Fish 6’7 by Glyndyn Ringrose
2010 marked another successful year for the the Board Meeting Corporate Surf Challenge, held at Kawana Beach on the Sunshine Coast.
Second place in the not-so-serious competition went to World Surfaris and RBS Morgans came in third. “The equipment we buy is usually worth several thousand dollars and not something the normal pub raffles can achieve easily. Each piece is ordered specifically to the recipient’s needs and makes the lives of these kids a whole lot better.” For more information, visit www.theboardmeeting.org
Sandy Ryan s Photo: Jule
Dressed to impress, the team from Empire Wealth Finance donated a 50-inch plasma TV for a raffle and went on to win the event. Photo: Stephen Hardy
If you have any news and events that should be in these pages, please feel free to drop us a line at editorial@smorgasboarder.com.au.
147 Thompson Ave, Cowes VIC (03) 5952 2578 cowes@islandsurfboards.com.au 225 Smiths Beach Rd, Smiths Beach VIC (03) 5952 3443 smithsbeach@islandsurfboards.com.au
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LATEST: INTERVIEW
LIFE IS
BEAUTI F MAT MCHUGH TALKS ABOUT SURFING, MUSIC AND LIFE.
WORDS BY MARK CHAPMAN
Photo: Supplied
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Photo: Denise O’Hara
“ IF THERE’S A BEACH AND THERE’S SURFERS, IT JUST AUTOMATICALLY FEELS LIKE I’M AT HOME.”
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“I grew up a street back from the beach, so I guess if you don’t surf you don’t really have any friends. Everybody surfs here, but not so many people play music. “I only knew a couple growing up, playing guitar in punk bands, but surfing was everything, it was my whole life. I’d get up every single day before school. Every single day I’d surf. Every afternoon I’d surf and then all day on the weekends, all day all school holidays. “
Photo: Joseph Ryan
He plays guitar and sings for a living. You’ve heard him on the radio just plenty. He’s released album after album and toured around the world. He’s gone from the spotlight to seemingly drop off the face of the earth, only to return with a bag of amazing new songs. And then do more world tours… But long before his days as a prolific, respected artist and a seasoned performer on international stages, Mat McHugh of The Beautiful Girls was far more inclined to hit the beach than the guitar strings while growing up in Dee Why on Sydney’s Northern Beaches.
minute in the ocean.” In his new home, Mat found an escape in surfing as a way to channel his energy while music subtly and steadily grew as an outlet for expression – two sides to his life and his personality that were to become irrevocably linked. “Dad instilled a love for music. He always played music, and I played music ever since I was a kid, but I never thought of music as anything special. It was just something that I did. It wasn’t like surfing for me. Surfing was just really exciting and brand new, where music was just like second nature. I always loved it and it was always something I did to pass the time and to express myself. “I absolutely couldn’t do without either of them. For me, music is just about expressing myself. To me, not being able to play music would be like someone saying you could never talk again or ever express your feelings again. It would be too much to contemplate really. “I don’t mind if I play on a stage in front of 10,000 people or to nobody.
Beach. Fortunately, he was well on the mend, and although it was a pity to miss out on the West Coast – for fans and the band alike – there was still some surf to be had across the country. “On tour, I surfed in New York, Massachusets… I surfed in Wellesley just outside of Boston. I just missed the hurricane that was there. I just got the tail end and it was really small, but it was fun. I love surfing in places I’ve never surfed and just to get out there was great.” One of the perks of being a travelling musician is access to new and exciting places. Could this be the ideal job description for an avid surfer? Mat has certainly found that the two work very well together, making friends across the globe and being ready to hit the waves in most places they visit. “I have a couple of boards over in the States, but the guys wouldn’t let me take them in the van because it was pretty cramped on this tour. But we have friends everywhere, so there are always boards.
are really good places to hang out and just have fun and surf. “My favourite wave in the world though is in the Caroline Islands at P-Pass. There’s a right-hander there that’s just ridiculously perfect. A couple of years in a row I got it solid overhead, about 10 feet and not a single drop out of place. I don’t think I’ve ever had a wave that comes close. It’s hard to go past that. “I had one day there about four years ago that was probably my favourite day on earth. I was saying to friend that I’d trade every single song I ever wrote and every single show I’ve ever played just to get one of those waves. It was just turning my brain inside out.” It might be this constant exposure to different cultures and countries, a restless surfer’s spirit, or even that now inside-out brain that contributes to making the Beautiful Girls and Mat’s solo work so diverse. Although the music is almost always instantly recognisable thanks to Mat’s trademark vocals and laidback style, it’s still truly difficult to pigeonhole
“ I’D DEFINITELY CONSIDER MYSELF MORE OF A SURFER THAN I DO A MUSICIAN, BECAUSE THAT’S KINDA WHAT I GREW UP DOING.” “I’d definitely consider myself more of a surfer than I do a musician, because that’s kinda what I grew up doing. All my heroes, everyone I idolised were surfers. Music was just another thing I enjoyed doing but surfing was the most important thing ever.” It all started off at an early age, when Mat was around seven years old and started taking part in swimming at Freshwater swimming club. Parents of friends happened to surf, so between races Mat and his friends would have fun in the waves, getting pushed out on foam boards. Unfortunately these fun and carefree days were to come to an abrupt end when at the tender age of ten, Mat’s father tragically passed away. The loss saw Mat and his mother move to a new home in Dee Why – a move that would shape and change his young life forever. “We moved two streets back from the ocean, so out of tragedy, something good came. I got to be down here and spend all my free time, every single 28
I still get the same feeling sitting around at home playing acoustic. The size of the show and whether I get to do it as a job is irrelevant. “And I feel the same about surfing. I’ve lived periods of my life in New York, I’ve lived in India and spent time in Europe, where I’m away from the ocean for little bits… I can deal with it, but it starts getting frustrating, and I start going stir crazy. “I don’t think I could actually live very far away from the ocean. I just need to know it’s there, you know? If I can surf every day, I absolutely will, but just to know it’s close by is enough.” As we were having this conversation, Mat was still recovering from an emergency operation he had to undergo on the recent Beautiful Girls tour in the USA. After the band’s show in Santa Barbara, a burst appendix forced him to miss the last leg of the tour through iconic Californian surf towns such as Santa Cruz and Hermosa
“That’s the great thing about surfing – I have about a hundred boards over at my house, so if any of my friends come from overseas of wherever, they’re welcome to ride whatever. I’ll facilitate them going surfing any way that I can, and it’s kinda the same for me – there’s always someone with a board and always a way to go surfing. “The surf community is a great thing. We tour around the world playing music but I feel more connected to the surf community wherever I am. If there’s a beach and there’s surfers, it just automatically feels like I’m at home. There’s always the same attitude, the same outlook on life and everyone’s just willing to paddle out. It’s good. I feel very blessed.” With that particular blessing of so many years of travel to experience so much of the world, Mat is well qualified to comment on what qualifies as a standout surf destination. “I really like France – the beach breaks there at Hossegor and Biarritz
and near impossible to know what to expect. “It’s a blessing and a curse at the same time, but I don’t see the point of making the same album twice. “To draw a surfing analogy it’s like just paddling out and every single day surfing the same kind of waves and just doing the one turn. It’s like just doing a cutback or something and someone says ‘hey, you’re really good at that, so you have to just do that for the rest of your life now.’ “People would just want to watch you do that one turn. That would just be so boring and ridiculous. Music’s the same. You just want to try different stuff and see what you can do. You might fall off a couple of times and you might make mistakes, but at least you’re trying. “It’s a constant battle, between people saying ‘you should do what we want you to do’ and ‘ this is what we like and if you try anything different, then you’re a fool.” and
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Photo: Nadia Hall www.raptureimages.com.au)
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“ YOU JUST HAVE TO TAKE A LITTLE BREATH AND REALISE HOW LUCKY YOU ARE” then us just wanting to try different stuff and be creative” And in the spirit of something different, we had to know if he’d tried his hand at Stand Up Paddleboarding yet… “Yeah, I have. We had a couple of little flat spells here on the Northern Beaches last summer and it just got so frustrating. I was just heading down and swimming every day and it was just starting to do my head in. “One of my friends at Manly has about 20 paddleboards, so we went out as much as we could over a few days. They’re kinda hard, man. I tried to catch some waves out at Fairy Bower and just couldn’t do it. I’ve surfed my whole life and I kinda found it tough. “It’s like anything in the surf – jetskis or surfskis – they all have their place. I’m all for everyone just doing what they want and having a good time in the ocean, but you’ve gotta take it to the right place and I certainly don’t paddle around at Dee Why beach on a stand up paddleboard trying to get waves off people. You’ve got to use them for when they’re necessary, like flat days, keeping your fitness up and just cruising.” As to gear, with a world of choice available, we were very curious to know what Mat’s preference would be for surfboards. World traveller or not, it turns out his choice in boards stays a 30
little closer to home. “I get all my boards off Stuart D’arcy up on the Gold Coast, who’s become a really great friend. I’ve known him for a long time. I’ll order a bunch of boards and get what I need, but then occasionally he’ll just make me one and send it to me. He’ll get all excited about a board he’s made and send it down.
If they weren’t here it would be kinda strange.” Just as surfing is a constant progression, Mat keeps pushing the boundaries of what he and the band can achieve. One listen to Spooks will be enough to convince any listener that there are no shortcuts taken and no stone left unturned to break new ground.
“He just actually sent me one. His son Kai did a spray job on it. He’s been experimenting with these little fish, but they’re kinda round… The nose is drawn in but the tail is wider. For summer on the Northern Beaches you need a board to handle small stuff.
“I want to hear things that are brand new, new sounds, new takes on things. That keeps me enthusiastic about writing songs and being creative in music. I don’t want to get to one spot where ‘this is what I do, I listen to this and that’s it’. I’m always looking out for new things.
“I’ve got everything though. The waves here give you so much variation that you need a bunch of different boards to keep it interesting, or even just ride what there is. You can’t get away with one board really.”
“Music just should be fun. You try stuff you haven’t tried, have some car crashes along the way and hopefully squeeze something of some kind of value out of it.”
And there are plenty of them, with surfboards even filling up every nook and cranny of the home and studio in Dee Why where the most recent album, Spooks was recorded. “It’s just a small little beachhouse, and every spare corner just has boards stacked in it. Downstairs pretty much just used to be storage for boards, and I just cleared some space out to put a little studio in there and made the last album there. It’s just how I grew up.
With music making him feel alright and an ocean to grow old in, Mat McHugh is truly a lucky man. As one talented individual who has managed to fill his life with positivity and creativity, and as someone who holds a deep and genuine love for the water, the years ahead can only be charmed - just as they are for all of us that are fortunate enough to be a part of this great surfing family. “If you’re reading the mag, you already understand how lucky we are to be involved in the ocean. That’s the main
thing people out there need to keep in mind. Things can get really hectic and competitive in the surf sometimes, but I think you just have to take a little breath and realise how lucky you are. “You know, I tour around the world and by far the most blessed people that I see are surfers. I feel like just the connection with this planet, and the connection with something greater than ourselves is amazing. You just have to put it in perspective sometimes and see it for what it is.”
Mat McHugh and The Beautiful Girls are on tour this January. Check the website for dates close to you. www.thebeautifulgirls.com
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Wes
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A WARM WINTLE
VICTORIAN PHOTOGRAPHER SCOTT WINTLE IS TRULY A UNIQUE INDIVIDUAL. PLENTY OF PEOPLE CLAIM THIS, BUT FEW CAN REALLY LIVE UP TO IT. BUT IN SCOTT’S CASE, IT’S ACTUALLY TRUE. WORDS BY MARK CHAPMAN
Let’s look beyond his impressive imagery of surfing on the Victorian and Australian east coast for a second... The man doesn’t use email. Who, as a working surf photographer doesn’t use email? Perhaps someone who cares more about the beauty and true art of it than the rest of the hype? Perhaps someone who is more closely aligned to the free spirit of surfing in the 60’s and 70’s than today’s fast-paced industry? Either way, this seemingly tiny little difference is just one more thing that makes Scott stand out proudly from the rest, just as much as his fantastic photography does.
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Jordan Noble at Lorne Point
Sage Joske and Alaia in Noosa
“ MY PHOTOGRAPHY IS NOT DRIVEN BY MONEY OR STATUS. WHAT REALLY MOTIVATES ME IS THE GOOD TIMES, PEOPLE I LIKE, CLASSIC MOMENTS AND THINGS OF INTEREST. I SHOOT FROM THE HEART.”
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“ I TRY TO BE TRUE TO MYSELF AND NOT LET OTHER DISTRACTIONS CONTROL MY DIRECTION. PEOPLE WHO TELL ME WHAT I SHOULD DO AND HOW TO DO IT GIVE ME THE SHITS. ” Check out some of Scott’s work online at: crusty-paparazzi.blogspot.com His work is available to purchase at Watermarks Photo Gallery in Torquay. See: www.watermarksphotogallery.com.au 34
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Jirra Laws
“ THE BEST PHOTO IS THE ONE THAT MAKES YOU THINK AND FEEL SOMETHING. IT DRAWS YOU INTO THE PICTURE.” Born in Murwillumbah in Northern NSW, Scott Wintle spent his younger life moving around Australia with his parents. Having spent some time in Perth and Darwin, they finally settled in St Kilda when he was 9 years old.
was not to be his life. He decided instead to follow a path closer to his heart and try to make ends meet as a surf photographer.
“Wind-blown slop at St Kilda Beach on a surf-mat at age 10 was my first taste of surfing. I lived real close to the beach, so I’d be out there any time the wind came up. I was hooked, and I was making trips down the coast and skateboarding as much as possible.”
An accomplished surfer and competitor in his own right, Scott has had his work published in numerous magazines and books, locally and internationally, but it’s still the surfing itself that really does it for him.
“I started doing photography and film at a hippy school in St Kilda at age 11. Art, music and performing were all a big part of the school’s structure.” With a firm grounding in the creative arts, Scott moved to Torquay at age 18 and soon after, started working as a camera assistant in TV production, which became his trade for over 20 years. This industry gave him the opportunity to work with many great cameramen on various documentaries, sport and TV programs, but the television world
“Look, if I didn’t surf, I’d still be working in TV being all slick and stuff. Thank heavens I surf.”
“My photography isn’t driven by money or status. What really motivates me is the good times, people I like, classic moments and things of interest. I shoot from the heart.” What more could you ask for? We look forward to seeing many more classic images for years to come.
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STAY REGULAR
NOT ALL OF US ARE LUCKY ENOUGH TO GET TO THE WATER EVERY DAY. BUT NEVER MIND... YOU CAN STILL GET SOME SURF-LOVE DELIVERED DIRECT TO YOUR INBOX. CHECK OUT BEAUTIFUL WAVES AND SPECTACULAR SURFING IMAGERY BY SOME TOP AUSTRALIAN SNAPPERS BY JUST SIGNING UP.
FROTHERS
Bluesnapper
The collaborative mix of top pics from Sydney’s city beaches brought together by Brad Malyon is all about “sharing this love of the ocean, sun and sand with you through a symposium of images, video and word.” We couldn’t say it any better. Expect a weekly email with inspiring images. www.frothers.com.au
BLUESNAPPER Bondi Rescue Lifeguard Luke Daniels at Bronte Reef. Photo: Brad Malyon/ Frothers
Also a collaborative effort, Bluesnapper is focused more on the Northern Beaches of Sydney. Alex Marks and a team of photographers bring the best of their photography together for another great weekly mailout. www.bluesnapper.com.au jan/feb 2011
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OCEANEYE
Jules Phillips - Oceaneye
Jules Phillips is another extremely talented photographer covering the Northern Beaches, capturing “the bustle of the local beach scene, amidst the waves, the wildlife and the raw beauty of our coastal environment.” And he does a really incredible job of it too, which you will find out if you subscribe to the Oceaneye fortnightly ‘freemail’. www.oceaneye.com.au
FIN - FOTOS IN NOOSA Keith Hamlyn - Fotos in Noosa
From iconic longboard shots taken at Noosa’s points to artful shots of nature’s many colours and textures, the FIN almost-daily email is always an exciting one to receive. You’re never sure what’s going to arrive, but you can bet your bottom dollar it’s going to be worth opening, thanks to the photographic talents of Keith Hamlyn. www.fotosinnoosa.com
SALTMOTION
Joel Coleman - Saltmotion
Between a gallery and coffee shop, one would think Joel Coleman of saltmotion wouldn’t see the water much? Well, it turns out Joel’s somewhat obsessed. He gets out every single day, rain, hail or shine and selects the best shots to send out in a stunning daily email mix of water-art, surfing and beach scenes from his home. www.saltmotion.com
Every wondered what the surf is like across the continent? Wonder no more. Matt “Coops” Cooper delivers unbelievable quality WA surf pics every few days, along with anything from a local surf report to friendly general chatter. When your local’s flat as a tack, this email makes you want to grab the first cheap ticket to Perth. www.loadedbarrel.com.au
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Coops - Loaded Barrel
LOADED BARREL
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DESERT DREAMING ARMED WITH A SUP AND A FEW BOARDS, DESERT2SURF ARE PASSING ON POSITIVITY, ONE SURF TRIP AT A TIME. WORDS BY SUNNY OLIVER-BENNETS
In late 2010, five members from Desert2Surf arrived in the NT, with three surfboards and one gigantic stand up paddle board, all donated by Global Surf Industries, to run the ‘Surfing Deadly Desert Dreams’ project. The project saw kids from Fordimail Indigenous Youth Hostel in Katherine paint the surfboards, and for the first time try out standup paddling at the beautiful Edith Falls waterhole. Renowned local indigenous artist Wesley Willaker conceived different ‘water’ designs for each of the surfboards and then with boundless generosity, humour and grace, involved the indigenous kids in the unfolding magic of painting. Wesley - a Traditional Owner of Edith Falls - learnt how to paint from his father and grandfather. “It would be sad if art stopped being passed down to the kids... it’s an important part of our culture,” he said. The stand up paddling trip took them to the breathtaking Edith Falls, a short drive from Katherine. Stand up paddling is the perfect surfing alternative on those calm, inland waters. A bit of height on the board helps to spot the bubbles from the freshwater crocs which, by the way are pretty harmless and nervous of humans! Nine kids participated in the paddling mission and each and every one of them gave paddling right across the waterhole. The kids’ favourite trick of the day involved swimming deep under water and grabbing Missy’s (from D2S) feet. This kept her fear of crocs alive and well. “It was unreal to see all the kids getting involved in the stand up paddling. The board is 10’6” feet and requires serious balance, patience and a laugh! We were stoked that everyone got involved, it was such a special afternoon out on the water.” said Desert2Surf Director, Claire Franklin. “GSI were thrilled to donate a SUP board and three surfboards to the Desert2Surf program,” said Tess Kelly, of GSI. “It is fantastic that the SUP board will be used by indigenous kids on local waterholes and billabongs.” Desert2Surf plans to hold annual surfing camps along Australia’s east coast and the Northern Territory. To find out more, including how to support the initiative or bid for an indigenous surfboard creation, visit www.desert2surf.org jan/feb 2011
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LATEST: LOCAL
A LONG ROAD HOME CHÉ PHILLIPS SHOULD NOT BE SURFING TODAY. IN FACT, WITH THE ODDS HE WAS DEALT, HE SHOULDN’T EVEN BE ALIVE. BUT FORTUNATELY, ODDS ARE THERE TO BE BEATEN, ESPECIALLY WITH THE SUPPORT OF FAMILY AND FRIENDS. WORDS AND PHOTOS BY JOHN HART
“ MY DAD TAUGHT ME TO SURF AS A YOUNGSTER AND OUR AIM WAS TO GET ME BACK ON A BOARD.” 40
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It began on the night of November 15, 2009. Mike Phillips received a telephone call. He was told his son Ché had been involved in a motorcycle accident and to contact the Southport Hospital immediately. He fumbled around to find the number, called the hospital to be told someone would call him back. Mike broke down. He couldn’t breathe and his head was spinning. He felt powerless. The wait for the hospital call felt like an eternity. It was less than 10 minutes later the the call came in. Ché had an extensive brain injury and could not regulate his blood pressure. Mike, his wife Katina and daughters Maddy and Suzannah all piled into the car to make the trip from Cooroy to the Gold Coast. The family arrived at ICU on the first floor where Ché’s girlfriend Niki Evans was already waiting. Also there was Ché’s mum Irida, her sister and brother-in-law. They all burst into tears knowing that behind the firmly locked doors was their Ché. They paced the floor and made awkward smalltalk to console each other until the doors finally opened. The doctor told them that Ché had left cerebellum and frontal lobe damage, and it was likely that his brain-stem had also been damaged. The words ‘Diffuse Axonal Brain Injury’ rang in Mike’s ears. He immediately knew what this meant, but was not prepared to consider the true ramifications of those words. Diffuse Axonal Injury (DAI) is one of the most common and devastating brain injuries. It means that damage occurs over a widespread area of the brain and refers to extensive lesions in white-matter. It is one of the major causes of unconsciousness and a persistent vegetative state after head-trauma and occurs in about half of all cases of severe head-trauma. The outcome is frequently coma with over 90% of patients with severe DAI never regaining consciousness. Those who do wake up often remain significantly impaired. In simple terms, the medical staff told Ché’s family that he may never wake up and that he had a small chance of making it through the next 24 hours with a 20% chance of any recovery at all. Shortly after receiving the news on the expected extent of Ché’s injuries the family were met by a social worker who inquired about using Ché’s organs in the event he did not last the night. It’s impossible to explain the sadness and loss they all felt at that moment. There was no consoling one another. Everyone felt sick. The family left and found a motel close to the hospital where they bunked down for a sleepless night. Ché’s mum stayed at his bedside. At 10am the family met the doctor in the Intensive Care Unit. The prognosis was not good. Ché had bleeding on the brain. If this continued it would mean the doctors would need to open his skull to release the pressure. Whilst this was a scary prospect, the fact that Ché’s brain was swelling was in fact a positive sign. It indicated brain activity, when the assumption had been that he was brain dead. He was now on total
life-support with 17 tubes into his body. In his ward, there were other families with loved-ones in the same predicament. Some patients died while Niki and the family waited outside. Everyone dreaded to think that Ché would be next.
THE DAY BEFORE: On a Sunday afternoon, Ché and his friends were enjoying a leisurely ride in the Gold Coast hinterland. In front was Sam Stefanaras and girlfriend Sarah, followed by Ché. As far as Sam could tell, a car with a trailer attached had come around the corner on the wrong side of the road. Ché swerved to avoid a collision and went down a 40 metre drop. Sam spun around to find the car and trailer parked, and his friend down the cliff. When Sam started to make his way down to his injured friend, the driver told him it was too dangerous. “Bugger that. He’s my mate” he replied, and started to slide down the steep embankment. The driver followed. Sam found Ché with a gigantic boulder on top of him. Sam removed it and carefully placed him in the recovery position, then checked his pulse and breathing. The driver wanted to drag Ché up the cliff, but Sam knew it was too dangerous. The driver then clambered up the cliff and left the scene. To this day no-one knows whether he was at fault and no-one has ever come forward to claim responsibility. A rescue helicopter was sent, however the over-grown, heavily treed area made an air rescue impossible. After more than two hours a line was formed to transport Ché back up the hill by passing him from person-to-person. His breathing was shallow and the paramedics continued to supply oxygen to him as the stretcher was passed up the cliff. To add to the drama of the day, when they finally reached the ambulance it had a flat tyre. But Ché was now critical and as time was of the essence, the ambulance drove over 30km on a flat tyre. Fortunately, the emergency doctor, was quick enough to find Ché had ruptured his spleen. If not for this quick response, he would have bled to death within a matter of a few more minutes. Each day seemed to bring more worry. First, Ché was struck down with a chest and nose infection
from his feeding tube. Then within a matter of days Ché experienced what is known as ‘storming.’ This is a reflex action of muscles contracting, followed by massive muscular cramping which left him in a painful, twisted state. The medical opinion was storming was not a good thing, suggesting extensive neural damage. However, some literature suggests that storming is the brain’s attempt at trying to reconnect. Ché was strapped to the bed to prevent him pulling out his nose tube. Although devastating for Ché’s family to watch, his movements and attempts to remove his tube gave them some hope he had some brain activity. They were told it was a reaction rather than a conscious thought, but they kept hoping. The hospital staff were very kind and accommodating, allowing the family to assist in the daily routines of washing and assisting Ché. They played him baroque music, with a 60 beats per minute beat pattern, to try to stimulate the brain. They moved his limbs, massaged him, read to him, talked about the things he loved - surfing, running and athletics. They played his favourite music. There was nothing they wouldn’t do just to get some sort of response. For more than a month, Niki and the family tried everything that they had read and researched on a nonstop 24 hour roster. After 3 weeks in ICU Ché was finally stable enough to be moved to another ward where Niki and the family continued to work with him. His eyes were open but there was no response to touch, pressure and talking. However, on Christmas Day, Ché’s gift to the family and hospital staff came as a response to a nurse touching his hand. With a positive sign of recovery the family were more determined than ever to continue their work. A week later, Mike was holding up numbers in front of Ché. He held up the card that said number 4 and said… “4 Ché, number 4, son.” Ché looked at Mike and said “What are you playing at Dad?” Through tears and laughter, the family looked at each other... Ché was finally back. Ché now weighed in at only 52 kgs, down from 68 Kgs only months earlier. The work of rehabilitation and physiotherapy was now to begin.
Ché milking a ride out of a not too much of a ripple jan/feb 2011
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LATEST: LOCAL
CHÉ STARTS TO REMEMBER... “My first real memory I think started when I entered the wheelchair. The doctors told me my short-term memory was most affected and suggested that I would not remember my girlfriend. Niki arrived and I said ‘Hi Niki, great to see you.’ Well, that is what I tried to say. “Whilst internally I felt like I knew what was going on, getting the words out or finding the right words to say was near impossible. These times were incredibly frustrating. “After leaving the Southport hospital I was sent to B.I R.U. (Brain Injury Rehab Unit) in the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane. Above: The cliff, and Below: Time in Intensive Care
“Here I underwent intensive Physio, Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy and my days were spent learning basic living tasks. “The days were long and my activity could last for over 6 hours with me collapsing exhausted at the end of each day. I spent the next 3 months here. “These times were interspersed with some small outings with my Mum, who had rented a small unit across the road from PA Hospital. Short-term memory was still a bit of an issue.
“THE OUTCOME IS FREQUENTLY COMA, WITH OVER 90% OF PATIENTS WITH SEVERE DIFFUSE AXONAL INJURY NEVER REGAINING CONSCIOUSNESS.”
“My mum would spend hours making me the most incredible meal and about 10 minutes later I would say, ‘Mum what’s for dinner?’ Poor Mum... she had put so much love and effort in and I would have forgotten that I had the meal only a few minutes earlier. We laugh now, but at the time I could see the sadness in her eyes. “As I continued to improve so did all my bodily functions. Being only 27, I asked my dad whether he thought having sex would be an issue. At the next family and Doctor meeting, my dad asked the doctor, ‘So Doc, Ché wants to know if there is any reason why he can’t have sex?’ I remember looking across at Niki who had her head buried in her hands, with a bright red glow radiating from her face. The doctor replied, ‘I’ll talk with Ché and Niki when you all leave.’
“Because the standard routines were not easy, Dad would invent new ways of doing old exercises, modifying them as he went. Sue continued to monitor my range of movement and strength changes. “My dad taught me to surf as a youngster and our aim was to get me back on a board with my halfsister Madi - also a mad surfer. We all worked on the skills to make this happen. “Today I am back on my surfboard and heading back into my career as a physio. l have renewed my driver’s licence, l’m back running and writing up my thesis titled “Assessment of Range of Movement in Professional and Recreational Surfers.” “I am now back doing what I love, surfing every chance I get. I have learnt the most important things in life are the simple ones: excellent health and a supportive family. “And, I have promised my family that never, never, ever again will l ride a motor bike!”
AN AMAZING JOURNEY Ché had the incredible talents and perseverance of his mum, dad, girlfriend Niki and extended family to support him. The fact that he was an elite athlete before the accident and had a good intellectual cognitive base definitely contributed to this young man’s incredible journey back to near perfect health. I have personally worked with many people with acquired brain injury, and I have never seen such a remarkable recovery. Ché is truly a lucky, talented, unique individual and it’s amazing to see him getting back in the water and doing what he loves.
“I still had a long way to go and after leaving PA Hospital I went back to Cooroy with Dad to complete my recovery. My mum moved back up the coast as well to assist. I now had my sisters, brother, step-sister and step-mum all pitching in to help. How lucky was I to have such a brilliant family all pitching in to help in all sorts of ways.” “My step-mum was just terrific. Katina is the most wonderful woman and she spent all her time making meals, cleaning and supporting the whole family. “My mum also visited on a regular schedule and did intense cognitive work with me. Being a former school teacher positioned her well to do this work with me. Mum played games, produced puzzles, read to me, made me read, re-introduced me to music and guitar playing. We remembered songs, sung together and completed maths problems. “My dad took 12 months off work - teaching exercise science to students at TAFE - and dedicated the year to my physical recovery. Dad worked in with Sue Keays, a well-known and respected Sunshine Coast Sports Physio. Sue measuring my muscular improvement and nervous system recovery and Dad worked out innovative exercise routines.
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“They would both study the latest research into brain-body pathways and neuro-science. We all discovered lots of new ways of doing things.
A word from Ché To all my family: my mum Irida, my step-mum Katina, my step-sisters, Cassie, Madi, Rachael and Suzannah, my brother Gareth and his wife Barbara, my dad Mike, my incredible and beautiful girlfriend Niki (who never left my side), my Uni friends (who supported me), Sam Stefanaras and his girlfriend Sarah. I cannot thank you all enough. I have the best family ever and without each and every one of them, my journey back would not have been possible. I thank you all from the bottom of my heart.
jan/feb 2011
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surf shop • surf school • accommodation • cafe jan/feb 2011
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LATEST: INTEREST
THE BEES KNEES WITH THE UPCOMING WORLD KNEEBOARD TITLES HELD IN PHILLIP ISLAND IN MARCH THIS YEAR, WE THOUGHT IT BEST TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THIS KNEEBOARDING THING. WHO BETTER TO TALK TO THAN TWO OF AUSTRALIA’S FOREMOST KNEELOS AND FORMER AUSSIE CHAMPS, NEIL LUKE AND DAVE PARKES. WHAT GOT YOU INTO KNEEBOARDING? Neil: I became a kneeboarder by accident. Quite a large section of the front half of my board had broken off in the shore break. It was the only board I had, so I glassed the nose, sealed it up and belly-boarded, then started kneeling and just loved being so close to the waves. Dave: As a kid we used to body surf and ride coolites. Quite a few of us moved onto kneeboards as they were more suited to the type of waves we were chasing shorebreak and sucky ledges and reefs. A lot of these waves were pretty empty as the surfboards of the day were not all that suited to those type of waves. GEORGE GREENOUGH APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN AN INSPIRATION TO YOU BOTH, BUT WHEN DID KNEEBOARDING TRULY TAKE OFF HERE? Neil: I liked the look of kneeboarding when I saw Greenough in the Innermost Limits of Pure Fun and thought yes! Wow… fast, deep, radical, creative, original… even now you take a look at his surfing in that movie... he was the best by a country mile. Dave: I reckon if you dig deep enough you will find that there were always guys riding kneeboards. Greenough definately pioneered and popularised it and this coincided with both print media and movie exposure. It grew alongside surfboard riding.
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WHAT’S THE APPEAL OF KNEEBOARDING OVER THE MORE CONVENTIONAL STANDING UP? Neil: Tuberiding and being close to the wave, that intimacy. No one knows unless they have done it and felt it and I mean deep in the tube, not fluffing around. I mean fair dinkum! Dave: The way kneeboards suit hollow waves. Some things are easier on a kneeboard than a standard surfboard and also the other way around. I reckon there are parts of a wave where a kneeboard is possibly the only form of surfcraft that can make that section. The ability to get very small and tight, the low centre of gravity adds a totally different dimension. But overall it is the ability to get tubed, stay tubed and make tubes that is the kneeboarding forte. WHAT ARE SOME PROS AND CONS? Neil: The advantages of kneeboarding in the 70s over conventional surfing were blatantly obvious: late drops and deep tubes, but everything is now on a level playing field. Injuries? Yes, lower back, ligaments in knees, etc. However, all surfing has its share of injuries along the way. Deck grip on boards now cushions a lot of impact.
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Dave: I suppose it is easier to start and do simple moves, once basic wave knowledge is acquired, because of the ease of getting to your knees. But the static knee position is probably a hindrance to some higher performance moves. For example, even a standard off the lip hit cannot be fudged by pivoting off the back foot as with standing up. It must be timed perfectly to hit the lip and bounce off it. IS THERE SOMEWHAT OF A RESURGENCE IN THE POPULARITY OF KNEEBOARDING? Neil: Kneeboarding started to grow rapidly in the early 70s to early 80s but took a dive when bodyboards hit the scene... backed up with big bucks and big promo. Dave: I am not so sure about a full blown resurgence but I think there are a lot of surfers who are more open minded to just riding and surfing waves on whatever they want - no rules, either written or based on fashion influence. As Neil will attest to, kneeboarding is an extremely viable and functional way of riding waves in an ‘alternative manner’.
THERE ARE SOME VERY STRONG KNEEBOARD COMMUNITIES - PHILLIP ISLAND FOR INSTANCE. WHERE ELSE ON THE EAST COAST ATTRACTS KNEEBOARDERS? Neil: Kneeboard Surf Australia has all the relevant clubs and contacts for anybody interested, just check out www.kneeboardsurfaustralia.com Dave: I reckon anywhere there are hollow ledgy waves or sucky beach breaks you will find kneeboarders in the lineup, particularly if they are away from the limelight. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE DEVELOPMENTS IN RELATION TO KNEEBOARD DESIGN? Neil: Kneeboard design has never been stagnant. As a shaper and surfer, I’ve always endeavoured to continue to develop and refine old and new models with many more originals on the way, carbon fibre, epoxy... I have added to the interest but there is still such a variety, it’s great. Fins and fin positions have been changing rapidly with 2, 3, 4 and 5 fin models available. Dave: Kneeboards are progressing shape ways both in a high performance manner and as a cruisy
pleasure machine. There is a kneeboard shape to suit most styles of surfing, from airs and drifts as Chayne Simpson and Albert Munoz are doing, to the underground, arse hauling bottom turners to the double up dredge section type chargers to the “my hip is buggered and hurts but I still want to surf “ type cruiser. Materials wise, EPS and epoxy combos with carbon, kevlar and glass are being made, just as with other surfboards. Chris Cockett and other guys for example, have been playing around with split flex tails and standard flex tails. I know Bud from Hawaii even made a good soft kneeboard. From my point of view, I am going in whatever direction the pursuit of a better board takes me, for my own surfing as well as my test pilots, and especially my customers who have supported me over the last 30 plus years. For more information on Dave’s kneeboards, visit: www.parkesaustralia.com and for more on Neil and some cool kneeboarding video, see www.neillukekneeboards.com. Also see: www.kneeboardsurfaustralia.com
Photos by Steen Barnes - a talented photographer and a keen kneelo himself. www.redbubble.com/people/steen steen@16images.com.au
" WHEN I STARTED SURFING I REALISED YOU CAN SURF WHETHER YOU STAND UP, KNEEL OR LIE DOWN... THEYOU OCEAN DISCRIMINATE. YOUBIG AREORFREE." “ LITTLE. WHETHER AREDOES RICH,NOT POOR, STRONG, WEAK, Neil Luke
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LATEST: DEBATE
ONSHORE OR OFFSHORE? THE WINDS OF CHANGE WITHIN THE SURFBOARD MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY WORDS: DAVE SWAN
When it comes to life, we don’t all look the same, we don’t all talk the same and we sure as hell don’t all think the same. And thank goodness for that, otherwise, life would be pretty boring. When it comes to surfboard manufacturing, it is no different. People have different views and beliefs as to what makes the best surfboard and where the best surfboards are made. Rather than espouse our views from on high as if we were some all-knowing authority on surfboard craft and global economics, we thought we would share with you the views of various people within the surf industry.
Tools of the trade at Carabine Surfboards in Wollongong. Photo: Mark Chapman
Make your mind up for yourself. Just make sure you get out and have a surf on whatever craft you choose. You will be a lot happier for it and a better a person to be around in the world we share.
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AUSTRALIAN SURFBOARDS IS IT AS SIMPLE AS THAT? Richard Harvey, Harvey Surfboards: When it boils right down to it, if you made a list of everything that came from overseas and what was done in Australia, it’s only labour. Resins , fibreglass, sanding discs, machines, styrenes, chemicals for the blank, catalysts – everything comes from overseas. Kent Ladkin, Natural Necessity Surf Store: Part of the decision of whether to buy Aussie local or overseas produced boards is whether to send your money offshore. The so-called local boards actually all use imported chemicals, which are a substantial portion of the cost of a board.
WHY IS IT GOING OVERSEAS? FOR DAVE BYRNE AT SURFTECH IT COMES DOWN TO EASY ACCESS TO A GLOBAL MARKET AND THE COMMERCIAL REALITIES OF SETTING UP IN AUSTRALIA. Dave Byrne, Surftech: If we could have set up a factory here in Australia, the US, UK and so forth, we would have. The reality however is the surfboards we build can’t be built in a surfboard factory in Australia. The boards would be outrageously expensive. And, if you can’t build something at a price the market is prepared to pay, you are dead in the water. First, there is the question of employing a labour force with the skills required and then there is the set-up costs for the kind of factory we require – it would not be commercially viable. Plus, Australia is an isolated country as far as exporting is concerned. Exporting from Australia into Europe and the US is too far and too expensive. Having a factory based in central Asia means we are basically positioned in the central business district of the world. We are an equal distance to the export markets of Europe and the US. Nev Hyman, Firewire: We started Firewire here in 2006 in Burleigh and had eighty staff. Initially, all Firewires were built in Australia and San Diego. However, due to the labour intensive and complex nature of our construction, it soon become apparent that we would not be able to build our boards in these locations and still offer them at reasonable retail prices. Like most high tech sports equipment, we had to move our production to Asia. But that’s where our company has not followed the traditional path of out-sourcing production to third party Asian manufacturers. We took the difficult and expensive step of setting up our own factory in Thailand from scratch, owned and operated by Firewire and focused on building our boards. This has allowed us to control our quality and protect our technology. One further point I would like to make is that our operation in Thailand is far from a sweatshop. In fact we actually pay our staff six days a week when they only work five. I am very proud of our operation and that is why I am so adamant about what we are doing.
“ THERE IS A MARKET FOR HIGH-END SURFBOARDS, JUST AS THERE IS A MARKET Ron Wade, Ron Wade Surfboards: I cater for two surfers, guys who are prepared to pay a little more for FOR CHEAP, an Australian made custom surfboard or the weekend warrior who wants to buy a quality board at a price. BEGINNER Custom boards take a great deal more time and effort than a stock model board, so I charge for my time. For the BOARDS.” LINCOLN TUPPER price sensitive customer, I had to get production costs down so I investigated overseas production in China.
On my initial inquiry I was told I needed to order two hundred boards at a time and I nearly fell through the floor. The price was obviously based on volume. The alternative was to buy a cheaper generic board in smaller quantities and put my logo on it. I couldn’t accept bastardising my name. If it wasn’t my shape, I couldn’t do it. It made me feel sick. In the end I found another supplier who said he could produce my boards and allow me to oversee production. It was my belief at the time, and still is, if they could not accurately replicate my shapes, they wouldn’t see my business again. But I am happy with the quality produced, otherwise I wouldn’t have put my name on the boards. I now go over to China, shape a few boards, we set up the profile machine and away they go. My ego is not big enough to say, ‘Yeah, I hand shape all the boards myself and they’re $1500 and I sell only one every six months.’ I am happy to make a quality board at a good price for your investment and actually sell them, not have them gathering dust.
PERFORMANCE ONE OF THE MOST CONTENTIOUS ISSUES SURROUNDING THE DEBATE ON IMPORTED BOARDS RELATES TO PERFORMANCE – TRADITIONAL PU SURFBOARDS VS EPOXY AND THE VIABILITY OF PRODUCING EPOXY SURFBOARDS IN AUSTRALIA. FIRST, TWO GENTLEMEN WITH A FOOT IN BOTH CAMPS. Tully St John, Noosa Surf Works: It is just a different feeling under your feet. The epoxies are definitely lighter and a little more flighty, where as the density of the PU runs through the water really well. I guess it is just horses for courses. I am using epoxy for my SUPs, little fishes and small wave boards because you want a real light board. And then for your big wave guns, noseriders and longboards I am sticking with PU because they just run through the water a lot better - the guys who noseride in particular definately prefer the feel of the PU. Craig Rees, Primitive Surf: As far as performance of surfboards go, everything is judged and compared to only one thing, the locally made PU thruster. Over the past 15 years we have seen so many different types of construction and they mostly come back to how they compare to your all time favourite PU board. Many have been strong and light, which is great, but often the flex is horrible and the board just goes weird.
Personally I think Firewire have got the balance between strength, weight and flex working really well, and also the SLX technology from GSI where they use a polystyrene blank with a stringer, epoxy resin and sometimes a carbon rail. They both produce a board that feels and goes great. THOSE IN FAVOUR OF EPOXY. Kent Ladkin: Most pro surfers ride ultra-light boards because they perform better. Light boards paddle faster, go faster and turn easier. That’s why the pro surfers ride them. Many, including Taj Burrows and Kelly Slater are riding the new EPS boards as part of their quiver, as well as riding PU boards glassed with one layer of 4oz glass to get the weight down. With Tuflites being 30% lighter than the old PU boards, you are getting a pro weight board and at the same time, getting a heaps stronger board. They have a five times higher impact strength and come in 380 proven shapes from the world’s best shapers. The sheer quantity of shapes by proven shapers means they will have a basic model that will suit a broad range of surfers. Then there is Rusty’s new Redline series of boards that just won Track’s Surfboard of the Year, their Flexlite, which is similar to Tuflite and their carbon rail Fibreflex. The list goes on. RICHARD HARVEY OFFERS A MORE SCIENTIFIC ASSESSMENT OF EPOXY SURFBOARDS. Richard Harvey: There are two basic formulas on riding a surfboard. There’s buoyant speed and there’s compression speed. Buoyant speed is where the board sits up on top of the water, and the speed of the board is generated by the speed of the swell and the angle you ride it on. You turn it and it squirts a little, but the speed may only vary 4-6 out of 10. Where you have a compression speed board, the rails are thinner, the board drops into the water a little more, builds up water pressure against it, squirts it out and makes it work faster. To stop it bogging down you’ve got to keep on pressing it and turning it, pushing it off the bottom, pushing it off the top. As soon as you back off, because it’s thinner, it sinks into the water. So when people are learning, they gravitate towards buoyant speed boards because they lift them up out of the water and they’re easy to catch waves on. With a compression speed board, when the rail sinks into the water, you start to feel the energy of the wave, knowing when the power is on, when the power is off and actually determine where the power is on different parts of the wave, where you turn, what part is going to jan/feb 2011
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Bali...
drive you along through the lip and what part is going to push you off the bottom. You don’t get any of this if you can’t feel it. The feeling of the wave comes down the material as well. If you’ve got a core that’s an insulator, like a styrene, it’s actually going to insulate that vibration coming through to your feet. If we focus people on riding the wave rather than just riding a board, people will become a lot more conscious of what goes into a surfboard. ED SINNOTT OF ESP SURFBOARDS IN BYRON BAY IS A LITTLE MORE BLUNT IN HIS ASSESSMENT.
f o t s e b e h T s d l r o w h t o b
Ed Sinnott: Mainstream surfboard consumers are becoming aware again of the absolute integrity and professionalism of Australian shapers and the materials they use. This is leading to a revival in our industry. Our small factories are booming and people are ditching boards made in China, Thailand and India. Even surfers who are just beginning want to come to our factories to smell the fumes, soak up the realism and hear our stories. Our boards breath and exude the passion of the remarkable craftsmen that make them. Boards are going smaller, thicker and wider again. I see the so-called epoxy revolution as a dud and every one I talk to is over them. Not one of the top forty-four pro surfers on the tour use them.
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PART AND PARCEL OF THE RISE OF NEW SURFBOARD CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGIES SUCH AS EPOXY, IS COMPUTER AIDED DESIGN AND MACHINE SHAPING. OPINIONS VARY MARKEDLY BETWEEN SHAPERS. Gail Austen, Goodtime Surf & Sail: People who say computer shaped surfboards are a bad thing should bare in mind that master shapers such as Bob McTavish openly admit that when he shapes a board that is just perfect, he can’t repeat it unless he replicates it with a computer.
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ONE PERSON WHO HAS BEEN AT THE FOREFRONT OF COMPUTER-AIDED DESIGN AND MACHINE SHAPING IS NEV HYMAN. HE EXPLAINS THE REASONS WHY HE PURSUED SUCH A PATH SO VIGOROUSLY.
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Nev Hyman: I think it’s a pretty well known fact that I have been heavily involved in the technological innovation of making surfboards. I was the first shaper to use in a big way commercially, a surfboard duplicating system called a pantograph. I had spent twenty-five years hand shaping boards but as my reputation grew, demand grew. I was faced with the prospect of whether or not to have local shapers around the word shape my boards under license or retain control myself. I chose some sort of control and undertook the pantograph scenario.
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PERFORMANCE – CUSTOM SHAPED BOARDS VS. PROVEN STOCK SHAPES
Admittedly, I set the stage for the criticism that was to come my way. It was felt by some that if you shape surfboards, you had to do it by hand otherwise there was no ‘soul’. My competitors took out full page ads in the major surf magazines saying, ‘Where’s the soul?’
Machines are going to ruin everything. They are going to kill creativity. I put my reputation on the line and put in a lot of energy so I could build my shapes on mass and it worked. The fact we got behind pantographs lead to CNC shaping machines (surfboard shaping machine that uses a CAD/CAM system. It produces boards using a computer-controlled machine), and with the benefit of many talented individuals this lead to the development of the APS3000 machine (computer generated surfboard design software and shaping apparatus) and ultimately AKU Shaper (a 2D design program). Today AKU Shaper is still hands down the best computer aided design system on the planet. I use the AKU shaper machine now when I am designing a Firewire Surfboard. I design a board in AKU shaper, it is turned into a 3D model and the file is then sent off to Thailand where the boards are made. When they come off the machine in Thailand they come off 100%. There’s no hand shaping. There’s no Thai guy shaping the rail. There is no ghost shaper (someone who finishes the final third of the board off on behalf of the master shaper). Firewire is the only surfboard on the planet that is custom designed, yet there is no hand shaping done. I don’t even see Taj’s boards. In fact I know I am the only surfboard designer in the world - not shaper, because I am not a shaper any more - that doesn’t even touch his top five pro surfer’s boards. I don’t even look at them, because I know what I have done in the program is going to be duplicated in Thailand. Another benefit of computer-aided design is calculating volume. Volume has become an incredibly important part of surfboard design. It is impossible to calculate literage (volume) without CAD design. You can’t do it. What programs such as AKU Shaper have allowed me to do is design a multitude of different boards varying in length that all paddle relatively the same because I can retain a certain volume. BUT NOT EVERYONE SHARES NEV’S VIEWS. Paul Uscinski, Cod Surfboards: I like to hand shape because I like to be versatile. I don’t like the shaping machines - it is just pump out, pump out. Nothing is unique. People want to know you care about them before they give you their business. I take the time and effort to understand what people are after. Because I hand shape, my boards are less prone to breaking and denting. I only shave a little of the deck of the blank and as a result the cell structure is stronger, because it is much closer to the actual skin. With shaping machines, they have to use thicker blanks because they cut a fair way into either side of the blank. The problem is, the further you cut into the blank the more open celled it is and the weaker the blank becomes. Stuart D’Arcy, D’Arcy Surfboards: What’s lost in our industry is that marketing has pushed everything to the new and the copiers who are copying the old, not realising that it takes a unique shaper making unique boards for a unique person with a unique style for a unique break. You can’t tell me every person who surfs Snapper surfs the same. We’re all unique in our own way. That’s what shaping is all about, it’s about making individual boards and then making the next one better
jan/feb 2011
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LATEST: DEBATE
“ WE’RE ALL UNIQUE IN OUR OWN WAY. THAT’S WHAT SHAPING IS ALL ABOUT. IT’S ABOUT MAKING INDIVIDUAL BOARDS...” STUART D’ARCY and the next one and the next one. You’re only as good as your last board. It is important a shaper has a relationship with the rider and understands their needs and shapes a board to suit. Even if it means sometimes steering the customer away from what they originally had in mind. I suppose that’s why when people come into me to talk about a board I say, ‘Listen, this is what you need and if you don’t want that, I’m sorry I can’t help you. Because I don’t want you being dissatisfied in something you think is going to go well. If mine doesn’t go well, come back and see me and I will make you what you want at no extra cost.’ Pretty much every board we shape is a customer’s board. Why? My longevity in the industry, as a shaper, is determined by customers coming back. I reckon the best shapers are the ones getting paid. Not paying a pro surfer, but getting paid by a pro surfer. We don’t pay team riders. I am just fortunate to have shaped boards for Asher Pacey since he was a grom and Layne Beachley for more years than I care to remember. I have also shaped boards for most of the big guys and I do it with pride and I do it with a conscience in what I am making. OTHERS, SUCH AS NEV HYMAN, SEE COMPUTER-AIDED DESIGN AND MACHINE SHAPING AS A MEANS TO TRULY UNLOCKING THEIR CREATIVE JUICES. Nev Hyman: I am incredibly excited with where we are at because every day I can focus on surfboard design. There are no limitations with what we can do with a surfboard. If we can design it in CAD we can make it. My focus is now squarely on design rather than the manual labour of producing surfboards. I previously spent fifty hours a week shaping surfboards. In trying to keep up with that level of demand for my boards, life would inevitably get in the way. I don’t care what anyone else says. Some days you are too tired, some days your mind is distracted with family issues, other days you are distracted with the pressures of a running a business and some days you are on song. It is very hard to be creative when 80% your focus is on making surfboards not designing them. And then you have all those other distractions to deal with. I used to shape up to sixteen boards a day when I went to Japan. If you have to shape that many boards a day, it is impossible to consider you are putting in the same energy into each of those boards to create something unique for each of your individual customers. I can tell you when I design a board nowadays I get super excited because it is super easy for me. Now I have no pressure because I am not on the tools. People say, ‘But don’t you miss shaping?’ I say ‘No, I did that for 35 years.’ A SIMILAR COMMITMENT TO DESIGN IS EVIDENT IN THE SURFTECH’S APPROACH TO MANUFACTURING.
Dave Byrne: In a nutshell, what we do at Surftech is take high profile shapers and their proven, tested designs and reproduce it using our technology. From the shapers perspective it allows them to move away from being production shapers, and because of the royalties coming back to them, frees them up physically and financially to be more creative. The focus of the shaper is more on design than production. More money and time can be dedicated towards product development, which in the end, from a consumer’s point of view, means better boards. This is evident over the last two years. If you look at what we were riding two to three years ago it was just a basic thruster, rounded squaretail, blah, blah, blah. If you go into a surf shop these days there are pods, fishes and all types of fun shapes. Already we are seeing the evolution of surfboard design. Shapers such as Channel Islands have gone from having a handful of models to some twentythree different models of shortboards, all quite unique in their design. Part of the reason why they have been able to develop all these models is because they haven’t been bogged down in production. That part of their business has come over to us, freeing them up to focus on design. So from a performance aspect, because of what we do, we believe we are having a positive impact on surfboard development. As far as the boards we produce, no one could deny they are far superior in strength and weight. As far as being value for money, we have customers who have bought a longboard eight years ago and it is still in pristine condition.
CHEAPER IMPORTS FOR BEGINNERS SOME SHAPERS HAVE EXPLAINED THE REASON FOR MOVING THEIR PRODUCTION OFFSHORE IN THE PURSUIT OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL PRODUCTION METHODS BUT WHAT OF THE BEGINNERS MARKET? WHY THE MOVE OFFSHORE? Lincoln Tupper, Sideways: We see ourselves purely as servicing the beginner’s and intermediate market. We only sell our boards once. We introduce them to the sport and then they go off and, more than likely, buy an Australian surfboard. We really cater for young families, backpackers and uni students. People need to understand there has to be a happy medium in the market. You can’t just have a high-end surfboard at $900 as the only option. There has to be different levels in the market. When you are beginning, you just don’t go out and buy a top of the range surfboard. If a young family wants to go out and learn to surf, they have the right to go and buy a package for $400 including a board, bag and legrope and see how they go. There is a market for high-end surfboards just as there is a market for cheap beginner boards. We also still stock Australian made boards. We carry Super and Shaping Co for jan/feb 2011
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surfers who have advanced their skill level on a wave. If you went out for a surf today and Snapper was cranking, I would guarantee you there would be less than a handful of Chinese made surfboards out there. China is really big into the mini-mals, fun boards and fishes. They don’t do shortboards. Aside from mini-mals, I don’t think Chinese imported surfboards would be affecting local shapers. If shapers wonder why they are quiet, the answer is simple, there are too many out there, look at the Gold Coast, they are everywhere. There is only so much that can go around.
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Gail Austen: Boards from the likes China and Taiwan have introduced people to surfing that never before thought of it. Once introduced to surfing they will become more informed whilst developing their surfing skills and they will look for a superior product. This can only benefit our industry here. TULLY ST JOHN AND STUART D’ARCY AGREE... Tully St John: I think there is a market for everything and there are a lot more people surfing now because of the cheaper option. I guess those people are then going to take the next step and get a board tweaked just right for them. In that regard, I am already seeing a real swing back to Australian-made products now, even with the beginners market. The tides are definitely turning. The downside is that it has taken a job away from a young aspiring shaper who wants to get into the industry. It used to be that we could make a mini mal or a beginner’s board and get the skill level of the young workers up. Stuart D’Arcy: I think if you can build it for a certain price with a good shape and glass job and it suits the beginner surfer really well, it has a place in our industry. But tag it well, identify it as made overseas and don’t run away from what you make and don’t run away from your customers when they come back with a complaint. DAVE BYRNE ON THE OTHER HAND IS NOT SO SURE.
• 2 x two-day workshops • Only 8 participants per workshop! • Take home your own surfboard • Hosted by Robert Ivers of HWS For further information and workshop dates visit the website
treetosea.org Or phone Robert Ivers of HWS on 0409 211751 50
Dave Byrne: It could be said these boards are good for the beginners market because they are affordable. The flip side is the performance of the board. If a beginner buys a b-grade board and has issues with it, it can leave a bad taste in their mouth and turn them off surfing for good. People who are beginning to surf naturally don’t want to go to the most expensive product but as an industry we have a responsibility to ensure they also don’t feel duped.
THE FUTURE AND COMMERCIAL VIABILITY WITH SO MUCH PRODUCTION MOVING OVERSEAS IS THERE A FUTURE FOR THE AUSTRALIAN SURF INDUSTRY? Stuart D’Arcy: It’s economically viable to produce surfboards here. But what’s wrong with our industry is the concept that a common person can go into a store, shell out $750 for a top-of-the-range, pro-branded board and it breaks in two weeks in shit surf and has dimples all over it. Worse still, when they take it back, the shopkeeper says, ‘Oh, it’s a pro’s board. That’s what you get.’ That person then sees a $350 Chinese-made board and goes, ‘Oh, unreal. I’m stoked. Same life, half price.’ I demand quality from our workers and I expect our boards to last a surfer two to
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You know us for the best surfboards, wetsuits and hardware, with unmatched specialist advice gained through our many years in the surf industry, but we’re..
“ MY FOCUS IS NOW SQUARELY ON DESIGN, RATHER THAN THE MANUAL LABOUR OF PRODUCING SURFBOARDS.” NEV HYMAN three years minimum. I also expect to sell my boards for what they’re worth. That said, I didn’t start all this to make money. I don’t know a shaper who is rich, apart from say, Al Merrick. All my friends who are shapers are not greedy people. They’re stoked in what they do. We talk about what we shape. We give each other shit when we see something weird from the other guy. We have a common respect for each other - that we are able to shape anything. That’s the passion of it – making things. What’s wrong with shaping today is that the shaper is undervalued for his knowledge. Because it is so easy for the machine to copy, people without the experience can copy the shape. Meanwhile, the shaper who has spent twentyodd years developing their craft can’t make $50 on a board.
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So instead of making ten boards a week, we have to make twenty boards a week. But to make twenty, we have to have the overheads, so we have to make forty. Only because the price of boards has been kept so low, for so long, people have to undercut to make a sale. They make a second-rate board to make a profit. People then go offshore to make them cheaper to produce. Put the price of boards up. Make them out of the best material you can. Make them to last. Make them so you can use them second hand and that they live on. That’s going to save material. That’s going to save the environment, not these things that you just throw away and end up in landfill.
PROTECTING AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY Nev Hyman: I have had it said to me, ‘But you are taking away Australian jobs by setting up in Thailand.’ And my answer is, ‘Yep, I am sorry but I am not apologetic because we are giving jobs to someone else in the world. It is a global economy. It’s about humanity. It’s about the world.’ Dave Byrne: Why did I initially get involved with manufacturing boards overseas? I thought it was best someone who had a bit of depth and understanding of the Australian surfboard industry get involved. If we (Surftech) wanted to inflict any damage to the local surfboard manufacturing industry, we could have but that was never our intention. We intended to build nice boards. At the time we introduced Surftech to the Australian market a longboard retailed for around the $800 to $900 mark. Our first wood veneer boards retailed for $1500. We put a new ceiling on the price of surfboards, at a time when surfboard manufacturers were struggling to make any margin on surfboards. Our plan was to put our premium boards into the market at a high-end price and allow the local manufacturers to come up underneath us, hopefully lifting their margins. We never came in with cheap surfboards. It’s not like today where some people with no prior affiliation to the surf industry are ordering in containers of cheap Chinese boards to make a few bucks. We never said our boards were cheap. We felt we had a premium product and we priced it accordingly. Every shaper that came on board with us, their brand, and in particular their PU board sales, went up – both imports and exports on the basis of our worldwide marketing and distribution. Royalties are now paid to a number of Australian
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SURF BOARDS faCtorY showrooM 24 flinders st North wollongong, Nsw 2500 Phone: 02 4228 8878 fax: 02 4229 7594
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haNdCrafted CustoM surfboards jan/feb 2011
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“ THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE RELATES TO THE BADGING OF THESE BOARDS. ALLOW SURFERS TO MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS ABOUT WHAT THEY BUY.” CHRIS GARRETT
Chris Garret: China has grown the pie. It is brought a lot of entry guys and girls into the market on the back of cheap surfboards. Preferably, I would like those boards to still be Australian made because if we don’t do anything about it our whole industry will go to China.
It is possible to have an environmentally conscious PU factory but what the government needs to understand however is that this is not BIG industry. We have to simplify things. If we have extraction fans, we can’t pay $50k for them. If we have exhaust systems in our glassing room, we can’t pay $3k for a carbon filter. Until we become an association, we won’t get help from the government. That’s why we have gone to such efforts to set up the ASCIA.
The most important issue however relates to the badging of these boards. Allow surfers to make informed decisions about what they buy.
OTHERS HOLD A DIFFERENT OPINION, BELIEVING ALTERNATIVE MATERIALS AND WORK PRACTICES ARE THE WAY OF THE FUTURE.
Some people aren’t passionate enough about surfing to care where there board is made and others wouldn’t have a clue because badging of boards is so poorly enforced. Yes some boards are tagged with ‘This board is made in China’ but you better get out your microscope because it is written on the stringer in tiny little writing. There should be obligations and part of the Australian Surf Craft Industry Association (ASCIA) agenda is to start lobbying the government to ensure this happens.
Kent Ladkin: Environmentally, the old PU boards are a disaster. PU Foam releases toxic gases as it is being shaped. The polyester resin evaporates heaps of fumes (thinners) into the atmosphere and the hardener is highly toxic. Sanding dust and silicon polishes are also dangerous.
PROTECTING WORKERS AND THE ENVIRONMENT THERE HAS LONG BEEN A STIGMA ATTACHED TO SURFBOARD MANUFACTURING. MANY OF THE MATERIALS USED ARE RECOGNISED CARCINOGENS. MANY VIEW SURFBOARD FACTORIES AS THE MOST TOXIC OF ENVIRONMENTS TO MAKE A LIVING. BUT HAVE TIMES CHANGED? IS IT POSSIBLE TO DEVELOP SOUND PRACTICES THAT PROTECT THE WORKER AND THE ENVIRONMENT? Tully St John: I think everyone in Australia over the last few years has lifted their game for insurance reasons, pollution and our workers welfare. The practices of old are certainly gone for us. Stuart D’Arcy: So many guys in our industry have fallen away and died of complicated illnesses because of the materials we work with. When you’re amongst it for twenty-something years, it has to have an effect. I’ve seen people in the past wash their face and body with acetone. I don’t want hear in twenty years time that one of my guys is dying from working in my factory. So we have changed the way our workers use materials and contained our waste output. We have successfully set up a PU environmentally-conscious factory. What that means is that we have no output into the atmosphere or the water. Our workers see the value in what we are trying to achieve and so has the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency). On many occasions they have walked in and said, ‘This factory out does anything we have seen before, big business, small business, you name it. Can we film it? This is what we want to benchmark from.’ 52
Local surf factories are an OH&S nightmare. Under protected workers expose themselves to worse than third world working conditions every day. PU’s also have a 1 in 3 chance of snapping every 12 months so they must be replaced more often. More wastage, more land fill. On the other hand, ‘Tuflite’ surfboards, imported from the Cobra factory in Thailand, are made with low toxicity materials, using a resin that has no thinners, in a contained environment, where the staff wear protective clothing and air lines, not just filters. Cobra International is ISO Certified to international standards of safety & quality. There is a lot of resistance to epoxy boards from the old shaping fraternity, because they have to change production techniques to take on the new materials. Gail Austen: In Australia we have benefitted from the example set by the Cobra factory improving our manufacturing methods but we are still to match their health standards. Some shapers may have, but not the vast majority. That is one of the main reasons for the decline in Australian surfboard manufacturing. To do so would possibly not be commercially viable. The price of such boards would be too expensive for what the market is prepared to pay.
Photo supplied by Firewire
shapers such as Simon Anderson, Wayne Lynch, Wayne Deane, Bob McTavish, Phil Byrne, Greg Webber, Mark Richards, Geoff McCoy and Bill Tolhurst.
NEV HYMAN OF FIREWIRE SAYS HIS COMPANY HAS UNDERTAKEN A SIMILAR APPROACH TO OH&S IN THEIR FACTORY OVERSEAS. Nev Hyman: I know what it takes to run a PU factory and how disgusting they can be. I wouldn’t step a foot in one now, where as I can eat off the floor in our factory in Thailand such is our commitment to our worker’s safety and the environment. Firewire surfboards use epoxy resin and EPS foam, materials that are exponentially less harmful than traditional surfboard materials. Over a 5-year lifespan, including the construction process, a traditional PU
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surfboard releases 50 times more volatile organic compounds than a Firewire surfboard. It’s why Firewire surfboards won the coveted EuroSIMA Environmental Product of the Year Award in 2005. TO SUCH COMMENTS STUART D’ARCY HOLDS A DIFFERENT VIEW. Stuart D’Arcy: I have worked with epoxy for 23 years since Strapper Sailboards and I still maintain that the chemicals used in epoxy boards have a far greater impact on the earth to manufacture then petro chemicals (PU manufacturing). The sheer amount of chemicals that go into manufacturing epoxy outnumber PU. The manufacturing process is far more complex but I would be happy to be proven wrong. Also with epoxy you have more failures in production than with PU. There is more wastage. That said, if you get a good outcome, the end product is unbelievable. I just don’t like the fact some people jump on the bandwagon of being ‘environmentally conscious’ when the facts disagree.
I WANT IT AUSSIE-MADE AND CHEAP Lincoln Tupper: I have had people say to me, ‘Bloody China this. Bloody China that.’ I tell them not to go home and turn on their plasma TV. Seven years ago you would pay $22,000 for the things. No one is whinging now they’re $700. No one can judge the market by what price you sell a product. I have had my shop vandalised because of it but why haven’t they done it to the major companies? They import a lot of gear out of China. They target me because I am small – an easy target. I am in this business to make money. I don’t work six to seven days a week, from 7am to 7pm at night for the love of it. Otherwise I would be off surfing. We are in business to make money. Over the years we have bought boards off Australian shapers. But the problem is, some go and sell them out the back door to customers for the same price as what we are buying them wholesale. Where’s the loyalty there? We have to cover our costs as retailers too. Think of the exhorbitant rents we pay, the cost of carrying substantial inventory and staffing costs. There has got to be a mark-up on boards for us to survive as well. Why do people go to Bali for a surfing holiday? - because it is cheap. Why not go to Noosa for a few weeks? - because the price of accommodation and food is a lot dearer. But I thought we were supporting Australian jobs? It’s hypocritical. Ron Wade: The problem is the average punter will think nothing of putting an $80 pair of board shorts on the credit card and there is a huge amount of profit in those. But unfortunately, if surfers are going to be tight with regards to what they are prepared to pay for a board, something has to give. You can’t live on passion alone. There has to be some form of profit to survive. I love what I do and put my heart and soul into it but something has to give. You have to do something to get the price of producing a surfboard down. As a result, many such as myself have looked into overseas production for the price sensitive customer. What I find hard to fathom is that people possibly don’t question where they buy their car from, the t-shirts they wear and even the board cover that they protect their prized possession with. Many top Australian brands claim to be Australian made but are made overseas. I have seen them. At least I am open about it.
A FINAL THOUGHT Tony Dempsey, Dempsey Surfboards: I am sixty-three years of age and when I die I can say, ‘I might have made no money out of all this but mate I had a good time.’ After all, when you drop dead, people will look at whether or not you made a mark, not how many dollars you made. The sooner people realise we are a family united out there by water and that beautiful wave that comes through, the better.
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TRAVEL: ROAD TRIP
e m o h Sweet
A R D N AC LOU ORTH N R A F E H T F O H THE DEEP SOUT RE SO BLUE.
A RE THE SKIES E H W , A R D .“ N U CALO HOME TO YOU ’ IN M O C “ SWEET HOME M I’ ORD ALOUNDRA, L C E M O H T E E SW . the wrong place ns. re singing about we ey th t bu , ost surf destinatio hit a cracker of a of the northernm d e ha on yrd in e yn liv Sk . I ah rd t, Lyny st coas uth. Yeeh the Australian ea ls of the deep so -town. In terms of men, boys and gir me wo ho n, my me e is when th is e th ar Yes, ast, we and the waves the Sunshine Co auty is undeniable m be fro t, Its . as so Co ly But in relation to e ht hin Noosa, and rig er of the Suns of rn co es lik tle e lit th iet th qu wi familiar ast. a. But this Everyone may be the Sunshine Co be had in Australi is truly the pick of me of the best to on so e ini ar op le on mb ’re hu they , in my rough to Wurtulla Golden Beach th
WORDS BY DAVE
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SWAN
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YEEHAW!
Tim Ollier at Dicky Beach Photo: Peter Jackson jan/feb 2011
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TRAVEL: ROAD TRIP Happy Valley Photo: Peter Chataway
Neill Street Photo: Dave Swan
Kings Beach Groyne Photo: Paul Collins 56
jan/feb 2011
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Sweet home
CALOUNDRA I am a Queenslander through and through. We’re noted to be a little relaxed and maybe a bit backwards and Caloundra is kind of the same, y’all. Seriously though, we are relaxed and why not, when you live in such a beautiful, easy-going place? As for being backward, mate, we are on the cutting edge... We’re on the cutting edge of knowing how to live. Now as far as Caloundra goes, or the Sunshine Coast for that matter, we are not a big wave mecca like the southern beaches of New South Wales and Victoria. We don’t have the consistency of the Gold Coast. We get an occasional onset of adrenalin-pumping surf when the cyclone season rolls around every January through to March, but what we lack up here in size, we make up for in fun. We have the kind of setup where you can get out and share a few waves with your friends, along with a few laughs. It’s where whole families surf together. Where you can easily teach your kids to surf without giving them a crash course in becoming the next Laird Hamilton.
Surfing in this part of the world has seen more than its share of characters. In the late 50s famous locals Ma and Pa Bendall loved nothing more than getting out amongst the waves with the small, but keen local crew. This pair only took up surfing at the age of 50 and 51 but became an integral part of the surf community. Bob McTavish also spent time here in the late 50s and early 60s, sleeping at the local surf club and surfing every day, often with Ma and Pa. In his book Stoked, he speaks warmly of the Caloundra’s local waves, especially Moffat’s, and tells of Ma’s cakes and scones, washed down with tea brewed from a bonfire on the beach. Pa Bendall passed away in 1973. The following year the Pa Bendall Memorial Contest was first held to recognize his impact on the local surf scene and the contest is still run to this day. Ma lived a long life, passing away in 2001, aged 91.
HERE COMES THE SUN... Caloundra is an hour north of Brisbane and just under an hour south of Noosa. A half hour’s drive west is the majestic Glasshouse Mountains, home to the quaint mountaintop villages of Mapleton, Montville and Maleny. The region’s coastline from Golden Beach around to Wurtulla is under twelve kilometers. The area is compact but has a large variety of waves to suit surfers of varying abilities. Often perceived as a retirement village by the sea, Caloundra is now home to lots of young families. No matter where you go in Caloundra it is not too hard to find a park, the surf is not too crowded, there’s heaps to do after the waves and the locals are friendly and down-to-earth. Anyone trying to look too cool here would be a little out of place.
Ma and Pa. Photo supplied by Torquay Surf
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THE WAVES Paul Carson - The Factory Surfboards Caloundra 15 Allen St, Caloundra
07 5492 5838
Need a beach holiday? We're the Moffat and Dicky Beach specialists, whether you're after a large comfortable family beach house, pet-friendly home or coastal unit with spectacular ocean views.
Yes, there’s a variety of waves around Caloundra. From points to beachies to reef, from mellow to heavy, from crowded to relatively quiet if you time it right... No matter what you’re after in a break, there’s probably something for you here. Caloundra is such a great spot because the area is in fact one massive headland that captures all manner of swell in a range of different conditions. If one side is not working, the other generally is, or the next beach around. Better still, checking out the local wave scene takes about ten minute’s drive, all up. Personally, Moffat for me is the wave on the Sunshine Coast. Why? It can hold size. You can ride it on virtually every kind of board you choose. It has a mellow vibe and doesn’t have the Noosa crowds. Some days you can have rides so long your legs start to burn like you were on a big downhill snowboard run. And it even resembles the hallowed headland of Bells Beach with its rock shelf that stretches out under the break. Other than Moffs, Neill Street is a nice little reef break that doesn’t get too crowded. The beachies from Currimundi to Wurtulla are also a favourite. Most times you can paddle out and have your own spot to yourself. Then there is Happy Valley. As Happy Gillmore said, “It’s my happy place.” I have had many a good surf here ranging from the point right across the bar to Bribie Island. And there’s nothing better than sitting on the back of the ute with a mate after a good surf, having a cold beer, catching up and looking out to sea.
Est.
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years. 45 Roderick Street Moffat Beach Qld 4551 Phone: 07 5491 1688 Email: contact@jimlilley.com
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Yes, the best part of surfing this neck of the woods is it’s relaxing. That’s what surfing is all about to me. Unwinding, chilling out, laughing with my friends or tandem surfing with my kids. Generally speaking the waves aren’t too crowded, the vibe isn’t aggressive and there are not too many Larry Legends. But don’t take my word for it... this is what others have to say.
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Sweet home
CALOUNDRA Kings Beach Photo: Paul Collins
“I rate Moffats and Wurtulla as my favourite waves. Moffats is a shifty right hand point break which gets better the bigger it gets, when a 4-6 foot South East swell hits it really starts to fire on the mid section offering plenty of push and the odd barrel section. Being a shifty set-up it offers a lot to all types of boards so everyone gets to enjoy what is on offer and it is a pretty friendly line up and a beach with a great amphitheatre. “Moffats is perfect for beginners through to the local pro depending on conditions and size, this wave is the favourite location for the long running Ma and Pa Bendall Surf Contest which attracts the likes of local surfing legends Parko (Joel Parkinson) and Wade Goodall. “Wurtulla is the premiere break in the region, offering peaky slabs and plenty of barrels, best conditions are any swell from the South East to the North with SW-NW winds. Wurtulla is good from 2-6 foot but can occasionally handle a bigger swell, but be prepared to get a good flogging on those days as the shifty peaks will catch you out. It can get pretty crowded, but the perfect barrels will keep you coming back. Wurtulla is the only break in Caloundra where development hasn’t overtaken the dunes so when you have a good day it feels like you’re a million miles away. “The most consistent wave is Ann Street which is a left-right peak break over rock and is best at high tide with a south swell. This wave is surfable every day of the year for the groveller and grommie and most surf contests run at this location.” Jamie Willems Moffat Beach local and Territory Manager for Global Surf Industries “Only Cronulla, where I grew up, has a similar variety of waves in such a small area. There are point breaks, bays, open beachies and even an offshore bommie. The surfers range from young grommies to families, old guys and girls, shortboarders, longboarders... As a surfboard maker you certainly have a lot of variety because you are making boards for all kinds of surfers, surfing all kinds of waves. Paul Carson The Factory Surfboards
“Beginners will find Happy Valley the easiest break to learn to surf, kiteboard or get run over by a stand-up paddle boarder. Kings is chaotic and then it’s shark infested water from the point boat ramp to Moffat’s point where the north swells peel hidden from sight off the carpark. “The regular early morning crew changes to a knock-‘em-down free-for-all on weekends and public holidays, with surfboards, kneeboards, goat boats and what seems to be the whole northside of Brisbane to boot. “Dicky’s is protected in a southerly and is the capital of fish & chips on the coast. The wreck sticks out from the beach in front of Matty’s lifeguard tower where family’s swim safely, tourists from the caravan park relax and skatepark kids cool off in fun beach breaks with a pipeline style reef out the back.” Marcus Lane Beachbeat Surfshop, Dickie Beach “Ann St... It’s our saviour - the reef that is super fun and consistent. There is almost always a wave there, any day of the week. “Dicky’s has some fun beachies at times but it’s the reef, although fickle, that can serve up PROPER barrels and really packs a punch! Moffat’s is a classic point break, fat on the higher tides but on the mid-tides can offer barrel sections even Wade (Goodall) doesn’t want to fly over the top of. Just up the way is the Bar which can get absolutely mindless, you need to know exactly when to surf this wave and guess what? I’m not telling you.” David Scard Former Caloundra local and now Kirra Office Manager for World Surfaris “Wurtulla is a fun beach break and when it’s on it seems to just line up really good, offering some really meaty peaks. They are just a couple of breaks I like and there are so many more but I think since I did the km’s checking them out, so can you. Paul Woodbury Woody’s Surf Designs, Wurtulla
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THE WAVES SURFING CALOUNDRA
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Photo: Tourism Queensland
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HAPPY VALLEY
A fat fun left for intermediates and beginners. A right also forms when it is breaking across the bar between the point and Bribie Island. A great place to teach the kids how to surf. Predominantly a longboard wave but fun on an egg or some form of hybrid. SE swell. NW winds. Breaks best Low-Mid tide. 02.
KINGS BEACH
First, the groyne. Wedgy off the rocks left. Good shortboard wave but can be crowded. Sometimes you may spin off 60
the wave and be left on a pretty shallow rock shelf but it is not as dangerous as it sounds. Nothing like the numbers down south. Crowds are a hassle. The beachies break left and right and is the only spot in Caloundra when the north-east winds plague the coast. The most crowded waves by far in Caloundra. Boogers, goat boaters, longboarders, shortboarders from beginner to advanced all mixed together in one intermingled mess most of the time. Both spots at Kings best in S-SE swell. NW winds. All tides.
03.
THE BOAT RAMP
The boat ramp at the northern end of Kings Beach heading around Caloundra Head can deliver some beautiful peeling rights for longboarders in the right conditions. It breaks very rarely, so you will have to figure out for yourself what conditions work best. 04.
SHELLY BEACH
Not recommended for swimmers and rightly so. Lots of rips, currents and rocks jutting out everywhere. I never conceived it would break but a big swell and one
of the best surfs I have had in the area changed all that. Can be awesome but very rare. Again, you will have to figure it out for yourself when it works best. Hey, remember I gotta live here and need all the friends I can find. 05.
MOFFAT BEACH
The jewel in the crown and I don’t care what anyone else says. Long wrapping lines breaking right. There are a number of take-off zones maintaining crowd control in most instances by breaking up the various water craft and skill levels. The inside section mid-way along the
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CALOUNDRA
Mellow Moffat lines Photo: Jared Norris
Photo: Paul Collins
headland and the far northern tip can deliver peaky, steep takeoffs that at times will have you thinking your are overseas at some exotic reef break. NESE swell. SW winds. All tides. 06. NEILL STREET, DICKY BEACH
Works in similar conditions to Moffs but can be less crowded. Sometimes a nice wave drains off the rock shelf to the left. Waves right and left but predominantly a right. NE swell. SW winds. Mid tide best.
Wade Goodall at Kings Photo: Peter Jackson
Photo: Susan Bourne
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THE REEF
20 min paddle out. Sharky? You just don’t think about them in this neck of the woods. A boogers haven but still a good wave particularly in cyclone season in a E-SE swell. Thick-lipped, wedgy left-hand wave and very shallow. Can hold up to 10ft. Experts only. E-SE swell. NW-SW winds. All tides. 08. ANN STREET, CURRIMUNDI
Break over reef. Jacks up with nice left and right hollow barrells. Lefts
are longer. Can hold to head high. Sometimes crowded but one of the most consistent breaks in and around Caloundra. E-SE swell. NW-SW winds. All tides. 09.
CURRIMUNDI BEACH
Possibly our number one test spot. Why? There are peaks all the way up the beach and you can usually find your own spot to try out new boards. Won’t hold much more than 6ft though. E-SE well. NWSW winds. Low-Mid tide.
10.
WURTULLA
Further north from Currimundi, this is a big locals’ wave, so be very respectful if surfing the area. Peaky lefts and rights and can hold up to 6ft. The waves deliver great barrels and even better floggings. They can pack a punch, more than you would expect. E-SE well. NW-SW winds. All tides.
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SURFWARE AUSTRALIA SunShine CoaSt SuperStore 2 Bulcock Street, Caloundra QLD 4551 Telephone (07) 5491 3620
King’s Beach foreshore Photo: Tourism Queensland
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OTHER THINGS TO DO
CALOUNDRA REALLY IS FAMILY CENTRAL AND THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS TO DO IN AND AROUND THE AREA, FROM WORLD RENOWNED ATTRACTIONS TO ACTIVITIES THAT ARE COMPLETELY FREE.
AUSTRALIA ZOO
To be honest, before I went some seven years ago when Steve was still alive, I was a sceptic. That said, the croc shows are amazing, the crocs are big, they are many and you get to see them unbelievably close. Since my first visit I have been back again and again (my family loves animals), the zoo has expanded and has so many more attractions including elephants, tigers and a range of other wildlife. Australia Zoo is a highly recommended and aworthwhile family outing. Family four person pass $172. 15 mins drive away
UNDERWATER WORLD
Walk amongst marine and freshwater animals and see live presentations each day, including seal and otter shows, and shark feeding from the 80-metre transparent tunnel within the Oceanarium. Family four person pass $90. 20 mins drive away
AUSSIE WORLD AND ETTAMOGAH PUB
Is a great little affordable outing for the family. All weather venue. Over 30 rides and attractions including miniature boats, buggies, dodgems, mini golf, ferris wheel and roller coaster. At the end of the day head to the quirky Ettamogah Pub for a drink and a good Aussie feed. Family pass $80 unlimited rides (or discounted with voucher to left). 10-15 mins drive.
SUNSHINE COAST SKYDIVERS
You know our thoughts on skydiving, Just jump. Enjoy the views. Enjoy the exhilaration. Check out the surf. Don’t muck around with smaller jumps 14,000 ft ultimate leap $399. Shooting Star night tandem skydive $460.
QUEENSLAND AIR MUSEUM
If you like your bombers and spitfires, this is one to check out. Family (2 adults and 2 kids) $24.
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Dining on Bulcock Street and (back) the Glasshouse Mountains. Photo: Sunshine Coast Tourism
CALOUNDRA
Maleny Photo: Bruce Levick
MONSTER TRUCKS
It wouldn’t be the Deep South without monster trucks. That’s right show your kids some real culture and get out to watch these four wheel demons smash, crash and bash everything in sight. Just remember to let out a big yeeehaaaw! The big trucks usually visit town twice a year. Enquiries call 0447 878 257
TANDEM SURFING
Learn from the winners of the 2009 Noosa Festival of Surfing tandem division. French couple Fred and Lily hold classes on their art every Sunday through summer from 3pm at Happy Valley or Moffat Beach, depending on the conditions. Believe it or not, classes are free, but donations are welcome. Make sure to book though. 0424 976 038. Email asso.nalu@gmail.com and see the website: www.nalu-surf.com
PLACES TO VISIT BULCOCK BEACH AND GOLDEN BEACH
Bulcock Beach has just undergone a redevelopment and now has a beautiful boardwalk and ample street furniture. A kiteboard and windsurfers paradise. Golden Beach is the most southerly of Caloundra’s beaches. This tranquil beach,protected from the ocean by Bribie Island, offers safe swimming. Outside of the bathing reserve you can splash out with windsurfing, boating, water-skiing and fishing. It has jetties and boat hire, as well as BBQ and picnic facilities, children’s playgrounds and bicycle hire on the foreshore. Golden Beach is also the start point for short cruises, guided kayak tours and jet ski tours. Also an angler’s paradise.
KINGS BEACH
The foreshore has countless water fountains spurting from the ground. It’s free. It’s fun. Get wet and chase the kids through the spouts, and the 25m seawater lap pool is also great for families or for an early morning swim.
SHELLY BEACH
You can explore the extensive rock pools and scour for shells and if you are there at the right time of year it is a major nesting ground for Loggerhead turtles. Emerging hatchlings can be seen from mid-January until late March. Hatchlings usually leave their nests at night. Hit the water in a kayak and you will see plenty of turtles heading around from Shelly to Moffat Beach.
HINTERLAND ESCAPE
When visiting Caloundra it’s essential to escape to the hinterland for a day or several. It’s a short half hour trip away and perfect in any weather. Stroll the shops, see the various arts and crafts that have made the region famous, sample the multicultural cuisine or organic produce that typifies such destinations, take in the magnificent views or go for a rainforest walk or hike. There is 58 kms of walking track winding through the Blackall Range traversing some of the most scenic areas of the hinterland including the Kondalilla National Park, Maleny Forest Reserve and Mapleton Falls National Park.
TOOWAY LAKE
Tooway Lake is adjacent to Moffat headland and is the perfect place for young kids to play while mum, dad or any older siblings catch a few waves.
CURRIMUNDI LAKE
Currimundi Lake is huge but shallow and would attract more families than anywhere else on the Sunshine Coast. It’s safe and you can swim, snorkel, frolic, wallow and paddle canoes or SUPs until the kids are ready to pass out. jan/feb 2011
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If ever you were going to have a beach holiday and wanted to splurge on something a little special, something out of the ordinary, this is it. The Queen without doubt is what holiday dreams are made of – those holidays that provide you with memories you cherish forever. Firstly, it’s homely. Some luxury holiday houses and apartments are so sterile you feel like you are holidaying in a hospital. Others don’t appear very welcoming of kids. Secondly, it is expansive. The Queen is a beautiful, huge, comfortable beach house where you can truly spread out and relax.
THE QUEEN I CAN SEE CLEARLY NOW
MOFFAT BEACH HOUSE
Photos: www.beautifulaccommodation.com
No doubt by now, you have probably picked up on the fact I love Moffat Beach. My favourite place is standing atop Moffat Headland looking out over the surf. Coincidentally, every time I stood there I was directly opposite this beautiful white beach house and thought to myself, ‘Imagine staying there.’ Well now I can tell you, it’s as good as I ever imagined.
COULD THERE BE A MORE PERFECT HOUSE FOR A BEACH HOLIDAY? 56 66
THINGS TO LOVE • Sweeping panoramic views that extend all the way to Noosa on a clear day and right around to the Glasshouse Mountains • You can check out the surf from your bed… yes, yes, yes. Or the living room if you’re feeling more energetic • Beautiful see breezes and the smell of salt air circulate through the entire home whilst its northern aspect worships the warm Queensland sun • The open-plan lounge and dining has a wood fire and LCD TV/ DVD that you can watch from inside or outside the home • A massive outdoor covered entertainment terrace complete with BBQ, kitchenette, outdoor bathroom and secure leafy backyard is ideal for the kids to run around while you relax • There are plenty of nooks and balconies to sit back with a book or your copy of smorgasboarder and drift away • The surf at Moffat is 50m away • The Headland’s clifftop walk means you can take in a casual
stroll around to Shelly Beach or a jog south to Bulcock Beach or north to Currimundi Lake, around 6kms each way • Cafés are a short 2 min stroll • The Queen sleeps eight enough room for a couple of generations to get together THE FACILITIES • Four bedrooms - 1 king with ensuite and 3 king/twin singles • Full-size fully equipped kitchen with espresso machine • Laundry facilities and iron • Two bathrooms • Fans throughout • BYO linen and towels The Queen is a classic beach house. Five generations of the same family have enjoyed this magnificent hilltop site near Caloundra, where they camped out before building the home in the 1950s. If we had more room we could elaborate on the rich and fascinating history of the home, but you’ll have to look through the house’s photo albums and discover it for yourself when you visit.
THE QUEEN 19 Queen Of Colonies Parade, MOFFAT BEACH Minimum stay 3-7 nights, depending on season Phone: 0417 775 918 Website: www.beautifulaccommodation.com
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CALOUNDRA HOLIDAY CENTRE 1/78 Bulcock St, CALOUNDRA
PORTOBELLO BY THE SEA 6 Beerburrum St, DICKY BEACH Fantastic surf spots right on your doorstep. Moffat, Neill Street, Dicky Beach all within a 5 minute walk. Luxury accommodation within 50 m of some of the best restaurants Caloundra has to offer. Proximity: Across from patrolled Dicky Beach, on-site dining and shopping. Phone: 07 5491 9038 E: info@portobellobythesea.com.au www.portobellobythesea.com.au
Caloundra Holiday Centre has been assisting holidaymakers find their perfect Sunshine Coast getaway for over 25 years. We offer one of the largest portfolios of holiday accommodation in Caloundra, consisting of a great choice of budget to luxury self contained units and houses at all beaches. With family friendly prices and seniors’ discounts available, we’re sure to have a property to suit your needs at a competitive price. Our friendly and experienced staff can assist you with finding your perfect beach break! Request our free colour brochure and price list today! Phone: 07 5491 5444 E: info@caloundraholidaycentre.com.au www.caloundraholidaycentre.com.au From $340 per week, low season
CALOUNDRA DICKY BEACH BEACHHOUSE 39 Wilson Avenue, DICKY BEACH Absolute beachfront and pet-friendly. This is an amazing 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom beachhouse located on the water, right between Moffat and Dicky Beach. Close to restaurants and surfclubs. Proximity: 1 minute to the beach Phone: 07 5491 1688 Email: contact@jimlilley.com www.jimlilley.com From $800 per week (off season)
From $325 for two nights.
SEACREST APARTMENTS Unit 1 or 2/24 Queen of Colonies Pde, MOFFAT BEACH
The ocean views from both these units are simply stunning. Experience a true beach holiday staying in these two bedroom, two bathroom beautifully furnished apartments. Walk across the road to the beach, parks and cafes. Proximity: 1 minute to beach and cafes Phone: 07 5491 1688 Fax: 07 5491 5799 E: contact@jimlilley.com www.jimlilley.com From $600 per week off peak
CALOUNDRA BACKPACKERS 84 Omrah Avenue, CALOUNDRA Caloundra Backpackers is centrally located, just minutes from the surf at Happy Valley and Kings Beach. Plenty of shops nearby and a great skatebowl. Guests can enjoy our kitchens, cheap internet, free skateboards, surfboards, bodyboards, fishing rods and bicycles. Free daily activities including stand up paddling at Currimundi lake. Mention ad and get $5 off first night.
ESTORIL ON MOFFAT 38 Mcllwraith St, MOFFAT BEACH Located on Moffat Headland, Estoril faces directly north overlooking the spectacular coastline of Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. Fully self-contained units with ocean views from every room. Unwind, relax and breathe the sea air. Proximity: 200m walk to Moffat Beach and alfresco dining, 2km to Caloundra shopping precinct
RYDGES OASIS RESORT Landsborough Parade, CALOUNDRA Rydges Oasis Sunshine Coast is located on the southern tip of Caloundra, metres from the clear ocean waters of Golden Beach. This relaxed resort is set amongst 10 acres of landscaped palm gardens with the main restaurant, Reflections at Golden Beach, surrounded by a tranquil waterlily filled lagoon. Rydges Oasis Sunshine Coast provides guests with a variety of accommodation styles and an extensive array of Resort facilities .
Proximity: Minutes from the surf at Happy Valley and Kings Beach Telephone: 07 5499 7655 www.caloundracitybackpackers.com.au Dorm rates start at $28. Our doubles with ensuite are $65 per night.
Phone: 07 5491 5988 Fax: 07 5491 5799 Email: estoril@caloundra.net www.estoril.com.au
Proximity: Metres to Golden Beach and minutes to Bulcock Street Telephone: 07 5491 0333 E: reservations_caloundra@rydges.com www.rydges.com/hotel/RQOASI/ Rydges-Oasis-Resort-Caloundra.htm
From $120 per room per night
From $99 per night
TV
gym
laundry
kitchen
parking
wi-fi
pool
refrigerator
MOFFAT BEACH BEACHHOUSE 24 Bryce Street, MOFFAT BEACH This two bedroom holiday home is the ideal spot for surfers and families! Set in shady gardens, it overlooks the park in Moffat Beach and is a very short walk to the beach and cafes. It’s pet friendly, has a swimming pool and is decked out with new furniture and appliances. Proximity: 1 minute to beach and cafes Phone: 07 5491 1688 Email: contact@jimlilley.com www.jimlilley.com From $650 per week (off season)
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Kings Beach Photo: Bruce Levick www.brucelevick.com
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THE FOOD Hands down the best food on the entire Sunshine Coast can be found at a tiny little establishment at Dicky Beach called Gautama. The main man is Damien Bourke and he is always there, so you know the food will be good. Every single person I have sent there, without fail, has come out absolutely amazed, raving about how good the food is. If you are in town, you have to visit.
“Once you dry off after a surf hit Cafe By The Beach at Moffats, the Banana Pancakes are legendary and the coffee and brekkie menu is all time. If it’s the arvo session, hit the Dicky Beach SLSC which has great views back to Moffats and nice cold XXXX on tap with great meals and good service.” Jamie Willems
As far as picturesque spots to dine go with a nice cool vibe you can’t go past Saltwater at Kings. You’re right on the beach, its relaxed and the food is good. It’s our favourite spot for a special family outing, or when I get together with some mates for our annual Christmas lunch, sharing lots of laughs and beers. The restaurant’s position also means it is not too hard on the eye.
“For the best feed in town that’s tasty, healthy and yummy and well you get the picture…. Go to Café By The Beach – Moffat Beach!” David Scard
For breaky, I’m a fan of Sunny’s at Moffats. About one hundred metres from the beach. Good food, good service, well presented and you can check out the surf over a coffee. Other favourites include the Caloundra SLSC. On the beach at Kings, the club is old and rustic and oozes character. It’s good on the wallet and the seafood is fresh. Dicky Beach SLSC is also great for families. The meals are affordable and served quick, which is just what you want with kids in tow. Finally, Diabolos - one of the best pizzas you will ever have and afavourite haunt of locals. Homemade, wood-fired pizzas with super-fresh ingredients. You have to try the Currimundi.
“The restaurant my family and I love is in heart of Caloundra, just off Bulcock Street on Otranto Ave. It is called Villa Tango and serves up some of the best food around be it breakfast or dinner. Joesph and Mary Al-halaby own and run this restaurant and always greet you with a smile and a kind word. My three year old son would live on the tortellini if he was allowed.” Paul Woodbury “Cafe by the Beach serves up the best Eggs Moffadict for the after surf munchies. Saltwater @ Kings makes the perfect early morning coffee where you can sit and watch the mayhem of Barry and Larry butt heads out on the waves.” Marcus Lane
The Reef off Neill Street, Dicky Beach Photo: Peter Jackson 68
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GETTING HERE The Pacific Highway is the best choice getting here by car. With the recent upgrades the route is just about as quick as the inland options of the New England Highway and Newell Highway but nowhere near as boring. You can check out great coastal towns along the way and they make good stop-off or stopover points. That said, it is hard to beat flying straight into the Sunshine Coast, particularly with airfares to the region so cheap. Virgin, Jetstar and Tiger all fly into Sunshine Coast Airport, also referred to as Maroochydore. It is only half an hour’s drive from Caloundra as opposed to Brisbane Airport, which is twice the distance. Tiger Airways only fly once a day out of Melbourne to the Sunshine Coast. No direct flights are available out of Sydney. Virgin Blue fly out of Melbourne once a day and Sydney twice a day.
DRIVE TIMES FROM CALOUNDRA AROUND SOUTH EAST QUEENSLAND Sunshine Coast Airport Brisbane Airport Brisbane City Centre Mooloolaba Noosa Maleny Hervey Bay Fraser Island - via beach Glass House Mountains Gold Coast
35 mins 1 hour 1 hr 15 25 mins 1 hour 35 mins 2 hrs 45 2 hrs 15 30 mins 2 hours
SO COME AND VISIT... Caloundra is relaxed, family orientated, affordable and is not the least bit pretentious. Better still, there is a variety of fun waves to be had no matter what the conditions. And that’s what locals such as myself love about the place. It’s home.
Jetstar fly out of Melbourne twice a day and Sydney four times a day.
To live the Sunshine Coast lifestyle, Speak to the experts.
Buying, Investing & Property Letting
www.raywhitelifestyle.com Ground Floor, 9 Nicklin Way, Minyama QLD 4575 Email info@raywhitelifestyle.com | Phone 07 5458 5777 Fax 07 5458 5788 | Property Management 0447 447 445
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TRAVEL: PLANE TRIP 70
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Finding peace in the WORDS: GRANT SHANKSTER PHOTOS: WORLD SURFARIS
Pacific
Combining the surf trip and the family holiday has been a problem ever since man took the plank into the water. Non-surfing partners grudgingly allow the family holiday to coincide with a surf trip which often ends in a sweaty car drive, back seat squabbling and long periods of silence. In fact, finding a solution to a family and surf holiday that keeps everyone happy should have its own Nobel Peace Prize category. Peaceful Samoa might just be the solution. And you won’t have to take out a second mortgage either.
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TRAVEL: PLANE TRIP
a v a l a f o l a T
! a o m a S
‘Welcome to Samoa,’ the unspoilt land of the coconut, the happy local, the uncrowded wave and a place of tranquil balance. Samoa will have every member of the family relaxed, entertained or just generally ‘holidayed’ out as required, but best yet, Samoa offers the rare treat of the guilt-free surf. A welcome break from theme parks, Hollywood must-sees and excessively overcrowded destinations that fall dismally short of the brochure pictures. Two green blobs jutting out from the South Pacific provide the perfect get away that capture amazing surf all year round and deliver more than adequately for non-surfers. Lying on the other side on the international date line you arrive before you left, so technically you travel back in time. Similarly, when embarking on your Samoan voyage, it’s as if you’ve stepped into another era - one without all the unnecessary complexities that absorb your life back home. It’s just a simple and beautiful place that holds dear customs and respect, which translate into a sincere and genuine experience for any traveller. A backdrop of lush rainforest, climbing over mountains littered with waterfalls and hidden scenic treasures will steal your breath away. The beauty of the place is best glimpsed from one of the many world class line ups that surround Samoa. When in the surf waiting for the next peeler, you can easily see a prehistoric world cascading down the mountains before ending abruptly on black, volcanic rock. Then the reef presents an abundance of living coral, thriving under deep blue, crystalline waters. The whole experience is amplified by the realisation that the line up is virtually empty... Bliss. What of the family? There’s loads to do. Samoa provides a rich cultural and historical background that’s easy to lose yourself in. Visit the Robert Louis Stevenson museum, walk through twisted metal relics from World War II occupancy, or experience a wellmaintained, traditional Samoa that has by no means sold out to tourism. Activities like kayaking, trekking, snorkelling in the underwater wonderland of circling lagoons, swimming and relaxing and loads more keeps the most energetic and even the most lethargic of family members in a state of tropical bliss. Like always, it’s the people that make the place, and the Samoans are an amazing bunch - a friendly and religious people with a deep-seated respect for the Samoan way of life. These people provide a genuine and overwhelming warmth of hospitality that suits their tropical home to a tee.
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Second Left Picture perfect memories
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Famous locals: AGGIE GREY
...started cooking hamburgers and the like during World War II when US soldiers were based in the South Pacific. The half-Scottish and half-Samoan Aggie Grey is believed to be the inspiration for the character ‘Bloody Mary’ in James Micheners Tales of the South Pacific. She successfully started operating a hotel in Apia which has since developed into a small franchise and is still in operation today. And you can still get one of the famous hamburgers made to the traditional Aggie Grey recipe.
ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON
The famous author of Treasure Island and Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde retired to Samoa after sailing through the South Pacific in the late 19th century. He set up camp in Upolu Island after falling in love with the Samoan way of life. He worked alongside the local Matai’s to develop the community and assisted liaisons with foreign governors. Having won the respect of the people, he was honoured by the community after his death. His museum in Apia is one that both adults and children will enjoy.
JON LONG
Resident surf guide and quasi-local Jon Long has been integrated into the Samoan lifestyle and has as much knowledge of the regions surf as any local. Several years as resident surf guide has armed Jon with an almost mystical ability to predict swell and winds to make sure you get to the right spot on any given day. Jon is currently at Sa’Moana Resort on Upolu Island.
Ti’Avea: A stunning backdrop to a stunning wave
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TRAVEL: PLANE TRIP
Surf breaks
Samoa is littered with surf breaks, the majority of which are reef breaks over living coral, with the occasional point like Boulders and one or two rivermouth breaks. A surf guide is a must to get the most out of surfing Samoa as they will know the right reef passes and breaks that will be firing in the right conditions.
Mystic’s? It sure feels that way
acts F t s a F Water temperature is 26°c -28°c, making it an all year round Polynesian Paradise, perfect for plenty of fun in the water.
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Samoa is located in the South Pacific, northeast of Fiji and just under 6 hours from the east coast of Australia. Samoa - formerly Western Samoa - is made up of the islands Upolu and Savai’i.
Uplou and Savai’i gained independence from New Zealand in the early 60’s. Further to the southeast you’ll find American Samoa (Considered US territory).
Samoa is smaller and lesser known than its high-profile neighbours of Fiji, Vanuatu and Tahiti, making it a bit of hidden gem when compared to the more mainstream stays.
The bigger the better – Samoans believe that a big body is beautiful, as it symbolises prosperity.
Famous author Robert Louis Stevenson retired to Samoa after travelling extensively through the Pacific.
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Conditions Bottom: Reef, living coral with sand patches Break: Left, rights, points and reef passes. A-Frames and long peelers Level: Intermediate and above, confidence is key to having a good surf at Samoa Best Conditions: Fuller tides, optimum wind conditions vary depending on the time of year. Winter (April – Oct) south swell with north winds or light SE. Summer (Oct – April) north marching swells with southern winds or light NW. Best when: All year round, catching south marching swells during winter and northern swells in the summer Board: Short or long, depending on break and conditions. Waves can be found for both styles of surfing. Steep drops, hollow barrels and long cruisy lines take your pick and speak up on the day to get the most out of your visit. Crowd factor: It is common to encounter other surfers when surfing at the better known breaks (easily accessible) of Boulders, Coconuts and Siumu’s. Conditions could rarely be described as crowded, however at the lesser known spots which may be difficult to access, you will usually just surf with the people you are travelling with. Surfing is a relatively new sport for Samoa, so the surfing community is still on the rise but by no means will overcrowding be an issue. Hazards: Rocks and reef always present a potentially nasty obstacle for the unaware. Booties are a handy extra, but aren’t always necessary. Just be mindful and surf within your limits. Getting to know the wave and being picky in the line up will be better than any safety wear.
Fa’a Samoa Fa’a Samoa - the Samoan way - is an amazing way of life that is the heart and soul of every Samoan. It’s a very traditional system of behaviour and responsibilities that spell out each person’s relationship to one another, and to people in authority known as Matai’s. Fa’a Samoa is more than just a code of conduct though. Breaches can have dire consequences. Certain customs and rules have to be
observed when in Samoa. But when shown, respect is returned, which again shows how genuine and loving the Samoan people actually are. The Samoans are very protective of their lands and their way of life, and as such the Matai’s have a say in geo-political matters. This has resulted in bigger tourism chains not gaining a foothold to build on the islands, leading to a more sustainable and sincere experience.
Nature all around Samoa’s countryside is a dreamscape for the adventurous, with rolling hills and mountains covered in dense rainforest and shores of black volcanic rock. The scenery is almost prehistoric. When surfing, it’s easy to start imaging dinosaurs roaming through the jungle (well the kid in you will anyway). By far the best way to experience this tropical wonderland is to hike through the dense jungle and mountain forests. Tours are available as an optional extra with some resorts (enquire when booking) and they may be able to set you up with a guide. The dense jungle is dotted with cascading waterfalls and awe-inspiring scenery. The walks require a moderate level of fitness, but your efforts are well rewarded.
Mus
t D o:
• Surf (the obvious) • Robert Louis Stevenson Tour (AU$50) • Guided kayaking and snorkelling • Wander Apia the nations capital • The Ocean Trenches. Visit secluded beaches, snorkel deep ocean trenches, swim through lava caves and water holes. (Sa’Moana resort guests only) • Traditional Samoan culture show - Kava, food and dancing • Fishing, celebrate the marine life at Samoa by trying to catch it • Trek and hike on one of the many nature trails
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to stay e r e h W There is an array of accommodation options in Samoa ranging from budget to top-end, which could see you paying as little as $50 per person per night in Apia for basic accommodation, up to $300+ per person per night for something more luxurious. Booking ahead is highly recommended. Recommend is the Sa’Moana Resort, as it offers the perfect balance for the surf enthusiast and any non-surfing partners. It’s especially great for the family holiday and a great option for surfers wishing to marry the family holiday with a surf trip. It’s guaranteed to keep all parties happy - wives, husbands and kids. A huge range of activities and great surf options with guided surf tours will ensure happy surfers. Great food, facilities and stacks of things to do will see everyone in the family very happy, well fed and entertained. Priced from A$88 pp per night, including breakfast, Sa’Moana comes in at real bargain - one which is as genuine as the Samoan people themselves. Take a surf trip in the morning, go for a snorkel with the kids, then kayak the lagoon or relax by the pool overlooking the reef break... What more could you want when combining the family holiday with the ultimate surf trip? – Talofa Lava Samoa
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KNOW YOUR FINS
Fins substantially alter the feel, speed, stability, drive and maneuverability of your surfboard. Here are some essential things to know:
GUEST SHAPER, TAILS IT IS! WITH PAUL CARSON OF THE FACTORY Most people who want volume in their board are after paddling power. So the volume should be focused under their chest, not in the tail. By getting the volume out of the tail, you are dropping it further into the water, delivering more drive and speed. Too much volume and subsequent floatation in the tail increases the risk of your board skipping out in bigger surf. In point breaks, where you have a lot of wave face, you don’t want your tail to slide. You want that part of your board in the wave, not sitting on top of it. It’s true that tail volume delivers lift, enhancing the manoeuvrability of your board and giving it that ‘loose’ feel, which is why fishes have a wide tail line. However, an alternative to a wide tail is to use concaves and channels. The boards of the seventies and eighties featured six straight channels, but back then we didn’t know much about concaves. As such, the boards generated great speed but tended to track and be quite directional – a feeling not dissimilar to being stuck on a train track. What I have been shaping lately is four channels with a big concave through the bottom, rather than combining a vee with your six straight channels. The concave carries right through the tail with the deepest part of it right at the tail. This delivers tail lift through the centre of the board without the need for a wide rail line, so you have manoeuvrability without any loss of speed.
Another way of reducing the volume in the tail is via a small scoop I take out of the final few inches on the deck. Again the premise is to ensure the tail is not sitting on top of the water. A lot of people think a really wide tail is going to loosen the board up, but if you are not a big person, having that big wide tail means your board is going to sit flat in the water and consequently it will feel stiffer and a lot harder to turn. Tail designs such as rounded pins are often perceived as solely big wave boards. But the reality is that rounded pins can be looser than any swallow tail or anything else you have ever surfed because it eliminates that area in the tail where you don’t really need it. A lot of people find surfing a little rounded pin, jelly bean size board to be exceptionally loose. They are particularly great if you’re not a big person. Paul Carson has been shaping surfboards in the Caloundra area since 1976, first under the Free Fluid label and then later as The Factory from 1993.
INSIDE... FEELING A BIT FINNY P78 BRAND NEW BOARDS P83
TEST EVERYTHING! P90
Short, long and longer... Everything from Simmons to SUPs, there are some great new shapes and designs from our talented local surfboard makers.
DEPTH The longer or deeper the fin, the more hold and stability but harder it is to turn. The smaller the fin, the looser your board will be. BASE (bottom 2/3 of your fin attached to your board) a wider base gives you more drive and speed. The stiffer the base, the more hold you have in turns. AREA Base and depth of the fin contribute to the overall area of a fin. The area of your fin needs to be matched to the rider and the board. The lighter the rider the less area required. The wider the board’s tail (ie fishes) the more area required. FIN TIP (top 1/3) Some flex will allow smoother turns and release when exiting turns. More tip, more hold. RAKE The distance between the trailing edge of the fin base and the fin tip. This is the swept back characteristic of the fin. The more rake or laidback your fin, the more you can draw out your turns. UPRIGHT FINS with little or no rake allow you to turn your board tightly FOIL The horizontal curve of the fin. The middle potion of the fin is usually thickest and the outer edges the thinnest. Some fins are flat on one side and foiled on the other (usually side fins). Others are foiled on either side (center fins). The more pronounced the foil, the more lift it provides but the more drag it creates, slowing the board down. FIN ADJUSTMENTS With regards to fin placement it is important to remember, every action has an equal and opposite reaction. The looser or more maneuverable your board, the less drive or speed. The faster you make the board, the stiffer it becomes. FORWARD will loosen the board. Too far forward and you risk spinning out. BACK delivers stability but is harder to turn. Best for noseriders or logs. TOE The angle of the fin in relation to the stringer. Most side fins can be described as toe-in, meaning that the front of the fin is turned in closer to the stringer. Toe-in makes your board more responsive. Toe-out increases speed. CANT OR SPLAY is how much your fin is leaning to one side. A fin that sticks straight up has no cant. Canted fins point outwards toward the rails increasing responsive through turns. Increasing cant (bringing it closer to 90°) makes the board faster. 77
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GEAR: BEYOND
T A H W S E I H L T A E N E B US MOST OF TIONS, TO N A N R A C IN CHAPMA PIRED RE
& MARK IA INS SS ON ALA S. WORDS: DAVE SWAN O SLIDE A D T R G A O IN B S O R , CHO TH OU TOGETHER LIE BENEA G FINS ALL F HARDWARE THAT IN T C E J E R ARE ITS O ORTANT B RS TODAY ME SURFE E OF THE MOST IMP WHILE SO ON L REMAIN THEY STIL
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Let’s face it: fins give us direction, drive, speed and maneuverability – kind of important when you are surfing. With that said, aside from the serious surfer, many of us possibly don’t give fins enough thought. Just as surfboard design is going through a renaissance of former shapes and innovative new approaches to design and construction, so too are fins. Now our main endeavour at smorgasboarder is to encourage our readers to embrace new designs, new technologies, new surfboard construction methods, and new ways of doing all manner of things in relation to surfing. From differing surf craft, waxes, leggies, fins, no fins... you name it – that is what smorgasboarding is all about. Ride anything and everything and have fun. The true smorgasboarder has an adventurous spirit. And with that in mind, in this edition we talk fins. There are all manner of fins now available and in this feature we actually set out to showcase them all. We failed miserably. There are so many brands now, so many models, so many different shapes and methods of construction for every imaginable board and every kind of surfer. So here are... a few. And rest assured we’ll continue our quest in coming editions and make this a regular feature as we work our way through the mountain of systems, options, designs and ideas, because fins are just so fascinating. And as our reader, you need to know what lies beneath.
POPULAR FIN SYSTEMs FCS
Futures
By far the most popular system on the market and the one by which every other manufacturer is measured. Every surfer on the planet is familiar with the FCS system and their range is massive, as is their market domination. Essentially, the fins are secured into slots set into the board with a plug that fits flush with the bottom. Chop and change, install, remove - that’s the idea.
The full base of the fin locks into the board with a notch at the tail end to hold it solid. Fins are fastened with one single screw, while a flange within the fin box delivers added strength to the fin base. The more rigid the base, the more the fin replicates the feel of a glassed-on fin. The system itself is reputed to be one of the lightest and strongest going around.
Being a standard, there are plenty of companies doing FCS compatible fins out there, which is handy for choice.
Shapers S-Plug
Speeedfins These are described as ‘active’ fins. The back half of a the fin is free from the board and moves in response to the water pressure. The trailing edge of the fin moves as you turn, reportedly resulting in more speed, more drive and acceleration off your turns. The principle behind it is to keep as much smooth water in contact with both sides of each foil to reduce cavitation (water turbulence) trailing off the fin, and in doing so reduce drag.
Brand new, so worth a mention, because this is a newly released strengthened fin plug system that evenly distributes the force exerted on the plugs whilst the plug’s top and bottom flange stop it from rotating, pulling out or pushing into the foam. The plug itself consumes less board area than many other systems.
Fin facts Over half of all surfing injuries are caused by fins. We should know. Mark’s reworked the webbing in between in his fingers so he can do the Mork from Ork hand shake all the more easier and, keen to resemble the Joker out of Batman, I decided to punch a nice big 9”fin through my cheek so it joined with the corner of my mouth.
Fin exploration throughout the years has incorporated hollow fins, tunnel fins, tubed fins, V-shaped butterfly fins, boomerang fins and super flexy fins to name but a few.
In terms of fin shapes there are countless designs and too many to mention. Aside from your standard fin there are traditional D fins and then there’s bonzers, keels, Foilz, star fins, hatchet fins, fatboys, cutaways, upright fins (ala Wavegrinder), McCoy Gull Wing fins, turbo tunnels, stonefish skegs, Greenough inspired fins and even fins designed to tackle thick bull kelp to stop you from face planting when you come in contact.
Removable fins are also very versatile particularly when camping. They can be used to open beers, as rudimentary knives, miniature plates and some forms can even be used as makeshift boomerangs to ward off vermin.
y S-Plugs and the ver h alt Ste s per Sha l coo S-Drive Fins jan/feb 2011
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Innovation. It’s how we move forward. Here are a few different takes on fins, which try and help you move forward even better and faster in the surf. Being in a state of constant progression, fin technology and development is a vital part of improving our overall surfing experience. Have you tried something new under your board yet?
Photo: Andrew Shield
er Foilz rid ms ie Z Corey off... m e shows th
ular section 5 degree plan
FOILZ Developed on the Gold Coast of Queensland, the idea behind these very different looking fins is to create lift to have less water friction and drag,which means more speed. So essentially, the fins act like a hydrofoil. What makes this lift possible is the planular section midway along the fin, which creates force to raise the surfboard up to reduce the drag. The design also allows flex in the fin tips to give load and release off the bottom turn, creating more drive and speed. It’s kind of like how a good golf driving wood whips when you bring it back down from above your head towards the ball. The tips of the fins sit closer to the rails, whilst the bases are closer to the centre of the board. This enables the surfer to experience a looser feel at the crest of the wave. But, really, the main objective of Foilz is really to give you that bit of extra speed, so you can do more on a wave and make it across sections you never imagined. A big positive for Foilz is that they’re environmentally friendly - designed and manufactured in Australia from fully recyclable material. Nice one. At this point, Foilz - which retail at only $89 per set - come as FCS-compatible or glass-ins and are recommended for boards with a wider tail. “We have found that the bigger tail area gets a greater response, but it also depends on the style of surfing and surfer’s experience,” says Simon Francis of Foilz.
As far as trying new technology goes, this is a pretty affordable option. For more detailed information, video and the online store, visit: www.foilzfins.com 80
THE TEST RUN
Paul Woodbry on one of his Woody creations
with Dave
These fins create a great deal more speed than what I’m accustomed to with my surfing. I have more speed down the face and more power through my turns. I’ve tried them on several boards in varying conditions and without doubt, they’ve definitely made each board go faster. I’ve trialed the fins predominantly on the Sunshine and Gold Coast, as well as northern NSW. Foilz suit these waves unbelievably well. I was quite surprised, when surfing larger waves down south, how much they held on a steep face. I expected them to skip out, but they didn’t. We all use different boards for different conditions. So too we should use different fin setups and designs. With that said, Foilz are worthy of becoming part of your fin quiver and it won’t break the bank to try them out. When trialing new technologies, it’s important to consider a range of opinions and most importantly, trying it for yourself. So, get a set, give them a go and see what you think.
“I put the fins in my newly designed fish that was not quite working the way I had in mind. They instantly gave the board the spark that I had been chasing in really small waves. I changed the rear fin a few times, each time getting a different feel but still positive each time. Surfed that fish in 4’ and was so surprised when it didn’t spin out but just accelerated out of turns and passed most sections whilst still having full control.” Paul Woodbry, Woody Surf Designs
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WAVE
GRINDER
winglets
foil-section shaped tip
low taper ratio
high aspect ratio planform
NASA 0012 foil section
rounded on nose secti
low k sweepbac angle forwardly fin projecting root
4WFS Take control and totally customise your fin setup
4WFS - or Four Way Fin System - focuses on the ability to tweak and adjust your fins to suit you, your board and conditions. While they produce high-quality fins - comparable in quality to any others out there - it’s actually the fin-box, or rather system of pots with interchangeable discs that is really exciting and unique. These discs allow you to adjust all options of fin placement the toe, cant and alignment - to tweak the speed, stability and manoeuvrability of your board. Once the pots are installed, you can mix and match discs, foils and adjust till the cows come home. There are limitless possibilities to the options available. A great additional feature is the built in impact protector. If you smash into something, the fins snap out of the disc without damage to the box or board. You might lose a fin, but save yourself costly repairs.
cutaway
rip This extra st protects your fin board from damage
“Generally speaking the Wavegrinder creates more speed because you have less drag. It is a fin designed for greater efficiency. The winglets stop fin tip vortex, which is essentially drag.
Discs f or adjustin g splay
With a normal fin, water will wrap around the tip of the fin then come off the back in a swirling motion creating a vortex. The Wavegrinder stops that fin tip vortex and increases the efficiency of the fin by about 30%.” Murray Ceff, Australian Agent for Wavegrinder Wavegrinder has been around for a few years now, but still certainly stands out when compared to existing surfboard fins in terms of its design. However, compared to the technology employed in boats, planes, submarines and race car spoilers, the concept is not that unusual at all. 9.25 inches in height and 30 square inches in surface area, the fin is made of Lexan, a polycarbonate used in bulletproof glass and other applications requiring great strength. The therory behind the design is that fins create lift but also create drag. You want minimal drag for maximum lift. A more upright fin with winglets creates less drag, which means more paddling speed, so it’s easier to catch waves and your board moves faster through sections. Speed is also always a consideration. Wavegrinder is designed so you can make short-radius turns with a lesser likelihood of stalling on the wave. This means more seamless turns and faster acceleration. The fin - which retails at $77 - has more commonly been seen in performance longboards but is increasingly now being used on stand up paddle boards, and a smaller shortboard thruster version is also available for $33. Wavegrinder fits standard fin boxes. Because it’s upright, it’s best to move it two inches further back than you would your normal fin, where the centre of a traditional raked fin would be.
For more information on the fins, video and online specials see www.boardsandwetties.com.au or call 0404 357 137. The Wavegrinder 5.5 fin for thrusters
“No two surfboards are ever the same,” says Maike of 4WFS. “That’s where our system comes in - to let you do fine tweaking until you are 100% happy with the performance.” fin Move for back ity stabil
... Splay or out f in g, turnin ed e p s r o f
Toe... in for turning, out for speed
On the cost side, the system is surprisingly affordable for anyone looking to experiment a little. For around the same cost as your standard systems you can have these installed, choose from a full range of foils - entry level to professional - and then further expand your range of possibilities for less than $10 per disc. “After surfing that first board and feeling the amount the fins changed the boards’ performance, just by changing the cant… That was it for me. They went into every board of mine from that point on.” Jed Done, Bushrat Surfboards
There’s a lot more tech stuff we just couldn’t fit in, so for video, detailed information and plenty more, see:
www.4wfs.com jan/feb 2011
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F
ID IN E NY A S
POWERBASE
Powerbase Fins are designed to replicate the feel and performance of glassedin fins with the convenience of being able to remove or adjust the fins. “80% of the guys on the circuit use glassed-on fins. Not for convenience, because they are an absolute nightmare to travel with and they all get smashed out on a plane. But the pro surfers cop all that because of the performance of a glassed-on fin.” Dave Byrne, Powerbase Fins
security • convenience • peace of mind
Although ten years of development went into the fins, it all started with an accidental discovery. In an attempt to remove specially glassed in fins from a Surftech board, Dave kicked them out and found the glass rovings (base) which join the fin to the board remained intact. Incorporating this base into his design, Dave made his first Powerbase prototypes. What makes a Powerbase fin different is the recreation of the base found in glass on fins, fused on a standard removable fin. The secured base allows the fin to flex through its foil and the energy developed through a turn is directed back though the bottom surface of the surfboard. The desired result of this greater stability in the fin is the surfer feels more power and control.
Check this out!!
Surf Lock is a durable, secure place to store your car key or immobiliser ®
“No matter how tight you try to screw a standard plug-in fin into a board it will wobble.” says Dave. ”The screws eventually bury themselves into the material and the fin will eventually work its way loose. So when you go through a turn, the whole fin moves and recreates a feeling similar to when you car steering is out of kilter.”
Key Security Combination Padlock
Available at selected surf stores – also online!
www.surflock.com.au
Powerbase fins are designed so that the screws apply downward pressure pushing the base of the fin and its flange to sit flush with the bottom of the board. “You don’t want a fin to flex at the base. The driving part of the fin is preferably rigid, just like a glassed-in fin. You only want the tip to flex.”
www.boardbog.com
An Instant temporary repair, don’t get caught with out it!
Temporary Board Repair. Formulated to never fully harden for easy removal
The undercut design combined with downward pressure allows the fin base to sit tightly onto the board.
Designed screw receiver allows downward force to anchor the fin in solidly
Flex in the tip
Fully foiled leading edge ... The base hat w is is h T bout. it’s all a
“An innovation in board repair”
These locally designed and manufacturered fins are available in four different fin shapes and two different materials – one designed for large surf and another for smaller waves. For more information, see www.powerbasefins.com.au
www.boardbog.com Phone. 07 5536 5990 KNEAD IT FOR...
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CRACKED RAIL
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SNAPPED NOSE
TAIL DING
TELL US ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH FINS. GOOD MEMORIES, BAD LUCK, FIN CHOPS, BOARD DAMAGE, HAPPY TALES... WE WANT TO HEAR ABOUT IT. letters@smorgasboarder.com.au
s More fin n! io it d e next
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Vortex
by
P Ed Sinnott/ES
Shaper: Ed Sinnott Dimensions: 5’9 x 19 ¼ x 2 3/8” Ideal conditions: Anything up the 6’ Suits: Anybody Description: This is a combination of all my old single fin and twinfin templates combined with new school bottom curves and rails. The result is a sensational hybrid that flys. Flat entry, deep vortex concave, razor edges and wet and dry finish. Construction: Burford/ South Coast PU blanks, Silmar polyester resin, Colan and Surf Nine glass. This combination has stood the test of time. I love the flex. Fins: Thruster Shaper comment: Surfboard design has gone the full circle now. We’ve got boards that make so called normal 6’1’’ boards look like guns. Go smaller, thicker and wider. Yew!
ESP SURFBOARDS 2/81 Centennial Circuit Byron Bay, NSW Ph: 0404 059 321 espsurfboards.com www.edsinnott.com.au
GEAR: BOARDS
The Afends team are enjoying these in Bali and at home.
The Sdehrgorrotunyd Blues BOuDster n C by U
Shaper: Jason Jameson Dimensions: 6” x 18 ¼ x 2 3/16” Ideal conditions: 2 - 5ft Ability level: Novice to pro Suits: 60 to 90 kg Description: These boards are suitable for all conditions,they have a higher tail rocker which makes it easier to surf in the pocket.Single to double concave for plenty of squirt. Construction: Polyester resin and fiberglass. PU blank. Fins: FCS or set fins Shaper comment: This board dramatically improves your surfing. Great all rounder, definitely one for the quiver. Tyler Wright took out the Sunset Pro on one of these and it is her favourite model.
UNDERGROUND SURF 3/31 McLean St, Coolangatta, QLD 4225 Ph: 07 5599 1040 kirra@undergroundsurf.com.au
undergroundsurf.com.au
by
Shaper: Paul Uscinski Dimensions: 6’2” x 19 13/16 ” x 2 9/16 ” or customized to suit Ideal conditions: 1 - 6ft Ability level: Beg to adv Description: Heaps of drive and stability. Very maneuverable due to slightly more tail lift and responsive using a combination of a smooth rocker entry with single concave, flowing to double concave to vee in the tail. Extra drive and release of double flyers and swallow tail. Balanced thickness and accurate foil for a high performance feel. Construction: Hand shaped PU foam and polyester resins, 6 or 4 oz glass. Fins: 5-fin FCS system for quad, thruster or 5 fin setup Shaper comment: Well balanced board for confidence in a wide range of surf conditions. Get up and plane quickly so you can catch heaps of waves. Supa fun!! 100% satisfaction guaranteed.
COD SURFBOARDS 25 Kestrel Court Victoria Point, QLD 4165 Ph: 0415 722 891 paul@codsurfing.com.au www.codsurfing.com.au
Phanthorims GDarereluttxe by C
Shaper: Chris Garrett Dimensions: 6’3” x 18 5/8”x 2 3/8“ Ideal conditions: 2-5ft Ability level: Int. to adv. Suits: Billy... This is James “Billy” Watson’s board. He weighs about about 85 kgs. Description: Flatter nose rocker leading into a single concave, through a double concave and exhausting to a vee behind the back fin. Rocker is nice and even, and accelerates from a broad sweet spot between the feet and out the tail. Construction: This one is good old PU foam under polyester resin, fibreglass cloth with a carbon fibre toe and heel patch. Same old stuff that’s been around for yonks.... Tried and trusted. Fins: Usually a thruster. Bill rides for Futures so this one has Futures in it. Shaper comment: This is a high performance board for when you’re serious about having fun in good waves. Fast, reactive and forgiving, it pushes you to surf beyond your ability and makes you want to surf more often...Isn’t that what it’s all about?
CHRIS GARRETT/ PHANTOM SURFBOARDS Ph: 0424 450 690 blabla@chrisgarrettshapes.com.au
chrisgarrettshapes.com.au
Custom Botarodry by The Fac Shaper: Paul Carson Dimensions: 6’8” x 20” x 2 9/16” Ideal conditions: 2 - 6ft Suits: Anyone Description: Fairly deep single concave running through to short single channel about 10 to 11 inches in from the tail for extra lift and squirt off the bottom Construction: Burford blank Hexcel glass and Silmar resin Fins: Shapers Stealth Mach 50 Shaper comment: Been doing a few of this style in all lengths. Suits anyone used to volume in short boards like fishes but who want a board for bigger waves or Indo.
THE FACTORY SURFBOARDS CALOUNDRA 17 Allen Street Caloundra QLD 4551 Ph: 07 5492 5838 jan/feb 2011
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GEAR: BOARDS
Order onlin the RMS e- e at st or call direcore t.
ourmfbboards The Parabolic Ty DheArcB S y b by EyeShapes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1mv_8R9ae0 check this just for fun!
’
84
Shaper: Stuart D’Arcy Dimensions: 5’8” x 20 ½”x 2 3/8” Ideal conditions: 1 - 3ft Designed for: All-round surfer, intermediate to pro Description: Boxy rails and a fast rocker, this board has a deep single to double concave with vee, and sports a double flyer swallow tail. Construction: Burford PU Blank, French Hexcel Cloth from Seabase and Silmar resin, 4 x 4 x 4 glassing. Fins: FCS 5-fin setup for the best of both worlds Shaper comment: Made to make the most out of dismal surf conditions, you can catch more waves while maintaining performance. The a-bomb is ridden 4 - 6”shorter and 1 - 2”wider than your normal dimensions. It’s crazy how versatile the super fast and fun a-bomb design is. Put a smile on your dial. For all the info: http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=6w3zw8Ifg8M
D’ARCY SURFBOARDS 1/8 Hawker Street Currumbin, QLD, 4223 Ph: (07) 5559 5866 Fax: (07) 5559 5766 info@darcysurfboards.com
darcysurfboards.com
Shaper: Col Ladhams Dimensions: Hand shaped to your dimensions Above: 6’2” x 18 ½” x 2 3/8” Ideal conditions: 3ft + Suits: If you can do a bottom turn, it’s for you Description: We’ve replaced the centre stringer with stringers out near the rails, changing the dynamics of the board amazingly. Get speed and drive through bottom turns and cutbacks, whilst the central sensitivity allows ease of turns off the top. Construction: Handshaped Dions PU blanks, Silmar resin with 4oz JPS Ultra Fins: Futures, FCS or glass in your choice Shaper comment: I’ve been working on these for the last 8 years with great success. The guys that are riding parabolics are re-ordering parabolics. They’re all handshaped to your dimension, so give one a go.
EYESHAPES SURFBOARDS
3/44 Chard Rd, Brookvale, NSW 2100 Ph: 0403 971 072 info@eyeshapes.com.au www.eyeshapes.com.au
Broad Beresean by Div Shaper: Dave Verrall Dimensions: Custom only! Ideal conditions: Smaller to average size days Suits: A performance surfer who wants a strong, user-friendly board Description: Made with DYNOCORE™technology, incorporating a high tech fusion of fibres and foam. Construction: A fusion of four specialty fabrics combined in the right place to launch you out of turns and off lips, while remaining steady underfoot. The core is a tight beaded EPS foam without a stringer, opening the door to flex tuning with shape and fabric. Glassed with some of the most technicaly correct surfboard epoxy resin. Fins: Fin Solutions 3-in-1 plug for strength and drive Shaper comment: A lightweight, durable custom surfboard with engineered flex return creating it to feel just like a specially made pro’s board, but lasting like a surfboard should.
DIVERSE SURFBOARDS 476 Gold Coast Hwy, Tugun, QLD 4224 Ph: 07 5598 4848 dave@diversesurf.com.au diversesurf.com.au
Board) BGB (Big Guy
by DSN
Shaper: Jade Robinson Dimensions: 6’5”x19 3/8” x 2 3/8” Suits: Bigger surfers after a performance feel. Description: Semi-full soft boxed rails and hard at the tail for extra bite! Single to double concave, slightly deeper through fins to increase speed, drive and manoeuvrability. Construction: PU blank, polyester UV cure resin and Aerialite 4oz cloth. Fins: FCS set up so you can play around and get it right! Shaper comment: A bigger, performancestyled board suited for average to pumping surf conditions.
DSN SURFBOARDS/ JADE ROBINSON SHAPES 31 Rowlins Road, Gerringong NSW 2534 Ph: 02 4234 1931 M: 0402 944 672 dsnsurfboards@gmail.com
TorkpMedSo by R
Shaper: Rex Marechal Dimensions: Order 4” shorter, 1” wider, same thickness as your normal shortboard Suits: Everyone who wants to rip in smaller surf. Description: A unique bottom curve combined with double concave into spiral vee and full deck with wider outline. Uberfast take-off, stability and drive... Makes you want to surf no matter how crap. Construction: Surfblanks green lightweight foam, JPS warp, regular weave. Special UV resin mix stays white longer than normal MEKP catalyzed boards. Finish is second-to-none. Fins: 3 available in FCS (plugs/Fusion) and Futures Shaper comment: My goal was to create (and ride) a model that appeals to everyone and the “Torkpedo” is it. Never have I had such positive feedback from a model - from pros to beginners, all stoked. Old-school craftsmanship with all the latest technology.
RMS SURFBOARDS 2/125 Gavenlock Rd Tuggerah, NSW 2259 Ph: 02 4384 7757 M: 0414 378 764 rex@rmshapes.com www.rmshapes.com
jan/feb 2011
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GEAR: BOARDS “Personally my favourite shape. She is a ripper and goes great at the Southport sand pumping jetty” Goran Peko, Koma Surf
Fatby BDSasCtard Shaper: Ackers Dimensions: 6.4 x 21 x 2.7/8 and 6.7 x 22 x 3 Ideal conditions: 1ft to 6ft Ability: Beg to adv Suits: Lightweights-heavies Description: DSC’s version of a mal/mini mal, originally marked as the “mid-life crisis”. Two sizes/widths. Paddles easily, built for guys/girls who want a longboard alternative. Construction: PU foam 6oz bottom, 2x6 deck, full finish coat polish. This means resin not 2pack or wipe on Fins: Front fins plugged, rear fin boxed with FCS adapter Shaper comment: Comes rolled in the nose to a shallow concave to v in the tail, allowing easier rail to rail. More refined than the name suggest - definitely for the more discerning surfer who appreciates quality. Not a fish, a bag full of fun.
DSC SURFBOARDS Princes Highway, Narooma, NSW 2546 Ph: 0424 867 962 E: dscsufboards @optusnet.com.au
The GErogwgn by
Shaper: Andrew Wells Dimensions: 6’4 x 21 ½” x 2 9/16” Ideal conditions: Small to medium waves. Great for summer days. Ability: Fun for everyone. Suits: All levels Description: A wider nose and slightly drawn-in tail, with slightly softer rails. More forgiving through maneuvers without compromising the ride. With plenty of float, it easily skips over fat sections, maintaining speed and drive. Extra weight gives smooth flow in the water. Construction: Hollow timber construction from plantation grown Paulownia, recycled cedar. Fins: Single Shaper comment: A fun alternative board for any day. Individually hand crafted, these boards not only look great, they surf great and will give you years of enjoyment.
GROWN SURFBOARDS Lennox Head
PO Box 801, Ballina NSW 2478
Ph: 0407889049
sales@grownsurfboards.com.au
grownsurfboards.com.au
ThT&e CMSuraf Dkesoigns
by
Shaper: Bruno “The Buzz” Buzzolan Dimensions: 6’2” 20’½” 2’ ¾” Ideal conditions: ½ - 4ft. Ability level: Beginner to Pro Description: Single to double concave with vee out the tail makes this a very fast, and responsive small wave design. Construction: Polyster Resin and Burford PU Blank Fins: FCS Tri or Quad Shaper comment: Mako is the hungriest wave gobbler in the lineup, due to its voluminous planshape.
TOWN & COUNTRY SURFBOARDS 10 Acacia Street Byron Bay NSW Ph: 02 6685 7485 prosurfdesigns@tcsurf.com.au
www.tcsurf.com.au
k Water Tank M ma
2
by Ko
Shaper: Goran Peko Dimensions: 6’4’’ x 21’’ x 2 ¾” Ideal conditions: Smaller to average size days Description: A performance hybrid board with extra thickness and width for a larger, more powerful surfer. Construction: PU South Coast Foam blank, cut and shaped by hand. 4oz bottom, 2 x 4oz deck. Made to go the distance Fins: Quad or thruster. Not a 5-way set up. Shaper comment: My personal board, which is user friendly, floats up to 110kg fine and goes good in most conditions.
KOMA SURFBOARDS 112 Minnie Street Southport, QLD Ph: 0402 863 763 peko_art@hotmail.com www.komasurf.com
Above: Goran giv Water Tank a go ing the od run. jan/feb 2011
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GEAR: BOARDS
in Classic Single F
by Island
Shaper: Greg Hogan Dimensions: 6’6”x 19 ½”x 2 ½” Ideal conditions: Good, long waves of all sizes Ability level: Average to competent surfer looking for something different. Description: Rounded pin, very flat, classic plan shape with rails to match. Area located towards the nose gives good paddle and a completely different feel to your regular board. Construction: PU, glassed 6oz all over with a polished finish. Fins: Hand-foiled single glass fin. Shaper comment: Absolute classic, circa 1970’s. Paddles like a dream and will plane across the flattest of waves, yet come into its own in the good stuff. Great to really test your surfing style and ability, or simply hang on the wall.
ISLAND SURFBOARDS 147 Thompson Ave, Cowes, Phillip Island VIC Ph: 03 5952 2578 E: cowes@ islandsurfboards.com.au islandsurfboards.com.au 86
MrakRSourgfbeoarrdss
-Wing Twin Keel MFicisroh Hynd
Shaper: Ken Reimers Dimensions: 5’10” x 22” x 3” Displacement hull Conditions: Anything that moves shoreward, up to fear factor. Suits: Anybody not surfing in a modern shortboard competition. Description: Combination of late sixties surfboard designs and knowledge of modern surfboard performance. Radically domed bottom shape, balanced foil, S-Deck and 50-50 rails. Construction: “Glassed to last” 6oz bottom, 2 x 6oz decks, weight is momentum which helps with forward projection. Fins: Single flex fin with FCS side biters. (Hint: for another sensation, take out the single and put in a set of MR Twins) Shaper comment: Having these in my quiver has increased my memory of fun surfs and I thank the experimental shapers before me for their legacy.
Shaper: Doug Rogers Dimensions: 6’4” x 20” x 2 ¾” Conditions: 3 - 6ft beachies to point breaks Ability level: intermediate to advanced, or anyone who want that single fin feel. Description: Finely tuned rebirth of a late 70s shape. Pinched the rail and sharpened the edge down the back. Good late release on the rear, plenty of float. Subtle V from mid-point into flat. The plan shape screams speed. An old school board that works, with good looks to boot. Construction: 6 oz bottom, 10 oz deck resin tint gloss Fins: single box, you choose your weapon. Shaper comment: Fun for summer with a bit more grip than your average egg or any variation thereof. The fin box, as always, gives you wave size manageability. 2 -5 ft should be well within your range. Points or beachies for a bit of old school fun this board is it.
Shaper: Jed Done Dimensions: 5’3” x 20 ¼” x 2 ½” Ideal conditions: Long, clean waves. Suits: The surfer chasing the original essence of a Fish as originally developed by Skipp Frye, Steve Liss, Tom Curren and Derek Hynd throughout the 80’s. Ability: Intermediate to advanced Description: This is the Derek Hynd model fish, available in Micro-wing 10 ½” wide tail, or a 13” wide tail Glide model, as used in the movie ‘Litmus’ Construction: Twin timber stringers, or optional carbon fibre stringers with Balsawood tail and nose blocks. Fins: Twin keels Shaper comment: Should be ridden 2 to 4 inches shorter than your height. This Fish doesn’t mind a bit of size and prefers long clean waves.
ZAK SURFBOARDS 307 Victoria Road Thornbury VIC 3071 Ph: 03 9416 7384 Mobile: 0438 416 738 zak@zaksurfboards.com zaksurfboards.com
ZAK SURFBOARDS 307 Victoria Road Thornbury VIC 3071 Ph: 03 9416 7384 Mobile: 0438 416 738 zak@zaksurfboards.com zaksurfboards.com
D - Hull rds
by Zak Surfboa
by Z
by Bushrat
BUSHRAT SURFBOARDS Merimbula NSW Ph: 0409 813 431 E: jed@bushrat.com www.bushrat.com
fin 6 ’6 replica singldee
by High Ti
Shaper: Jordie Brown Dimensions: 6’6” x 20’’ x 13 ½’’ x 14’’ x 2 ¾’’
Ideal conditions: Anything with a bit of juice. Suits: The surfer looking for an alternative to your standard thruster short-board in progressive waves. Description: Slightly modernised ‘75 Nat Young replica. Construction: Light 6oz/40z trimmed lap glassjob, yellow resin tint and a full gloss coat and polish. Fins: Hand made glass on 7 ½’’ single fin Shaper comment: This mid 70’s design paddles like a dream, flys down the line and holds unreal in the pocket. I spent a lot of time riding this style of single fin over winter and found it more than held its own in the line up of today!
HIGH TIDE SURFBOARDS Skenes Creek, Vic 3233 Ph: 0401 437 392 hightidesurfboards@hotmail.com
hightidesurfboards.com
jan/feb 2011
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GEAR: BOARDS
Phillip Island Kneeboard... From the host venue for the 2011 World Titles
“Full credit must go to Bob Simmons. This is my take on his design from the 50’s. All design elements are about creating a board with a shitload of speed that’s easy to paddle, but they’ll surpise you with how well they can turn too.” Mark Pridmore
Spitfi re Kneelo
by Island
eluxe Mini SimAmpaochnesSDurfboards
Shaper: Glyndon Ringrose Dimensions: 6’0”x 23 ¼”x 2 3/8” (shaped to suit) Ideal conditions: Varying waves but ideal for beachies and waves with a bit of push Ability level: Average to good surfer, but can be tailored to suit a developing kneeboarder Description: A kneeboard designed like a surfboard. Deep single into double concave, with a generous plan shape and low to medium rails. Construction: PU, glassed combination of 4 and 6oz Fins: Tri or quad fin design available. Futures or FCS. Shaper comment: Have been shaping my kneeboards much like my surfboards, quite high performance but tailored to suit the riders needs. Heaps of the local kneelos have been riding mine and Greg’s kneeboards, and the response has been really positive.
ISLAND SURFBOARDS 147 Thompson Ave, Cowes, Phillip Island VIC Ph: 03 5952 2578 E: cowes@ islandsurfboards.com.au islandsurfboards.com.au
by Black
Shaper: Jesse Watson Dimensions: 5’4” x 21” x 2 5/8” Ideal conditions: 1-5ft beachies and points Ability level: Int to pro. It takes an understanding of flow to ride these boards well Description: A hull style entry that rolls into a flat through the middle with a deepish slot concave from the midpoint through to the tail. Long turns and super fast lines off the top are the norm. These boards epitomise speed Construction: 6/4 oz deck, 6oz bottom with double magenta trim, full gloss and polish. Fins: Glassed on Shaper comment: This is THE board for the summer, everyone in the know is riding one. I guarantee your surfing will never be the same again. Seriously addictive.
black apache surfboards
BLACK APACHE SURFBOARDS Ph: 0410 419 791
E: blackapachesurfboards@ live.com.au blackapachesurfboards.com.au
Le ThHoamrads by
Shaper: T homas Bexon Dimensions: 5’3” x 22 1/8“x 2 3/8” Ideal conditions: Waist to a bit overhead Ability level: Anyone but the 6’2” x 18 ½” white shortboard-riding tradie. Suits: Competent surfers, beginners, novices riding on waves and fitting into the boot of your sedan. Description: Really short, wide trim device that still maximises plenty of rail curve, serious concave and whole lot of speed. Construction: Foam and fibreglass. Resin colours. Fins: Glassed on one side foiled keels. We are currently in testing on some serious flex, long rake, twin combinations as this goes to print. Shaper comment: A modern interpretation of the mini-Simmons. More curve, more concave, more fun. This guy will improve anyone’s summer.
THOMAS SURFBOARDS PO Box 234 Maroochydore Qld 4558 Ph: 02 6584 1995 Mob: 0412 131 491
thomas_bexon@hotmail.com
thomassurfboards.com
IMrds DMimor-e S Surfboa
by
Shaper: Mark Pridmore Dimensions: Short x Wide x Thick Ideal conditions: What we get 80% of the time. Why have boards that only suit the other 20%? Suits: surfers who wanna have FUN in small waves. Description: Low rockered, deep concaves, twin keel, flat deck, the dim-SIM has more planshape and rocker curve than most to increase turning ability. Construction: Foam and fibreglass, ‘coz it works and feels good. Also doing some in epoxy to make them even lighter for the small waves. Fins: Hand foiled twin keels with some nice flex or Quads. Extra FCS plug so you can move forward or back to suit the waves. Shaper comment: What’s the word that means more stoked than just stoked? FUN! FUN! FUN! These little slabs are addictive and I cant stop riding mine...
MORE SURFBOARDS
Angourie Rd Yamba NSW 2464 Ph: 0405 475 026 moresurfboards.com
We gave it a go.. .
HOW’S THE DIM-SIM?
WORDS DAVE SWAN The mini-Simmons shape has become the next big thing following on from the fish craze and why not - they are speed machines. Mark Pridmore’s DimSIM is no exception. Once you get used to setting your feet a little more precisely, it is only 5’8”, you’re flying. Believe it or not, even at that size it’s easy to paddle. Mark will be having a board testing day on Australia Day at Maroochydore, so get there if you want try out this board, or others like the Fish Finger (see page 91) For more details, see www.moresurfboards.com.
jan/feb 2011
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GEAR: BOARDS
*Free pa$2dd79le worth
FLloawgurniadBeray
Tully St John on the FLowrider... all-round “This is by far the best r ridden. paddle board I have eve really easily “It paddles into waves , and drives with its entry concave l. rai through turns on “Super fast super fun.” Tully St John
S Fly FHaR t na ic
Hokbuya NSaisehries
Shaper: Tully St.John Dimensions: 8’6”, 9’1”, 10’2”, 11’2” Ideal conditions: 1 - 10ft Ability level: Beginner to pro Suits: All shapes and sizes Description: The Flowrider is a great all-round performance paddle board that is very stable and easy to paddle back out through broken waves. The bottom contours and plan shape have been really refined over the last few years, creating a board that is very easy to turn and that will trim and noseride really well also. Construction: Surftech or custom tweaked F ibreflex. Fin set-up: 2t1 or 4t1 Shaper comment: Feel free to give me a call if you would like any advice on size best suited to you.
Dimensions: 125L 9’0” x 28 ¼” x 3 ¾” Ideal conditions: 1 - 10ft Ability level: Int to pro Suits: Lighter and middleweight riders Description: A classic pintail shape guarantees performance and speed, while the lower entry rocker line means you’ll never miss a wave. With a speedy flat spot in front of plenty of V in the tail, this 10-footer feels like a shortboard with vertical control and power. Construction: HRS (High Resistance Skin) Fin set-up: Tri-fin Comment: Precision CAD technology for your ultimate connection with nature. A perfect for first waves through to charging big surf. Can freight this anywhere in Australia. Mention smorgasboarder for FREE PADDLE included.
Dimensions: 125L 9’0” x 28 ¼” x 3 ¾” Ideal conditions: 1 - 10ft Ability level: Int to pro Suits: All shapes and sizes Description: Singleconcave entry section in the nose, with a double-concave centre section leading into an accelerated V out the tail. Increased tail kick allows effortless release off the top, while the centre Vkeeps it loose and easy to steer in bottom turns. Deck concave makes balancing easier. Construction: Sandwich wood Fin set-up: 2+1/Quad Comment: The design doesn’t require you to shift body weight over the rocker as much, resulting in a shortboard-style riding. Can freight this anywhere in Australia. Mention smorgasboarder for FREE PADDLE included.
NOOSA SURFWORKS 11 Bartlett St, Noosaville QLD Ph: 07 5474 4567
OCEAN ADDICTS 103-105 Aerodrome Rd Maroochydore Ph: 07 5309 6624
E: info@noosasurfworks.com.au
E: info@oceanaddicts.com.au
OCEAN ADDICTS 103-105 Aerodrome Rd Maroochydore Ph: 07 5309 6624
by
noosasurfworks.com.au
88
*Free pa$2dd79le worth
by
oceanaddicts.com.au
E: info@oceanaddicts.com.au
oceanaddicts.com.au
jan/feb 2011
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GEAR: BOARDS
e
The AA
by Byron
s Bay Longboard
Lady Log (but not gender
specific)
by Thomas
Shaper: Phil Myers Dimensions: From 9’ to 10’. (Above: 9’2” 22 7/8” x 3”) Ideal conditions: all size waves, from point breaks to beach breaks Suits: from beginner to experienced, because of the area in the middle. Description: We refine the tail and nose area for the more important things like noseriding and responsive turns from the tail. The centre of the board is like a pad with good foam, allowing for good floatation and great paddling. The front section is similar to a step deck but in a subtle manor. Construction: Aussie made fibreglass with a 6oz bottom and 6 x 6oz deck Fins: 2 + 1 setup - Fin box and 2 side fins Shaper comment: This model has been Alan Atkins’ pet for years and that’s why he has won 7 Australian titles, with countless State and contest winning results.
Shaper: T homas Bexon Dimensions: 9’3” x 22 ¾“x 2 ¾” Ideal conditions: From tiny to a bit overhead Ability level: From beginner logger to most experienced slide junkie. Description: A subtle log outline with gentle nose concave, slight roll in the tail and some soft, forgiving rails. nothing extreme, nothing offensive. Construction: Foam and fibreglass. Resin colours. Cloth inlays top and bottom, this one in particular is true art piece. Fins: Flexi 4a 10” Greenough. Smooth, whippy, functional and extremely good looking. Shaper comment: An all-round log worthy of hanging on a wall as well. Will suit almost any surfer, a log for a lady, a small day cruiser for the fish rider or shortboarder, a slightly-bigger-day log for the old-school fan.
BYRON BAY LONGBOARDS
THOMAS SURFBOARDS PO Box 234 Maroochydore Qld 4558 Ph: 02 6584 1995 Mob: 0412 131 491
89 Jonson Street, Byron Bay NSW 2481 Ph: 02 6685 5244
byronbaylongboards.com.au
thomas_bexon@hotmail.com
thomassurfboards.com
The All-HRWoSunder by Shaper: Robert Ivers Dimensions: 9’ x 22” x 3” Ideal conditions: 1 to 6 ft point breaks Suits: Any skill level Description: It might look old school, but far from it. Suited to any size waves, this will turn on a dime. Easy paddler, a vee through the tail and forgiving rails. Construction: Hollow timber, Paulownia and Western Red Cedar with solid nose and tail blocks, glassed in poly or epoxy your choice. With proper care these boards will last a lifetime. Due to the nature of natural timber, each board is unique. Fins: Single 10” in a fin box is all that’s required. Shaper comment: Not all surfboards are the same. Enjoy the smooth ride and extra momentum of a timber board. Alternatively: Make your own timber board by attending one of our Tree to Sea workshops.
HOLLOW WOODEN SURFBOARDS Ph: 0409 211751 E: hwsurfboards@gmail.com www.hwsb.com.au
TK Classic dMal by Islan
HullaThboamloaso by
Shaper: Terry Klemm Dimensions: 9’1”x 22”x 3” (shaped to order) Ideal conditions: Flatter, gentler logging waves, but also in better point breaks and beachies. Ability level: Novice to competent mal rider. Description: A classic board by one of the country’s most notorious shapers, lots of foam and old school style. Includes the option of nose and tail blocks, with a single or triple stringer. Construction: PU, 6oz glass all over Fins: Removable glass single fin, or glassed-in, hand-foiled classic fin. Shaper comment: Terry continues the Klemm-Bell tradition, much to the joy of many traditional Victorian surfers. Along with the Mals, satisfied customers have also locked on to a variety of Terry’s boards, including single-fin guns and classic mini mal styles.
Shaper: T homas Bexon Dimensions: 7’8” x 22 ¼“ x 2 ¾” Ideal conditions: Waist to overhead Ability level: Someone who can draw out a turn and appreciate the high line. Suits: Competent surfers after alternative feel, those who like speed but don’t want to surf like Kelly Slater Description: Displacement hull design, slightly jazzed with a touch of concave in the aft, but all those traditional elements that make them work so well when there done right. Knifey rails are your friend and rocker is the enemy forget what you know. Construction: Foam and fibreglass. Resin colours. Fins: True Ames L flex 9b, set real far forward. Shaper comment: For the hull enthusiast or those willing to experiment. You’ll never go so fast down the line or feel lines like this on anything else
ISLAND SURFBOARDS 147 Thompson Ave, Cowes, Phillip Island VIC Ph: 03 5952 2578 E: cowes@ islandsurfboards.com.au islandsurfboards.com.au
THOMAS SURFBOARDS PO Box 234 Maroochydore Qld 4558 Ph: 02 6584 1995 Mob: 0412 131 491
thomas_bexon@hotmail.com
thomassurfboards.com
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GEAR: REVIEW
Fins? s? n fi t Wha
TEST
EVERYTHING AIN’T IT REFRESHING TO SEE PEOPLE STARTING TO EMBRACE ALL DIFFERENT KINDS OF SURFBOARDS AND WE ARE NO LONGER CONFINED TO THE STOCK STANDARD 6’2 WHITE THRUSTER. AS THEY SAY, VARIETY IS THE SPICE OF LIFE. One thing is for certain, the finless movement has taken off. Thank you very much Tom Wegener for showing us the light. Now I will readily admit the finless thing is not for everyone. Sure, it has had its detractors. But skating has always had its factions - boards for downhill racing, cruisers, surfer-style models and trick boards, so why not surfing? For me personally, I just don’t believe you can feel like a complete surfer until you have mastered the art. A couple of these finless craft are not only a hell of a lot of fun and your ticket to glide, they can have you doing some pretty nifty tricks in no time.
Jamie Willems makes riding the Seaglass Tuna look like a piece of cake. Photo: Dave Swan
ALAIA
Stonker Surfboards With alaias they say, the shorter you go, the easier they are to control. I am yet to test this theory as this is the only alaia I have ever ridden but its what introduced me to finless surfing and got me hooked. The feeling you get when you first stand up and start to glide on an alaia is indescribable. You just want to throw your hands in the air and holler to Huey, the god of waves... 7’4’’ x 15¾” x ¾” www.stonker.com.au 90
Test day:
Currimundi
Beach
It’s like the gods of finless surfing were smiling upon us – the first sunny day in weeks, nice, little sliders peeling left and right and even a shallow bank near the break for a gumby photographer like me to snap off a few shots. Better still, I had a test pilot who actually knew what he was doing - Jamie Willems of GSI, who brought along two of the Seaglass Tuna boards to test. He put on a fine display of finless surfing and put me to shame at the same time.
SEAGLASS
Tom Wegener/GSI Well you can put that down as one more surfboard I just have to get. I absolutely loved it. Yes, Tom Wegener is a clever man, and has further refined finless surfing. The Seaglass Tuna paddles heaps easier than a traditional alaia thanks to the super-light epoxy construction (SLX) but still has the glide. It is also easier to get the hang of than a traditional alaia and holds better with its hard rails. Choose 5’3” or 6’2” surfindustries.com
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FISH FINGER More Surfboards
I just start smiling when I type the name. Matter of fact, I smile when I pick up the board and I am smiling like the Cheshire cat when I get out after a session on this.
Test day:
BEACH KING’s good luck this time.
Not so much Getting to one of our favourite little locals we were met with mucky conditions and much worse - a sewage contamination warning. Nice. Off to King’s Beach instead then.
It paddles easy, gets down the face like a normal board but then the fun starts. Not entirely finless, the little side fins hold just enough to attack a relatively steep beach break without sliding out. Masterful riders of finless craft may be able to surf all kinds of waves but for the novice, such as myself, it’s usually confined to a nice rolling wave like the ones that peel off the points of Noosa National Park. But this wasn’t the case with the Fish Finger. Sucky beach break storm-slop at crowded Kings Beach was not a drama. You could fly down the face with a fair amount of control, a slide here and there and then near the shoulder release the weight off your back foot and... pull a 360°. Now, I have never pulled a 360° in my life. I am Joe Average, not Kelly Slater, although we share a barber. So imagine how hard I was laughing when I eventually spun a full 720°. I can’t stand posers but admit I drew a wry smile when a couple of other surfers nearby looked at each other as if to say, “Did you just see what that guy just did.” That’s right buddy. Now let’s see you do it. It’s trick skateboarding in the surf - such an unbelievable feeling. To say it’s addictive is a understatement. So new and different. I gotta have one. 6’ x 21”x 2 ¾” www.moresurfboards.com
Fish Finger training wheels
DOUBLE ENDER Harvey Surfboards
5’5 x 20½ x 2¼ centre, 2¾ rails Centre concave is 7/8” deep
Bio-kinetic nonwax deck
If the Fish Finger was a wild ride, the Double-Ender by Harvey was a bucking bronco. This thing threw me more times than I care to remember. But just like a rodeo rider, you jump straight back on that steed more determined than ever to ride it a little longer than the last time. Eventually I got the hang of it, several surfs and a phone call to Richard Harvey later, who gave me a pointer on keeping my front foot near the rail. Where spinning the Fish Finger was more of a conscious decision, the Double Ender has more of a mind of its own. But once you get the hang of it, you can exert more control, and ride it like you would a snowboard. It has no problem going forwards or backwards thanks to a nose and tail rocker - neither side digs in. The non-wax deck, thanks to a reincarnated invention from the ‘70s is also a success, but don’t go riding this board without a shirt unless you are keen on removing your nipples. Much fun to experiment with! www.harveysurf.com
To see how to really surf the Fish Finger check out Mark Pridmore on the More Surfboards website
Finless, not funless... The Fish Finger goes off. Photo: Mark Chapman jan/feb 2011
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GEAR: REVIEW
TEST
Wax on...
EVERYTHING Stick it. Stick it good
When it comes to waxes some like it sticky and some like it hard. It’s a matter of personal preference. There are a growing number of waxes now available and with brews changing through the years, it’s possibly time to question whether the stuff that sticks you to your board is best suited for what you need. We try out four waxes to see which one we are stuck on.
STOMP
GREEN SLIME
SOUTHERN SOUL
STICK IT
If you’re after a tried and true formula, from a guy who’s been in the boardwax game for a long time, Stomp’s the go. Built and packaged to rival the major players as a clean and easy alternate choice at the counter, it lives up to all expectations. Spreads easy, feels good and has the average life span of any standard wax. Plus, at the price, you can’t complain.
One of the 80’s originals is back and despite what the name suggests, it’s not slimy, but gluey and super-sticky. If you force your finger hard enough into the wax you can actually move it. It’s easy to liberally apply the wax to your board but once in the water it sets and it sticks.
It beads up on your deck easily forming bumps not smudges. When you combine a base coat of the hard & bumpy with a top layer of soft & sticky you get good traction and superior longevity. It’s like the waxes of old but even better... and it smells unbelievable. Love it. Worth the extra money.
The #1 selling wax in Brazil (no pun intended), Stick It certainly has a different texture. It’s dry, rather than oily or greasy, because it has no petroleum jelly in the mix. The traction it delivers is very impressive.
Recommended retail: $4.50 Packaging: plastic cup Ease to open: crack the cup Size: 100g Fragrance: Like a Baz Manilow Pina Colada... or a big punchbowl of jungle juice. You’ll feel like getting up and dancing on the tables.
Recommended retail: $5.50 Packaging: plastic cup Ease to open: pop it out Size: 90g Fragrance: Hard & Bumpy - Vanilla, Soft & Sticky - Strawberry, both smell awesome and remind me of my summer holidays as a kid.
Recommended retail: $3.50 Packaging: cardboard box Ease to open: a cinch Size: 80g Fragrance: Pleasant fragrance, but can’t pick exactly what it is.
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Recommended retail: $4.00 Packaging: Plastic wrapping Ease to open: cut it or slash it Size: 100g Fragrance: Bubblegum is the go. It’s certainly strong. If you temporarily lost your sight you could find your board by smell.
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BUSTED BOARD? NO WORRIES Hitting a rock, or someone else’s board, when you’re having a fun Saturday morning is a real downer. Your board has a hole in it, so you go home rather than get it waterlogged. There’s just no using it until a visit to your local ding repairer... Well, before Board Bog, that was true, but now, within in a few minutes, you can find yourself back in the water, worry-free.
3 easy steps
SUNBURNT HEAD NO MORE Now when you rock a haircut like Bruce Willis - Surrogates Willis, not Die Hard Willis - then anything that will stop the top of your head from baking to a bright red dome of discomfort is probably a good idea. Enter Protecsun Surf Hats, designed in our very own Byron Bay.
1. Damage your board. Otherwise there’s no point to the repair, is there? Clean out any bits and dry it off thoroughly.
‘But hats get lost in the surf,’you say? Yes they do. In fact, I know they do, firsthand. But not these ones. Snug-fitting on top and with adjustable chin-straps, Protecsun hats and caps are designed to stay on - period. ‘Not in a duckdive, surely?’ Well, actually, having been developed by a keen surfer - and wife of surfboard shaper Michael Cundith - Toshie knows that duckdiving is part and parcel of the surfing experience and has thought that part of it through very well.
2. Knead a bit of Board Bog and work it into the hole, but don’t push it into the foam. The ding should be at least 5mm.
Not only do the straps keep the hat where it should be, the specially reinforced brim, stops it from flopping down over your eyes when you’re going through your duckdive. Very smart.
3. Smooth it off, seal the edges and neaten it up as need be, and you’re done. No waiting, no drying time. Just get back out there.
From our experience, we found the hats to be comfortable, above and underwater. Most importantly, the hat and cap both stayed on as promised. Protecsun headwear is made of lightweight, waterproof nylon, so it doesn’t soak up water and it gives you 100% UV protection. So - especially with summer and the extreme sun here now - if you’re planning on spending an extended period of time out in the surf, then Slip, Slop, Slap. Wearing a hat and sunscreen could save you medical drama later, so it’s definitely worth it’s retail price of $39.95. Stylewise, you can choose either a cap or a hat, which come in a few different colours. I personally like the cap more for the surf, but the hat makes more sense for the added neck protection, especially to use on a SUP.
See the website and online store at www.protecsun.com.au, or pop into MC Surf Designs at 3 Banksia Drive, Byron Bay to get some fitting advice from Toshie.
We found the Bog real easy to work with. It goes in easily, moulds and smooths off easily, and for the ding guys, it comes back out easily. It’s a temporary fix, so it doesn’t replace a visit to our ding repair page, but it gets you back surfing immediately and saves what could have been a lost session. All up, a great idea for only a few bucks, and a compact little size to make it easy to keep it handy anywhere.
When bored, ld you can mou es little sculptur o. to out of it For more information, a video on how it works and more, visit the website: www.boardbog.com jan/feb 2011
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. . . y r o t s i H
A little bit of
A surf shop with personality. Memorabilia, clothing, accessories and surfboards.
Graeme & Brenda Howard 148 Thompson Ave/PO Box 554, Cowes Phillip Island 3922 Ph/Fax (03) 5995 1659 Mob 0411 701 428 Email pip@waterfront.net.au
RETRO BOARDS AND SURF ICONS WORDS AND PICS: PAT QUIRK
December brought with it the Underground Vintage Swap Meet at Coolangatta, hosted by Underground Surf. This is one of those rare opportunities to not only see what other people have hidden in the back shed, but to also meet with the likes of surfing legend Michael Peterson. With up to seventy boards on display and prices from only $60 (admittedly without the fin, but let’s face it - $60 for a surfboard ain’t half bad) up to some serious dollars for vintage gear from prominent shapers Michael Peterson, Joe Larkin, Bob McTavish, Mark Richards, Peter Cornish and other iconic Australian surf identities. Make sure you get to the next one, and watch out for similar events in your local area. It’s a great opportunity to talk shop with likeminded souls who share a passion for vintage boards... and a good excuse to increase your collection - don’t tell my significant other. A big thumbs up to Ondi and Marie at Underground Surf for arranging the event and bringing together these boards from the 60’s through to the 80’s. Trading as Paulownia Surfboard SuPPlieS
Our buoyant, lightweight timber floats all around the world. • Tom Wegener preferred alaia blanks • Alaia & Kite Boards • Long Boards • Hollow Boards • Chambered Boards
Buy the BEST PAULOWNIA TIMBER Australia has to offer. Contact David Evans P: 03 9588 2533 E: info.sales@paulowniasurfboardsupplies.com W: www.paulowniasurfboardsupplies.com 94
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For more retro boards and other surf memorabilia, see www.undergroundsurf.com.au
jan/feb 2011
19/12/10 5:29 AM
PROTECT YOUR NUT Falling off a skateboard at high speed is no fun. Funny, maybe especially for onlookers and mates - but no fun for you. And your head is one of those body parts that’s difficult to replace. The folks at Trinity showed us some cool helmets from S-One that keep your noggin safe while still looking stylish. These professional grade skateboard helmets are available plenty of colours and styles. Ask for them in your local store. Interested stockists can contact Trinity Distribution on 1300 882 399 or see www.trinitysk8.com
A COOL LITTLE CRUISER AT A GREAT PRICE GHOST SUN 35” - $139.95 (including GST and free shipping in Oz) For a board setting you back only $139, I didn’t really expect too much. As a general rule, you get what you pay for, but the Ghost from Sideways Boardsports shows that rules can be pleasantly bent. The Canadian Maple deck Ghost with Sun artwork rolls really easily, handles really well and picks up enough speed cruising downhill. The construction of the board is solid, with recesses under the wheels to avoid any digging in around corners and a little kick in the tail, for that little extra control. Shipping as a complete board, it arrives ready to roll with all grip, trucks, bearings, wheels and bolts in place. The 35” Ghost doesn’t pretend to be a pro longboard in any way, but definitely doesn’t feel like just any old entry-level one. It’s well worth the dollars for a quick cruise to the beach or the occassional fun run around the streets when the surf is flat.
DECK: Canadian Maple, con cave single kick. WIDTH: 9” LENGTH: 35” WHEEL BASE: 15” (Truck to Truck) TRUCKS: Raw 5.5” (hanger) Ran WHEELS: 69mm 83A Orange dal style BEARINGS: Abec 5 www.sidewaysboardsp orts.com.au
Photo: Dave Swan
If you like the look of this one, check out the Sideways stores or website at www.sidewaysboardsports.com.au for other models, sizes and artwork.
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Photo: Supplied
LONGBOARD SCHOOL Surfing and skating go hand-in-hand. After all, it was surfers that first stuck wheels on planks to make their flat days bearable. But these days a skateboard is not just a skateboard is not just a skateboard... Yes, it’s great to see the racks of skaties in so many surf stores these days, but for a surfer who may not have hit the wheels in a while, it’s pretty daunting to guess which board might be the right one. Derek Ellens from the Boardstore on the Sunshine Coast gives us a guide to get started.
For more skate advice and great gear, visit the Boardstore in Maroochydore or Caloundra, or check them out online: www.boardstore.com.au
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GEAR: SKATE Photo: Jarrod Slatter Photo: Jarrod Slatter
What style?
DROP THROUGH
Designed for the racetrack. The board ‘drops through’ the trucks, lying lower to the ground for more stability at high speeds. The cutaways around the wheels prevent any wheel bite around corners, which would send you flying. The downside is that maneuvering the low rider over speed bumps, curbs or uneven terrain isn’t always easy.
l? What materia Okay, so you know what shape’s going to do the trick, but do you go Maple or bamboo?
PIN TAIL
ONE KICK LONGBOARD
This is the classic cruise-around-town board and a very versatile shape. Whether bombing hills or just getting from A to B, a pintail shape is the laid back way to get there.
The most versatile of all longboards, available in the biggest range of size and shape. From ½ to 1 ½ meters in length, the One Kick ranges from solid planks to bouncy bamboo boards.
Generally the longest of the longboards with a bit of flex between the trucks.The negatives? The lack of nose and tail kicks make maneuvering over curbs unlikely.
Thanks to the kick in the tail, the best part is that curbs no longer stand in the way of the cruise.
THE CRUISER
Smaller, more compact and more dynamic, this is the ideal choice for those who don’t want to carry a longboard around but still want the soft, easy ride. Generally the shortest of the longboards, the lesser distance between the trucks allows for much tighter turning and more dynamic control.
The majority of skateboards on the market are made out of Maple from North America, but bamboo is creeping in as the wood of choice for those looking for something other than a standard plank. Bamboo, being much more flexible than Maple provides a surf-like feel in and out of turns which can be exciting for the experienced rider and terrifying for a newbie. Bamboo also provides ample strength for holding larger folk while retaining its flexibility. So the question really is do you want your board to flex? Get down to your local and give a few different boards a go to see what works for you.
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COUNTER CULTURE
N O I T C I D D A W E N E H T ARTED UP Y JOBS AND ST D IN THEIR DA ORE FIRE KE YD UC CH CH OO EY EAM OF: TH THE OLD MAR DR IN Y D AN SE M T BA AR HA S WATER GE . ING DID W N ADDICT FOR EXTREME S LATER, OCEA D HAYDEN FLEM GO TH AN TO ON E NG M AC KI T PL KE OR E IN 2010, LU LY A FEW SH NGTH AS TH THEIR OWN. ON NE FROM STRENGTH TO STRE A BUSINESS OF GO S HA ING STATION BUILD
“ I CAN’T THINK OF ANYTHING BETTER THAN BEING AROUND IT ALL 24-7 AND PLAYING WITH ALL THESE DIFFERENT BOARDS FOR A LIVING”
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-WiDe
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JaNUarY Special a 10’0” Naish Man including and Board Bag paddle
Only $1999
includes ht Free Freig ! alia within austr Save over
We like gear. Lots of it. The more varied, the better. This being the case, Ocean Addicts’ new store in Maroochydore is the kind of place we like to visit often. There’s racks of the latest stand up gear, walls of kite gear and more wake and surf gear than they can fit indoors. There’s even a couple of racks of secondhand boards that have been traded in on a bright and shiny bamboodeck Naish Hokua, or a Slingshot kite to get through those otherwise dodgy, windy days at the beach. Friendly rivals in the water, Hayden and Luke decided to launch into the business world together as partners in Ocean Addicts. “We met on the beach kite-sufing,” says Luke. “We were really pushing each other to do better. We were both competing to see who was riding better and harder - in surfing and in kite.” “We’re the same way in business as we are in the water. We feed off each other quite well and that competitive spirit makes for a fun working environment.” While the store is a great place to browse, drool and plan exactly what that next board is going to be, there are also many other sides to the business. The Ocean Addicts website is a fully functional online store where you can browse and buy, and the boys will send the gear anywhere in Australia. As they specialise in freighting everything from t-shirts to giant SUPs all over the place, getting any gear you’re after is ridiculously easy.
$200!
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And if you’re new to it all, you’re in luck. Hayden and Luke help with everything from advice to get you onto the right board, through to providing lessons and even SUP and kite tours. Fully committed ocean addicts, they’re passionate about what they do and are fortunate enough to be in an industry they love. “We love all the sports,” says Luke. ”I can’t think of anything better than being around it all 24-7 and playing with all these different boards for a living. The store is constantly evolving. We’ll let the store grow as people’s needs grow and we’ll keep adapting and doing what we do as long as people keep asking us to.”
For more information, visit the website www.oceanaddicts.com.au or if you’re on the Sunshine Coast, you can’t miss the Ocean Addicts store in the old Fire Station building at 103-105 Aerodrome Rd, Maroochydore. jan/feb 2011
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CLOSEOUT: PEOPLE
THE VOICE OF REASON A YOUTH LABEL THAT LISTENS? CAREFULLY TAKING ON BOARD WHAT’S GOING ON IN YOUTH CULTURE, VOICE HAS BROUGHT ITS OWN SPIN TO THE EXTREME SPORTS MARKET, EMBRACING SURF, MOTOCROSS, SKATE, KITE AND MORE. STUART BENDLE OF VOICE TELLS US ABOUT THE IDEAS THAT HAVE DRIVEN HIM AND HIS CLOTHING LABEL TO WHERE THEY ARE TODAY. Rather than restrictions to any particular subculture or scene, VOICE is all about being inclusive of all youth activities and encouraging people to show off their own personality– to be heard, be seen and express themselves. The VOICE motto sums it up… “Make a Noise” “I had been involved in the surf market for many, long years and watched as small, backyard businesses became corporate giants. It seemed clear to me that once they reached a certain size they lost touch with the people that got them there in the first place - the youth. “All the big brands started to look exactly the same with the only difference being the logo on the garments. “I wanted to get back to the grass roots and ask the kids what they wanted to wear, so I got a large group of young surfers, skaters and musicians on the Sunshine Coast together and started researching. It was pretty clear to me that young people were looking for their own identity, some way they could show their own personality - a VOICE. “Previously, I had been working as a contract graphic and clothing designer for a series of surf labels and retailers including Oakley, Kustom shoes and many others. “Fortunately for Kustom, but unfortunately for me, Billabong bought their business out completely. As Billabong had an in-house design team, all my work just dried up so I had to bite the bullet, take the idea of VOICE and run with it.” Although Stu has been the driving force behind the concept, he definitely doesn’t presume to be all-knowing about the future direction of the brand. “I select what I think is going to work but I don’t press the go button on production until I have run it past a couple of the kids who work here. They show it to twenty or so of their mates, and if I get an overwhelming response to the design we run with it. A mediocre response and I leave it.”
“We are in the process of setting up a program to assist our retailers with the changing market. We hope to have a wholesale online program - for retailers only - set up for Summer 2011, which would allow them to purchase our product online, direct from stock. There would be no need to indent in advance - so no major cost outlays. They would also benefit by additional discounts that in the past would have gone to an agent or rep.” With a freshly re-launched website and these big online plans, a growing catalogue of product and an exciting roster of team riders, 2011 is looking like a big one for VOICE. Bring the noise. See www.voiceinc.com.au to check out the gear. 100
Photo: Dave Swan
And he is planning to extend that level of open communication to the retailers that stock VOICE as well.
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CLOSEOUT: ART
TAKE A GOOD LUKE
ARTIST, DESIGNER AND SURFER, LUKE TAAFFE MOVED FROM HIS HOME ON THE CENTRAL COAST OF NSW TO THE HUB OF VICTORIAN SURFING, TORQUAY TO PURSUE A LIFE OF.. WELL... ART, DESIGN AND SURFING. ALL UP, LIFE IS GOOD FOR MR TAAFFE. WE CHATTED TO HIM ABOUT WORK AND WATER TEMPERATURE
Inspired by old-school skate and surf graphics, you would have struggled through the graphicfree white shortboards phase? Are you enjoying the almost skateboard-style explosion of inlayed graphics appearing on boards thesedays? It's funny because most of the boards I ride today are super plain with a coloured tint or something. It's great though to see everyone these days painting, spraying and scribbling on there boards… Surfboards are a good size canvas and it says a lot about the rider who takes to it with a posca and gets all punk like on it. I've always been drawn to the artistic side that surfing and skating brings. Being a grommet in the 80's was so fun! On one side, you had artists like VCJ and Jim Phillips creating hardcore skate graphics for Powell Peralta and Santa Cruz, Vision were doing their thing and most surfboards had wacked out colour combos, checks, stripes and airbrushes. It wasn't hard to be drawn to all this. I remember copying surf logos and scribbling away on my pencil case while the teacher was dribbling away often! What's your favourite medium? Anything you're keen to experiment with? I'm still hooked with painting with acrylics, inks and brushes. I like to get my lines real clean and sharp with super thin brushes. Pretty keen to experiment more as I refine my style but giving my work more texture is something I'm looking at. 102
You work as a designer for Roxy. Do you get to stretch out, or do you have to save up your creativity for your personal work? I do try and separate the two to some degree, but creating yardage prints and graphics for Roxy is a really creative role, especially developing the art for swimwear and dresses. The balance of working on and off the computer is crucial to the end result. What is great is that alot of the elements I use in my prints are hand done so I feel at home in the office. Between your personal art and a day job, do you get much surf-time? Or is it the art that gets squeezed inbetween surfing and work? You nailed it! The art at the moment is feeling a little squeezed between the surfing and work but it's sometimes good to have a break and get new inspiration for the next body of works. But it's definitely a lifestyle working at Quiksilver... Surfing before work and between lunch and when you go back to the office there are always wetsuits drying out in the carpark... Classic! Have you made peace with the cold water yet? You get used to it pretty quick down here. Surfers down here are the keenest I've seen anywhere…it could be shitty winds, 1ft in the middle of winter and there will always be someone out splashing about.
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One would assume most Torquesians would surf icebergs in their budgie smugglers there and rip it up regardless. Is there major performance pressure in the water around Torquay? No performance pressure here but there are heaps of rippers round the local reefs. Like always, you give respect to the riders who have lived here their whole lives. Any new boards in the quiver? I bought a secondhand hull at a swap meet in Torquay recently. Shaped by Jordan Nobel, it's a got a mad magenta tint throughout, which is nothing like the colour of a seal so I can sleep easy now. Also got a 5'7 Christenson fish from a friend in the U.S.
“SURFING BEFORE WORK AND BETWEEN LUNCH, WHEN YOU GO BACK TO THE OFFICE THERE ARE ALWAYS WETSUITS DRYING OUT IN THE CARPARK... CLASSIC!” Any new inspirations at the moment? Abbey Lee Kershaw. What advice would you have for any aspiring artists looking to get stuck in? Don't be scared of trying something new. Continuously developing your style makes you grow as an artist and it's good to look back and see how and where you've come from. For more of Luke’s work, visit www.luketaaffe.com
A sample of Luke Taaffe’s work and play (from top left): Whales, Dolphins and Mankillers; Morning Rituals; Luke enjoying some water time; the Single Fin Kraken surfboard (insert) and (above) Great Ocean Road Shack. jan/feb 2011
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CLOSEOUT: RELAX
BOOK REVIEWS INDO SURF & THLINGO
20 ANNIVERSARY EDITION PETER NEELY (2010)
THE SURFER’S TEXTBOOK HOWARD JENNAR (2010)
The ultimate reference book for aspiring shapers or those just keen to know a little bit more about what goes into making a surfboard. But ‘a little bit more’ is probably not the right terminology, The Surfer’s Textbook covers in intricate detail a range of topics over some 400+ pages from designing and planning to the construction process including shaping, glassing, setting up fins, filler coating, sanding, gloss coating and polishing as well repairs and restoration techniques. Each topic is well supported with illustrations and photos. The author, Howard Jennar, has consulted with various experts in their field to give an insightful account in the world of surfboard manufacturing. If you have ever questioned your local shaper about the price of their surfboards, this may give you a new found appreciation for their craft and skill. This is truly a surfboard fanatic’s must-have book, perfect for the coffee table, study or shaping bay. 416 full-colour pages with over 1000 photographs, most certainly worth the retail price of $79.95. To order yourself a copy, go online to: www.surferstextbook.com.au
Any book that celebrates a 20th Anniversary Edition simply has to be taken seriously, and with the comprehensive 2011 edition, author Peter Neely doesn’t disappoint. Pretty much a bible for travel to Indonesia, Indo Surf & Lingo is packed full of information on the surf destinations, includes a crash course in the local language, and covers places to stay, where to eat, how to stay out of trouble and tips on having the best holiday experience possible. This annual update also includes a short section on SUP and kite for travellers keen on doing something other than regular surfing. With a friendly ‘good karma’ angle in the writing and enough images to give you a great feel for what to expect when you arrive, there’s plenty in this $35 book to get you excited about your trip. The vouchers alone would be enough to make it worth the spend. Indo Surf & Lingo is a lifelong labour of love, overflowing with first-hand travel knowledge and local understanding that’s been gathered over many, many years. If you’re planning a trip to Indo anytime soon - or even just researching the possibilities - take some advice from a true expert. This is the book. So… How soon can I book my trip? See www.indosurf.com.au for more.
GIVEAWAY We have 5 copies of the 20th Anniversary Edition of Indo Surf & Lingo and of Howard Jennar’s Barebones: Making And Repairing A Surfboard CD to give away. See our letters page for details.
abiolne T e e f f Co Co llect Over the coming editions, we’re going to be looking at books that - as a surfing fan - you just have to own and leave lying around for your visiting mates to drool over. We kick off with a high-quality homage to the cold water Holy Grail of giant surf - Mavericks.
INSIDE MAVERICK’S: PORTRAIT OF A MONSTER WAVE ACTON, JENKINS, WASHBURN (2006)
For me, big wave surfing is what it is all about. I mean, I don’t surf big waves - aside from in my mind - but it is what I measure all surfers by. It’s the combination of wave riding skill, supreme fitness, lung capacity and bravado. When it comes to big waving surfing there are warm water destinations and cold water destinations. Personally I don’t think you can compare Jaws in Hawaii to Mavericks in northern California. Laird and his mates can prance about in their boardies tackling big waves in the tropics as much as they like (please don’t tell him I said that) but they are not taming possibly the world’s most intimidating of breaks. The wave at Half Moon Bay is dangerous, cold and powerful. It’s rocky and shark-infested (big, big white pointer country). The drop from the sickening ledge of its 75-foot face is nothing short of terrifying. Inside Maverick’s provides readers with a gritty insight into what it is like to be ‘out there’ through the minds of surfers such as Greg Long and Peter Mel who regularly attempt to tame the beast. Indeed the book provides inside accounts of the wave, with equally stunning photography, from no less than thirteen regular locals as well as some big name Hawaiians. You get to find out what it’s like to paddle in for the first time, the drop, the anatomy of a wipeout and facing your fears. The book is a must-read for any surfer who has an inner hellman or hellwoman. It’s the perfect conversation starter when telling your friends about your latest exploits in big surf - even if it is in your mind. Hardcover, 160 pages, Expect to pay around $60.
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GEAR: FASHION
BRING BACK THE
Classics
TOWELLING SHORTS. AS A KID, I HAD A BRIGHT BLUE PAIR AND THEY ROCKED. COMFORT AND STYLE ROLLED INTO ONE - LIKE AN EPISODE OF “THREE’S COMPANY.” NOW YOU CAN RELIVE THE HEADY DAYS OF THE 70’S WITH MODERN STYLE AS THE ICON RETURNS... Be 94% more comfortable than everyone else, as “towel clothing will make the rest of your wardrobe feel like you are pulling on a jacket made of nails, pants made from a door-mat or a jumper made from steel-wool,” according to Terrence Towel himself. But it’s not just shorts... There are dresses, hoodies, singlets and even the ultimate beer and BBQ companion - the classic towelling hat. For more information, visit the website at www.terrence.com.au
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Bucket Hat $24.95, Take It Sleevy Hoody $69.95, Whoa-man Woman’s Short $39.95, On-Deck Men’s Short $49.95, Beachin’ Singlet $34.95, Retro-wrap Dress $79.95 jan/feb 2011
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STANDUP COMEDY
TWO SUP NEWBIES VS. FOAMY BROWN MUCK. WORDS: DAVE SWAN
Your one stop for SURF STAND UP PADDLE ries Sales, Hire, Accesso & the best advice
OVER 60 SUPS IN STOCK NOW erman Starboard C4 Wat NSP Surftech Coreban ish Lopez Laird McTav is Garrett Magic Carpet Chr Anderson 7S Walden Simon
Remember in our last edition we heard from various SUP experts on how you needed to get at least twelve or more still water sessions under your belt before you tackle the surf? Well, they were right.
No rolling waves. We were confronted with choppy, brown muck following our recent storms and a walling line of irregular beach breaks. Plus it was blowing a gale. Your body acts like a giant sail on a SUP.
Forever wanting to explore the boundaries and test new things, we thought we’d put that theory to the test. However we did so away from the crowds, away from any other surfers and away from any prying eyes should they the see us and start to laugh uncontrollably.
Great if you are going downwind, but no good when it is blowing onshore.
The result: SUP - 2, Chapman & Swan - 0 minus sunglasses, hat and almost a pair of boardies. Yes, we got royally spanked giving us both heightened respect for our stand up brothers and sisters. After an hour paddle the weekend before in the still waters of Currumundi Lake, we thought we might tackle the surf. Now in our defence, the waves may not have been Waimea standards but there was no easy paddle out. No calm bay.
Nonetheless, we lost. Duly noted is that we must get some lessons, particularly in relation to paddle techniques. We were constantly caught out of position with our paddles and on more than one occasion the waves almost found a new place to store them. So the next time you go to bag an ocean janitor, try it before you pass judgement. It is not that bloody easy at all. As for us, we will be back and shall conquer the SUP. We may not have had a great surf this time around but what a workout. We are already addicted to how good you feel after a paddle.
’10 & the new LOPEZ 8
U BUY TRY BEFORE YO Massive range of DDLES DEMO BOARDS & PA available now!
“ YES, WE GOT ROYALLY SPANKED, GIVING US BOTH HEIGHTENED RESPECT FOR OUR STAND UP BROTHERS AND SISTERS.”
BEACH HIGHWAY, MERMAID 2544 GOLD COAST om rf.c su dle ad scott@greenlinep
0412 398 585.COM
DDLESURF WWW.GREENLINEPA 106
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CLOSEOUT: LESSONS
SUP: NAILING THAT TOP TURN WITH A MUCH BIGGER BOARD AND A PADDLE TO THINK ABOUT, MOVING YOUR SUP AROUND ISN’T QUITE THE SAME AS YOUR SHORTBOARD. LUKE KING OF OCEAN ADDICTS IN MAROOCHYDORE GIVES SOME INSIGHT INTO GETTING YOUR TURNS DOWN. PHOTOS: KARL ANGELL/ANGELLSURFPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
GET YOUR FEET RIGHT
DIG IN THE RAIL
KEEP THAT SPEED UP
STAY BACK, STAY LOW
ALMOST DONE
To start the move off, get your back foot placed firmly over the back of the board. Just be focused on driving hard off the bottom of the wave with as much speed as you can to get up the face.
Using your front foot, keep a lot of weight on the inside rail. Because the SUP is wider, you’ve got to move your foot all the way to the edge of the board to dig that rail in.
When you hit the lip, dig the paddle in to give you some extra power. Use it to help pull you through the turn. The beauty of the paddle is that it can help you turn this bigger board a lot tighter.
As you go for the re-entry (in this case going into a floater as the wave has already broken) keep your knees bent to absorb the impact of the landing, staying as far back on the board as possible.
Now? Close your eyes and hope you make it. You will. Remember, throughout the whole turn, it’s all about maintaining speed and power to get yourself through it in one piece.
OCEAN ADDICTS ARE THE SUNSHINE COAST SPECIALISTS FOR SUP, KITE, WAKE & SURF GEAR, AND FREIGHT NEW AND USED BOARDS AUSTRALIA-WIDE. FOR INFORMATION, SEE THE WEBSITE: WWW.OCEANADDICTS.COM.AU jan/feb 2011
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CORE STRENGTH FOR SURFERS BOOST YOUR SURFING PERFORMANCE AND SAVE YOUR BACK! HERE ARE THREE EXERCISES TO GET YOU STARTED.
Having a strong core is important for surfers because your core is the engine room of your body. All of your surf specific movements, from duck diving and pop-ups to powerful turns, require your core muscles to transfer the force through your body. A break down in the function of your core can lead to inferior performance and enjoyment, and even injury. Traditionally we have trained the core muscles with exercises like sit-ups and crunches. However the latest exercise science now shows that this is the least effective way to train the core muscles. The primary function of the core is not trunk flexion (as done in a sit-up), but rather stabilisation. This is particularly true for surfing as it requires a high degree of stability and balance. That is why exercise variations of the ‘plank’ (see second exercise) are important for training the core stabilizers in surfers. The other primary function of the core for surfers is rotational strength. Think about doing powerful turns. Your core is most important muscle group for helping to generate this force through your body and onto your surfboard. This is why surfers should include exercises like the ‘dumbbell chop’ into their workout routine. Have a go at adding the following three functional core exercises into your next workout. The first two exercises will help improve your surf specific core stability and strength, while the final exercise will help improve your rotational strength for more powerful turns.
TRAINING
TIP
WORDS: CLAYTON BEATTY
SINGLE-LEG SWISS BALL JACKKNIFE •
Start in a pushup position with your feet on a swiss ball.
•
Lift one leg into the air and drive the other knee towards your chest.
•
Pause, then roll back out to the start position.
•
Do 2-3 sets of 8-10 repetitions per leg.
SWISS BALL SIDE PLANK WITH ROTATION •
Support your body on your forearm and hold a swiss ball between your legs.
•
Brace your core and start with one arm reaching high.
•
Rotate and reach back under your body then return to the start position.
•
Do 2-3 sets of 10-15 repetitions per side.
DUMBBELL ROTATIONAL CHOP •
Keeping your core braced and without allowing your lower back to round, swing the dumbbell up over your opposite shoulder, before reversing the movement.
•
Allow your heels to lift so you can pivot on the balls of your feet.
•
Do 2-3 sets of 8-10 repetitions per side.
IF YOU WORK AT TRAINING YOUR CORE MUSCLES TO BE STABLE AND STRONG, IT WILL HELP IMPROVE YOUR SURFING PERFORMANCE AND DECREASE YOUR RISK OF INJURY (ESPECIALLY LOWER BACK INJURIES).
Clayton Beatty is a Certified Fitness Trainer with a BSc Human Movement Degree from the University of WA, and an Exercise Scientist Member of the Australian Association for Exercise and Sports Science (MAAESS). He runs Total Surfing Fitness, created to help surfers improve their skills and reduce the risk of injury.
We’re all keen to improve our surfing, so check out his website for surf-specific functional training exercises. Go to TotalSurfingFitness.com, and there’s even a free sample workout to get you started. 108
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CLOSEOUT: FITNESS
OFF THE CUFF
Action from the 2010 Board Meeting at Kawana Beach. Photo: Mark Chapman
WORDS BY JOHN HART
John Hart is a qualified fitness instructor and personal trainer with a Masters in education who also writes books, trains and rehabilitates people, takes photos, directs movies and is always happy to share what he’s learned.
In the last edition we talked about Surfers’ Elbow, so staying around that general area, in this edition I want to give you a quick rundown on another common surfing injury, “The Rotator Cuff” (shoulder) injury. The rotator cuff covers the four main muscles group related to the shoulder joint: Teres Minor, the Infraspinatus, the Supraspinatus and the Subscapularis. These muscles keep the shoulder-joint locked in place and act with your humerous (arm bone) to stabilize the shoulder joint. •
•
•
the supraspinatus causes shoulder abduction (lifting your arm out to the side of your body). the infraspinatus and teres minor cause shoulder external rotation. the subscapularis causes shoulder internal rotation.
Strengthening this group of muscles will assist you to continue surfing for many years. The primary role of these muscles is to stabilize the shoulder capsule, thereby ensuring the joint remains firm and in place. Of course these muscles also allow the shoulder to be in a position to move freely, without any restriction or pain, which in turn allows you to paddle, lifting and lowering the arms with ease. In a rotator cuff injury your shoulder would be in considerable pain. After excessive paddling the shoulder joint can pinch at the top resulting in an overuse injury.
INJURY SYMPTOMS
HOW TO TREAT IT
WORK IT
Inflammation in the shoulderjoint can cause swelling, resulting in pain and decreased range of motion. Because the muscles and tendons of the rotator cuff are often deep, it may be hard to feel the swelling associated with the injury which prevents the normal range of motion of the shoulder joint.
In the onset stage, rest and ice is a necessity. Apply ice for 15-20 minute periods, at least three times a day. A cuff and collar sling can also be useful, but ensure you do not entirely rely on the sling. Also ensure the sling is not too long, otherwise the joint may become too tight and more effort will be required to regain the range of movement.
Some tips for avoiding injury whilst performing rotator cuff exercises.
In an acute rotator cuff tear there is often a tearing feeling followed by pain emanating from the front and back of the shoulder. The shoulder will then go into a spasm and a decreased range of movement will occur. The pain can then continue from internal bleeding and further muscle spasm. In severe cases, the arm will not be able to abduct (allow you to lift your arm out to the side of your body) Pain can be worse at night particularly when lying on the affected side, aggravating the rotator cuff. Weakness will occur and contribute to a decrease in movement. The affected person is unable to use the injured arm for activities requiring the arm to be lifted as high, or higher than the shoulder, to the front or side. This is most common in people aged between 35-50 years of age. There will also be tenderness around the posterior head of the deltoid (the back of the shoulder joint).
It is also a good idea to consult with your local pharmacist for suitable anti-inflammatory medication which can help decrease the pain and swelling at the injury site. Just be careful when taking this type of medication if you have any kidney or stomach complaints (such as ulcers), you are taking any thinning blood drugs (such as Warfarin) or are asthmatic, as they can all be affected by these medications. But prevention is always better than cure, so a preventative exercise program is a good idea. The following are some suggestions.
Exercise Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Simple Solutions: Ergonomics for Construction Workers” by James T. Alber and Cheryl E. Estill, accessed 02/24/2010: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2007-122/pdfs/2007-122-full.pdf
•
A sports medicine professional or physical therapist should be consulted prior to beginning or changing any exercise program for the rotator cuff.
•
Use light weights – hand-held weights are better than exercise bands.
•
All movements should be slow and controlled.
•
Work through a pain-free range of motion.
•
Keep wrists neutral rather than flexed.
EXTERNAL ROTATION 1.
Lie on the floor.
2.
Grasp weight with working arm.
3.
Keep elbow by your side and at a 90 degree angle, then flex elbow.
4.
Rotate the arm outward in a smooth, controlled motion.
5.
Return to start position.
INTERNAL ROTATION 1.
Lie on weight bench.
2.
Grasp weight with working arm.
3.
With elbow at the side, flex elbow at a 90° angle.
4.
Rotate the arm upward, keeping movement smooth and steady.
5.
Return to start position.
Start these exercises slowly with light weights and build the repetitions according to the advice of your physiotherapist.
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SURF DIRECTORY QLD CENTRAL COAST REEF 2 BEACH SURF SHOP
07 4974 9072 Shop 1, 10 Round Hill Road Agnes Water/1770 www.reef2beachsurf.com
BLUE LINES
07 5351 1986 Shops 17 & 18 1776 The Esplanade Coolum Beach
WIPEOUT SURF & SKATE
SUNSHINE COAST NOOSA SURF WORKS
07 5474 4567 1/11 Bartlett St Noosaville www.shotgunsurf.com www.lagunabaysurf.com
07 5474 3122 Cnr Gibson and Eumundi Rds. Noosaville www.classicmalibu.com
OCEAN ADDICTS
07 5309 6624 103-105 Aerodrome Rd Maroochydore www.oceanaddicts.com.au 07 5443 2777 164 Alexandra Pde Alexandra Headlands www.beachbeat.com.au
07 5474 1222 3 Gibson Rd, Noosaville
ON SURFARI
07 5474 2162 197 Gympie Terrace Noosaville www.onsurfari.com.au
ALEX SURF
07 5452 6276 188 Alexandra Pde Alexandra Headlands www.alexsurf.com.au
GOLDEN BREED
07 5455 3722 15 Noosa Drive Noosa Heads www.goldenbreed.com.au
WORLD SURFARIS
1800 611 163 2/174 Brisbane Rd Mooloolaba www.worldsurfaris.com
BLUEWATER PLAYERS
07 5473 5079 Shop 3A 11 Sunshine Beach Rd Noosa Heads www.bluewaterplayers.com.au
SURF PLANET
07 5476 6200 Shop 5, Buderim Marketplace Buderim www.surfplanet.com.au
07 5473 5676 Cnr Lanyana Way/Arcadia Walk Noosa Junction www.backbeach.net.au
SUBURBAN SURF
SOLACE
DA BOMB
07 5455 4826 20 Duke Street, Sunshine Beach solacestore.blogspot.com
SURF AND STREET SHOP 07 5471 3489 224 David Low Way Peregian Beach www.surf-shop.org
COOLUM SURF
07 5351 1742 Shop 14, 8-26 Birtwill St Coolum Beach www.alexsurfshop.com.au 110
LOWEN 88
BRISBANE
BEACH BEAT
LOCAL KNOWLEDGE
BEACH BEAT
OLD WOMAN SURF SHOP
07 5451 0620 3/25 Plaza Pde Maroochydore www.dabombsurf.com.au
CLASSIC MALIBU AUSTRALIA
THE BOARDROOM
07 5491 3620 2 Bulcock St Caloundra
07 5450 7272 1/938 David Low Way Marcoola Beach
DA BOMB
07 5474 1010 2/15 Venture Dr Noosaville www.zeewetsuits.com
SURFWARE AUSTRALIA
07 5491 4711 119 Bulcock Rd Caloundra www.beachbeat.com.au
07 5448 7025 Santorini Shop 6, 15 Mudjimba Esp Mudjimba
WATERLINE
BACK BEACH
Pick up the next edition of smorgasboarder at any of these fine businesses - out in March
07 5493 7411 224 Nicklin Way, Warana www.suburbansurf.com.au (07) 5437 9201 7/12 Thunderbird Dr Bokarina www.dabombsurf.com.au
BEACH BEAT
07 5491 8215 Shop 2&3 4-6 Beerburrum St Dicky Beach www.beachbeat.com.au
THE FACTORY
07 5492 5838 15 Allen St Caloundra QLD 4551
PRIMITIVE SURF
07 3266 1001 601 Nudgee Rd Nundah www.primitivesurf.com
GOODTIME
07 3391 8588 29 Ipswich Rd Wooloongabba www.goodtime.com.au
GOLD COAST SURF FX
07 5531 3199 127 Ferry Road Southport www.surf-fx.com
SIDEWAYS
07 5592 3849 3012 Surfers Blvd Surfers Paradise sidewaysboardsports.com.au
DUKE’S LONGBOARDS
07 5572 0477 2578 Gold Coast Hwy Mermaid Beach www.dukeslongboards.com
STUART SURF DESIGN
07 5572 0098 2576 Gold Coast Hwy Mermaid Beach www.stuartsurf.com.au
GANGSTA SURF
07 5526 6969 Shop 1/ 2558 Gold Coast Hwy Mermaid Beach www.gangstasurf.com
GREENLINE
0412 398 585 2544 Gold Coast Hwy Mermaid Beach www.greenlinepaddlesurf.com
BOARD CULTURE
07 5572 9866 2438 Gold Coast Hwy Mermaid Beach www.boardculture.com.au
LOCAL KNOWLEDGE
07 5526 6377 2251 Gold Coast Hwy Nobby Beach
07 5527 7877 2084 Gold Coast Hwy Miami 07 5526 5161 2a/2172 Gold Coast Highway Miami www.lowen88.com
HARVEY SURF GALLERY 0414 557 624 Unit 3, 10 Pacific Ave Miami www.harveysurf.com
MT WOODGEE
07 5535 0288 1730 Gold Coast Hwy Burleigh Heads www.mtwoodgee.com.au
SEAN SCOTT PHOTOGRAPHY
DIVERSE
07 5598 4848 476 Gold Coast Highway Tugun www.diversesurf.com.au
DORRINGTON SURFBOARDS
07 5599 4030 16 Musgrave Street Kirra www.dorringtonsurfboards.com
BOARD CULTURE
07 5536 5866 Gold Coast Hwy(outside airport) Coolangatta www.boardculture.com.au
KIRRA SURF/WORLD SURFARIS 07 5536 3922 Shop 6, 8 Creek St Bilinga www.kirrasurf.com.au
07 5520 2774 Old Burleigh Theatre Arcade, Shop 10, Goodwin Tce Burleigh Heads seanscottphotography.com.au
UNDERGROUND SURF
DALE CHAPMAN SURF DESIGNS
MT WOODGEE
MY PHOTO EXPERT
COOLANGATTA BOARD STORE
07 5593 8411 Unit 3/48 Junction Road Burleigh Heads www.chapmansurfboards.com 07 5535 2763 3/71 Township Drive Burleigh Heads www.myphotoexpert.com.au
GOLD COAST SURF WORLD
07 5599 1040 Shop 3/31 McLean St. Coolangatta www.undergroundsurf.com.au 07 5536 5937 122 Griffith St Coolangatta www.mtwoodgee.com.au 07 5536 7850 152 Griffith St, Coolangatta www.cbsboardstore.com
SEAN SCOTT PHOTOGRAPHY
07 5525 6380 Tomewin Street, Currumbin www.surfworldgoldcoast.com
07 5599 1150 Shop 3, 110 Marine Pde, Coolangatta seanscottphotography.com.au
FIREWIRE SURFBOARDS
COOLY SURF
DMS
NSW NORTH COAST
07 5587 7700 1/49 Currumbin Creek Rd Currumbin www.firewiresurfboards.com 07 5559 5949 3/56 Currumbin Creek Rd Currumbin www.dmshapes.com
D’ARCY HANDSHAPES
07 5559 5866 1/8 Hawker St Currumbin www.darcysurfboards.com
SHAPERS
07 5534 4228 9/7 Traders Way, Currumbin www.shapers.com.au
MT WOODGEE
07 5598 2188 2 Stewart Rd Currumbin www.mtwoodgee.com.au
07 5536 1470 Cnr Dutton St & Marine Pde Coolangatta www.basesurfboards.com
SIDEWAYS
07 5524 6699 2/13-21 Greenway Dr Tweed Heads sidewaysboardsports.com.au
FULL FORCE SURFBOARDS
07 5524 2933 Factory 18 / 48 Machinery Drive Tweed Heads
SURF XCESS
02 6674 5350 88 Marine Parade Kingscliff
CABARITA SURF SHOP 02 6676 3151 1/38 Tweed Coast Rd Cabarita Beach
jan/feb 2011
Jan2011_Smorgas_Spread directories.indd 110
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BRUNSWICK SURF
02 6685 1283 1/12 The Terrace Brunswick Heads www.brunswicksurf.com.au
MCTAVISH
02 6680 8807 91 Centenial Circuit Byron Bay www.mctavish.com.au
MADDOG SURF CENTRE 02 6685 6395 91 Jonson St Byron Bay www.maddog.com.au
MC SURF DESIGNS
02 6685 8778 3 Banksia Drive Byron Bay www.mcsurf.com.au
NORTH COAST SURFBOARDS
02 6685 6896 1/29 Acacia St Byron Bay www.bearsurfboards.com.au
MUNROE
02 6685 6211 29 Acacia St Byron Bay www.munroesurfboards.com.au
TRIPLE X WETSUITS
VALLA SURFBOARDS
MARK RICHARDS SURFSHOP
BATEAU BAY SURF N SPORT
THE PLANK SHOP
COASTAL CURVES
SURFHOUSE PHOTOGRAPHY
ONE EIGHTY SURF COMPANY
SONIC SURF
PACIFIC DREAMS SURFSHOPS
02 6686 3939 10 Piper Drive, Ballina www.triple-x.com.au 02 6645 8362 Top of the Hill, Yamba
SOUND LOUNGE
02 6646 3909 16 Yamba St, Yamba
MORE SURFBOARDS
0405 475 026 Angourie Rd, Yamba www.moresurfboards.com
NSW MID NORTH COAST XS SURF
02 6654 1049 76 Beach Street, Woolgoolga www.xssurf.com
COOPERS SURF CENTRES
02 6654 0033 56D Beach St, Woolgoolga 02 6652 8146 28 Orlando St Coffs Harbour www.cooperssurf.com.au
WATER SURF+ART+CAFE
HO’OKUPU
Distinctively relaxed atmosphere, exceptional food, coffee and tea, great service, photographic art from Australia’s best photographers, exquisite gifts and select surfwear and boards.
UNPLUGGED
(02) 6651 4500 370 Harbour Drive, Coffs Harbour Jetty www.watersurfartcafe.com
02 6685 8861 2/9 Lawson St Byron Bay hookupusurf.com 02 6685 7441 Shop 1/ 2 Lawson Street Byron Bay www.unpluggedbyronbay.com
ALL ABOVE BOARD 02 6687 7522 68 Ballina St Lennox Head
MADDOG SURF CENTRES 02 6685 6094 45 River St, Ballina www.maddog.com.au
SCOTTS HEAD SURF SHOP
02 6569 8344 Scotts Head NSW 2447 scottsheadsurfschool.blogspot.com
WAVE WEAR
02 6566 5177 1/15 Livingstone St South West Rocks
CRESCENT HEAD SURF CO. 02 6562 8306 33 Smith St Kempsey
CRESCENT HEAD SURF SHOP 02 6566 0550 1 Crescent Head Tavern Crescent Head
SALTWATER WINE
BYRON BAY LONGBOARDS
02 6685 6466 4 Jonson St Byron Bay www.maddogbeach.com.au
02 6568 4666 1 Cooper Street Macksville
02 6583 7790 80 William St Port Macquarie
02 6685 7485 10 Acacia Street Byron Bay
MADDOG BEACH SURF CENTRE
02 6568 6902 Ridge St, Nambucca Heads www.coastalcurves.com
INNER VISION SURF ‘N’ SKATE
T&C SURF DESIGN / MCCOY
02 6685 5244 Shop 1 - 89 Jonson St Byron Bay
02 6568 8909 8 Monro St, Nambucca Heads www.vallasurfboards.com.au
THE LOG SHACK
02 6658 0223 392 Harbour Drive, The Jetty Strip Coffs Harbour www.thelogshack.com.au
SUNPATCH SURF SHOP
02 6653 1965 49 First Ave Sawtell www.sunpatchsurf.com.au
02 6584 4877 1/125 Gordon St Port Macquarie www.saltwaterwine.com.au
SANDY FEET
02 6584 1995 5/21 Clarence Street Port Macquarie www.sandyfeetsurf.com.au
02 4961 3088 755 Hunter St, Newcastle markrichardssurfboards.com 61 Hunter Street Newcastle surfhousephotography.com
02 4926 3355 7 Darby St, Newcastle www.pacificdreams.com.au
02 4332 1157 101a Bateau Bay Road Bateau Bay
02 4385 8440 Shop 2, 82a Ocean View Drive Wamberal www.180surfco.com.au
SLIMES
02 4365 5511 1/203 The Entrance Rd Erina
SANBAH
02 4962 2420 Shop 27, The Junction Fair Union Street Newcastle www.sanbah.com.au
ESS BOARDSTORE
BREAKAWAY SURF CO 02 4943 2699 181 Pacific Hwy Charlestown
02 4382 1541 170 Avoca Drive Avoca Beach www.avocasurfscholl.com.au
EGANS
STS THE BOARD CENTRE
THE SURF SHACK
NORTHERN BEACHES
251 The Entrance Rd Erina www.essboardstore.com.au
THREE POINTS SURF
02 4945 8055 575 Pacific Hwy Belmont
02 4342 2555 326 West St Umina
02 4945 8965 703 Pacific Hwy Belmont South
BEACH WITHOUT SAND 02 9918 2763 1a Nth Avalon Rd Avalon
SWANSEA SURF SHOP
02 4971 4422 164 Pacific Hwy Swansea www.swanseasurf.com.au
RAISED BY WOLVES
CENTRAL COAST
02 9918 8861 U 2/40 Old Barrenjoey Rd Avalon www.raisedbywolves.com.au
BEACHIN SURF
LITTLE DRAGON
02 43 96 5159 262 Main Rd, Toukley www.surfinfo.com.au/nsw/ beachinsurf
0403 974 967 1 Bramley Lane Newport Beach
RON WADE SURF DESIGN
BOARD CITY
02 4397 1092 150 Main Road Toukley www.boardcity.com.au
02 9979 7071 0410 443 776 23 Bassett Street Mona Vale ronwadesurfboards.com.au
ADRIFT SURF
DIVISION SURF
02 6554 7979 5 Wharf St , Forster www.saltwaterwine.com.au
02 4332 8355 133 The Entrance Road The Entrance www.adriftsurf.com.au
BOOMERANG BEACH SURF
BOARDERLINE SURF SKATE
RAISED BY WOLVES
SURFERS CHOICE
SUGARMILL SURF EMPORIUM
JUNGLE SURF
02 6555 8556 4/25 Manning Street Tuncurry www.junglesurf.com.au
SALTWATER WINE
02 6554 0351 Shop 4, Boomerang Drive Pacific Palms
NEWCASTLE SURF FACTORY
16 Maitland Rd Islington www.thesurffactory.com.au
02 9979 5334 Cnr Bungan and Waratah Sts Mona Vale www.divisionsurf.com.au
02 4332 7175 421 The Entrance Rd Long Jetty www.boarderlinesurfskate.com 02 4334 6532 473 The Entrance Rd Long Jetty www.surferschoice.com.au
02 9997 4838 9b Waratah St Mona Vale www.raisedbywolves.com.au 02 9913 3332 2/1329 Pittwater Rd Narrabeen www.sugarmillsurf.com
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SURF DIRECTORY CONTINUED POWERLINEZ
MANLY LONGBOARD CO.
WICKS SURF CENTRE
SURFECTION
02 9913 2128 16a Waterloo St Narrabeen www.powerlinez.com.au
02 9977 0093 39 Belgrave Street Manly www.manlylongboard.com
02 9971 0760 1103 Pittwater Road Collaroy Beach
02 9977 6955 110 The Corso Manly www.surfectionmosman.com
LONG REEF SURF
02 9982 4829 1012 Pittwater Rd Collaroy www.longreefsurf.com.au
HERITAGE SURF AUSTRALIA
WIND SURF ’N’ SNOW
SURFECTION
02 9977 7623 24 Darley Rd, Manly www.heritagesurfaustralia.com
02 9971 0999 17 Anzac Ave Collaroy www.windsurfnsnow.com.au
THE PERFECT WAVE
02 9939 0890 Suite 38, 42-46 Wattle Rd Brookvale www.theperfectwave.com.au
CHAOS SURFBOARDS
02 9907 2769 Unit 1/236 Harbord Road Brookvale www.chaossurfboards.com
BENNETT SURFBOARDS
DRIPPING WET SURF CO 02 9977 3549 398 Pittwater Rd Mona Vale www.dripwetsurf.com
02 9977 4399 89 Pittwater Rd Manly www.sunshinesurfing.com.au
SIX OUNCE
0408 259 783 48-50 Pittwater Rd Manly www.sixounceboardstore.com 02 9977 3777 44 Pittwater Rd Manly www.alohasurfmanly.com.au 02 9977 3549 93 North Steyne Manly www.dripwetsurf.com
BASE SURFBOARDS
02 9976 0591 46 North Steyne Rd Manly www.basesurfboards.com 112
02 9144 3229 166 Mona Vale Rd St Ives
SYDNEY SOUTH SURFECTION
02 9387 1413 308 Oxford St Bondi Junction
EASTCOAST STAND UP PADDLE Dedicated to SUP - Sydney’s original Stand Up Paddle outlet. Performance, flatwater, race, and distance boards – we have a board to suit all skill levels.
0413 456009 0418 294854 27 Throsby Close Barden Ridge eastcoaststanduppaddle.com.au
02 9544 0433 8 Cronulla St Cronulla cronullasurfdesign.com.au
CORE SURF SKATE AND KITE
02 6494 3374 49 Toalla St Pambula Village www.pambulasurfshop.com.au
ATOLL TRAVEL
02 4283 7196 2/100 Railway St, Corrimal www.surfpit.com.au
BYRNE SURF AND SKI
SUN & SURF SHOP
SERIOUS SURF STUFF
02 4229 1202 231 Crown Street Wollongong
(factory showroom) 02 4228 8878 24 Flinders St, Wollongong www.skippsurfboards.com.au
CARABINE SURF DESIGNS
EXTREME SNOW, SKATE & SURF
CRONULLA SURF DESIGN
CORE SURF STORE
02 6495 1600 39 Market St Merimbula
02 4441 2482 12 Springs Road Sussex Inlet www.oceanearth.com
JACKSON SURFBOARDS
02 9544 0354 23 Kingsway Cronulla www.triplebullsurf.com
02 4421 8159 125-127 Junction St Nowra www.aquatique.com.au
SALTWATER DREAM
OCEAN & EARTH SURF STORE
SURF PIT
CRONULLA
02 9524 4822 41 Captain Cook Dr Caringbah
AQUATIQUE
02 6495 1515 Merimbula Drive Merimbula
SURF SHACK
02 4229 9462 36 Flinders St, Wollongong
TRIPLE BULL
MERIMBULA SURF SHOP
02 4464 1881 123a Queen Street Berry www.aquatique.com.au
AQUATIQUE
02 4268 2050 1/ 269 Lawrence Hargrave Drive Thirroul thefinbox.blogspot.com
SKIPP SURFBOARDS
02 9524 2700 57 Captain Cook Drive Caringbah www.jacksonsurfboards.com.au
AQUATIQUE
02 6494 4466 Lot 1291 Tathra Road Kalaru www.rawsurfboards.com.au
FINBOX BOARDSTORE
DRIPPING WET SURF CO
02 93895477 40 Bronte Road Bondi Junction www.surfculture.com.au
RAW SURFBOARDS
02 4234 1636 115 Fern St Gerringong www.nnss.com.au
WOOLONGONG
02 9365 0870 2/72 Campbell Pde Bondi Beach
SURF CULTURE
NATURAL NECESSITY SURF SHOP
02 4421 4108 148 Junction Street Nowra www.corestore.com.au
02 4226 1122 115 Princes Highway Fairy Meadow byrnesurfboardsaustralia.com
02 9300 0055 180-186 Campbell Parade Bondi Beach www.drippingwetsurf.com
SUNSHINE SURFING
DRIPPING WET SURF CO
SUPER SWELL
BONDI UNDERGROUND
02 9905 5157 180 Harbord Rd Brookvale
ALOHA MANLY STYLE
02 9969 1011 522 Military Rd Mosman www.surfectionmosman.com
Pick up the next edition of smorgasboarder at any of these fine businesses - out in March
02 4226 3145 80 Market St Wollongong
BOARDOM
02 4227 2777 206 Keira Street, Wollongong 02 4295 3373 1/16b Addison St Shellharbour Village
NSW SOUTH COAST ZINK SURF
02 4233 1189 136 Terralong St. Kiama www.zinksurf.com.au
02 4441 5530 55 Owen St, Huskisson www.aquatique.com.au
02 4441 1938 Shop 1, 168 Jacobs Drive Sussex Inlet
AKWA SURF
02 4454 5222 Shop 1, Mellick’s Corner, Princess Highway, Milton www.akwasurf.com.au
SOUTHERN MAN SURF SHOP 02 4454 0343 138 Princes Hwy Ulladulla www.southernman.com.au
SALTWATER DREAM 02 4472 3811 2 Bay Central Batemans Bay
OFFSHORE SURF SHOP
02 4474 4350 66 Vulcan St, Moruya www.offshoresurf.com.au
NAROOMA SURF & SKATE 02 4476 1422 30 Princes Hwy Narooma
DSC SURFBOARDS 0424 867 962 Midtown Arcade Narooma
BERMAGUI SURF SHOP 02 6493 4849 4/28 Lamont St Bermagui
COUNTRY VIC 03 5155 4933 507 Esplanade Lakes Entrance 1800 622 310 4 Bridge Street Foster www.atolltravel.com 03 5674 2540 1 Williams Street Inverloch www.strapper.com.au
VORTEX SURF & SKATE 03 5672 4112 54 McBride Ave Wonthaggi www.strapper.com.au
PHILLIP ISLAND OUTEREEF
03 5678 5677 73 Phillip Island Rd, San Remo www.outereef.com.au
FULLCIRCLE SURF
03 5678 5873 115 Marine Pde, San Remo www.fullcirclesurf.com.au
ISLANTIS
03 5956 7553 10-12 Phillip Island Rd Newhaven www.islantis.com.au
FULLCIRCLE SURF
03 5956 7453 4-5 Vista Pl, Cape Woolamai www.fullcirclesurf.com.au
ISLAND SURF CENTRE
03 5952 2578 147 Thompson Ave Cowes www.islandsurfboards.com.au
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FIX BROKEN BOARDS?
DING REPAIRS
TORQUAY SURF WORLD
AGNES WATER/1770
Promote your repair business for $15 an edition. Call 0401 345 201
ISLAND SURF SHACK 03 5952 1659 148 Thompson Ave Cowes
ISLAND SURF CENTRE
03 5952 3443 65 Smiths Beach Rd Smiths Beach www.islandsurfboards.com.au
MELBOURNE ZAK SURFBOARDS
03 9416 7384 319 Victoria Rd Thornbury www.zaksurfboards.com
TRIGGER BROS SURF & SAIL 03 9537 3222 Shop 2, 1 St Kilda Rd St Kilda www.triggerbros.com.au
REPEAT PERFORMANCE SURF (THE BOARD STORE) 03 9525 6475 87 Ormond Rd Elwood www.rpstheboardstore.com
BRIGHTON SURF CO. 03 9593 2211 43 Church St Brighton
SHQ BOARDSPORTS 03 9598 2867 81 Beach Road Sandringham www.shq.com.au
MORDY SURF CENTRE
03 9580 1716 628 Main St Mordialloc www.mordysurf.com.au
PAULOWNIA SURFBOARD SUPPLIES
03 9588 2533 45 Governor Road Mordialloc paulowniaparadise.com.au
OKE SURFBOARDS
03 9587 3553. Factory 1 1-7 Canterbury Rd, Braeside www.okesurfboards.com
TRIGGER BROS SURF & SAIL 03 9770 2223 7 Rossmith St Frankston www.triggerbros.com.au
PENINSULA SURF CENTRE
03 9783 3811 40 Wells St Frankston www.peninsulasurf.com.au
PENINSULA SURF CENTRE
03 5975 1800 835 Nepean Hwy Mornington www.peninsulasurf.com.au
TRIGGER BROS SURF & SAIL 03 5989 8402 Point Leo Rd, Point Leo www.triggerbros.com.au
PENINSULA SURF CENTRE
03 5985 4637 2137 Pt Nepean Hwy Rye www.peninsulasurf.com.au
TRIGGER BROS SURF & SAIL 03 5984 5670 46 Ocean Beach Rd Sorrento www.triggerbros.com.au
BEAN SURFING
03 5984 5199 4 Ocean Beach Rd Sorrento
VIC SURF COAST MURFS LONGBOARDS
03 5255 5525 82 The Terrace Ocean Grove www.murfslongboards.com.au
STRAPPER SURF
03 5255 2666 67b The Terrace Ocean Grove www.strapper.com.au
GREEN ROOM SURF SHOP
03 5256 2996 64 The Terrace, Ocean Grove www.greenroom.com.au
RASTA’S EARTH & SURF SHOP
03 5254 3255 51 Hitchcock Ave Barwon Heads www.rastasurfboards.com.au
TONIK SURF CENTRE
03 5254 1470 60/62 Hitchcock Ave Barwon Heads www.tonik.com.au
03 5261 4606 Surf City Plaza Torquay www.surfworld.org.au
PATAGONIA
03 5261 4420 116 Surfcoast Hwy, Torquay www.patagonia.com.au
BASE SURFBOARDS
03 5261 5666 3/108 Surfcoast Hwy, Torquay www.basesurfboards.com
STRAPPER
03 5261 3508 96 Surfcoast Hwy, Torquay 03 5261 2312 106 Surfcoast Hwy, Torquay www.strapper.com.au
TORQUAY SURFING ACADEMY 03 5261 2022 34A Bell St Torquay www.torquaysurf.com.au
TIGERFISH
03 5264 7271 12/15 Bell St, Torquay www.tigerfish.com.au
ANGLESEA SURF CENTRE 03 5263 1530 111 Great Ocean Rd Anglesea
www.secondhandsurfboards.com.au
LORNE SURF SHOP 03 5289 1673 130 Mountjoy Pde Lorne
SHARKY’S
03 5289 2421 Mountjoy Pde Lorne
HODGY’S SURF CENTRE 03 5237 7883 143 Great Ocean Road Apollo Bay www.hodgys.com
PORT CAMPBELL TRADING CO
SOUTH COAST SURFBOARDS
TAYLORS SURFODESY
03 5261 2670 1C Baines Court Torquay www.southcoastlongboards.com.au
BLUNT
03 5261 7590 Shop 2, Surf City Plaza Torquay www.strapper.com.au
(Mon – Sat, 9-5pm, Sun,10-4pm) 07 4974 9072
SYDNEY NORTH
BROOKVALE SURFBOARD REPAIRS
SUNSHINE COAST
(M-F,8:30-5:30pm, Sat and Sun, 9-4pm) 0403 971 072
DA BOMB
CHAOS SURFBOARDS
(Mon – Sat, 9-5pm, Sun,10-4pm) 07 5451 0620 - Maroochydore 07 5437 9201 - Bokarina
(M-F,9-6pm, Sat & Sun 8:30-6pm) 02 9907 2769
BRISBANE
BONDI JUNCTION
(Mon-Fri, 8:30-5:30pm, Thurs 8:30am-8pm, Sat, 8:30-4pm, Sun, 10-4pm) 07 3266 1001
(7 days , 9:30-6:30pm) 0408 259 783
SIX OUNCE
PRIMITIVE SURF
TUGUN DIVERSE
(M-F,8:30-5:30pm, Sat and Sun, 9-4pm) 07 5598 4848
COOLANGATTA
WOOLONGONG
SKIPP SURFBOARDS
M-F,9-5:30, Thurs 9-7:30pm, Sat 9-4, Sun 10-4) 02 4228 8878
JERVIS BAY
INNER FEELING SURFBOARDS (7 days, 9-5pm) 02 4441 6756
UNDERGROUND SURF (7 days, 9-5pm) 07 5599 1040
NAROOMA
DSC SURFBOARDS
BYRON BAY
BYRON BAY DING REPAIRS
(7 days, 9-5pm) 0424 867 962
(Mon-Fri, 8:30-4:30pm) 02 6685 6770 0409 849 442
THORNBURY
YAMBA
(Mon-Fri,10-6pm; Sat 10-5pm) 03 9416 7384
02 6645 8362
TORQUAY
ZAK SURFBOARDS
THE PLANK SHOP TOMBSTONE SURFBOARDS
(Tues-Fri, 9-4pm, Sat, 9-12pm) 0432 330 826
COFFS HARBOUR
STONKER TORQUAY (Mon – Fri, 9-5pm) 03 5261 6077
PHILLIP ISLAND ISLANTIS
THE LOG SHACK
(M-F, 10-5pm, Sat & Sun 10-2:30pm) 02 6658 0223
(7 days , 9-5pm) 03 5956 7553
ISLAND SURF SHOP - COWES
LONG JETTY
(7 days, 9-5pm) 03 5952 2578
(M-F, 9-4pm, Sat 9-12pm) 0437 032 614
FULLCIRCLE SURF
S & V SURF DESIGNS
(7 days, 9-5pm) 03 5956 7453
SHIPWRECK COAST
STONKER TORQUAY
03 5261 6077 1a Baines Court, Torquay www.stonker.com.au
REEF 2 BEACH
03 5598 6444 27 Lord Street Port Campbell
03 5562 5681 132 Liebig Street, Warrnambool
SOUTHERN GUNS
03 5562 0928 176 Liebig Street Warrnambool
CLASSIFIEDS BUSINESS FOR SALE: LIFESTYLE PACKAGE
Work from home selling/trading surfboards, kayaks and surf skis. Large variety of stock from vintage to near new short/long boards + accessories and memorabilia. Full range of boards/accessories to be sold in one transaction. POA for serious enquiries, picture is only small part of collection. Sunshine Coast. Contact 0403 465 083 jan/feb 2011
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CLOSEOUT: RELAX
1.
2.
A POINT IN TIME
Australian surfing royalty from the 70’s turned up for the Turning Point exhibition at the saltmotion gallery in Manly.
3.
4.5.
5. 6.
6.
7.
10.
11.
Saltmotion and Rusty Miller teamed up to exhibit previously unseen photographs from the 1970 Bells World Championship and surfers moving to Byron Bay. PHOTOS: 1. Rusty Miller gets amongst it 2. Bob McTavish, Rusty Miller and Jack McCoy share some old songs 3. Taylor Miller and Trisha Miller 4. Derek Hynd, Jack McCoy, Bob McTavish, Rusty Miller 5. Jamie Grey and Bob McTavish 6. Kieran Plim and Elissa Young 7. Stuart Nettle is all ears during Rusty Miller’s speech For more information on the gallery, see: www.saltmotion.com
HIGH FLYING CHARITY
8.
A bit of rain failed to dampen the enthusiasm at the inaugural Brisbane Airport Corporate Surf Challenge held at Duranbah Beach on Friday November 19. Brainchild of the BAC, Cribb Island Boardriders Club and Primitive Surf, the event raised $20,000 for the Royal Flying Doctor Service. Aside form the final four (right) teams included Brisbane Airport, Clayton Utz, Qld Motorways, Norton Rose, KPMG, Laing O’Rourke, ISS Security, Australand Holdings, Neilson Properties and CPR Communications. PHOTOS: 8. The final four teams were Bistech team A, Norton Rose, Carter Newell and Billabong/ Beach Culture. 9. The Brisbane Airport crew managed to soak up a little sun in between work. 10. Craig Rees from Primitive Surf called all the action on the day. 11. The winning Billabong/Beach Culture team: Zen Nakamura-Vincent, Dane Patterson, Wini Paul and Bryan Balthazaar.
9.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR EVENT
If you have something on the go, let us know. Email us on: editorial@smorgasboarder.com.au
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