Smorgasboarder_11_May-2012

THE HOTTEST WETSUIT YOU’LL EVER WEAR

Surfer: Marcus Aboody 

Australia’s #1 TITANIUM-LINED wetsuit. 

Keeping wind out and warmth in. 

10 Piper Drive, Ballina NSW 2478 | 1300 483 634 | +61 2 66190469 | Skype: triple-x-wetsuits 

WWW.TRIPLE-X.COM.AU 

SOLD ONLINE! 

FREE DELIVERY

DETAILS & STUFF 

WHERE TO PICK SMORGASBOARDER UP 

Grab it FREE at quality surf stores, shapers and cool cafes on the coast of 

Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania. 

For a full list, see the directory in the back of the mag or just get to 

your local surf shop and ask for it. If you see a local store advertising, 

please support them! They’ll have the lion’s share of mags in your area. 

smorgasboarder is published six times a year. 

CAN’T GET THERE? SUBSCRIBE 

If you can’t get to a store, have smorgasboarder delivered to 

your door. The mag’s still free, but Australia Post need to get paid. 

$18 IN AUSTRALIA GETS YOU SIX EDITIONS. 

Sign up at www.smorgasboarder.com.au. It’ll arrive 

every two months. Back issues are available for $5 per copy. 

THE COVER SHOT 

Ben Vos was the man behind the lens on our recent visit to 

New Zealand. Fortunately his photos - like this cracker in 

Dunedin - are better than his driving and jokes. A German 

backpacker in Raglan even asked “Can we look?” Page 28. 

BOYS & GIRLS OF SMORGASBOARDER 

LOTS OF STUFF & ADVERTISING 

Dave Swan dave@smorgasboarder.com.au 

0401 345 201 

NEW ZEALAND STUFF 

‘Jiff’ Morris jeff@smorgasboarder.co.nz 

+64 (0)220 943 913 

LOTS OF STUFF & DESIGN 

Mark Chapman mark@smorgasboarder.com.au 

0400 875 884 

SOUTH AUSTRALIAN STUFF 

James Ellis james@smorgasboarder.com.au 

0410 175 552 

STUFF, ACCOUNTS & EVERYTHING ELSE 

Louise Gough advertising@smorgasboarder.com.au 

PHOTO STUFF 

Ben Vos 

benv@smorgasboarder.com.au 

MORE DESIGN STUFF: Dean Slockee & Gus Brown 

PROOFING, TEST STUFF & STUNTS: Gus Brown 

CONTRIBUTORS 

This is your mag. Tell us your stories, send us your pics, let us know your 

thoughts... Ideas & submissions: editorial@smorgasboarder.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. 

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. 

6 may/jun 2012

Distributed by 

Street SUP 

www.streetsup.com.au - 0466-264-232 

Mini Series 

Meat Loaf 

Progressive Series 

Cruiser Series 

Anela Pro Haka Retrofish Neofish Pohaku Classic Big Stick 

may/jun 2012 

7


Rusty 

WHAT A PLACE 

Faced with where to test the latest wetsuits 

this year we choose New Zealand. We thought 

it would be cold, dark and provide us with an 

opportunity to write a travel story to boot. What 

we experienced, however was far beyond our 

expectations. 

New Zealand wasn’t just a bit of fun - it was 

absolutely bloody awesome. We haven’t 

stopped talking about the ‘Land of the Long 

White Cloud’ since we returned. What we’re 

yet to figure out though, is why so many Kiwis 

move over here? 

Now don’t get me wrong, I am a very, very 

proud Australian, born and bred in Queensland. 

I love my country to bits. I tell you what though, 

we could take a leaf out of the Kiwis book in 

many respects. 

Two weeks surfing the joint and I never heard 

one ‘Oi, my wave’. No wave rage. Nothing. I 

guess the possible presence of Great Whites 

due to the abundance of seals could cause 

everyone to be more welcoming of increased 

numbers in the water. Lessen the odds... 

There are an endless number of top class 

breaks for every level of surfer. Everywhere 

you look, there are fun waves with little or no 

crowds. Many go unridden. 

Yes, the water may be a little cooler than some 

parts of Australia, but with the way modern 

wetsuits go, you don’t even feel the cold. 

And as for the country itself, the scenery is 

awe-inspiring. One minute you feel you are on 

the set of Jurassic Park and the next you are 

in alpine scenery reminiscent of the European 

Alps or the Nordic fjords. 

Basically, New Zealand just blows my mind. 

It blew all of our minds. So with this in mind, 

we wanted to take a different approach to this 

edition of smorgasboarder. We thought we’d 

take you along on a journey of the North and 

South Island of New Zealand as we experience 

some of what the country has to offer - taking 

in the scenery, meeting local shapers, surfing, 

testing their boards, testing the new season’s 

wetsuits, sampling local food, produce, wine 

and beer and of course having one hell of a 

good time doing it. 

Welcome to our All Black edition. 

The NZ 

travelling 

crew 

AND INTRODUCING... 

We’re far from the most serious crew here at smorgasboarder, so when 

we met Barry over here, we were very excited to share his stories with 

you! But note - he’s a pretty excessive individual, so we’re not sure 

how long his ticker will take it all... Enjoy it while you can! Ridiculously 

talented artist Darren ‘Curl’ Marks presents the politically incorrect 

misadventures of Aloha Barry and Pimples the dog on page 163. 

Finally, a big welcome to our long-time friend, half-decent photographer 

and passable surfer, Ben Vos, who joined us in NZ to capture some 

amazing images, test out great gear and be part of the great big adventure 

that is this magazine. Enjoy, open your mind and get some waves! 

Big Cat -‐ 7’0”, 7’6” & 8’0” 

Piranha -‐ 5’8”, 6’0”, 6’2”, 

6’4”, 6’6” & 6’10” 

Dwart -‐ 5’8”, 5’10” & 6’0” 

SURFTECH AUSTRALIA 

www.surftechaustralia.com.au 


9 

02 4226 1322

Since 1971 

“is what surfing is all about” 

www.goodtime.com.au 

WETSUITS! 

We reckon we have the cheapest 

wetsuits in the world... 

Don’t waste your time online, 

get it at goodtime... 

Stocking Rip Curl, O’Neill, 

West, Excel, Roxy, Quicksilver, 

Billabong, Peak 

TAKE A VIRTUAL TOUR OF 

THE SHOP WITH OUR ONLINE 

VIDEO WALK-THROUGH 

10 mar/apr 2012 

Goodtime Surf & Sail 

29 Ipswich Road, Woolloongabba, Brisbane 

07 3391 8588 

FIND US ON FACEBOOK! 

Photo courtesy 

of Dick Hoole

28NZ 

NORTH ISLAND 

Arriving in Auckland, 

floods, experiencing 

Piha, Raglan and more 

64 

78 

83 

PERSPECTIVE 

Joel Coleman and 

mates do their own 

North Island trip 

LONGBOARDING 

We talk to the producer 

of NZ longboard surfing 

movie SEWN 

SOUTH ISLAND 

Seafood, seals and 

surfing on the way 

down to Dunedin 

ALL THE USUAL BITS 

THE LATEST 

12 Letters & Reader Photos 

22 News & Community 

TRAVEL 

28 Lots of New Zealand 

GEAR 

121 Snowboard Tech 

123 Skate 

125 The Shaper’s Apprentice 

CLOSEOUT 

150 Michael Peterson 

152 Columns 

160 Relax 

162 Aloha Barry 

INZIDE THIS ISSUE 

Joel Tudor 

136 

WETSUITS 

We put a whole lot of 

rubber to the test on our 

travels through NZ 

When a cold cruise is cut short, it’s 

nice to be that rubbered up! Hello 

ice-cream headache. Photo: Ben Vos 

ACROBATIC 

DISMOUNT 

#62 

Papa Joe -‐ 9’6” 

Classic -‐ 9’4” 

Good Karma -‐ 6’0” 

Dead Fish -‐ 5’10” 



mar/apr 2012 

11 

02 4226 1322

READERS PICS 


INTRODUCING THE 

HD HERO2 

2X More Powerful In Every Way 

Alex Gibson sent in this 

absolute cracker of Kerry 

Down taking off somewhere 

on the Central Coast of NSW 

Alex scores himself a cool 

MegaWasp waterproof 

duffel bag! 

www.surfcomposites.com.au 

admin@surftechaustralia.com.au 

may/jun 02012 

4226 1322 13


READERS PICS 

There’s nothing manlier 

than a noseride, sick pits and 

a chestfro. Caloundra’s Dean 

Chelin, chillin’... man-style. 

Sunny Coast snapper 

Peter Pascoe scores 

himself a cool MegaWasp 

waterproof duffel bag! 


15

READERS PICS 

Brazilian-born 

Gold Coast surfer and 

skater Vitor Silveira gets 

some air in Yamba on the 

NSW North Coast. 

Congrats Vitor - you 

score yourself a cool 

MegaWasp waterproof 

duffel bag! 



17

READERS PICS 

This needs no caption. 

Victorian photographer 

Roie Hughes scores 

herself a cool MegaWasp 

waterproof duffel bag! 


For next issue’s favourite reader shots, we’ve got 

copies of the NZ longboarding DVD, SEWN to give away! 

Photos to letters@smorgasboarder.com.au 

Read more about SEWN on Page 78 


19

PHOTOS: Roie Hughes 

FIVE TIMES 

THE FUN 

How much fun is it to jump on 

a different board, trying to ride 

it and having a laugh with your 

friends? That’s the essence of 

surfing. The sun is shining and 

entering the water every day is 

mandatory, no matter what the 

conditions. 

Bring out the boards as they 

may be needed. You could 

be surfing tiny perfect glassy 

waves on a log or jumping on 

the bodyboard as the only thing 

breaking is the sucky shorey. 

Surfing isn’t about the type 

of board you ride or the size 

of waves you catch, it’s about 

that stoke you get every time 

you a catch a wave... That 

feeling you get that makes you 

think nothing else in the world 

matters at the moment in time 

when you jump to your feet. 

Short, Long, Lid. Pro or 

weekend warrior. It’s all surfing 

and people just do it for that 

same buzz they get from 

catching a wave. 

Jumping on different boards 

keeps things interesting and 

means more water time - even 

when it’s flat you can go for a 

paddle on your SUP. 

Get out in the surf and just 

have fun, who’s to say that 

shortboarder sitting in the 

lineup at pumping Snapper is 

having more fun than the mum 

catching broken waves on her 

bodyboard at Main Beach? 

Just feel the thrill of being in 

the ocean, have fun and ride 

any board you want, any way 

you want! 

Emma Webb, Jan Juc 

Preach it sister - smorgasboardering all the way. For your great 

thoughts and pics you score a very cool MegaWASP duffel bag! 

For a look inside the WASP bag, see Page 149 

Send us your thoughts, rants and more... 

We’ll find free stuff to send your way. 

letters@smorgasboarder.com.au 

LETTERS 



21

SURFWAREAUSTRALIA 

SUNSHINE COAST SUPERSTORE 

20% 

0FF ALL WETSUITS 

O’NEILL, WEST, 

ALEEDA 

TRAVELLER’S 

SPECIAL: 

Present your confirmed air 

ticket instore to receive 20% off 

anything for your trip! 

20% off a full range of surf 

hardware, rashies, surf hats, 

backpacks, Wavefinder books, 

Go-Pro cameras & more... 

2 Bulcock Street, Caloundra QLD 4551 Tel (07) 5491 3620 

Open Mon to Sat, 9am to 5pm and Sun 9am to 4pm. Closed Christmas Day 

SURFWAREAUSTRALIA.COM 

Now 

stocking 

SUPs! 

More boards than 

you can poke a log at. 

392 Harbour Drive, The Jetty Strip, Coffs Harbour NSW 

Phone: 02 6658 0223 www.thelogshack.com.au 

MANLY 

SURFBOARDS 

Best ding repairs in town. 

46 NORTH STEYNE RD, MANLY NSW 2095 T 02 9976 0591 

THIS IS THE 

NEWS 

WHAT’S HAPPENING AROUND OUR SIDE OF THE COAST 

editorial@smorgasboarder.com.au 

THE TIDE IS IN 

Finding reliable tide charts for Bali 

has been a bit of a mission through 

the years. Thanks to Peter Neely at 

Indo Surf & Lingo they’re now just a 

mouse click away. 

Peter’s made available officially 

licensed, 24-hour UK Royal Admiralty 

Charts for the region, along with tide 

charts for G-Land, the Mentawais, 

Sumbawa and other Indo surf spots. 

Now you can plan to score your Indo 

surf spot on the perfect tide years 

in advance. www.indosurf.com.au/ 

Tide_Charts.html 

ANTI- SHARK DEVICE 

ON THE MENU 

An electronic device designed to 

ward sharks away from surfers was 

eaten by a Great White in a trial off 

South Africa. 

Under the gaze of the Natal Sharks 

Board the Shark Shield surf model 

was activated on a float carrying 

bait when a 3.6m female shark 

approached. Rather than being 

deterred by the device, she bit into it. 

The findings have come to the 

surface during the inquest into the 

death of Jarrod Stehbens, who was 

diving off Glenelg in South Australia 

in 2005 studying cuttlefish for the 

University of Adelaide when he was 

taken by a Great White shark. 

The inquest has heard concerns that 

the electronic fields generated by the 

device to repel sharks may instead 

attract them. Findings of the inquest 

will be published at a later date. 

ALL IN ONE PIECE 

Congratulations to Ocean & Earth 

who won the Product Innovation 

Award at the recent Australia Surf 

Industry Awards for their one-piece 

leash. Simply put, the legropes are 

super strong and the award is a 

great backpat for Ocean & Earth as a 

world leader in surf hardware. 

GOT NEWS? 

facebook.com/smorgasboarder 

MELBOURNE SPLINTERS 

‘Splinters’, the multi award-winning 

documentary surf film about the 

evolution of indigenous surfing in 

Papua New Guinea will premier in 

Melbourne at the Human Rights 

and Arts Film festival at 6.15pm on 

Thursday May 24th. For details go 

to hraff.org.au/film-event/splinters-3 

DEWEY WEBER 

IN AUSTRALIA 

twitter.com/smorgasboarder 

The name needs no introduction. 

Some of the finest surfboards out 

of California are now available in 

Australia and New Zealand. To ‘get 

close to the soul’, contact Adam on 

0400 497 534. 

INSPIRATION & FUEL 

The first weekend in June will see a 

fundraiser for Surfrider Foundation at 

the Just Us Gallery in Maroochydore 

on the Sunshine Coast 

Run over 3 days, this free event 

will bring together artists, 

photographers, surfboard shapers 

and musicians, to celebrate the 

love of the waves, beaches and 

ocean and help raise funds to help 

protect the very things we love and 

enjoy. The exhibition will feature 

photography by Matt O’Brien, 

surfboards by Tom Wegener, art by 

Shane Bowden and music by great 

local acts including Mitch Davis. 

See www.justusgallery.com.au 

Send it in. Upcoming events, charity 

happenings, interesting stories, email to: 

editorial@smorgasboarder.com.au 

Splinters production still. Photo: Adam Pesce 


HANDCRAFTED, 

FREE-STANDING, 

RECYCLED 

TIMBER BOARD 

RACKS... 

CALL 0413 061 727 

WWW.BYRONBAYBOARDRACKS.COM 

Charlotte resident yoga master 

at Bondi SUP strikes a pose with 

Pipe master Gerry Lopez 

WHAT’S SUP WITH YOUR 

DOWNWARD DOG? 

Yoga masters of Sydney’s eastern and southern 

suburbs can now take to the water to attain 

their perfect state of spiritual insight and 

tranquility. Both Cronulla Standup Paddleboard 

School and Bondi Standup Paddleboard School 

are now running standup paddleboard yoga 

classes. 

Both discipines are recognised as being 

great for building better balance, flexibility, 

coordination, endurance and strength. By 

combining the two, the benefits are said to be 

even better. 

Former Hawaiian world champ surfer Gerry 

Lopez couldn’t resist a pose when he was 

recently in town visiting Todd and the team at 

Bondi SUP. The lovely Charlotte, resident yoga 

master, took him through his poses. 

www.cronullasup.com.au 

FLOATING GYM FACILITIES 

On the subject of paddleboard yoga, Cindi 

Bonner, a Pensacola Beach fitness owner in the 

US has introduced a revolutionary, patented 

SUP design with just that in mind. 

Named the Fitness Onboard SUP by Dragonfly 

it features a trolley anchoring system, paddle 

clip to secure paddles so they don’t float away 

during workouts, multiple attachment rings for 

exercise tubing, a dry storage area for personal 

belongings and two removable cup holders. 

www.fitnessonboard.com 

Action from the 2011 

Wrecks and Relics.Photos: Ian Borland 

Byron Sunset Happy Hour! 

Monday to Friday 4-6pm 

Half price selected Tapas (Calamari and dips) 

$5 select beers & house wine, $10 Margaritas 

Open every day Breakfast, lunch and dinner. Tapas till late. 

Cnr Lawson & Jonson, Byron Bay 

02 6680 9666 www.balcony.com.au 

ROLLICKING WRECKS 

Now in its eighth year, the Noosa Malibu 

Club’s Wrecks and Relics annual over-50’s 

longboarding event is booked for the 

weekend of 23-24 June. 

This year includes a new division - the 

over-69 age group, for those old farts that 

still have it in them. 

“It’s a gruelling two-day event of non-stop 

action, as we try to remember how we 

did it when we started riding the waves 

in the 50’s.” says spokesrelic, Bob Wood. 

For more info, contact Libby Winter at 

libby@winterco.com.au 


23

HOLY SMOKES! 

A few issues back, we featured the 

creation of a surfboard from coconut 

wood. While we thought that was pretty 

out there, it seems there’s not too many 

natural materials that can’t be fashioned 

into a surfboard... 

This little beauty, built by alaia enthusiast 

Adam Bell, is manufactured using 

material from medicinal marijuana plants 

and looks ready for a smoking hot surf. 

Retrieved from a burn pile, the wood was 

painstakingly wittled down and glued 

together, bit by bit. With wood fibres 

much the same as balsa, the board was 

then glassed after Californian red abalone 

shells were inserted for detail. 

Adam’s been travelling the world for 

the last 11 years and has found himself 

following the direction of alternative 

surfing. He has studied and experimented 

with alaia’s building them in Australia, 

South Africa, Canada and California. 

Adam explains the inspiration behind his 

latest creation. 

“The board represents the Green and Red 

Triangle. The Red Triangle is the colloquial 

name of a roughly triangle-shaped region 

off the coast of northern California, 

extending from Bodega Bay, north of San 

Francisco, out slightly beyond the Farallon 

Islands, and down to the Big Sur region, 

south of Monterey. 

“Around thirty-eight percent of recorded 

Great White shark attacks on humans 

in the US have occurred within the Red 

Triangle. The Green Triangle or Emerald 

Triangle, is in Mendocino County north of 

San Francisco where most of the medical 

marijuana is grown in California.” 

For more on Adam’s wild slides see 

http://pcockalaias.blogspot.com.au 

ABOVE: Are those rolled rails? 

FAR LEFT: The raw material. 

It takes a fair bit of vision and 

dedication to work a pile like that 

into a cool surfboard like this one, 

but it’s high time someone did. 

LEFT-HAND SIDE: Detail of the 

abalone insert. Even the joints are 

visible... These captions have just 

gone to pot... 



25

Geoff McCoy Designs 

The icon is back... 

Phase I 

5’ - 6’6” 

1974/5 - 2012 

This is the original design of the icon 

Lazor Zap, the original template that later 

became the modern short board disaster 

with its impractical slender low volume 

extremely hard to surf performance. 

The basic design concept of the Lazor Zap 

was to increase area and volume in the 

back half of the board using only one fin. 

The design concept not only worked, it blew 

minds around the surfing world, and history 

shows how it achieved four times 2 nd in the 

world titles and a 1 st under the feet of the 

great Cheyne Horan. 

This extremely advanced design is 

now being copied world wide by all, so 

many years later. These facts speak for 

themselves and indicate the amazing 

capabilities of the design concept that Geoff 

calls his ENERGY THEORY. 

Phase II 

5’ - 6’6” 

2005 - 2012 

Now performing better than ever since 

Geoff adjusted performance features giving 

the design, smoother dynamic curves, more 

even thickness distribution this in turn has 

balanced the board in a practical way. 

This allows a much wider range of skill 

levels to enjoy the true features and 

performance available from this original 

GROUND BREAKING design, now 30-plus 

years old and outperforming all other retro 

designs and the modern short board by a 

country mile! 

Every McCoy surfboard is the result of Geoff’s uncompromising 

design approach which integrates style, hydro dynamics and pure function. 

The Lazor Zap / Nugget design, features compact hydro dynamic curves, under 

scoring the concepts of pure performance oriented efficiency that inspired them. 

These unique designs develop a personal, emotional connection with the surfer 

through their superior capabilities on the wave. 

James Llewelyn 

zapping 

Cheyne Horan’s 

1981 Zap 

Cheyne’s 81 Lazor Zap is 

currently being restored 

Showroom at 10 Acacia Street Byron Bay NSW 2481 Australia 

Personally contact Geoff on 02 6685 3227 or mccoy@nor.com.au 

by Randy Rarick in Hawaii www.mccoysurfboards.com 


FISH FOR SUPPER 

You can do a lot of cool things on 

a SUP... You can paddle down a 

river, you can fly down the face of a 

wave, you can do yoga if you have 

the skills and balance and if you 

couldn’t be bothered going to the 

supermarket, you can do your fresh 

fish shopping from your board too. 

The crew at Ocean Addicts 

at Maroochydore have got 

quite competitive about their 

achievements with a rod and reel 

and recently put the call out to SUPers 

Australia-wide to take part in 

their SUP Fishing Competition. 

If you have photographic evidence 

of your own fishing endeavours - 

beside a ruler or sizing gauge (e.g. 

beer can) for honesty, of course 

- then be part of the fun... Just 

comment “ Hook me up, I’m in” next 

to your name on the Ocean Addicts 

Facebook page to get started. 

Best of all, there are NO prizes for 

this competition at all! Just bragging 

rights for the leader board winner. 

For more on the comp and Ocean 

Addicts, see the website: 

www.oceanaddicts.com.au 

Fishing, crabbing... It’s like grocery 

shopping from your SUP. 


27

28 may/jun 2012 

Come along and enjoy our roadtrip through both islands of New Zealand, 

surfing whenever possible, taking in the sights and enjoying top hospitality, 

food and beers. WORDS: DAVE SWAN & MARK CHAPMAN, PHOTOS: BEN VOS

PHOTO: MARK CHAPMAN 


29

PHOTO: DAVE SWAN 

Criss 

crossing 

the North 

Two groups of travellers, 

two motorhomes, two 

different trips. Between the 

smorgasboarder visit and 

the saltmotion visit, we get 

to see a few of the magical 

places NZ surfers get to 

enjoy every day. 

Piha 

Raglan 

New 

Plymouth 

Tutukaka 

Auckland 

Gisborne 

Hawkes 

Bay 

Wellington 

the smorgasboarder 

moterhome went 

North and hugged the 

West Coast, while the 

saltmotion boys did 

some back-and-forth 

discovery on either side 

of the island south of 

Auckland. 


TRAVEL 

SURF TRIP 

PHOTOS: BEN VOS 

Bucking the trend 

and going right... 

The right way, say 

the naturals 

New Zealand, or Aotearoa, as it 

is known in the Maori language, 

means ‘Land of the Long White 

Cloud’. Amongst surfers it is also 

known as the ‘Land of the Long 

Cool Lefts’ for its abundance of 

quality left-hand breaks. Yes, it’s a 

goofy footers paradise... weirdos. 

The country boasts several worldrenowned 

breaks such as Piha and 

Raglan, but loads of less widely 

known, but nonetheless high-class 

breaks such as Shipwreck Bay at 

the southern end of Ninety Mile 

Beach (which incidentally is only 

fifty-five miles), the Bog Works 

down Taranaki way (no prizes for 

guessing what it formerly was, but 

now it’s just as famous for putting 

you in it). It’s a hellman’s wave. 

Then there’s Murdering Bay and St 

Clair down on the South Island. The 

list just goes on and on and so do 

the cool names. 

The fact of the matter is, New 

Zealand has 15,000 kms of 

coastline, exposed to swell in 

every direction. There are literally a 

gazillion surf breaks, more than you 

could surf in a lifetime. 

Our challenge was to surf as many 

as we could in two weeks whilst 

catching up with a number of friendly 

folk who call this place home. 

We were never going to be able 

to cover it all in one trip, on our 

own. Well I was willing to give it a 

crack but my two slack-arse mates 

weren’t up for driving non-stop on 

our working holiday, so I settled for 

a loose plan of attack we decided 

upon... which we then discarded as 

soon as we got there. In the end, 

we just drove around the place, 

got to some places, missed some 

places, had a surf and one hell of 

a good time and kind of made our 

way from north to south. 

Fortunately, our friend Joel 

Coleman of saltmotion in Manly 

had similar plans of NZ discovery, 

visiting some places we didn’t get 

to and scoring waves in places we 

lucked out on. 

But even between our two distinct 

visits to the North Island, we still 

only get to show you a snapshot 

of what the place is truly like and 

what our cousins across the water 

have to offer. 

Enjoy a little look across the ditch! 

PHOTO: SALTMOTION 


31

X 

GENUINELY 

NOT 

FROM CHINA 

GASfins are here to support local surf 

manufacturers with quality products 

made by real people who really surf. 

While, like other fin systems, GASfins are 

manufactured overseas, they come from 

a place where people enjoy BBQs and 

beers, play rugby and most importantly - 

SURF - not some big, faceless factory. 

Enjoy affordable quality 

0417 980 524 • gasfins@gmail.com 

WWW.GASFINS.COM.AU 

ABOVE: Art outside the local surf shop in Whangerei - The Surf Emporium. TOP RIGHT: 

Servo coffee - not crap in NZ. MAIN: This is what we’re looking forward to - new waves 

for us to experience! RIGHT: Sheepworld outside Auckland - what a cool logo! 

Let’s face it, arriving in a new country for the 

first time, after midnight, isn’t ideal. Night-shift 

airport staff are guaranteed to be grumpy and 

it’s going to be impossible to get anything 

organised at one in the morning and still get 

enough shuteye to count. Mentally, we’re 

preparing for the worst. Wrong. To our absolute 

surprise, everyone is as happy and chipper as 

if it’s first thing in the morning and they’ve all 

scored free coffees. Customs people smiling, 

information desk guy chatting away... He 

even rings the hotel for us to get our shuttle 

arranged after running us through how to get 

ourselves sorted with NZ sims for our phones. 

Kim - from our hotel - arrives, loads bags 

and drives us back like a bat out of hell. It’s 

all happened so smoothly and quickly that 

before we know it, we’re showered, rested 

and it’s morning, with Kim making a special 

trip to drop us at Britz to pick up our home on 

wheels. Again, smiling faces, friendly service 

and not a drama in the world... We’re loving 

NZ already and we haven’t even had breakfast 

yet. We’re in a rush to get up north to get our 

trip underway, so rather than waste time, we 

start driving and stop on the motorway at a 

service station cafe for a bite to eat. Servo 

cafe? You’re kidding... this is like upmarket cafe 

latte strip food? We’re starting to get a little 

suspicious now. Surely this country can’t be all 

good, right down to servo food? 

Filled to the brim with strong coffee, bacon 

and eggs we’re on the road again, after a 

bit of headscratching on how this auto toll 

payment machine thingo works. One heated 

debate later - of whether we take a detour to 

visit Sheepworld - we decide to get straight 

into the surfing side instead. The first thing we 

need is surfboards! We weren’t coming to NZ 

to surf our own - we want to have the full local 

experience, right down to the foam under our 

feet - so we gun it to Ruakaka to meet up with 

surfboard maker Roger Hall. 


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33

TRAVEL 

SURF TRIP 

“My philosophy 

of building 

surfboards has 

always been to 

make a few 

nice boards.” 


RUAKAKA LOCAL: 

ROGER HALL 

SURFLINE CUSTOM SURFBOARDS 

Being extremely organised, we pulled up at Surfline factory in 

Ruakaka completely unexpected and unannounced. Our luck still 

seemed to be holding up and Roger was in. Despite being hard at 

work, he gave us more than an hour of his time and after walking us 

through his factory and hearing of our brave quest to travel, discover 

and surf NZ without our own boards but relying on the kindness of 

shapers, he sent us on our way with three out of his personal quiver 

to make use of over the next few days. It turns out he’s not only a 

shaping legend but an awesome bloke to boot. 

PHOTOS: A look inside Surfline in Ruakaka is a trip to a grown-ups toy shop, stocked 

with beautifully crafted boards featuring intricate parquetry work, eye-catching resin 

designs and - on closer inspection - interesting and experimental shapes, rockers, 

channels... You name it. INSET: Roger surfing, as drawn by his nephew. 


ROGER HALL is a humble man. He frequently talks of such 

great admiration and respect for so many shapers that at times I 

wonder whether he realises how talented he actually is himself. 

I mean, the man seems to be freakishly gifted. 

His introduction to shaping though was quite different. You hear 

of many taking to shaping only after years of surfing, but Roger 

began shaping immediately, at the age of thirteen at the same 

time as he first took to the water. 

“The two went hand in hand by my way of thinking. Not sure 

what was going through my silly head, thinking I could do it, 

but I did. 

“The thing that was instrumental in my development was 

the fact that my father came from an engineering, fitting and 

turning background so he was really good with his hands. If 

he wanted something, he would make it. I, on the other hand, 

was just a disaster. I am living proof that if I can do it, there is 

hope for anybody. 

“As soon as I expressed an interest he was right there keeping 

an ever watchful eye on me. Pretty soon I would be yelling, ‘Dad, 

Dad, I can’t get this fin straight and the resin is about to go off’ 

and he would tell me, ‘A little more to the left, that’s good.’ He 

had such a good eye for it, particularly the curves. 

“So I was lucky that I sort of had that guiding light right at 

the beginning to keep me on track. Whenever it got too hard 

he would step in with the right power tool or come in with 

instruction. That really ensured I got going with it. Shaping 

became a fanatical hobby.” 

After making boards for himself and a couple of mates 

Roger came across a board that would forever set him on his 

‘alternative’ path. 

“At the beginning I was into single fins and then very early in 

‘72 or ‘73 I cottoned onto the fish thing. Twin keel fishes really 

caught my eye, particularly when I saw photos of guys doing 

those real fish turns around San Diego.” 

As if it were fate, a guy from San Diego moved to the little 

village where Roger grew up and brought his fish in for a ding 

repair. 

“I asked if I could measure it up - even though I didn’t really 

know how to do it back then - and I stole as much information 

as I could. I got totally obsessed with fish and pretty much have 

been since.” 

In a commercial sense though, fish weren’t big business 

back then, neither were the longboards Roger shaped, but he 

continued shaping them nonetheless. He’s always moved to 

the beat of his own drum and not what was fashionable or 

profitable. Eventually though, things turned in Roger’s favour. 

Longboards became popular and so too fish. It was just as well, 

because he was determined to do his own thing anyhow. 

“My philosophy of building surfboards has always been to 

make a few nice boards. It is just a passion at the end of the 

day. I’m not interested in mass production. There’s lots of mass 

production going on around the world and I think that is the 

enemy of the heart and soul of surfing. I’m pretty old school 

about that. 

“I’m from the 70s and surfing wasn’t a sport. It may be now, but 

that doesn’t mean we have to all behave that way. There’s still 

plenty of room to surf for the reasons you want to. Surfing for 

most of us is a passionate pastime. Shaping for me is the same, 

even though it has become my business.” 


35

TRAVEL 

SURF TRIP 

1. Mini-Sea Creature 

A QUIVER OF ROGER’S BOARDS 

At 5’7 this is one stumpy, twin-keeled 

mutant! It paddled like a dream because 

of the high-volume but was also super 

responsive when up and running. 

With surfboards of this high quality, 

finished with such painstakingly 

time-consuming parquetry, we 

weren’t sure if we should ride them, 

or frame them... We rode them. 

2. Twin Keel C-Wing Fish 

With a timber tail, this 5’10 twinnie has 

extra weight in the rear to help you turn 

on a dime. Rock solid and really needed 

bigger surf than we got to do it justice. 

3. Hot Curl 

You are so 

pretty... Can 

I rub you a 

little? 

Based on Roger’s timber version of the 

1930’s Hawaiian Hot Curl boards, this 

7’ foam finless was fantastic. Fast, yet 

surprisingly easy to steady and control. 

In love... Absolutely in love. 

1. 

2. 

3. 

ABOVE: Cold and overcast with 

onshore wind. Welcome to our 

first surf of the trip - Waipu Cove. 

TOP: Wind be blown, we scored 

a few fun rides regardless! 


Roger tells us of a popular surf spot nearby called 

Waipu Cove, which he says will be our best bet in 

the onshore winds but doesn’t really hold too much 

hope for us getting wet. What Roger didn’t figure is 

that we’re from the Sunshine Coast where the surf 

is regularly crap and we are used to these conditions. 

Slop grovellers we are, and proud of it. 

We arrive at Waipu, the beach is deserted, it’s 

howling onshore, overcast and a wee bit chilly. 

Great, let’s get it onnnn. I couldn’t wait to press my 

flesh on Roger’s personal works of art (sorry Roger) 

and start the first of our many wetsuit tests. 

All in all it was a good surf, made all the more 

memorable for the fact it was our first in New 

Zealand. Of course we saw the obligatory seal, the 

first of many to be seen throughout our trip, but 

not knowing exactly what it was at first I almost 

changed the colour of my wetsuit to a deep brown. 

The conditions may not have been perfect for an 

initial road test of Roger’s boards but the Mini-Sea 

Creature shone through in the choppy conditions as 

did the 7’ Hot Curl surprisingly. You would think a 

finless board in dumping, sloppy beachies wouldn’t 

be ideal but the volume certainly helped and 

despite being finless, you could surprisingly ride 

this board forehand and backhand. I’m a novice and 

can’t ride finless boards backhand. 

We finish our surf as it nears dark and head back 

to the motorhome where we crack the first of many 

beers for the trip. The Kiwis sure know how to brew. 

We wander to the end of the campground to find 

what is the coolest restaurant aptly named the 

Beach House Café + Bar. We are waited on by a 

delightful young lady called Emma who just so 

happens to be the local photographer whose snaps 

adorn the walls along with an array of other tasteful 

bric-a-brac. The food is amazing and we are already 

starting to marvel at how good New Zealand is. 

We awake the next morning to even more gloomy 

and blustery conditions. Waipu Cove is a write-off, 

so we head back to the Beach House for breaky. 

Emma had worded us up the night before that the 

chef freshly bakes an array of breads, muffins, 

scones and doughnuts each morning and that their 

coffee is amazing. 

Emma is not wrong - the coffee and breakfast is 

unbelievable and we are already starting to wonder 

how much weight we will actually gain on this trip. 

My Homer Simpson physique was already well 

underway before we left. 

We leave the Beach House as full as bulls and steer 

towards Whangerai, where we’d heard there was 

a funky little store called The Surf Emporium who 

specialised in new and used handmade boards, surf 

inspired art and the like. Unfortunately the weather 

had deteriorated and with the way it was, The Surf 

Emporium was closed for the day so we travelled 

on towards Tutukaka, a very popular diving, deepsea 

fishing and surfing spot. 

LEFT AND BELOW: Hidden off 

the street, the Beach House Cafe 

+ Bar was our stop for dinner and 

breakfast. While the freshly-baked 

goods hit the spot, the atmosphere 

was perfectly set with the cool 

decor, featuring the great local 

surf photography by our friendly 

waitress, Emma Knight. 

Waipu Cove sunrise. Photo: Emma Knight 

Waipu Cove. Photo: Emma Knight 


37

TRAVEL 

SURF TRIP 

ABOVE AND TOP: As we 

discovered a quiet little bay just 

north of Tutukaka, scored a great 

little ripple and a few fun rides, 

little did we know, RIGHT, what 

Mother Nature had in store for 

us the next day... 

“And then it 

got just a little 

bit rainy...” 

Around from Tutukaka we find 

a spectacular bay - a horseshoe 

shape with a white sand beach. 

Despite the overcast skies you 

could see what a magic spot this 

was with superb little beach houses 

fringing the shore. 

Super-clean little knee-high rights 

peeled from the southern corner 

of the bay, absolutely perfect for 

the Roger Hall 7’ Hot Curl. We all 

take turns and swap boards every 

ten minutes or so. As the waves 

pick up, we move to some solid 

little beachies toward the centre of 

the bay. After three hours or more 

we finally make our way back to 

Tutukaka where we stay the night. 

And then it all went pear shaped. 

During the night, gale force winds 

hammered the Northland and it 

absolutely pissed down. By the 

morning our campground was starting 

to flood, as was the entire township 

and every bordering suburb. It then 

became a race against time to get 

out. Road upon road was closed. 

Weather reports stated those who 

could not get out would be trapped 

for the next four days. 

We tried several alternate routes 

but could not escape. We passed 

a spot called Sandy Bay that was 

wild but firing with no one out - 

mind you it was bloody murky - but 

there was no time to stop. We 

pushed on until we finally came to a 

grinding halt on a back road on the 

way to the state highway. 

There was no way through. We 

waded the waters in the flooded 

stretch of road and it was just 

below the waist. A friendly 

dairy farmer coming through the 

floodwaters on his tractor waved 

us on to his property to find shelter 

from the rising waters. Proving 

how small the world is, the friendly 

farmer Craig, used to shape his own 

surfboards, known as Blue Moon, 

which used to be glassed at Roger 

Hall’s Surfline factory. 

Frustrated, we sat for the next 

hour pondering how our NZ trip 

had just been washed away. 

But then it came - a break in the 

weather. The rain ceased for a 

while at the same time the waters 

dropped. We went for it, escaped 

and were on the road again. 


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39

TRAVEL 

SURF TRIP 

SURFING SHOTS: Heading south from Waipu, 

we found a perfect little wave on, with a few 

locals having some fun out in the rain. 

MIDDLE: Dinner at an English-style pub - a 

rewarding way to end a rained out day. 

ACROSS: The Sandspit Holiday Park featured 

the quirkiest of campgrounds with old shops 

and houses set up as a museum of sorts. 



When we eventually escaped the floods we went back to 

Roger’s, returned his boards and made a start southward 

along the coast towards Auckland. 

It was later that afternoon we stumbled upon Langs Beach - 

a beautiful tree lined bay just south of where we had surfed 

a couple of days before at Waipu Cove. Langs had a number 

of fun looking beachies peaking left and right. They were a 

bit on the fullish side but that just provided plenty of time 

and space to carve them up. There was just one problem, 

whilst we sat there salivating in the motorhome, and started 

contemplating kitting up to get wet, we realised we didn’t 

have any bloody boards. 

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Was the decision to not bring our own boards a flawed one? 

It was only day three and we were going to miss a surf. 

Thankfully, it was the last time we would go without due to 

our decision to go completely Kiwi. But that said, the missed 

surf at Langs still burns. 

Sullen and sulky we drove on to where we stayed the 

night at the quirky Sandspit Holiday Park. A little later we 

drowned our sorrows at a nearby Olde English pub called 

the Salty Dog Inn. While we didn’t quite end up swaying 

back and forth with one eye closed singing sea shanties, we 

did enjoy a couple of fine ales, an awesome meal and then it 

was time to call it a day. 

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41

TRAVEL 

SURF TRIP 

LEFT: Nick Tansley - The 

real deal. BELOW: Nick’s 

very first board found it’s 

way home. BOTTOM: 

Finless experimentation. 


ABOVE: Just rewards for a busy 

start to the morning - breakfast 

at Kick Back Cafe, Omaha Beach. 

The surf wasn’t on, but there’s 

no denying this is a magic spot... 

with fine food. 

OMAHA BEACH LOCAL: 

NICK TANSLEY 

RAZOR SURFBOARDS 

The next morning we decided to make 

a detour in search of some breakfast 

and started driving towards Omaha 

Beach. On the way we noticed we 

weren’t far from a shaper we had 

read a fair bit about in our research 

of NZ. His name is NICK TANSLEY, 

regarded by many as one of New 

Zealand’s best shapers. 

Nick’s been at it some thirty-five years 

and is still finding satisfaction in hand 

crafting surfboards tailored to the 

individual. He shaped his boards under 

the Ocean Curves label from 1981 

through to 1991 before changing the 

name to Razor Surfboards. 

Like many shapers he has scaled back 

his operation but is still as stoked 

on shaping as he was when he was 

sixteen. His reason to this day is the 

same as back then. He loved surfing 

so much that he thought it would be 

pretty cool to create one of those 

magical things for himself and possibly 

a few mates. 

As fate would have it, Nick recently 

had back in his possession the first 

board he ever shaped and is in the 

process of restoring it. 

“Yeah, I didn’t hang onto it. I lost 

it. It got sold to one of my brothers 

mates and then he sold it to someone. 

Anyhow, one day it came back for a 

ding repair and I thought, ‘I’ll have that 

thank you.’ So I went about fixing it up 

and making it watertight again. I will 

take it for a surf when it’s done for the 

nostalgia. 

“There’s not a lot of finesse to it but 

I did the whole thing including the 

artwork, the decal. I always have.” 

It sure as hell looked a lot more 

impressive than my first ever shot at 

shaping a board (see our March 2010 

edition at www.smorgasboarder. 

com.au). I don’t think anyone will be 

marveling over ‘The Stumpy Duck’ in 

thirty years to come. But enough of the 

past, we asked Nick what his latest 

project was. 

“This is something I have had going for 

a while – a finless board. Not quite 

finished yet. I will continue to tweak it. 

“I had a desire to try and build a board 

that could be finless just for the sake 

of it. They just look like sculpture. 

I think it will work but then again it 

might track too much with that length 

of keel and style of it. There is quite 

a lot of rocker through the internals 

of it though, which will increase the 

maneuverability. It’s 6’. I made it for 

myself and I am 90kgs. I normally ride 

a 6’4” quad. ” 

It’s this renewed experimentation in 

surfboard design, such as what Nick 

is doing, that in our opinion seems to 

have reignited shaper’s creative flair 

and is what’s driving surfboard design 

forward. Such innovation will only 

serve to protect shapers from cheap 

overseas imports. Factory workers 

in China will never be able to keep 

up with, let alone replicate such a 

continual progression in design. And 

from a surfer’s perspective, it is just 

so bloody interesting to be seeing and 

riding boards that are not just your 

stock standard shortboard. 


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43

TRAVEL 

SURF TRIP 



AUCKLAND LOCAL: 

WAYNE PARKES 

WAYNE PARKES SURFBOARDS 

Arguably the godfather of New Zealand surfing, a 

top-notch surfer with plenty of national titles to his 

name, Wayne Parkes is also a pioneer of surfboard 

design. He has amassed a cult following amongst 

passionate soul surfers and is revered by his peers 

for his meticulous, quality craftsmanship. His boards, 

still hand-shaped from start to finish including handfoiled 

fins, are considered works of art. 

Wayne was at the forefront of surfing’s evolution 

from the late 60s to early 70s. During this period he 

enjoyed what he called a seven-year endless summer 

spending summers in New Zealand and winters on 

the Sunshine Coast. 

He worked with some of the best in the business 

including the legendary crew at Cord Surfboards in 

Caloundra - the likes of Bob McTavish, Kevin Platt, 

Darrell ‘Rooster’ Dell, Algy Grud, Russell Hughes, 

John Mantle and George Greenough, to name a few. 

Wayne recalls those times: 

“McTavish was just so involved in shaping and surfing. 

He never held anything back. Rooster was good 

too and lots of fun. You want some humour... (laughs) 

“Nat Young would come up and Bob Evans and also 

Peter Drouyn because Bob was shaping his boards. 

We had great waves in 66 and 67 and the surfing 

was just unbelievable – a lot of Point Cartright, The 

Bluff, Noosa. The Sunshine Coast at the time was 

one of the biggest influences on surfing. It was right 

before the first world contest that Nat won.” 

Having seen and surfed it all, Wayne is capable of 

crafting any manner of surfboards. However, it is his 

round tail single fins in particular that have gained 

him notoriety. Wayne explains his obsession with 

single fins. 

“They are like Ferraris to me. You can have a lot of 

fun in a Ferrari. 

LEFT: Wayne Parkes, single fin 

legend with a Ferrari-red rocket 


45

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“The real thing may be a lot of fun for $450k, but you won’t have as much 

fun in a Ferrari as on my $1000 single fin. I know. I’ve done it. We have 

taken out a Ferrari for a day and thrashed the living sh*t out of it and had 

a ball, but it still wasn’t quite as good as the round tail single fin.” 

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AUCKLAND LOCAL: 

SIMON AMOS 

THE BOARD LAB SURF SHOP 

Simon from 

the Board Lab 

is right behind 

local shapers, 

stocking all 

local boards. 

Our kind of surf 

shop, for sure. 

What became evident to us throughout our trip was the number of talented, 

home-grown New Zealand shapers there were. 

Why some retailers would have any desire to carry mass produced 

imported surfboards is beyond us. So we were incredibly pleased to see 

some national pride on display in a cool surf store called The Board Lab 

in Takapuna on Auckland’s north shore. Funny thing is, Simon Amos, who 

runs the store, is from Santa Cruz. We spoke with him about his decision to 

exclusively stock Kiwi shapers. 

“Initially we mostly stocked Primal Surfboards. Glen is just down the drive 

from us and makes a really nice board. We then started to carry local 

shapers like Hughes, Feestix, J Dub, Razor and HC, and we will continue to 

add more. 

“My reasoning is simple. I want to get people on the right board. 

Local shapers know what boards work best on our breaks. So we talk with 

our customers about what they need, where they surf and what will suit 

those local conditions. With the right board your surfing improves and you 

have a hell of a lot more fun. 

“Other than that, I think it is important to support the local industry and 

personally believe Kiwi shapers, in the main glass their boards better than 

the vast majority of imports. They are more durable.” 



47


TRAVEL 

SURF TRIP 

The easiest way to describe Piha is breathtaking. It may sound like a cliché but from atop the Waitakere Ranges as 

Piha comes into full view you are greeted with a most awe inspiring panorama of rugged cliffs, the wild Tasman sea, 

volcanic black sand beaches and lush hillsides. In the gloomy conditions it almost had a foreboding, prehistoric feel 

about it. On one hand you’re bristling with excitement and on the other you are absolutely packing your duds. 

ABOVE: The view from the ‘Surf Check Deck‘ at the Piha Surf Shop is plain mindblowing. PHOTO BEN VOS

A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE 

WAY TO THE BEACH… 

It’s a fitting way to start a story like this. You see we 

were racing to get to Piha so we could catch local 

shaper, Mike Jolly, before he finished for the day. It 

was nearing 5pm and Ben had the pedal to the metal 

of our motorhome, driving around clifftop corners like 

a madman. 

We got to Mike’s place just before closing time and 

took in the magnificent view. It was there we noticed 

the surf was going off. It looked like a nice clean 3-4ft 

swell. But we were a long, long way away. Mike 

informed us it was a fair bit bigger. 

We start chatting to Mike, who is an incredibly affable, 

down-to-earth bloke, and then realised the sun was 

starting to disappear rather suddenly, amidst the 

overcast skies. We cut our conversation short after a 

mere 10 minutes and in keeping with our ‘surfing local 

boards’ quest, hit Mike up for some boards of his to 

test, and promptly left. 

Driving down the road towards South Piha it dawned 

on us what just happened. We just met a bloke, spoke 

to him for only a couple of minutes and grabbed a 

couple of his personal boards and took off. You have 

to love New Zealand. (We’ll get back to Mike later - 

there’s a wave on!) 

Piha is comprised of two distinct beaches. Lion Rock, 

the eroded core of an ancient volcano (aptly named 

because it dead set looks like one) divides North Piha 

and South Piha. 

When we arrived at the beach near dusk, North Piha 

was near deserted, so we gave it a swerve. Most of 

the surfers were concentrated near the southern end 

of South Piha near Camel Rock. What can we say, New 

Zealanders love their animals but this rock did also 

resemble a camel. 

The surf wasn’t huge but it was undeniably daunting. 

When it’s low light, the waves are thundering in, the 

water is moving around like a washing machine, you’re 

on a foreign board and you have no idea what kind of 

bottom lies underneath, it can freak you out a little. 

A couple of big swooshes down a wave face later 

however was enough to calm the nerves and get us 

hooting and hollering. 

From there it was back to the campgrounds for a warm 

shower and up to the Piha RSA Club for a couple of 

beers and a good feed, the perfect way to finish the day. 

ABOVE: We arrive in Piha to waves and 

meeting Mike Jolly and his lawnmower. 

The next morning, the swell had dropped off a little but 

cleaned up a lot and we caught some of the most fun 

waves we were to have all trip. 


TRAVEL 

SURF TRIP 


51

ABOVE: Day two on a Piha Surf 

diamond tail quad longboard. 

BELOW: The view from the 

“Surf check deck” at Piha Surf. 

PIHA LOCAL: 

MIKE JOLLY 

PIHA SURF 

…. So back to our conversation with Mike 

that was so rudely interrupted by our desire 

to get a surf in before feeding time. We 

caught up with Mike the next morning and 

got a chance to have a proper conversation. 

With an uncanny resemblance to 

moustachioed bandito Graham Howard of 

Island Surf Shack on Phillip Island, he is a 

top bloke as well. Perhaps they’re related 

and don’t even know it? But I digress. 

Mike is a Kiwi who moved to Australia 

many moons ago with his wife and set up 

camp on the Sunshine Coast. I told you he 

was a top bloke and that’s probably why he 

is also such a friggin’ good surfer, but being 

Sunshine Coast locals, we’re a little biased. 

Piha Surf Surfboards 

The 6’8” shortboard we used was definitely a 

gun for the bigger days, but still a lot of fun in 

the conditions we experienced. The extra length 

aided paddling power and there was plenty of 

drive. The pointy nose did give Dave a nervous 

twitch though, considering his penguin injuries... 

(see the January-Febuary 2012 edition) 

Mike’s personal recommendations are his quadfin 

diamond-tail longboards - a really interesting 

take on a traditional length board, which went 

like a rocket in the local waves. 

Anyhow Mike’s lovely wife Pam got 

homesick and wanted to return to NZ. 

Mike agreed on one condition, that they 

lived near the beach. Piha was the chosen 

destination. They returned in the early 70s. 

In those days the road into Piha was gravel. 

There was a mix of hippies and retirees that 

called the place home. When the surf was 

on there would be around twenty or so in 

the water. Nowadays there would be fifty 

or more on just the one break in summer. 

But as Mike says, “You can’t live in the 

past.” And if you want to get away from the 

crowds, all you have to do is go to the next 

beach along. 


The reason no doubt for Piha’s 

popularity is not just its proximity to 

the centre of Auckland but the plain 

fact the place is magic. We asked 

Mike a couple of questions about 

life in Piha, his boards and staying 

at his place. 

“We do love it here. Nowadays 

there are around 100 people that 

live in Piha and maybe 40 or 50 of 

those are surfers. We have a very 

small group of locals compared 

to the 200 that consider this their 

local beach because this is where 

they come to surf. 

“Piha has always been the most 

popular of all the west coast 

Auckland beaches because it’s the 

only one you can park right where 

the waves are. There are a number 

of quality beach breaks around 

Piha. Karekare is the next one 

down. You have a 10 minute walk 

down to the beach. Whites beach is 

north of Piha, which we surf when 

it is really small. You have to paddle 

to the point or walk there, which 

takes about 20 minutes. Anawhata 

is north of that. You park at the top 

of the hill and it’s a 20 minute walk 

down and 40 minutes back up so 

you don’t go there too often with a 

longboard.” 

PIHA: THE POWER 

“In the winter time we regularly 

get 5m swells. They are not 

usually rideable and that is when 

you go south to Raglan or north 

to Shipwreck Bay. There is just 

too much water breaking too far 

out and it’s too hard to get to. 

Humungous rips. 

“There is always a lot of water 

moving around, especially South 

Piha because it is a small beach 

and it cops all the swell coming in 

and so it only has one way to go 

out. The swell generally comes in 

on a sort of a southwesterly angle 

and the water rushes back out near 

the rocks. When it is moving, which 

is often, you can’t paddle against it. 

“But Piha is a good surf beach. 

Contrary to popular belief, it is 

actually better when the surf is 

smaller. It used to handle big surf. 

I can remember back in the 80’s it 

was quite common to surf 10 or 12 

ft waves out here because the sand 

was in such perfect condition and 

the waves would just peel across 

the whole bay. But we can’t live in 

the past. 

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53

TRAVEL 

SURF TRIP 

“It can be so 

changeable in a day... 

The tide can turn 

again and all of a 

sudden it’s 10ft.” 

“There are young guys who charge big 

surf out here still that have grown up 

surfing the area. I leave that to them. 

I am always measuring things on the 

fear scale. ‘Am I going to get hurt? I 

got hurt last time it was that size. I 

don’t want that again.’ 

“It can be so changeable in a day with 

the tides. The tide can go out and the 

swell can drop with it. The tide can 

turn again and all of a sudden it’s 10ft. 

It keeps you on your toes.” 

We noticed a seal last night swimming 

on his side with one flipper up. I am 

sure the little bugger was intentionally 

imitating a shark, saying to his mates, 

‘Watch this guys. I will scare the s#*t 

out of these surfers.’ Mike tells us that 

occasionally they will have orcas visit, 

but that is very rare. 

THE PATH TO SHAPING 

“There was a guy in Tugun on the Gold 

Coast called Nigel Beckham. He made 

these longboards that had twin fins. 

He called it his Revolutwiin design. I 

used to head over to Burleigh a couple 

of times a year and on my return bring 

a couple of his boards back to New 

Zealand. As time went by it got harder 

and harder to cart them back and pretty 

soon I started making my own boards. 

“There were certain aspects of his 

boards I liked so I starting shaping a 

variation of my own - longboard quads 

with a diamond tail. I have used them 

for years. It shortens the rail line a 

little bit. Makes a 9ft feel like an 

8”10. It’s what I like.” 

Mike also shapes shortboards, fishes, 

guns, hybrids, mini mals, you name 

it, and from what we saw out in the 

water, he has a very loyal following. 

We thoroughly enjoyed the boards we 

rode - a longboard quad and a gun that 

had heaps of paddle power, perfect for 

combating the swirling water that runs 

in, out and around South Piha. 

As well as being the local shaper 

and ding repairer, Mike has 

accommodation on site in the way 

of caravans with cabins attached to 

them. Each is nestled away amongst 

bushland with their own private little 

area. They’re perfect for ‘backpackers, 

surfers, campers and trampers’ as 

Mike puts it and costs start from as 

little as $25 per person. 

Piha is a unique place that will etch 

itself in your memory forever. When 

you visit make sure you meet some of 

its unique people too with your first 

stop being the Jolly home and store. 

MIDDLE: Despite the foreboding, dramatic scenery, 

there’s friendly banter and a good vibe in the water at Piha. 

ABOVE: Obey the rock and have one more wave... 



55

Did you know: Manu 

Bay (also known as 

The Point) was featured 

in the 1966 cult surfing 

movie Endless Summer 

and in the 2010 movie 

Last Paradise. 

ABOVE: Mickey T fish fun at Manu Bay 

LEFT: Raglan boasts quirky shops and restaurants 

ACROSS TOP: The view across Raglan’s points 


The drive from Piha to Raglan took us around three 

hours and once past Hamilton wound us along 

some country roads that just seem to put you in a 

daze and help you relax. Once there, Raglan lived 

up to our expectations. It was a super cool little 

coastal town that could almost be described as a 

miniature Byron Bay, but to be fair we thought it 

had its own, distinct vibe going on. 

Lots of trendy little cafes, some great surf shops 

and one awesome local pub, the Harbour View 

Hotel added to the appeal. Being mid-Autumn, it 

was reasonably quiet. You could just imagine how 

the joint would be bustling in the height of summer. 

We stayed at the Raglan Kopua Holiday Park, 

which was nice and quiet, but central to everything 

- literally only a couple of hundred metres walk 

across the footbridge to town. We booked for a 

single night and ending up staying another. We 

could have easily stayed a whole lot more. Raglan - 

like good ol’ Byron - has that effect of drawing you 

in, like some sort of vortex... 


57

RAGLAN LOCAL: 

MICKEY T 

RAGLAN LONGBOARDS 

ABOVE: Warm welcomes once again. Chewing the fat 

with Mickey T on the deck of Raglan Longboards. 

BELOW: Mickey T produces a number of brands in his 

tranquil green and clean shaping bay 

Raglan was without doubt one of the most eagerly 

anticipated surf destinations on our trip. Having seen and 

read so much about it but never been, it was in a sense 

our New Zealand mecca. 

Many friends who had visited the small beachside town 

worded us up that the guy to see for a performance 

shortboard was local shaper Craig Hughes. If we were 

looking to surf Raglan the way that made it famous, 

Mickey T was the man. 

Unfortunately we missed catching up with Craig but got 

a chance to check out his impressive Raglan Surf Store. 

We did however manage to have a chat with Mickey and 

what a good bloke he was. 

Being such a hardcore surf town we honestly thought the 

shapers might be ‘too cool for school’. Mickey certainly 

wasn’t. He was incredibly friendly and gave us an 

enormous amount of his time. In fact he epitomises why 

surfers need to get back in contact with their local shaper. 

These are the guys who can ‘T’ up, pardon the pun, the 

right board for you and actually improve your surfing. 

Mickey explained to us how seriously he takes his role as 

a custom shaper. 

“I love dealing face to face with customers and talking 

about what they are after. When you have met someone 

there is an even greater emphasis on delivering what 

you say you will. Our job is to listen to the customer and 

handcraft something that suits their body and surfing 

style that will maximise the fun they have in the water. 

We survive on our integrity.” 

To be frank, the knowledge that guys like Mickey possess 

can’t be found in a cheap $500 Chinese board. You may 

think that is quite harsh but I tell you what, the proof is 

in the pudding. We grabbed three of Mickey’s boards 

for a test run and they were sublime. And if three below 

average surfers aren’t validation enough for how good 

his boards are, Mickey himself is the over 50s NZ champ 

3 years running and his team riders have taken out the 

junior and senior division longboarding comps. So there 

you go, kooks and rippers love his boards. 

So where did it all start? Mickey gave us a brief rundown 

on his history and the present focus of his shaping. 

“I was born and bred in Raglan. I started surfing when I 

was 15. When I was 19 I dropped out of university and 

got a job at a fibreglass factory in Hamilton. I pretty 

much didn’t fancy dagging sheep for a living. Pretty 

soon that business landed the Clark Foam franchise 

for NZ and I became a foam blower. I blew some 5000 

surfboards blanks.” 

Many elite shapers can lay claim to making a board 

from start to finish but not so many could possibly say 

they have undertaken the whole process including 

blowing the foam. 

“After a few years I went to Aussie for a 6-month stay 

like all Kiwis and ending up staying for 3 years (we add, 

‘like all Kiwis ha, ha’). 

“There I worked a number of glassing jobs and ending 

up at Miami Surf Designs working for Tony Etherington. I 


TRAVEL 

SURF TRIP 

“Our job is to listen 

to the customer 

and handcraft 

something that suits 

their body and 

surfing style” 

then came back to Raglan, which was pretty 

quiet and not a place to make a living so I 

headed off to Hawaii.” 

Mickey spent the next 5 years in the States 

working first in Hawaii and then San 

Clemente in California and glassed the best 

part of 10,000 boards. 

“I hadn’t thought of building surfboards 

as a career until I went to the States in 

1986. My friend K.T from Raglan introduced 

me to Gerry Smith, the shaper at Poi Dog 

Surfboards on the North Shore. He gave me 

a job glassing for him which led to a couple 

of years on Oahu and Kauai, glassing boards 

for a large array of shapers, including Dick 

Brewer, Keone Downing, Pat Rawson and 

Billy Hamilton. 

“These guys were the who’s who of 

surfboard design at the time and it proved 

to be a rich experience at the centre of the 

surfboard shaping world. 

“I had always wanted to check out California 

and a shaper mate named Randy Sleigh 

directed me to his hometown of San Clemente 

and Herbie Fletcher’s Surf Shop, where, within 

a week, I was the fulltime glasser.” 

Over the next three years Mickey glassed 

boards around that area for many labels and 

shapers, including Herbie Fletcher, Infinity, 

Timmy Patterson, Chris McElroy, and a 

fledgling Matt ‘Mayhem’ Biolos of Lost fame. 

“When I returned to New Zealand Billy 

Hamilton licensed me to shape the Bear label 

the next year. Bear was a great vehicle to get 

some further shaping mileage under my belt 

(some 20 odd years we may add) until I took 

the next logical step on my journey, which is 

Raglan Longboards. These days I’m shaping 

from my own premises behind our shop on 

Wainui Rd, on the way to the beach. I do 

my own line of Mickey T Custom Shapes – 

longboards, hybrids and classics along with 

the Bear customs and stock models.” 

We asked Mickey what the focus of his 

designs are of late, in particular his high 

performance longboards. 

“It’s about being lean and super efficient. No 

excess baggage. 

“You can have a big, fat, floaty board but 

unless it has got an efficient rocker it is 

basically a big fat piece of poop. It is just 

stopping you from getting out through the 

white water, hurling you back at the beach. It 

may float you but you won’t catch a wave on it. 

“With our high-performance longboard I think 

we have got it right. I challenge anyone in 

Australia to make a better high performance 

EPS longboard that rides better than this one. 

Bring it on!” (laughs) 

Whatever you do, if you are in Raglan and are 

after the real deal, call in and see Mickey T. 

As he so rightly puts it, “Being willfully old 

fashioned, we hope that there are enough 

surfers out there that want a real surfboard.” 


59

A private 

hideaway, just 

2 minutes walk to 

the beach, peace 

& tranquillity at 

its best. 

Tents, campervans or 

caravans, backpackers, 

cabins or motel units. 

Hosts: Mary and Rob Clark 

Address: Marine Parade, Raglan 

Phone: (07) 825 8283 

Email: stay@raglanholidaypark.co.nz 

www.raglanholidaypark.co.nz 


Manu Bay is said to be 

the longest, most accessible 

and consistent left-hand 

break in the world. 

TRAVEL 

SURF TRIP 

Raglan is without doubt one of 

the most famous breaks in the 

world. And yes, it is probably best 

when it is 8ft+ breaking on Outside 

Indicators with barrels that propel 

you along at Mach speed... 

The day we got there it wasn’t. It 

was probably around 2ft shore slop 

breaking close to Wainui Beach 

but that didn’t stop us from having 

a hell of a fun surf. We were just 

happy to be there. 

The sun was out, the vibe in the 

water was friendly and we were 

just stoked to have experienced 

Raglan in some shape or form. In a 

surfing sense, it is hallowed ground 

and we had just crossed another 

surf spot off our bucket list. 

Raglan longboards... 

Mickey T’s creations 

The HP Longboard (shown left) may be 

Mickey’s signature model, but it was his 

latest creation, the Mini LB (right), that 

shone in the conditions we surfed, as 

well as worked its way into our hearts 

and Christmas wishlist. 

Basically, a 6’6” shrunken version of 

the HP, it’s loose as a goose and fast as 

a rocket. With plenty of paddle power, 

the Mini LB is a lot more than just a 

shrunken-down longboard. It’s easy to 

ride, so its essentially a great board for 

people of all levels. Beginners will have 

fun and pros will make it work. And the 

resin work and quality finish doesn’t hurt 

the appeal of the board one little bit! 

TOP: Master glasser at Raglan 

Longboards and local Raglan ripper, 

Dave Elly. Photo: Jwan Milek, 

www.mileksurfimages.com 

LEFT: Nowhere near as impressive, 

master slop groveller, Dave Swan. 


61

Great surfing spots 

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web. wwwtheperfectwave.com.au 

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brisbane phone. 07 3221 8897 

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fax. 02 9267 6118 

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RAGLAN LOCALS: 

NIALL & ANNA 

PIWIWIWI CAMPERS 

PiwiWiwi is a campervan rental company based in Raglan catering 

specifically for surfers. We met the lovely couple who run the business, 

Anna and Niall, while we were in town. 

THE HOME OF 

BEAR SURFBOARDS NZ & 

MICKEY T CUSTOM SHAPES 

New Zealand’s finest manufacturers 

of longboards, hybrids and classic 

surfboards. All boards are crafted 

on site at our Raglan premises, to the 

highest possible standards, using the 

finest materials available. 

“We came up with the idea after doing a fair bit of travel ourselves. Two 

years ago we did a year-long surf trip that took us to Bali, Australia, New 

Zealand, California, Equador and Peru. 

“We designed our vans with straps so your surfboards could be stored 

out of the way in the ceiling. That way you weren’t tripping over them 

all the time and you didn’t have to store them on the outside of the van, 

where they could be stolen.” 

Each van can store up to three shortboards and one longboard. As for 

how long you can go? 

“We’ve frequently used them with a 9’2” but nothing bigger so far. Skis 

and snowboards will be fine too.” 

What’s amazing is they also offer a pick-up and drop-off service. Even though 

they are based in Raglan, Niall or Anna will collect you from either Hamilton 

or Auckland airport, which is over 3 hours away. Now that’s service. 

“The reason why we do this is because if you are an overseas visitor, 

particularly long haul travelers, we recommend you don’t pick up a 

campervan when you’re jetlagged. You may be driving on the opposite side 

of the road in a vehicle that is twice the size of what you are used to. 

“We come to the airport, pick you up, drive you down to Raglan and 

then you can start off your holiday the way it should be – relaxed by the 

seaside. It has been really popular with our customers.” 

“So many people come over for a surf holiday in New Zealand. It is a 

bit of an iconic thing the campervan holiday. It is a really good way of 

getting to the breaks and being able to chill out. You can pull up, sit back 

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63

TRAVEL 

SURF TRIP 


Never wanting to be left out of an adventure, Joel 

Coleman of Saltmotion Gallery in Manly decided to jump 

on board when his mate Dan Mulligan decided to head to 

NZ for a surf trip. 

After last minute arrangements, an eventful flight with 

gracious airhostesses that ended up with free first class 

drinks for all, the group of roadtripping boys arrived in 

Auckland, picked up their 7.5m motorhome and headed to 

Raglan, which is where our stories cross paths... 

WORDS AND PHOTOS: JOEL COLEMAN, SALTMOTION 

“Raglan. This area is one of the most famous point break 

set-ups in the country and, by no means a secret - it could 

almost be called the home of New Zealand surfing. There 

are several different points to surf and a few worldclass 

beach breaks as well. We arrived well into the 

night, parked up and I crashed out. The other three had 

managed to consume a bottle of rum on the highway and 

decided it would be a good idea to ‘live in the moment’ 

and crack into the two bottles of Dom Perignon that were 

gifted to us courtesy of our ‘friendly’ air-hostess. 

I awoke at dawn, looked out the window of the 

motorhome to the view that any surfer dreams of. A 

perfect day. I grabbed a camera and went to work. The 

car park started to fill, as the sun rose the locals started 

to arrive and were obviously pretty excited to have 

such great conditions. I overheard a few conversations 

that went along the lines of ‘best day in ages’, ‘slightly 

smaller than yesterday, but much cleaner’, you get the 

idea – it was “on like Dom Perignon” – Unfortunately the 

boys were a little worse for wear and although I tried to 

wake them, they were in no state to surf just yet. 

Raglan 

Taranaki 

Gisborne 

Hawkes Bay 

I kept photographing, knowing that the trip may not see 

waves like this again, I knew I had to make the most of 

it. Eventually the crew woke and dusted themselves off. 

Once they saw a few hollow ones roll down the point 

they sobered up pretty fast and we all hit the water. We 

had an amazing first morning’s surf, even though the 

fellas were a little wobbly in the legs, it was a great 

start to the trip. Once we were all surfed out, and that 

really did not take too long for some, Josh could be heard 

saying: “That’s it, no more drinking. Health starts today” 

– yeah yeah… 

We had a few small things that needed to be sorted out 

in town, like phones and internet access so I could post 

the daily Salmotion photos throughout the trip. When the 

wind came up around midday, it made the decision pretty 

easy to move on. We headed off and, after checking a 

few swell and weather reports, decided to drive north, 

right up to the top of the west coast. On the way out 

of Raglan we saw a group of girls, hitchhiking, holding 

up a sign saying “waterfall”. Of course being the good 


65

TRAVEL 

SURF TRIP 

natured, kind hearted gentlemen we are, 

we stopped to pick them up. It turned out 

to be a good decision. We stopped off for 

an hour at the most amazing waterfall 

and I managed to get some of my favorite 

photographs of the trip. 

That night we got well and truly lost, wound 

our way down a few dirt tracks to a gate 

that, according to the map, was where we 

wanted to be but, according to Dan, was no 

where close. We back tracked into the hills 

for a while then decided to call the mission 

off and wait until dawn, which was only 

a few hours away. The beauty of a motor 

home is that any place will do for the night 

– got to love that! 

TOP: Raglan lived up to the 

legend and went off 

ABOVE: Bridal Veil Falls 

RIGHT & BELOW: Every surf 

trip needs a soundtrack, in the 

motorhome or under a tree 

At first light we realised we had actually 

been in the right spot the night before, so we 

headed back to look for waves. There was a 

small swell and we did get a couple of rides 

in, but really the swell was on the decline, 

the tide was up and we were not going to 

score much in the way of waves that day. We 

decided to hang out at the beach, bask in the 

sunshine, go for a swim, listen to Josh and 

James belt out a few tunes on the guitar and 

generally chill out for a while... 

It was about this time in the trip that I 

started to think that all the Kiwis I had 


“We make surf travel easy for you... 

...and we guarantee the best price”. 

theperfectwave.com.au 1300 009 283 


67

met in Sydney were conspiring against us. New 

Zealand is beautiful, really beautiful. When you 

drive from place to place, coast to coast, the 

scenery is amazing. I won’t go into the clichés 

to describe it, but if you take spectacular, 

breathtaking, awesome, inspiring, put them all in 

a sentence and throw in the odd noun, you’re still 

nowhere close. Add to that the fact that everyone 

kept telling me the South Island was even better 

and my theory about the Kiwi conspiracy starts to 

make more sense. 

You see I live in Sydney where, statistically, there 

are more New Zealanders than in New Zealand. 

I’m not sure how that works either, but trust me 

it’s true. My neighbors in the next apartment 

are from N.Z. My mate across the street is a 

Kiwi and you only need to go to a pub when the 

All Blacks are playing to know that there is an 

abundance of New Zealander’s in Sydney. So 

why, if New Zealand is as amazing and beautiful 

as I have tired to describe, are so many of them 

coming to Australia? From talking to most of 

them it is about work and the opportunities. But 

that still does not explain why you don’t hear 

New Zealanders raving about how good their 

home country is. Personally I think they are trying 

to keep it quiet. I think they are more than happy 

to have the majority of Australians head to Bali 

each year rather than crowding the line-ups they 

love and grew up surfing. 


Next, we arrived in Gisborne, a town with some 

rich surfing options. We headed straight for the 

beach and pulled up to see a few happy, smiling 

cops arresting a few young fellas for selling 

weed. The cops seemed pretty relaxed about the 

whole thing, as did the guys being arrested. It 

seems even getting in trouble with the cops in 

NZ can be a good laugh. Anyway, the surf was 

totally blown out, the forecast was for more 

onshore rubbish and we were left with no real 

options if we wanted to surf. Knowing we had 

a bit of time up our sleeves before conditions 

improved, we took a little detour to visit a friend 

of mine who lived in the Hawkes Bay area; an 

area not known for it’s waves, but kind of on the 

way to somewhere else that was… 

Throwing on some true Kiwi hospitality, we 

arrived to a home-cooked meal and a long hot 

shower (the first of the trip so far). The thing is, 

when we picked up the motorhome they showed 

us a DVD of how everything worked, including 

the toilet and shower, and what was involved 

to ‘empty it’. Unanimously we agreed that the 

shower / toilet was off limits. The ‘washroom’ 

then served as a good storage spot for wet 

wetsuits instead. 

Sitting around at Lea’s place, a mate of hers, 

Shayne, dropped by and we started talking 

about surfing. Shayne offered to pick us up in the 

morning and take us to a four wheel drive access 

only beach where there would be a wave. 

Stoked on the idea, we agreed to meet him in the 

morning and he came through with the goods. 

We drove along a beautifully deserted beach 

and ran into only two other cars with a handful 

of surfers. As the boys jumped in and started 

picking off a few waves I asked Shayne where to 

stash the keys when I went out for a wave after 

I was done photographing. “In the ignition bro 

– no one around here’s going to steal your stuff. 

Don’t stress – come surf”. Life in New Zealand 

is still good, honest and wholesome - that made 

me smile. 

Leaving Hawkes Bay was bitter-sweet. We 

had enjoyed such an amazing time there, 

scoring waves with the locals. I also had to say 

goodbye to a friend who I would rather see more 

frequently. But we had waves to find and more 

of the country to see. The boys were hung over 

again and as we drove out of Lea’s driveway 

I heard Josh from the back of the campervan 

“Health starts today boys…” 

Our next destination was Taranaki - a mecca for 

surfers with its exposed breaks but notoriously 

fickle with winds. We knew not to expect much

“In the ignition, bro... no 

one around here’s going 

to steal your stuff. 

Don’t stress, come surf” 

TRAVEL 

SURF TRIP 

as we had checked the forecast, but we figured 

we would head there and hope for the best. 

Looking at a map, there was no direct route 

across the country so we picked a town along 

the way and headed to Taupo. 

I’m not sure why, but the Kiwis have a habit 

of thrillseeking any way they can. If there is 

something natural to jump off, fly from, roll 

down, tumble with, raft over, or free fall out 

of, they have it covered. If there are no natural 

structures, no problem, you can jump off the 

highest building in Auckland, of course you can! 

When I asked Shayne about this, he just looked 

at me and said: “just looking for something to 

do bro”. At the time, we were standing at the 

top of a mountain in Hawkes Bay, with a road to 

the top that I was scared to drive up. On arriving 

at the top we saw two hang gliding launch 

ramps and a dozen or so mountain bike tracks 

that I would honestly not even walk down let 

alone ride a pushie down – these people are 

crazy, and I love that! 

So we arrived in Taupo around lunchtime. I had 

missed the last fuel station leaving Hawkes 

Bay thinking we had enough to get us to our 

destination. While the guys chilled in the back I 

quietly sweated as the needle on the fuel gauge 

headed south and stayed there with the light 

on for a very long time. When we eventually 

reached the town I pumped 79.74 litres of diesel 

into an 80-litre tank. Easy, more than enough to 

spare! 

It was a perfect blue-sky day. With no chance of 

a wave that day, it was agreed that we would 

jump out of an airplane, enough said, just do it, 

and it was done... 

Still on our mission to get to Taranaki, we took 

the most direct route we could see on the map, 

“The Forgotten World Highway”. Holy hell they 

named it well. Take a pen and a piece of paper, 

blindfold yourself and try and draw concentric 

circles on a page in three different directions. 

The resulting squiggle will give you somewhat 

of an idea as to what this road is like. We 

twisted and wound ourselves around for hours 

through the valleys and mountains, awestruck 

by the beauty and terrified by the bends, until 

we finally came out the other side to ‘Changs 

Taranaki Chinese Buffet’, we were in Taranaki! 

Digging into some crispy skinned fried chicken 

and washing it down with a soft drink I heard 

Josh mutter: “Health starts tomorrow boys” 

The gamble to head to Taranaki did not pay off. 

The winds were howling and the swell kind of 

small, add to that the clouds had rolled in and 

the views of the volcano that we had hoped 

to see were totally whited out. We flicked 

through a few maps, logged onto the local swell 

forecasting charts and made a plan to head 

back to Raglan for our last day’s surfing. 

A few hours later we were soaking up a few 

slightly onshore but very ridable point break 

lefts. We surfed until the tide totally bottomed 

out and then headed into town for one last 

mission on the trip. James had been talking 

about a Maori style tattoo for some time and 

rumor had it that there was a local guy that 

would be able to help. We asked around and 

found his details from the guy in the video store. 

James and Simon discussed ideas and 

symbolism before Simon said a prayer of Maori 

origin and got to work with needle and ink. It 

turns out the size of the piece was going to 

require a long time to complete. While James 

sat through until 1am, the rest of us made camp 

in the motorhome, listened to Josh strum a few 

tunes and had an early night. James was going 

hard with Simon to get the body art complete. 

They began again at 7:00am for another three 

hours, leaving us just enough time to get the 

motorhome back to the rental company and us 

to the airport. 


69

MICHAEL CUNDITH 

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Now 

By this stage in the trip we had managed to score one shower at Lea’s 

place and that was it. When we arrived at the motorhome rental depot 

to pack all our gear and get ready for the flight home, we could have 

kissed the attendant when he told us there was a shower in the office 

area we were welcome to use. Fresh and clean, we were hoping to 

see our favourite airhostess on the flight home. Alas it was not to be, 

which was probably a good thing as everyone was pretty tired and all 

we wanted was to relax a while and watch a film. 

So the trip came to an end, “health started tomorrow…” 

New Zealand was not a place I would have picked in my top ten places 

to go on a surf trip, but it has certainly muscled its way into the top 

ten list of places I want to visit again. If you are interested in mind 

blowing landscapes and good waves then I say go, get a group of 

mates together and book a motorhome, it’s an amazing way to see the 

country. I promise you will not be disappointed – and I only saw the 

North Island… 

The day after I arrived back in Manly I ran into my Kiwi neighbours, 

they all asked how the trip was and the smile on my face was a dead 

giveaway, “it’s pretty good there, ay...” was all they needed to say 

to get my agreement. And if the surf goes flat you can always throw 

yourself off the side of a cliff in some creative way! 

As far as my recommendations for travel go, the Perfect Wave Surf 

Experience Specialists can get you there, organise the best rates on 

the motorhome and even organise you a surf guide. We spent a week, 

but could easily have spent a month… Don’t just think about it - GO. 

The Custom Made Wetsuit online 

shopping page will be updated 

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and rubber accessories, computer 

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any other requests (really anything). 

Tel: 02 6685 8778 

Fax: 02 6680 8932 

Factory Showroom: 

3 Banksia Drive 

Byron Bay Industrial Estate 

BYRON BAY NSW 2481 

e: info@mcsurf.com.au 

www.mcsurf.com.au 

Back 

“If you are interested 

in mindblowing 

landscapes and good 

waves, then I say go...” 


IT’S HIGH TIDE AT WALLY’S 

UNIQUE AND INDIVIDUAL HANDCRAFTED SURFBOARDS BY JORDIE BROWN NOW IN STOCK 

Photo: Scotty Wintle. Photo: Ben Vos 

It’s all about the beach 6 Lorraine Ave • Marcoola Beach 07 5448 8560 

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71

TRAVEL 

SURF TRIP 


LEFT: Taranaki living history. The walls of Nigel 

Dwyer’s man-cave at the Del Surfboards factory 

tell a story of far more than a thousand words. 

With the Taranaki region being the last stop for Joel’s 

road trip, this is as good a spot to pick up our part of the 

tale again as any. 

As far as our travel arrangements go, boards are 

always a top priority so a visit to this area would not 

be complete without dropping in to see the guys who 

create what are considered to be some of the finest 

examples of expert craftsmanship and finishing you will 

ever see. 

DEL SURFBOARDS are an institution in New Zealand. 

They were founded in New Plymouth back in 1965 by 

Dave Littlejohn and Nigel Dwyer, an ex-Cronulla surfer 

who came to the shaky isles in search of waves. They 

were later joined by master shaper Robert Walsh in the 

early 70s. ‘Walshy’ has been Nigel’s right hand man 

since and today Del Surfboards are the longest standing 

board manufacturer in the country. 

So despite the fact we got waylayed by the floods up 

north we could not bypass the opportunity to catch 

up with Nigel and ‘Walshy’ no matter how far behind 

schedule we were. We set the sat nav and made our 

way to Del. When we arrived we weren’t disappointed. 

NEW PLYMOUTH LOCAL: 

NIGEL DWYER 

DEL SURFBOARDS 

Nigel greets us and leads us into what is a bit of a 

memorabilia room adorned with old surfing photos 

and vintage boards. At one hundred miles an hour he 

recalls tales of the past and a rapid history of how Del 

Surfboards came to be. 

Entertaining, energetic and one funny bastard, he has us 

laughing for the next hour. 

“I was always a glasser. I never shaped. I started 

with Jacko (Brian Jackson) at Cronulla. Then I went to 

Johnny Rhodes and Norm Casey. I did some work with 

Joey Larkin repairing boards in QLD and hung out with 

all those mongrels like Russell Hughes, McTavish, Fury 

(Brian Austin) and Mick Dooley (laughs) 1961 that was. 

Then I went back to Casey’s and then came over here in 

1965 in search of good waves and cheap ice cream.” 

Since that time he has forged possibly the longest 

running partnership in the history of the surfboard 

industry with his good mate ‘Walshy’. Robert Walsh 

is one of NZ’s most experienced shapers who is fully 

versed on boards from all eras as well as the most upto-date 

shaping techniques and innovative design. 


73

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We asked both Nigel and Walshy 

what it has been like to work with 

each other for so long. In unison 

they replied, “He’s a dickhead.” 

Nigel then seriousy adds, ”No 

Walshy is a freak. He knows how 

to shape so many boards because 

he has shaped through all the eras. 

He’s that old. Guys like him are few 

and far between. 

“Our industry is losing too many 

talented shapers because there 

just isn’t the work. And now we 

have those shaping machines, 

which don’t get me wrong are 

good but you have to first be 

a true handshaper to use that 

machine. Too many guys operating 

them don’t have that intimate 

understanding of handshaping a 

board and the finesse involved 

in fine tuning a design to make it 

work. A surfboard is more than 

just a set of measurements. I mean 

‘hello’, we now have machine 

shaped boards copying machine 

shaped boards - making clones of 

the clones.” 

Whilst walking through the factory 

we noted a different approach to 

glassing the boards that caught 

our eye. We asked Nigel about this 

approach. 

“Yeah, we glass our boards 

different. We still maintain it is 

the best way. Nipper Williams and 

myself developed the technique. 

I don’t agree with freelap (where 

the fiberglass cloth just hangs over 

the edge and resin is then applied 

to stick it down). It is fast but you 

end up with an uneven line. The 

glass wavers and this also makes it 

harder to sand. That is why you see 

sand-throughs on the rails. 

“A surfboard 

is more than 

just a set of 

measurements.” 

“We actually wrap the cloth around 

tight, trim it, so it blends in with 

the rail line and then tape the cloth 

down. That way you get a good 

amount of resin into the cloth and 

work it up to the tapeline. You have 

an eye-beam top and bottom.” 

Just hearing simply processes like 

this confirm Nigel’s obsession with 

the finer details of surfboard design 

and construction. Del Surfboards 

are the epitome of perfection. 

The Taranaki region is well known 

for its versatile and formidable 

surfing coastline. If you are 

planning on heading there, make 

sure you call into Del Surfboards 

and see for yourself what quality 

craftsmanship is all about. 


The Invincible - Del’s signature model 

Nigel explains the design: 

“People think you need a big wide nose to noseride. That’s 

bullshit. There is too much drag. You want a nice, narrow, 

concave nose with wide hips. They noseride a thousand times 

better. That’s what we have done with this board. 

“The Invincible is a longboard designed for longboarding. If 

you want to go off the lip and do re-entries and all that stuff, 

get a good shortboard.” 

ABOVE: Del Surfboards’ Nigel Dwyer 

RIGHT: Master shaper Robert Walsh and Nigel with their pride and joy - The Invincible 

BELOW: Del Surfboards team rider Matt King showing just how comfortable he can be 

on the nose of The Invincible. PHOTO: supplied courtesy of Daisy Day Surf Images 


75

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NEW PLYMOUTH LOCAL: 

‘ARCH’ ARTHUR 

BEACH STREET SURF SHOP 

After catching up with the boys at Dell we called by Beach Street Surf to see 

Wayne ‘Arch’ Arthur, a man involved in all things surf related in Taranaki. 

Arch of course has his own surf store along with two clothing lines, Black 

Sand and Lost in the 60s. He publishes a monthly surf newspaper entitled 

‘Taranaki Daily Surf’ featuring photos from around the local beaches and 

surf comps. He is heavily involved in the New Plymouth Surf Riders Club, 

which just so happens to be right on the foreshore of Fitzroy Beach and 

boasts some 400 members. And, he co-hosts the Out the Back Surf Show 

with fellow local surf fantaic, JM on 100.4 The Most FM. 

Arch asked if we would be guests on the show and we graciously 

accepted spending the afternoon ‘in the booth’ drinking Steinlager and 

talking drivel about the mag... All in a normal days work at smorgasboarder 

really. 

It was a priviledge to be involved in the local show and a lot of fun to 

sit down for a chat - despite Arch’s attempts at Aussie-bashing at every 

opportunity, that is. We’re only extremely sorry we didn’t get a chance 

to catch up with the crew at the local boardriders club for Friday arvo 

drinks on the deck. 

Our ferry to the South Island, however, wouldn’t wait, so we hightailed it 

to Wellington for the next exciting leg of our journey. 

TOP: Interview time for local radio on the Out The Back Surf Show. 

ABOVE: Feeling a little sheepish in a very Kiwi shirt at Beach Street Surf Shop. 


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77

TRAVEL 

SURF TRIP 

“I could’ve gone to any other English speaking country but chose NZ because the lifestyle I had heard about fitted 

exactly what I was looking for at the time. Surfing and ‘uncrowdedness’ were part of my choice for a destination.” 

French filmmaker, Nicolas Brikké, has released his first surfing movie, SEWN about the longboarding scene in 

New Zealand. We talk to him about the film, the making and Orcas. WORDS: MARK CHAPMAN 

Having moved to NZ in 2006 to pursue 

a Masters in Science in Geophysics at 

Victoria University of Wellington, he 

spent time surfing, competing on the 

longboard tour and travelling around 

the country. 

“Filmmaking had always been a 

part time passion and it wasn’t long 

before I started experimenting with 

board cameras with some friends and 

gathered footage from the 4 coasts of 

the North Island. I used that footage 

to introduce the concept of SEWN 

(South-East-West-North) to a national 

surfing short film competition, which 

I won. That night I decided to give 

a fresh slant to my life and career, 

and the next day I enrolled in a film 

degree at University. The idea of doing 

a surf documentary sounded like the 

best thing to do after three years of 

scientific research! And so every effort 

I did was directed towards making it 

happen, and it did!” 

A variety of custom-built camera 

setups were used for footage in the 

movie, all in the days before GoPros, 

Nicolas tells us. 

“It all started with a little waterproof 

digital camera on the end of a long 

metal staff and a hole drilled through 

the fin box of the longboard. We had to 

use the camera portrait-wise to get a 

full body shot. I smashed two of those. 

I then got a waterproof camcorder and 

designed, together with engineers at 

Vic Uni, a housing to prevent it from 

getting smashed and to hold a wideangle 

converter in front of the camera 

lens. The whole thing cost me 24 

beers. I also ordered a Longboard from 

Roger Hall with special screw pads 

on the nose and tail in order to screw 

different kinds of pods to the board. 

Nicolas says the pods were built of 

drain pipe and aluminium and were 

pretty dangerous, but despite the 

arrival of GoPros on the scene, he 

decided to stick to his homespun rig. 

“I knew that the Kiwis would appreciate 

the fact that I made it myself” 

The Kiwis he met on his trip certainly did, 

giving him the opportunity to spend some 

time with very inspiring characters of the 

local surf scene, including Moti Procter. 

“It turned out to be deeply moving to 

learn not only the struggle that he had 

to go through as a young Maori in the 

English society, but also the formidable 

path he chose to take and the fact he 

took his family along to do their bit to 

save not only the Maori customs and 

rituals, but also the Te Reo Maori, the 

Maori language. I’ve got enormous 

respect for him and his family. 

“Roger Hall’s story is also compelling 

and moving, going from a lone kid, to 

a mad-scientist to one of the world’s 

most innovative and creative surfboard 

craftsman. You just have to go inside 

his factory and see how he does 

things, and the ‘minuteness’ of some 

of his woodwork. His drive and quest 

for perfection without listening too 


“It’s a film about unity and 

peace and understanding, about 

taking time to listen, to learn 

about the other, and for this 

reason, it appeals to anybody 

and everybody.” 

MAIN: Lyall Bay in Wellington. Surf meets runway. 

TOP: Orca Rescue Ruakaka 

ABOVE: Nicolas and his mounted boardcam 

Photos supplied by Nicolas Brikké 

much to what the general public has to 

say about it, is something that’s guided 

me in the last year. “ 

In real-life drama Nicolas was lucky 

enough to capture, an Orca known as 

Putita decided to beach itself in front 

of Roger Hall’s house in Ruakaka. 

”We grabbed the camera and got 

some incredible footage of Putita’s 

mother, Yin, endeavouring to help him. 

His brother, Rua, came out from the 

depth to assist too. There were a lot of 

people on the beach but nothing much 

was happening. 

“Along with Roger Hall and SEWN 

co-producer Kirsten Berrett, we 

decided to put on the wetsuits and at 

least go and spray Putita with some 

water as his skin was getting dry. By 

the time we came back, Orca expert Dr. 

Ingrid Visser was there, organising the 

Department of Conservation officials 

for the attempt to rescue the Orca. 

She saw us in wetsuits and told us to 

come and join the effort so we went 

in the water to help push him back out 

to safety. 

“Before we entered the water, Dr. 

Visser went out by herself in waist 

deep water and talked to Putita, 

then went in chest deep water and 

talked to the distraught Yin and Rua 

who were peacefully listening to her. 

After an hour of pushing Putita, he 

finally managed to get loose and join 

his family again. The scenes of the 

family reuniting is one of the most 

emotional signs of affection I’ve 

seen from animals, something I, and 

everybody involved, will never forget! 

The footage we shot got screened the 

day after on TV3, and on CBS News 

New York the day after. Three days 

after the beaching, Putita, Yin and Rua 

came by in front of Ingrid’s house and 

spent a bit of time with her, as a sign 

of gratitude.” 

Not a bad stroke of luck for a 

filmmaker-to-be. 

Over 30 screenings later, SEWN has 

enjoyed 1500 spectators and close to 

400 DVDs have been sold. 

“I’ve had overwhelming responses 

from longboarders and shortboarders 

alike, from young and old, music lovers 

and musicians, Maoris, Kiwis and 

foreigners in the four corners of the 

two main islands of the country. I went 

to show it in NZ first to gauge whether 

my vision was truthful to their concept 

of NZ, and it is.” 

For a heartfelt look into the lives 

of the North Island longboarding 

community, get your hands on SEWN. 

The DVD will shortly be available in 

shops around NZ and Nicolas hopes 

to get it into Australian shops as well. 

For updates, follow the Facebook page 

(Sewn Longboarding) and to check out 

the website at www.sewn.co.nz. 


79


Did you know: 

Nowhere in New 

Zealand is more 

than 12okm from 

the coast 

Seafood, 

beers and 

seals 

After a week of surfing brand 

new breaks, taking in amazing 

scenery, meeting unbelievably 

friendly people, tasting excellent 

food and drinking great beers 

on the North Island, we made 

our way to the South for a week 

of surfing brand new breaks, 

taking in amazing scenery, 

meeting unbelievably friendly 

people, tasting excellent food 

and drinking great beers. Did we 

mention we love New Zealand? 

Experiencing 

local beers and 

home-brewed 

talent... Page 84 

Nelson 

Kaikoura 

Wellington 

Christchurch 

Dunedin 

Shaken, but not 

stirred, the spirit 

of Christchurch is 

strong one year on. 

Page 91 


81

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Entering the South by 

ferry through the majestic 

Marlborough Sounds is 

an amazing experience. 

TRAVEL 

SURF TRIP 

Nelson 

Ferry to 

Picton 

Wellington 

(through 

the winelands) 

MAIN: According to Maori mythology, the Marlborough Sounds are the prows of the sunken waka/canoe 

of Aoraki.BELOW: Drinking, eating, meeting, greeting and surfing the South Island - a lot to pack in. 

BOTTOM LEFT: Excitable cyclists helped 30km turn into an hour of driving, God love ‘em. 

Kaikoura 

When you’re legging 

it to a beerfest, 

getting caught in the 

slow lane behind a 

sea of spandex is 

no fun... 

Having watched the SEWN DVD in the 

motorhome we were more eager than ever to 

surf Lyall Bay in Wellington. The break just 

looked super mellow and rather unique being 

right beside the airport runway. Unfortunately 

when we woke that morning it was teeming 

rain and there was a howling southerly that 

meant it would be blown to smithereens. 

With this in mind we regrettably opted to 

catch the early ferry across to the South Island 

and promised we would return to experience 

Wellington another time. As we left the North 

Island, looking back at the city through the 

morning fog and rain it still appeared stunning. 

The ferry across is something to behold. The 

92km voyage takes around three hours and you 

get a full appreciation as to why it has been 

described as one of the most beautiful ferry 

rides in the world. 

On arrival in Picton, we set off along the 

winding, winding road to the beautiful city of 

Nelson. Our journey was not made any easier 

by a sea of lycra wearing legends. Despite 

the views of cheeks on disappearing seats 

directly in front of us, the ones to the side were 

absolutely stunning – the Marlborough Sounds, 

alpine scenery, rolling rapids through the 

trees... picturesque is an understatement. 


83

As we made our way to the Founders Heritage 

Park in the picturesque city of Nelson for 

Marchfest, we knew it was going to a big day, 

and night... “New Zealand’s beer flavoured 

festival - a celebration of music, food, fun 

and of course.. proper beer,” as it suggests, is 

centred around the amazing boutique brewing 

culture in New Zealand. Thanks to some more 

friendly Kiwis - Emma McCashin of McCashin’s 

Brewery and Mic Dover, organiser of the 

festival - we were welcomed with open arms 

to experience it all in person. 

Every year, a select number of breweries get 

together to showcase new brews, specially 

created for the festival. Ambling around 

the festival with souvenir glass in hand, we 

cheerfully soaked up the carnival atmosphere, 

took in some talks on brewing, ate far too 

many Maori doughnuts and tried our level 

best to work our way through the entire menu 

of beers and ciders on offer. After all, we’re 

travelling international beer conoisseurs... 

With names like “Envy of the Empire Ale,” 

“Greasing Mongrels Lager” and “Muscle 

Stout” the list was most certainly an imposing 

one. “Asylum Ale” at 6.1% was just a flat 

out scary prospect, but we’re adventurers, 

dammit... 

As the evening wore on, every expectation 

was met and exceeded, and soon we were 

having conversations about the quality of hops, 

the smoothness of the drop and other details 

we had no clue about honestly, but were 

enjoying some fine beers, nonetheless. 

We were pumped for the night. The 

fantastically named Ukes of Hazard kicked off 

the musical festivities in the hall while the 

main stage was being set up outdoors. The 

little bit of drizzle had not dampened anyone’s 

spirits at all, so as the sun went down, the 

stage lights came on and the dancing began. 

Hang on, is that Murray from Flight of the 

Conchords on stage with the B52s? Hell 

no, it’s the Drab Doo-Riffs - possible one of 

the coolest, most fun bands we’ve had the 

pleasure of seeing in a long time. Dripping 

with surf guitar and a dual vocal sound that is 

just out of this world, the Auckland five-piece 

had the crowd laughing, dancing and having 

the best time for a good 40 minutes or so. 

We spoke to frontman Karl Steven - who we 

realised later was a former member of NZ 

funkers Supergroove - about it all. 

“We play sort of surf-punky-rock’n-rolly stuff,” 

he says. “It’s upbeat, fun music.” 

“Mikey, our drummer surfs... I can barely 

swim,” Karl admits with a laugh. “But, I do 

love that tradition of music - instrumental 

guitar breaks and the whole surf culture.” 

Having been together for around four years, 

the Drab Doo-Riffs have already visited 

Australian shores, mostly around the 

Melbourne area and “one fateful night in 

Geelong,” as Karl explains: 

“We were a bit new and different... There was 

one guy that really loved it...” (laughs) 

And that one guy was spot on - the Doo-Riffs 

are anything but drab and were a highlight of 

the night. Check them out at Facebook. 

More bands, more beers and the headlining 

set by Alabama 3 later, Marchfest was 

wrapped up. We should have gone to bed. 

We didn’t. Fast forward to the next morning.... 

TOP: “Yes, my good man - that hops was 

obviously fully matured...” “Quite, old chap.” 

ABOVE: Founders Heritage Park is a quirky 

location for this off-beat festival 

BOTTOM LEFT: The Drab Doo Riffs on and 

off stage at Marchfest 

BELOW: Vocalist Karl Steven takes a welldeserved 

breather after a great set. You’ve 

got to know to understand. 


Fine beers, music, 

food and more 

made Marchfest 

in Nelson a worthy 

deviation in our 

search for surf.

TRAVEL 

SURF TRIP 

We might have got to taste the 

delights of the region whilst attending 

Marchfest, but the next day’s seedy 

heads prevented any form of overly 

lively activity, aside from the careful 

art of breathing. So to find out what 

we missed surfwise, we chatted with 

Mark Nichol’s, the President of the local 

Nelson Boardriders Surf Club. 

NELSON LOCALS: 

MARK NICHOLS 

NELSON BOARDRIDERS 

“Nelson, has possibly some of the closest 

proximity high quality waves in New Zealand 

boasting seven different breaks all within 

7km of each other. Unfortunately though, it 

can be a long wait between swells with flat 

spells often lingering into the 3-5 week range. 

When the swell is on however, you wouldn’t 

want to live anywhere else!!” 

People have indeed been surfing Nelson since 

the mid to late 60’s. The local boardriders 

club has formed, dissolved and reformed 

several times over through the years. In 2005 

it was once again reborn under the direction 

of current President, Mark Nichols, along with 

Daryl Way and a website that shared local 

photos, stories and humorous banter to keep 

everyone amused during flat spells. For a bit 

of a laugh, visit nelsonboardriders.blogspot. 

com 

Now solely run by Mark, the club boasts 

around forty members. He describes the club’s 

set up as only Mark can. 

“Disorganised and with no direction 

whatsoever the club rolls along with the 

vision that even though we don’t really 

do anything other than have bbq’s and tell 

stories, there is a formal body here incase we 

ever have to rise to an occasion, for example, 

direct threats to our breaks and coastlines. 

“The surfing community in Nelson is like none 

you will ever come across. Friendly, happy 

and inviting and this probably stems from the 

fact they don’t get waves everyday, and when 

there is a swell running the entire crew are 

happier than pigs in sh*t !” 

TOP: Nelson surf we missed - something 

to look forward to on the next trip 

ABOVE: Freebord man Frosty and one 

very cool board. 

NELSON LOCALS: 

FROSTY 

A TRUE SMORGASBOARDER 

Michael “Frosty” Frost is the NZ and 

Australian agent for Freebord - the radical 

snowboard/skateboard thrill machine with 

six wheels and bindings. (See our story on 

the freebord in our 2012 Jan/ Feb edition 

at www.smorgasboarder.com.au to find out 

what it is all about.) 

We met up with this pillar of healthy living 

the morning after the beer festival. We 

pretended to feel better than we did as 

Frosty filled us in a little about his home. 

“We are just blessed with an amazing 

climate and geography that attracts the right 

type of people. We enjoy more sunshine 

here than anywhere else in the country. 

“Everything is right on our doorstep. We 

have quality breaks nearby when it is 

on, just consistency can be a bit of an 

issue. We’re only 1 ½ hours drive to the 

mountains. You can be in a completely 

different world and climate snowboarding 

back-country. I have snowboarded around 

the world and this is my favourite backcountry. 

“Lakes, mountains, rivers… whatever turns 

you on are all nearby… whitewater rafting, 

fishing, kiteboarding…” 

And he does it all. Next trip we’re taking 

him up on the offer of some secret-spot 

snowboarding for sure. 


85

TRAVEL 

SURF TRIP 

HEADING SOUTH: 

KAIKOURA 

For fear of being stuck behind 

more shaved-leg, pedal-pushing 

posers we took an alternative route 

to Kaikoura through the famous 

wine region of Marlborough, home 

to some of the world’s best sauv 

blancs. The scenery transformed 

from misty alpine ruggedness to 

sun-drenched open plains and 

valleys of endless wineries. 

Once through the town of Blenheim 

we hit the coastline and our jaws 

dropped yet again. The everchanging 

stunning scenery of New 

Zealand has that effect on you. We 

found ourselves regularly stopping 

to take in the view, watch seals 

frolic on the shoreline or observe 

deer grazing in a paddock. 

So many had people had insisted we 

made sure to visit Kaikoura and we 

could see why. It’s postcard perfect. 

Whilst filling up at the local service 

station we met Gus the owner of 

a fish’n’chip shop and convenience 

store nearby. We got to chatting 

and ended up following him back 

to his store. You could immediately 

tell this place was the goods by the 

number of locals that frequented it. 

It was there we met the lovely 

Junko and Gus’ wife Donna - an 

amazing cook who served up the 

freshest fish, oysters and paua, a 

TOP: Marlborough - A beautiful region with amazing wines. 

ABOVE: We’re told seals will sometimes have a go at 

surfers in the water - talk about localism. This surfer is 

enjoying a seal-incident-free, fun wave at Kaikoura. 

BELOW: Kaikoura - unfortunately not going off for us, but 

breathtaking nonetheless. 


LEFT: We left with 

warm memories of true 

hospitality. Gus is more 

than just a guy who 

runs a takeaway - he’s 

a wealth of knowledge, 

stories and the kind of 

bloke this world needs 

more of. ACROSS: 

Fresh, local seafood, 

homemade doughnuts 

and pastries (baked on 

the premises by Donna) 

and great coffee... 

Kaikoura locals are lucky 

to have The Top Shop 

around. 

local delicacy not dissimilar to abalone. The meal was so good we 

returned the next morning for breaky, some delicious homemade jam 

filled doughnuts and coffee. Did I mention we were on a health kick? 

Before we got on our way Gus sorted us out with some freshly 

caught crayfish, no more than four of them to be precise, and 

insisted they were on the house. New Zealand hospitality 

continued to amaze us, in fact it never ceased to leave us stunned. 

Surf wise, the breaks in and around Kaikoura, including the 

infamous Meatworks were as flat as a tack, not even a ripple. 

When visitors arrive this is apparently what happens but when it is 

locals only, the place goes off its chops. Its notorious for the razor 

sharp rocks beneath the water that make a meal of you if you come 

a cropper near the shore. 

Beneath the water there are also other things to take your breath 

away and hopefully no skin. Deep underwater canyons bring cold, 

nutrient rich water close to shore ensuring the water is teeming 

with aquatic wildlife – seals, dolphins, orcas, whales and yes, 

great white sharks. 

It is such a shame we did not get amongst the waves. To be looking 

out of a frosty, green barrel towards snow capped mountains that 

meet the sea would have been something else. Yet another reason 

to return soon. 


87

TRAVEL 

SURF TRIP 

We started making our way to Christchurch, but not 

before we pulled over mid-afternoon at Gore Bay. 

The beach was completely deserted - just us, dark 

sand and gigantic pieces of driftwood. We parked the 

motorhome, unpacked the outdoor dining table and 

chairs on the sand, reached for a couple of ice cold 

beers and our feast of crayfish. In the most beautiful 

of surrounds, we got to eat, drink, relax and reflect on 

just how lucky we were to be able to be doing this... 

All in all, a dining experience that will forever be 

etched in our memories. 

Fed and content, the day just faded away after that 

as we drifted through majestic rural scenes until the 

sun disappeared. We arrived in Christchurch late that 

night, oblivious to what the daylight would reveal. 

“A deserted beach 

and a feast of 

fresh crayfish. Does 

it get any better?” 



TOP: Amazing scenery looking out North across Gore Bay 

LEFT: Memories like that deserve a photo. 

ABOVE: Driving down to Christchurch takes you past 

postcard-perfect rural scenes - with sheep as far as the 

eye can see, of course. 


89


TRAVEL 

SURF TRIP 


SHAKEN, NOT STIRRED: 

CHRISTCHURCH 

We awoke early and headed towards Christchurch’s City 

Mall, the central business and retail precinct that was 

devastated in the September 2010 quake and then dealt 

a killer blow by the February 2011 event. Words can’t 

describe the scale of the devastation. The clean up effort 

one year on is still massive. 

It’s heartbreaking to see the aftermath of such a tragedy 

and the destruction of so many beautiful buildings and 

monuments for which Christchurch had been renowned. 

Parts of a once-bustling city still appear eerie and desolate. 

The people of Christchurch however are iron-willed and 

with such determination present, the city has already 

begun to be rebuilt. Emerging from the rubble is a newer, 

vibrant and funky city centre that features sturdy, low-level 

shipping containers used in creative ways. The Restart 

Container City that’s sprouted next to the former City Mall 

features some 30 high-end boutiques, shops and cafes. We 

grab a coffee and danish from one of the coffee shops on 

our way out and the mood of the young lady who serves us 

is nothing but upbeat and friendly. 

TOP: Direct impact on the Christchurch surf community - 

the Sadhana Surfboards factory, soon to be demolished. 

RIGHT: Sumner styling 


91



“Emerging from the rubble is a 

newer, vibrant and funky city 

centre that features sturdy, lowlevel 

shipping containers used in 

creative ways.” 

As we leave the city centre, we pass through what is deemed the 

Red Zone - an area that snakes along the Avon River from the CBD 

to the coast. Around 6600 homes have been marked for demolition 

or already have been. A further 600+ homes in the Orange Zone 

border this and their fate is still yet to be determined. 

Our drive takes us past vacant lots where buildings have been 

reduced to nothing. Bracing holds others up, houses are tagged 

with the obligatory spraypaint inspection markings and the road is 

buckled. It is hard to fathom the magnitude of what took place. 

We eventually make our way to the historic port town of Lyttleton, 

which was near the February 2011 quake’s epicentre. We had 

intended to pass through on our way to the beachside suburb of 

Sumner for a surf, but many detours later we found ourselves 

winding through incredibly narrow streets, high above the port in 

our 6m long motorhome. 

Heartstopping is not the word to describe it as Mark jumped out 

to navigate me within inches of a parked car on my left and even 

closer to the remains of a house that had slipped down the cliff 

on my right. A little further down the track we came across a 

roadblock, which sent us back the exact same way with an even 

heightened amount of adrenalin. 

Eventually we made it to Sumner and were rewarded with some 

of the most fun, mellow waves we experienced all trip. Amidst all 

the work going on in and around the area it almost felt like a guilty 

pleasure, but a pleasure it was. 

ACROSS: Scenes like this demolished lot play out all across 

the city and leave you with a lump in your throat. 

TOP: The new city centre is a cheerful tribute to fighting spirit. 

ABOVE: In amongst the chaos, the people of the city have still 

taken time to beautify what they can and show support for 

each other in so many ways. 


93


facebook.com/buellwetsuitsaustralia


CHRISTCHURCH LOCALS: 

JAY JACKMAN 

SADHANA SURFBOARDS 

“A spiritual exertion towards an intended goal” 

It’s a pretty unique name for a line of surfboards so 

I was intrigued to find out what Sadhana actually 

meant. My research revealed several explanations: 

1. The purpose for which we have come to this place 

2. The object of Sadhana is to release life from the 

limitations from which it is bound 

3.This is accomplishing something by means of an 

ego-transcending spiritual practice 

It is a pretty descript way of explaining the focus and 

approach of Jay Jackman’s cottage surfboard label and 

underlines what he is all about. He’d never say it himself 

but I can tell you after riding four of his boards he was: 

1. Obviously born to be a shaper 

2. His surfboards take on a life of their own 

3. Jay is far removed from the ego-centric hype that 

at times plagues the surf industry. He is a laid-back, 

easy-to-talk-to, humble bloke that just wants to 

create functional boards that people can have fun on 

The boards are suited to the local conditions and the 

local conditions are probably not that dissimilar to the 

Sunshine Coast. Maybe they just suited our respective 

surfing styles but they completely blew our minds. 

Interestingly, Jay was not born on these shores. He 

is from the northern beaches of Sydney. We asked 

the reason for his move across the ditch? 

“I married a Kiwi girl and we had a kid and basically 

we weren’t happy with where we were living. We 

have been in Christchurch now three and a bit years. 

I love it. It’s like Australia twenty years ago. It’s 

quiet, peaceful and beautiful. 

On the business side of things, Jay moved from 

shaping out of his backyard in Narrabeen to his 

present factory in Woolston, Christchurch. The 

evolution of Sadhana is well captured in the 

introductory excerpt on Jay’s website. 

The idea of Sadhana Surfboards was born in 1997 

on a lifeguard chair, as a reaction to the massmarketed, 

mediocre, one-size-fits-all approach to 

surfing at the time. Drawing on the daily influence 

that the ocean holds and utilising various garages, 

shaping rooms and sheds around the world, a small 

cottage label was formed. While those backyard 

days are now part of our history, it is this handmade 

craft philosophy that drives us still. 

We asked Jay if he ever thought of moving home 

after the series of major quakes that rocked the 

Canterbury region. 

“We moved here because we like the mountains 

and the sea. Surfing and snowboarding. It seemed 

logical. We got married here. We love it. 

“We don’t have any family ties here and we don’t 

own a house but it was like, ‘What else am I 

going to do? Why not stay?’ We are part of this 

community and it’s nice being in a small place 

where you know everyone. Go back to Narrabeen 

and do what? There’s like fourteen surfboard machines 

in Manly going north.” 


95

TOP: Sadhana Surfboards are perfect for the surf 

at Christchurch. Local shapers know best. 

MIDDLE: Sombre reminders of the quake, like 

this collapsed cliffside, are everywhere. 

ABOVE:: Jay’s work on a timber board made from 

recycled materials reclaimed after the quake. 


Jay was at the factory when the 

magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck. 

“I was in the shaping room when 

it happened. Our business was 

only a matter of a few kilometres 

from the quake epicenter. It was 

full on. 9’6”s were falling on 

my head. Boards were throwing 

themselves off the racks. 

I didn’t know what to do. After 20 

seconds I thought, ‘I better get out 

of here.’ I ran out the front door of 

the factory in a cloud of dust with 

things falling everywhere. It was 

like an Indiana Jones movie. 

“Once outside there were no 

phones. The mobile networks 

were down because they were 

overlogged. My wife was at work 

and I didn’t know how to get in 

contact with her. I didn’t know if she 

ok? She had the car and so I just 

started to walk home in my sanding 

gear. There was just this procession 

of people walking home.” 

“As a collective there has been 

incredible personal loss and 

emotional strain. In the face of 

all of this though, there is this 

determination and courage to stay 

positive and carry on.” 

That community spirit could be 

seen through the actions of so 

many. Jay himself raised funds 

for the Christchurch Earthquake 

Appeal by auctioning a unique 

fish he crafted out of timbers 

reclaimed from a demolished 

factory that once stood right 

behind his own. 

As for the future, Jay is ever 

positive. 

“It has been tough but you just 

keep going. People are coming 

in now and buying boards again 

because they realise they need to 

relax. And thankfully they can see 

we are doing something different 

that caters for the individual. That 

is what we do... our own thing.”

SHANE 

GOODWIN 

Working out of the same 

factory as Jay is Shane. His 

focus is unique custom made 

lightweight SUPs. 

“I’m catering for guys who 

want to go top-to-bottom,not 

just interested in sort of 

trimming around on a wave. 

“The techniques we are 

using are what I learnt from 

working with Gary McNab 

over in California. He’s a 

high-end paddleboard and 

surfboard shaper and I sort 

of drained him of all his 

information. Through the 

years I was also fortunate 

enough to have worked with 

Al Byrne as well. 

“The proof has really 

been in the pudding with 

regards to how the boards 

are performing. We are 

now starting to even make 

custom order paddleboards 

with full resin tints. No one 

else is doing that stuff.” 

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97

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Huge range of gear for hire 

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Studio suites and flashpackers 

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relaxation, dining and fun. 

ABOVE: Scarborough Beach at Sumner. 

Friendly waves and good times. 

RIGHT: The longboard was the weapon of 

choice for most on the day we visited. 

P: 03 5956 6123 

E: info@theislandaccommodation.com.au 

BOOK ONLINE AT 

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The Big Wave Complex 

10 - 12 Phillip Island Tourist Road 

Phillip Island, 3925, Victoria, Australia 

surf shop • surf school • 

accommodation • cafe 


CHRISTCHURCH LOCALS: 

SABRINA WEBER 

AUMOANA SURF SHOP 

Without doubt, one of 

the fun days surfing of our 

whole trip. Great waves 

and great boards. 

Sometimes you get a true sense about a place from the 

people who move to the region rather than those who 

were born there. After four major quakes and countless 

aftershocks you can understand why many have 

chosen to move away from Christchurch. Family ties 

and lifelong friendships are hard to leave behind but 

self-preservation and care for your immediate family is 

a strong motivation. 

But what happens when you are not born in the 

region, have no strings tying you there and yet still 

choose to stay. It says a lot about Christchurch and 

the community that call it home. 

Sabrina Weber is Swiss and opened the doors to 

her unique little surf shop, Aumoana, in April 2010 in 

Sumner, a beautiful beachside suburb of Christchurch. 

Many retailers in the surf industry have done it tough 

over the last two years but none tougher than Sabrina. 

The February 2011 earthquake alone saw Sumner 

experience several major rockslides and damage. 

Pollutants kept surfers out of the water for seveneight 

months, and Sabrina’s shop is less than 100m 

from the beach. Despite all of this, we walk through 

her door and are greeted by the most friendly, 

welcoming young lady you would meet. 

“My partner and I are both Swiss and love surfing and 

snowboarding. We moved to the south island of New 

Zealand because we can do both within a few hours 

each way. I can even skateboard to and from work. 

“Christchurch is the only place I want to live. We 

have a great community. Everyone has been really 

supportive of us through this time. They always have 

been but realise that even more otherwise they will 

have to get their surfboards from China.” (laughs) 

Aumoana stocks some of New Zealand’s best 

handshaped boards, including Sadhana. 

“We are always on the lookout for the best brands 

for the best people and always something a little 

different!” 

Yes, Sabrina and her shop are all class. 


99

Late in the afternoon after our surf in Sumner we left 

Christchurch for the small port city of Timaru where we 

stayed the night, which coincidentally meant ‘Place of 

Shelter’ in Maori. We rose early and got underway on our 

journey to Dunedin. There was damn cold water to face 

and surf to be had. 

When we started scouring our route for a spot to grab 

some breakfast we hadn’t figured on stumbling on a 

town so remarkable as Oamaru. Imposing 19th century 

limestone buildings lined narrow streets around the 

harbour. These beautifully preserved historic commercial 

buildings are remnants of a formerly prosperous 

refrigerated-meat shipping industry. 

This fascinating precinct is now home to a variety of 

bookshops, antique galleries, cafes, restaurants and a very 

enticing specialist whisky bar, The NZ Malt Whiskey Co. 

Further along there’s Steampunk HQ, a kind of way-out gallery 

come something-or-the-other that transports visitors to a 

parallel universe where electricity was never invented and 

steam powers futuristic technological marvels. 

Oamaru’s also renown for its yellow-eyed penguin colony 

at Bushy Beach. Not stopping long enough to see those, 

we left, still famished, and set off on the road again. Along 

the way we stumbled on the tiny fishing village of Moeraki 

and a restaurant called ‘Fleurs Place’, which we later 

read was established on an early whaling station site and 

had been built from gathered collectables and demolition 

materials from all over New Zealand. 

We had no idea where we were and hungrily asked 

about breakfast. The place didn’t do breakfasts we were 

told apologetically, but the smiling waitress offered to 

find out if the chef would be able to whip something up 

for us anyway... 

The more we thought about this being a little odd, we 

realised that ‘Fleur’, was one and the same as the Fleur 

Sullivan who had made her reputation as a top foodie in 

the Central Otago region, receiving numerous awards in 

her time. British television chef and restauranteur Rick 

Stein chose Fleurs Place when he was asked to choose 

anywhere in the world to write a travel article for English 

newspaper the Daily Mail. 

The waitress returned with the offer of bacon and eggs, 

which was music to our ears and our rumbling stomachs. 

We grabbed a table where we were served the best 

breakfast we have ever had in our entire lives. 



TRAVEL 

SURF TRIP 

LEFT ACROSS: A motorhome we didn’t get to test. ABOVE: There’s never never any 

shortage of creativity and in the most unlikely places - a flaming apocalypitic steam engine 

decorated with skeletons sits quite comfortably in the Victorian precinct of Oamaru. 

LEFT: Fleur’s Place in Moeraki - hands down, the best bacon and eggs we will ever have. 


101


TRAVEL 

SURF TRIP 


Did you know? 

New Zealand has 

won more Olympic gold 

medals, per capita, 

than any other country. 


Could it be my Scottish ancestry 

that had me pining to see 

Dunedin - like a homecoming of 

sorts? Incidentally, Dunedin is 

the Celtic name for Edinburgh. 

Maybe it’s just my obsession 

with cold water and the desire to 

explore the outermost limits of 

rational surf destinations. 

From the outset, this was the 

place I wanted to see most in the 

whole of New Zealand. A unique, 

majestic city steeped in history, 

vibrant, eclectic, a party town, 

and a region that is home to such 

a rich array of wildlife, flora and 

fauna including New Zealand sea 

lions. This place has it all. 

Then of course, there is the surf. 

There is an extensive number of 

breaks- beachies, reefs, points 

and islands. You could surf 

the region for weeks and not 

scratch the surface. There are 

the famous breaks of St Clair and 

Murdering Bay, a name you won’t 

forget quickly for more reasons 

than one, and if that weren’t 

enough the south coast is also 

the home of big wave surfing in 

New Zealand. 

The swell down here packs a 

punch and the water temp takes 

your breath away. Waves can 

vary from death-defyingly scary 

to mouth-watering perfection. 

Dunedin and its surrounds are 

a true testing ground that both 

excited and absolutely scared the 

crap out of me. 

This is what we came for. It was 

time to get wet. 


103


Did you know? 

Dunedin is home to New 

Zealand’s first newspaper, 

the country’s oldest 

university, and the first 

botanic gardens. 

TOP: The promenade at St Clair. 

ABOVE: The town centre is a vibey hive 

of activity, dotted with quirky businesses 

and eateries. RIGHT: Cold? What cold? 

12 degrees is toasty warm for tough 

Dunedinites. BELOW: Some homeless 

guy with cool local boards. 



We pretty much headed straight for Graeme Carse at 

Quarry Beach Surfboards. We had been worded up he 

was the man to see and would sort us out with some 

boards. We chatted with ‘Carsey’ and his lovely partner 

Gaby (more on them overleaf) for a little while, but they 

could see we were champing at the bit for a surf and 

sorted us out with a variety of boards to tackle the late 

afternoon choppy conditions - a snub-nosed mini-mal 

with a significant nose rocker that went like a rocket, 

Gaby’s own thruster and a brand spanking new fish. 

We headed straight to the nearest beach, being St Clair, 

which was listed in Sean Doherty’s The Pilgrimage, 50 

Places to Surf Before You Die. There’s a series of point 

breaks and numerous beachies along the 5km stretch of 

white sandy beach. We paddled to an outer bank that 

was working to the left of the point. We surfed some 

fun waves for the next couple of hours until the day 

started getting on a bit. Did I mention my paranoia and 

that the place has lots of seals and so forth? And then 

there’s that bloody big bull kelp that reaches up and 

grabs you by the legs. You frequently feel like a goner. It 

was beer o’clock time. 

The next day, the conditions and the swell could not have 

been more perfect. It made leaving all the more harder. 

So was the water cold? Apparently it was 12 degrees 

but with the quality of the suits we tested protecting 

us from the elements and the fact we had been in NZ 

for two weeks, so we had possibly acclimatised to the 

cooler conditions, I can’t say it was a factor. Plus, we 

had it easy. There were no howling arctic winds, no 

sleet, and no snow on the beach. The air temperature 

was mild to say the least. In fact it was warm. For the 

two days we were there you could have worn a singlet 

and shorts down the street, providing you weren’t in the 

shade. Hardly hellman territory. 

Later that night however was something else, the 

temperature plummeted the wind picked up and we 

were reminded of how close we were to the South Pole. 

Yes, we’ll come back for some southern comfort... and 

freeze our asses off. After all, there’ll always be more 

wetsuit testing to be done. 


105

RIGHT: Walk to the front please sir. BELOW: 

A change of direction to get some good wave 

left behind. BOTTOM: At least the toilets are 

closer than London. 



TRAVEL 

SURF TRIP 


107


DUNEDIN LOCALS: 

GRAHAM CARSE 

QUARRY BEACH SURFBOARDS 

When someone weilding a pair of scissors called 

Crazy Jane tells you to do something, you pretty damn 

well best listen. And we’re glad we listened when the 

friendly Kaikoura hairdresser told us to look up ‘Carsey’ 

in Dunedin, as the man to talk to when it comes to 

surfboards in the area. 

Aside from Crazy Jane, several shapers on our travels 

suggested we make sure to catch up with Graham 

Carse of Quarry Beach Surfboards and we weren’t 

disappointed. 

He’s just plain genuine. No bullshit. ‘Carsey’ is one 

of those people you meet and immediately strike 

up a friendship with. There is no effort in holding a 

conversation with him. 

After we met him at his factory and stole a couple of 

his boards for a test run we caught up with him and 

his lovely partner Gaby, for a quiet beer or two to chat 

about their hometown and surfboards. 

“Dunedin is a beautiful city. Down near the varsity, 

around the cricket ground, our beaches of course. It is 

just a very laid back place to live. Life’s a little slower 

and it’s nice and easy to get around the place. 

“As far as surfing goes, it is pretty good. Consistency 

is the key. We get our share of smaller days but you 

could count flat days on one hand. There are a variety 

of quality waves to be had. 

“Dunedin is based on a big peninsula - on the southside 

we get all the south swell, on the northside we get all 

the northeast swell. If it is not working one side, it is 

working on the other and sometimes even both.” 

“In summer you have daylight till around 10pm. You 

can actually have a couple of surfs after work so that 

is great. The winter does get cold and the water can 

get down to around 7-8 degrees but it is actually the 

air temperature and windchill that make it particularly 

cold. In winter we will get a dusting of snow on the 

beach a couple of times. 

“This is the coldest stretch of water in New Zealand. 

The water is about 2-3 degrees colder than even 

Invercargill at the southernmost tip of the South Island.” 

When discussion turns to himself though, even with 

the assistance of some amber truth juice, Carse is very 

understated in his reply. He’s not up himself – and 

that’s further reason to like him. 

“I’ve been shaping boards seriously now under the 

Quarry Beach label for around 24 years. I would like to 

think I do an okay job and have a fair understanding of 

what works for the local conditions.” 

The locals no doubt have full confidence in what Carse 

does because we reckon about 70% of the boards we 

saw out in the water bared his QB logo. 


TOP: Graham models a recent stumpy 

quad-fin creation in his St Clair showroom. 

LEFT: Graham kindly introduced us to another 

cheerful local - one of the dangerously easy 

Emerson’s beers on offer. 

You are here

“The good thing now is there is a lot more 

fun being put into surfing. 20 years ago 

if you couldn’t ride a 6’2” x 18” thruster, 

you were considered a bit of a dud. 

Thesedays, anything is acceptable. People 

are riding all manner of obscure things. 

“Shaping-wise, I like to mix it up as well 

- give a particular idea a run, ride it, finetune 

it. I find I’m shaping a couple of mals 

one week, a couple of shortboards the 

next, fishes... Even a few mini Simmons of 

late and single fins too.” 

A final word on the local beer? 

“A guy in Dunedin makes all the best 

beers. He wins all the awards. He comes 

out with some interesting brews with 

equally interesting names. You just never 

know what percentage they are. If you 

have three, you have possibly had two too 

many. Emerson’s. Don’t forget it.” 

“We get our share 

of smaller days 

but you could 

count flat days 

on one hand” 


Quarry Beach 

fish 

How can we not love a board 

when the shaper grabs it brand 

new and slaps a smorgasboarder 

sticker on it? 

I must admit it had been a while since I had 

been on a thruster, but this was a great little 

board. A compact fish with drive and the ability 

to run tight arc turns. 


109

TRAVEL 

SURF TRIP 

We have to come back. We have unfinished business. There’s a million breaks north and 

south we didn’t surf, major surf destinations we didn’t even visit such as the Coromandel 

Peninsula, Mount Maunganui and Gisborne, and some of the breaks we visited, we didn’t 

score at their best. 

And we haven’t even discussed snowboarding... 

As the active panel of three that did the trip through both islands, we thought we’d wrap 

up with our personal snapshots of the trip 

BEST SURF? 

DAVE: The standout was Piha. Good size 

and nice, clean waves. You felt like you 

were surfing in a huge amphitheatre. 

BEN: Dunedin. Absolute perfection. 

MARK: Scarborough Beach, Christchurch. 

Super clean little lines. 

QUALITY/ CONSISTENCY 

OF NZ BREAKS 

DAVE: A massive variety of breaks and 

conditions. I had read it can be fickle but in 

my opinion that could not be further from 

the truth. No less fickle than many parts 

of Australia. Don’t know why more surfers 

don’t visit. 

BEN: There always seemed to be swell. I 

liked the fact the east and west coast were 

a relatively short distance apart, which 

meant if you were looking for the ideal 

conditions you didn’t have to travel too far. 

MARK: There was something for 

everyone. All skill levels. Hell, even for me. 

NORTH OR 

SOUTH ISLAND? 

DAVE: Couldn’t split them. Both were 

magic and absolutely stunning. The North 

Island was lush and green like a set out of 

Jurassic Park. The south island had that 

grandeur with its snow capped peaks, 

deep blue sea and European style villages. 

BEN: I found the south more scenic as 

there was such a dramatic variation in 

scenery from mountains to beaches. I was 

surprised how different the south island 

was to the north considering their close 

proximity to each other. 

MARK: The North Island’s landscape was 

far more removed from what I am used to 

seeing - an awesome change of scenery. 

FAVOURITE CITY/ TOWN? 

DAVE: Dunedin. Love the Scottish heritage. 

BEN: Dunedin. It just looks like a lot of 

fun. It was a lot of fun. 

MARK: Piha. It’s a dramatic place, unlike 

anything you’re likely to see. The sheer 

presence of the landscape is insane. 

HOW WOULD I RATE NZ 

AS A DESTINATION FOR A 

SURF TRIP? 

DAVE: An absolute must. 

BEN: It probably wasn’t a surf destination 

I had truly considered but is now a place I 

would love to go back to, RIGHT NOW. 

MARK: Fantastic. 100% unbelievable, but, 

you have to not mind suiting up in rubber. 

WE ALL AGREE... 

The one thing we all agreed upon was 

that if you had to base your decision 

on the overall experience, the ease of 

getting around and how affordable it is 

to visit, you would be hard pressed not to 

include New Zealand as one of the top five 

destinations in the world. 

Useful 

guides 

We also must give special thanks to the many people who made this such an enjoyable trip. 

NEW 

ZEALAND 

TOURISM 

For laying out the 

welcome mat. We 

can’t wait to come 

back. 

110 may/jun 2012 

BRITZ 

A special thanks to 

Kate Meldrum for 

all her assistance. 

Our motorhome 

made for the 

ultimate surf trip. 

It is without doubt 

the best way to 

explore the coast. 

A home and ready 

made meals on 

wheels, easy to 

get around and 

a great way to 

travel with all your 

boards and gear. 

SHAPERS 

You enabled us 

to realise our aim 

of surfing nothing 

but Kiwi boards. 

Without them we 

would have been 

left high and dry. 

A big thanks to 

Roger Hall, Mike 

Jolly, Mickey T, 

Jay Jackman and 

Graham Carse. 

WETSUIT 

AND GEAR 

SUPPLIERS 

A big thanks 

as well to the 

many businesses 

involved in 

our extensive 

gear testing 

conducted in NZ. 

We experienced 

firsthand the best 

of the best in the 

latest wetsuits and 

surf gear. 

Special thanks to 

Paul Zarifeh from 

Seventhwave for 

well and truly 

going out of his 

way to welcome 

us to his great 

country. 

KIWIS 

For restoring our 

faith in humanity. 

In an all too often 

cynical society 

they convinced 

us there are still 

plenty of good 

people out there. 

A very special 

thank you to Gus 

and Donna from 

The Top Shop in 

Kaikoura for the 

most outstanding 

display of 

hospitality from 

complete strangers 

we have ever 

experienced. 

NZ SURF 

BUSINESSES 

Looking for 

smorgasboarder 

over in NZ? Drop 

by the shops, 

shaping bay 

and businesses 

featured here. 

By supporting them 

you’re supporting 

us and we can 

ensure you keep 

getting your copy 

of the mag for 

grassroots surfers. 

For more details 

go to www. 

smorgasboarder. 

com.au


111

THERE’S SO 

MUCH MORE 

SKATE, SUP, SNOWBOARDING AND SO MUCH MORE IN NZ 

ALL PHOTOS SUPPLIED COURTESY OF CHRISTCHURCH PADDLEBOARDING, 

JEFF MORRIS, CARDRONA, TREBLE CONE & NZ SHRED 

ABOVE: Canterbury’s waterways are alive 

with opportunities for enjoyment 

TOP RIGHT: Pristine runs at Cardrona 

Alpine Resort near Queenstown 

RIGHT: Amazing views of the Southern 

Lakes while in the snow at Treble Cone. 

FAR RIGHT: Queenstown has more to offer 

than snow - get around on a SUP 

112 may/jun 2012

So, what’s 

next? 

Our smorgasboarder 

road trip covered a lot of 

ground, but the reality 

is, we only scraped the 

surface. As is often the 

case, there is always 

more to see and do, 

and this is particularly 

true when it comes to a 

country as amazing as 

New Zealand. 

To get an insight into 

what we missed out 

on and to provide some 

added inspiration for a 

speedy return (as if we 

need it) we spoke to a 

couple of locals about 

life and living it to the 

full in their respective 

necks of the woods. 



THERE’S SO 

MUCH MORE 

Kaiteriteri 

WORDS: JEFF MORRIS 

Our smorgasboarder New Zealand correspondant, 

Jiff (Jeff) Morris gives us insight into why he 

moved across the dutch (ditch) to an area that has 

become popular amongst the SUPing fraternity. 

Why? That was the most asked question 

whenever I told someone that I was moving to 

N.Z. but only from people that hadn’t been here. 

My mother didn’t get it at all, for her it was like 

burning the Aussie flag. She just had to settle for 

– “because I want to move to a country that still 

sells fireworks and China is too populated.” 

Kiwi’s were also a little incredulous – “so let 

me get this straight, you moved here from the 

Sunshine Coast and your wife’s not a Kiwi and 

you’re an Aussie” OK, cool. 

With all of that I started questioning, why after 

growing up on Sydney’s Northern Beaches and a 

lifetime of surfing of which the last 15 years was 

spent in a place where the water is warm even in 

winter and I could just walk across the road and surf 

with all of my friends and neighbours would I leave. 

The answer is because the South Island of New 

Zealand is Disneyland for grown ups. 

If you love the outdoors, this is it. We moved to 

Kaiteriteri, gateway to the Abel Tasman National 

Park and the South Island’s summer holiday 

destination. 

The only problem, no waves here and wetsuit 

required outside of summertime. If I want to surf 

I have to drive anywhere between 20 minutes 

and one and a half hours depending on what’s 

working. Other than that it’s an overnighter or 2 

on the West Coast or Kaikoura. 

No big deal really, surfing then becomes an 

adventure like it was when we were young, 

finding the secret spots, crossing farmland and 

four wheel driving down isolated roads, mind 

you I’m not as immune to the discomforts of the 

adventures as I used to be. 

Local knowledge is everything and fortunately 

there is a boardriders club in Nelson. 

Their motto is – Nelson Boardriders – Making 

Shit Surfers Look Reasonable Since 2005. 

Who wouldn’t want to be a part of that? 

So what’s to do in between the long wait 

between swells? The obvious answer before 

I moved here was SUP, the bays and islands 

around here are spectacular, crystal clear water, 

and pristine uncrowded beaches. 

The thought of moving to the dark side wasn’t a 

particularly exciting one, but I bit the bullet and 

bought a SUP. Decided to have a lesson as part of 

the deal, just in case something was trickier than 

it looked. That would be catching waves. 

My first couple of paddles around the bay here, 

confirmed a lack of adrenalin, but then it really 

started to grow on me, especially when the odd 

seal swims alongside for a while, checking me 

out with those aquatic cocker spaniel eyes. 

Now I really look forward to getting out there 

whenever I can. Pretty keen to get into a break or 

two. There’s a few guys around here getting into and 

it probably won’t be long before we form ourselves 

into some sort of collective excuse for a beer. 


“the South 

Island of New 

Zealand is 

Disneyland for 

grown ups.” 

Tut, tut Jiff... Where’s the helmet? 

When the sun’s shining and the birds are 

singing there’s enough serenity out there for 

20 Darryl Kerrigans. 

And then there’s the kilometre after kilometre 

of winding roads and hills through the pine 

forest with barely a car to be seen, perfect 

for a bit of skating. 

Back in OZ we had the Castaways Beach 

Saturday Arvo Skate Crew, usually being 

followed around by an ambulance and a car 

full of lawyers. 

The main aim was not to break anything, main 

reward was a beer or five and hopefully watch 

the Ambo and lawyers head off into the sunset. 

Still holding up the great tradition here, 

the skating is sensational scenery and hills 

spectacular, main purpose is still not to break 

anything, because out in the forest no one 

can hear you scream. 

One of the other great things about this area 

is that I can go snow skiing for a day as we 

have the Rainbow Ski Field just 2 hours drive 

from here. Pretty well uncrowded especially 

mid week, not a big resort by any means, but 

you can really wear yourself out in a day as 

the t-bar is uncrowded and is situated well 

enough to cover a lot of terrain. 

There are around 20 ski fields, club fields 

and resorts on the South Island and we will 

be covering those in more depth in future 

editions, no doubt. 



Paddleboarding 

around 

Christchurch 

WORDS JAMES BRADSHAW 

Christchurch was devastated in last year’s 

major quake but the beauty of the region and 

its waterways is still evident. 

You could say the paddleboard scene here 

in Christchurch is on shaky ground! After 

four major earthquakes and eight months of 

polluted water, you think everyone and anyone 

would be deterred from getting out on the 

water, but you couldn’t be further from the 

truth. If anything, it’s made more people take 

to the water. 

There are so many great spots to SUP here 

in Canterbury. We have a very strong and 

varied scene. Last Saturday for example 

there were twenty plus paddleboarders out at 

Sumner Bar at 6.30am. Those who were out 

were rewarded with some great head high, 

long walls. There was an awesome vibe and 

everyone was having so much fun. 

On any given day you will always see 

someone on a SUP out at Sumner, Taylor’s 

Beach or up the coast at Waikuku or Pegasus 

Beach. Not forgetting we also have some 

amazing world class breaks up at Kaikoura or 

on the Banks Peninsula. 

Where else in the world can you stand out in 

the break looking up at 2000+m snow-capped 

mountains that reach right down to the sea. 

Then there’s also the mountain lakes which 

provide a stunning backdrop whilst paddling 

and can be awesome for a downwinder in the 

prevailing NorthWest winds. 

Christchurch is most certainly one of the most 

scenic spots to get out on your SUP. 

For those interested in a little more activity, 

Christchurch Paddleboarding run a number of 

events for all levels throughout the year. There 

are monthly Sup n Fun events at Pegasus Lake 

run in conjunction with Groundswell, which 

are basically family fun days with a series 

of races and technique clinics. In summer 

there are also weekly flat water Surf & Turf 

races. On Thursday evenings there’s surf 

race training groups and every Saturday a 

large group head out for technique paddling 

sessions on Lyttelton Harbour. 

For more information visit 

www.christchurchpaddleboarding.co.nz 


THERE’S SO 

MUCH MORE 

Look 

familiar? 

That’s Dan 

Carter, all in 

black 

In the snow... 

Treble Cone 

ABOVE: Sticks help you get around the 

water in Christchurch 

TOP RIGHT: Sticks help you get around the 

snowfields at Treble Cone 

Treble Cone’s claim to fame is that it is the 

highest and largest of the Southern Lakes ski 

areas. It also widely touted as the best snow 

resort in NZ because of the spectacular views 

and challenging terrain. 

It’s really for the rippers. The steep slopes 

predicate its primarily for the intermediate 

to advanced powderhounds. Only 10% of the 

resort is suitable for beginners but things are 

changing somewhat. 

The 2012 season will see the opening of its first 

fun park, re-routing of the top section of the 

Easy Rider and upgrades to the café, electronic 

ticketing system and trail maps. 

The Treble Cone Jazz Fun Park will be located 

at the bottom of the Bullet in the Saddle and 

will host entry level features aimed at children 

four to 13 years. Due to the versatility of the 

features it will enable them to be used in other 

areas of the mountain for competitions and 

coaching purposes as well. 

Jackie van der Voort, Treble Cone’s ski area 

manager, gave us a rundown on the latest 

developments. 

“Over the summer extensive earthworks have 

taken place at the top of Easy Rider, removing 

one switchback to re-route a small section of 

the upper part, to make the run wider and less 

steep. This will help learners’ progression from 

the beginners’ slopes to the six seater and also 

define the entrance to the Saddle track. 

“We just want to provide the best facilities 

and services for our customers and to ensure 

snow enthusiasts of all abilities get the most 

out of their day on the mountain whether they 

are riding the powder in the chutes, learning 

new tricks in the Jazz Fun Park or taking in the 

spectacular view from the café.” 

Treble Cone opens 28 June with a scheduled 

closing day of 30 September. For further 

information, visit www.treblecone.com. 



So much yet to do 

and experience... 

We can’t wait to get 

back! 

The hive of activity that is 

Cardrona Alpine Resort 

Conquer the cold 

at Cardrona 

From what we have heard around the 

traps Cardona Alpine Resort may not 

be the biggest resort but it presents 

what is widely regarded as the best 

value and well suited to families. 

Regular comments from converts 

relate to its value for money, variety of 

terrain to play on, wide open spaces, 

fantastic views and friendly staff. 

Cardrona has also developed a 

reputation as being the most reliable 

in terms of snowfall and a bit of a 

snowboarders paradise. 

Nadia Ellis of Cardrona tells us the resort has opened up a 

number of additional trails for intermediate and advanced 

riders along with a new quad taking their lift-serviced 

vertical to a total of 600m. They have also redeveloped their 

learner slopes and a platter tow now services their renown 

Olympic size halfpipe. 

What it basically means is that snowboarders no longer 

have to ‘hike the pipe’. That means more runs and more fun. 

World Champion Halfpipe skier Jossi Wells and his family 

officially opened the new dedicated ski lift. Nadia explained 

the Wells Pipe Platter was named after the family in 

recognition of their long history with Cardrona. 

“Bruce and Stacy Wells (Jossi’s parents) met while they 

were working here and consequently had four extremely 

talented sons who learnt to ski at Cardrona. All of the Wells’ 

boys have potential to compete at the next Sochi Winter 

Olympics.” 

The new facilities serve to further cement Cardrona’s 

credentials as a world-class training facility. 

The 2012 season will also see Cardrona introduce a new 

ticketing system that utilises smart card technology allowing 

boarders direct access to the lifts, saving precious time. 

www.cardrona.com 


So much to 

Queenstown 

Migrating from the ‘West Island’ when he was just 17 Jase Johns 

was always keen to settle in ‘The Adventure Capital of the World’. 

Today Jase, and his business partner, Jon, own and run 

Queenstown’s iconic NZSHRED - Snow, Surf & Street store, in the 

main Shotover Street of town. 

The boys are really focused on providing their customers with a 

wholistic experience of what the area has to offer through the 

relationships they have developed with other like-minded local 

businesses. To them, they are primarily a snow store but they also 

want to embrace what else there is to do beyond just the snowfields. 

“We want our customers to enjoy themselves and see and do as 

much as we can offer from the acrobatics undertaken on features 

at SnowPark to the all round diversity of terrain and experience at 

Cardrona Alpine Resort, the steep and deep of the Saddle Basin at 

Treble Cone, to the less commercial, country hospitality delivered by 

Mike, Louise and crew at Ohau Lodge & Ski Area.” 

Being the only retailer in Queenstown to sell surfboards, they also 

want their customers to get wet. 

“We’ve developed close ties with Nick Smart’s surf school at Curio 

Bay in The Catlins, a nearby rugged and remote area of coastline, 

assisting our customers with surf lessons and accommodation. It’s an 

experience for sure.” 

The Southern Lakes region has also proven popular with SUP-ers. 

“The abundance of massive freshwater lakes throughout the South Island 

has opened this activity up to standup paddleboarders. In addition to this, 

technological developments in boards have opened up opportunities to 

spend time in rivers and stretch further to the high altitude Alpine Lakes.” 

Snowboarding, surfing, SUPing and even mountain biking... Whatever 

you fancy, Queenstown has it all and if you are in the need for some 

gear you should go to the guys who cater for all the disciplines. 

We sure as hell can’t wait to get there. 

BIGGEST Ski Area easily 

accessed from Queenstown 

HIGH elevation means quality 

snow and huge views 

EASY drive or bus ride from 

Queenstown or Wanaka 

For more information or to buy 

your lift passes, rental, lessons 

and more... 

35 Shotover St, 

QueenStown, or 

18 Dunmore St, wanaka 

www.cardrona.coM 

www.onepassnz.com 

Snow? 

Never mind, they’ve got 

inflatable SUPs 




BOARDS • SKATE • TESTS • REVIEWS • FASHION 

STICKING IT TO THE SNOW 

In cool snow news, the folks at Kahuna are bringing paddling to the 

snow with their new Kahuna Snow Stick. It’s designed to help you 

get solid speed on completely flat terrain and paddle through poor 

snow conditions. The crazy-looking head - shown left - is made of of 

ballistic polycarbonate which is meant to perform to -45°C. 

Contact the friendly folk at Street SUP 

Australia for info on 0466 264 232. 

www.streetsup.com.au 

Facebook.com/StreetSUP 

Brand 

new ideas 

DEMYSTIFYING SNOWBOARD DESIGN 

WORDS: JARYD HESLOP OF FUTURE SPORT/ARBOR SNOWBOARDS 

A walk through the boards at your local snowboard shop will show you very quickly that rocker is what is happening in snowboarding. There are almost as 

many types of rocker as there are snowboards, so the key to understanding the differences and the pros and cons of the way your board is bent is to break 

it down. Simply put, there are four different profiles that most boards will fall into. 

ROCKER Laying flat on the floor the lowest point of the board will 

be in the middle and will progressively rise through to the contact 

points. The board becomes very forgiving since the contact points 

are raised off the snow and will usually be softer because of the way 

the board is bent. Being more forgiving does make the ride “loose” 

because the effective edge of the board is shortened. 

CAMBER For those who still like to lay trenches in the snow and 

carve. Camber will give you a lot of response out of the core but doesn’t 

offer the same level of forgiveness/looseness as a Rocker board. 

Camber is still offered in the line of all good snowboard companies. 

FLAT The board is completely flat most of the way through 

and is usually paired with a small amount of rocker to raise the 

contact points a little. This gives back some of the response in 

the flex of the core that you loose in a full Rocker board and also 

lengthens the effective edge. The board isn’t as forgiving as a 

full rocker and rides more like a standard camber board. 

DUAL CAMBER This is the combination of rocker and camber in 

a board. The rocker gives you the forgiveness and looseness but the 

camber gives you response and pop out of the core. Most boards do this 

by having rocker between your feet and camber outside. 

PROFILING Something to keep in mind with all rocker boards is 

edge profiling. This is where things can get real technical. When 

you are shortening a boards’s effective edge, having the edges poke 

out gives back (and can even enhance) the edge grip that can be lost 

in a rocker board. 


121


BOARDS WITH WHEELS 

M.I.Y. 

(MAKE IT YOURSELF!) 

31-year old Todd Berecz recently dropped us a line and gave 

us a look back to his childhood. He’s fortunate enough to still 

have a board made by his dad when he was only 15, and he 

was kind enough to share the story with us. 

Inspired by a Ren Noll cruiser longboard, Todd’s dad got the 

widest piece of maple he could from the hardware store. 

“He shaped it using a electric planer, measured out 

the truck space, drilled some holes and sanded it back 

smooth so we could glass it up. My dad is great and 

longtime friends with Jim Lucas of Force 9 Surfboards so 

we gave it to him to glass.” 

“We didn’t want to use clear grip tape, ’cause it doesn’t 

look natural. We wanted to keep it looking like a malibu 

longboard, so Jim suggested pouring raw sugar on the deck, 

then resin over the top to give it grip. It worked a treat.” 

“I used to bomb hills in the Sutherland shire areas, then 

when my parents moved to Nelson Bay near Newcastle, I’d 

bomb hills there. My favorite hill was to start at Gan Gan 

Lookout, down Lily Hill Road, onto Stockton Steet then onto 

Government Road all the way down to the Marine. 

Todd says the board is still seeing plenty use, either by 

him, or his stepdaughter. 

“It’s great to see I’ve passed the love of longboard 

skateboarding to my girls.” 

MAIN: Todd showing his stuff 

at Glenbrook Skate Park. 

TOP: Handmade and signed. MIDDLE: 

Getting some footage with a nosecam 

ABOVE: The next generation hops on board 

ARBOR COMP! 

Want some cool Arbor gear in the form of a skateboard, t-shirt and even some fame in an Arbor ad? Last chance to send us some photos of you 

showing your skating skills! Send submissions to competitions@smorgasboarder.com.au by June 1, 2012. www.arborcollective.com 


123

THE SHAPER’S 

APPRENTICE 

THE WINNER(S)! 

MAIN: Peter White of Classic Malibu 

ABOVE: Three new Shaper’s Apprentices - 

the Archers from Buderim, QLD - will soon 

be making their “Squid” design a reality in 

the Classic Malibu factory, alongside Peter 

White. Congratulations! 

THERE ISN’T MUCH PETER WHITE HASN’T 

SEEN IN HIS 45 YEARS OF SHAPING, 

INCLUDING SEEING HIS OWN INNOVATIVE 

DESIGNS OFTEN ADOPTED IN SOME FORM 

OR OTHER BY OTHER SHAPERS. BUT THIS IS 

ALL PART OF THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS 

OF SURFBOARD DESIGN - AS THEY SAY, 

IMITATION IS THE HIGHEST FORM OF 

FLATTERY - AND PETER IS HAPPY TO SHARE 

WHAT HE KNOWS. 

As an innovator of high performance longboards, 

he has worked with countless boardriders, from 

the professionals to complete novices - even 

his own son, Brett White, who is a true “surfer/ 

shaper” in his own right with 17 years board making 

experience. (Brett throws around a longboard like 

a shortboard, riding his namesake performance 

model at Boiling Pot, Noosa when the surf’s big. But 

he can also cut some tricks on the logs better than 

most. When he’s not making boards at the factory, 

you’ll catch him in the surf.) 

At the end of the day, ideas originate from 

everywhere - sometimes it’s just for the fun of it. 

After looking at all the entries in the “Shapers 

Apprentice,” the Classic Malibu folks have finally 

made a choice. All contenders had merit, however, 

as Peter has been working on a mid-length 

board himself and wanted to get away from the 

stereotypical Mini-mal he chose the “Squid” by the 

Archers of Buderim as the board he would most like 

to be involved in the making of. 

“The concept of a multi-fin with concave pockets, 

while not new, hasn’t surfaced for a long time,” 

Peter explained. “I also like the design and think it 

will work.” 

He also liked the fact that the younger generation, 

with the help from Dad, had input into the design. 

This board should be a lot of fun to shape and 

hopefully a lot of fun to surf! He’s looking forward 

to working with “Team Squid” to shape this unique 

board.... 

Congratulations to Sam, Ned and Gus - we’ll 

be covering the project in a future edition of 

smorgasboarder, so keep reading to see how a 

Squid is born. 

For more on Classic Malibu, visit the website 

classicmalibu.com 


Deep fry it and serve it with chips, could THE SQUID hit the (ink) spot? 


125

The high 

five 

Check 

out the 

choices 

DM MACHINE 

BEAN 

CUTDOWN 

FINLESS FIVE 

FINGER SPLADE 

MINI SIM 

THE ELEVATOR 

Ride 

from 

either 

side! 

Shaper: Dave Verrall 

Dimensions: 

5'9" x 18 ¾" x 2 ¼" = 24.9l 

Ideal conditions: 

Everyday east coast 

Australia 

Suits: Average to pro 

Ability Level: 6 -10 

Description: 

Made for the best in 

the world, This is one 

of several made for a 

multiple world champion. 

Can you join the elite 

club? A little shorter 

and wider than what 

was common a couple 

years ago, the Machine 

model is the ultimate 

performance board. 

Construction: Dynocore 

with exposed cork deck skin 

Fins: Under glass preinstall 

5 x plugs 

Shaper comment: 

The new echelon of 

performance and durability 

brought to you, using 

science and engineering, 

the best value in modern 

surfboards is here. 

Shaper: Mark Rabbidge 

Dimensions: 

5'6" x 21" x 3" 

Description: Flat rocker, 

Roll vee in tail, 

Fins: Single box fin 


Revisited design. I used to 

cut down perfectly good 

longboards to make these 

things. Simply cut off the 

nose and tail and reshape 

middle piece. Use original 

fin usually reshape it too. 

Late 60's recycling. 

Shaper: Mark Rabbidge 

Dimensions: 

6'2" x 19" x 2 ¼" 

Ability: All surfers who 

want to have fun 

Description: Flat rocker 

Fins: Finless 


These boards are not 

novelty designs - they surf 

in an all-round modern 

way without the hang-ups 

of old 70’s technology. 

Shaper: Andrew Wells 

Specs: 5'4 x 22" 


Small to medium waves. 

Suits: Anyone looking for a 

fun alternative 

Description: Hollow timber 

mini Simmons, flat rocker, 

big single concave running 

out through the wide flat tail 

with twin keels positioned 

right back on the corners 

Construction: 

Hollow Timber 

Fins: Hand-foiled 

timber keels. 


These boards are fast 

and fun. Plenty of float 

and speed. A perfect fun 

board for small mushy 

days, but even better fun 

in bigger cleaner waves. 

Every Grown Surfboard 

is individually hand 

crafted from recycled and 

plantation grown timber. 

These boards not only 

look great, they surf great 

and will give you years of 

enjoyment. Awesome one 

of a kind airbrush artworks 

by Shane Martin available 

on all Grown boards. 

Shaper: Rory Oke 

Dimensions: 

5'4" x 19" _____ 

Ideal conditions: Ramps, 

shoulder high and below 

Suits: Skate-inspired 

surfers 

Ability Level: Average to 

pretty good 

Description: Two boards 

in one: old skateboard 

rocker, 5-fin one end and 

a pintail, shovelnose 

thruster the other. 

Construction: 

Handshaped PU Ocean 

Foam blank 

Fins: GAS Fins 


So many levels... 

DIVERSE SURFBOARDS 

476 Gold Coast Hwy, 

Tugun, QLD 4224 

Ph: 07 5598 4848 

dave@diversesurf.com.au 

diversesurf.com.au 

RABBIDGE SURF DESIGN 

Ph: 02 4456 4038 

Mobile: 0427 767 176 

Bendalong, NSW 2539 

www.markrabbidge.com 

RABBIDGE SURF DESIGN 

Ph: 02 4456 4038 

Mobile: 0427 767 176 

Bendalong, NSW 2539 


GROWN SURFBOARDS 

Lennox Head 

PO Box 801, Ballina NSW 2478 

Ph: 0407 889 049 

sales@grownsurfboards.com.au 

grownsurfboards.com.au 

OKE SURFBOARDS 

1/1-7 Canterbury Rd, 

Braeside, VIC, 3195 

Ph: 03 9587 3553 

okesurfboards.com 


A green 

machine 

The NZ 

fun 

magnet 

GEAR: BOARDS 

SHAPER’S PROMOTION 

CARBON FIBRE MINI MAL 

TRANSITIONAL 

VEE BOTTOM 

MINI LB 

HP EPS/EPOXY 

MOD LOG 

Specs: 7’6” x 21 1 /8” x 2 7 /8” 

Ideal Conditions: 1-4ft 

Suits: All types and age 

surfers and handles well in 

most conditions. 

Description: Carbon 

Fibre Mini Mal made 

from recycled foam and 

environmentally friendly 

resin. Lightweight, super 

strong and durable. 

Polished mirror finish 

looks amazing. 

Construction: Carbon 

Fibre, Recycled EPS foam, 

Soy Epoxy resin 

Fins: Comes Carbon fibre/ 

bamboo FCS-compatible 

fins. Thruster setup. 

Pricing: $1050 

Comes with FREE “ECO 

PACK” worth over $400 

including: Hemp Boardbag, 

Carbon Fibre/Bamboo Fins, 

Hemp Fin Wallet, Recycled 

Leash, Bamboo Soy Ding 

Repair Kit, Organic Wax 

and Bamboo Wax Comb. 

Groovy Baby!! 

Shaper: Jordie Brown 

Dimensions: 

7'4" x 22 ¼'' x 17 ¾" x 18" x 3" 

Ideal: Waist to shoulder 

high peelers. 

Suits: A great smaller 

alternative to your 

standard longboard. 

Description: Based 

on the transitional 

longboards of the late 

60s, with low rocker, 

heaps of flex and a heavy, 

rolled vee bottom. 

Construction: Heavy, 

tinted glass job with 

resin stringer and custom 

artwork by Tiphaine De 

Flurette. 

Fins: Handmade glass-on 

10'' Greenough flex fin. 

Shaper comment: This 

stick is a great hotdogger 

and noserides like you 

wouldn't believe. 

Shaper: Mickey T 

Dimensions: 

6’6” x 21 ½” x 2 5 / 8” 

Typically 6’ to 7’ 

Ideal conditions: Waist 

high to well overhead 

Suits: A fast, super 

loose stepdown 

for longboarders. 

Alternatively a super fun 

way for a shortboarder to 

volume up without loss of 

manoeuvrability. 

Description: 

HP longboard nose and 

tail without that other 3 

feet in the middle! 

Construction: Hand 

shaped PU blank 6/6+6 

Polyester Resin tinted, 

gloss and polish. (You can 

have a plain one if you 

want!) 

Fins: 2+1. This one has 

FCS 7” soulflex and GX 

sides. MAGIC. 


I shrunk my longboard 

to travel-friendly size 

and couldn’t believe the 

result. This little bugger 

goes off! 

Shaper: Mickey T 

Dimensions: 

9’1” x 22 1 / 8” x 2 ½” 


Knee high to overhead 

Suits: Surfers who want 

a super light, fast and 

loose longboard that still 

noserides well. 

Description: Teardrop 

nose concave to rolled 

vee to vee double concave 

between feet. Moderate 

nose rocker, ample tail 

rocker and medium to 

lean, no-catch rails. 


shaped EPS/EPOXY. 4+6 

bottom, 4+6+6 top, sanded 

gloss finish. Weighs less 

than 6kg. 

Fins: 2+1, FCS fin box + 

fusion system. 


No excess baggage here. 

Lean, mean and deadly 

efficient. 

Shaper: Jesse Watson 

Dimensions: 

9’6” x 23” x 3” 

Ideal conditions: Up to 

head high sliders 

Suits: Hepcats to kooks, 

kicks, flicks and hanging heels. 

Description: A modern 

pig/involvement style 

sled, but with modernised 

rockers and foils for the 

logger who wants to 

noseglide and whipturn 

like it aint no thang. 

Construction: 6/4oz deck 

+ 6/4oz bottom gloss and 

polish, full wrap paint 

panels and an old skool 

glass leash loop - a nice 

mix of the old and new. 

Fins: Matching custom 

glass on Stage IV The 

Hook template fin 


A modern sled for the 

discerning kook. Traditional 

in looks - but a real hotrod 

under your feet. Long rides 

on the grill and crazy fast 

cutbacks. My number 1 log. 

ECOSURFER 

Torquay, VIC 

Ph: 0417 520 052 

E: info@ecosurfer.net 

www.ecosurfer.net 

HIGH TIDE 

SURFBOARDS 

Skenes Creek, Vic 3233 

Ph: 0401 437 392 

hightidesurfboards@hotmail.com 

hightidesurfboards.com 


257c Wainui Road, 

RD3, Raglan 3297 


New Zealand 

Ph: +64 (0)7 825 0544 

Mob: +64 (0)274 460 396 

E: mickeytsurf@hotmail.com 

raglanlongboards.co.nz 


257c Wainui Road, 

RD3, Raglan 3297 


New Zealand 

Ph: +64 (0)7 825 0544 

Mob: +64 (0)274 460 396 

E: mickeytsurf@hotmail.com 

raglanlongboards.co.nz 

black apache surfboards 

BLACK APACHE 

SURFBOARDS 

Ph: 0410 419 791 

blackapachesurfboards@live.com.au 

blackapachesurfboards.com.au 


127

V-FLEX 

BAMBI 

HO CLASSIC 

STANDARD MAL 

OLD FAITHFUL 

Shaper: Peter White 

Length: 9’3” + 

Thickness: 3" 

Width: 22 ¾ 

Ideal: Ideally point breaks 

but guaranteed to put a 

cheesy grin on your face 

on mellow beachies. 

Suits: Hipsters and Soul- 

Kats, Freaks and Fiends. 

Ability: Int - Adv. 

Description: Features 

mid-60s elements, a softer 

pinched rail, single fin (box 

or glassed) rolled bottom 

gentle vee through the tail. 

The vee-designed stringer 

that runs ¾ of the way up 

produces added stiffness 

in the tail to allow a solid 

pivot and lift in the tip. 

Applying weight forward 

allows the nose to “V-Flex” 

creating a flatter nose 

rocker and a greater trim. 

Construction: PU foam, 

3mm vee stringer, 7.5oz and 

a 7.5oz on deck with a 7.5oz 

deck patch + 7.5oz bottom. 

Fins: Fixed/box 10” hatchet 

Comment: V-Flex is the Sex 

Shaper: 

Terry “Snake” Bishop 

Dimensions: 

9’6 x 22 ½" x 3 1 / 8" 


Bellambi Pools 

(I think that says it all) 

Suits: 1-2 foot fat righthanders 

Ability Level: Any 

Description: 

This is a conventional 

longboard, nice and wide 

in the nose, flattened 

rocker and double concave 

vee bottom in the tail. 

Easy to ride, with good 

flow. 

Construction: 

PU foam, 6 + 4oz deck and 

4 + 4 oz on the bottom. 

Fins: 

8’-10’ fin, with a set of 

GL’s in the sides 

Shaper: 

Terry “Snake” Bishop 

Dimensions: 

9’0" x 22 ½" x 3" 

Ideal conditions: Up to 

shoulder high point break 

Suits: Everyone 

Description: This is a 

traditional mal, based on 

the boards coming out 

of California in the 60s. 

Pointed nose flat rocker 

50/50 rail with a roller 

bottom and heavy. Just 

really good for cruising 

Construction: PU foam, 

Volan top and bottom. 

Glassed in fin. 2" Balsa 

with ¼" Ceder Stringer 

Fins: 

Glassed in dolphin fin 

Shaper: Bronte Bampton 

Specs: 

9’1” x 22 ½” x 2 3 /8”- 3” 

Suits: 1-6 ft average to 

quality surf 

Description: 

Standard mal for all level 

surfers. Single concave 

with slight doubles through 

fins. Medium entry with 

average tail lift med/low 

rails. 

Construction: 

PU blank, FGI resins, 

Aerolite cloth. 

Stock: 6 x 6 x 6 

Fins: Fin box plus 

stabilisers – can be 

ordered in quad. 


This is our most 

popular mal which suits 

absolutely everyone 

whether you are a 

beginner or experienced. 

Shaper: Thomas Bexon 

Specs: 9’6” x 23” x 3” 

Ideal conditions: Knee 

to head-high, any type of 

wave where you’d want to 

ride a log. 

Suits: Someone after an all 

round traditional log, glide, 

trim, nose ride, pivot turn. 

Ability Level: 

Intermediate to advanced 

Description: Tried and 

tested many times over, 

this one is my personal 

favourites for a go-to log if 

I could only ever have one. 

Construction: ¼” cedar 

stringer, double 8oz deck, 

8oz, abstract resin tint 

work as neat as it gets. 

Fins: Glassed on fin 


call me 

CLASSIC MALIBU 

Cnr Gibson & Eumundi Rd 

Noosaville, QLD 4566 

Ph: 07 5474 3122 

info@classicmalibu.com 

www.classicmalibu.com 

CARABINE SURFBOARDS 

36 Finders Street 

Wollongong, NSW 

Ph/Fax: 02 4229 9462 

carabinesurfboards.com.au 

CARABINE SURFBOARDS 

36 Finders Street 

Wollongong, NSW 

Ph/Fax: 02 4229 9462 

carabinesurfboards.com.au 

LIQUID STIX 

SURFBOARDS 

Moana, South Australia 

Ph: 0407 606 685 

E: liquidstix@bigpond.com 

www.liquidstix.com.au 

Available @ MCS & Preece’s 

THOMAS SURFBOARDS 

Shop 175 Noosa Eumundi 

Road, Noosaville 

PO Box 239 

Noosa Heads Qld 4567 

Ph: 0412 131 491 

thomas_bexon@hotmail.com 

thomassurfboards.com 


Leave the 

rest in your 

wake... 

GEAR: BOARDS 


PERFORMER 

ALL-ROUNDER 

THE LIMB 

THE MACKEREL 

THE SURFSKATE 

The best of both 

worlds - a recycled EPS 

foam core and 2-3mm 

balsawood skin. With 

a weight of only 7-8 

kg and an emphasis on 

manoeuvrability and 

maximum speed, the 

Performer is designed 

and shaped for today’s 

high performance 

longboarding. The 

Performer comes with 

a single box fin and 

two smaller stabiliser 

fins. Custom orders are 

welcome. 

SPECIFICATIONS 

Length: 9’0’’ - 9’4’’ 

Width: 22 ¼’’ - 23’ 

Thickness: 2 ½’’ - 3’’’ 

Weight: 7 - 8kg 

Suits: intermediate 

Ideal waves: 1-8ft 

Construction: foam core 

modern longboard 

Stringer: 

Triple, 30mm apart 

Bottom: Vee 

Tail: Rounded square 

Rails: 

nose - 70/30 

centre - 80/20 

tail - 90/10 

The Allrounder is an EPS 

foam-core performance 

Mini-Mal. It is the only 

board that features our 

newly designed 1 / 8’’ cedar 

rail stringers for added 

stiffness on smaller 

waves. This type of board 

is suited to most riders 

– perfect for small to 

medium sized conditions 

and great for all ages. 


Length: 7’0’’ - 8’6’’ 

Width: 20 ½’’ - 23’’ 

Thickness: 2 ½’’ - 3’’ 

Suits: Beginner to 

experienced 

Ideal waves: 1 ft to 6 ft 

Weight: 3.5 kg 

Construction: EPS foam 

core 

Stringer: Riley cedar 

rail stringers and centre 

stringer 

Bottom: Vee 

Tail: Square 

Rails: Hard 80/20 

A balsa skinned EPS 

foam core shortboard, the 

recycled EPS foam and 

the absence of a stringer 

create a significant 

reduction in weight, 

with great memory and 

flex. A great board for 

beach breaks from 2 - 8ft 

waves, the Riley Limb 

has a set thrusters fins, 

but boxes are optional at 

no extra cost. The Riley 

balsa coloured fin system 

allows for changing 

fin setups and lets you 

choose between fin size, 

rake, angles, material, 

and more. 


Length: 5’10’’ - 6’8’’ 

Width: 18 1/2’’- 20’’ 

Thickness: 2 1/2’’ - 3’’ 

Weight: 3 kg 

Suits: Advanced to 

experienced 

Ideal waves: 2 ft to 8 ft 

Construction: Recycled 

EPS foam core 

Stringer: none 

Bottom shape: Vee 

scoop in the tail to 

concave centre and 

concave nose 

Tail: Rounded square 

Rails: 80/20 

Logo: Computer cut 

cedar balsa giving it the 

natural look and feel. 

Fins: Stick on 4 ½” wood 

combo thruster 

This is the modern 

version of the retro fish. 

It has a little less volume 

with a rolled deck giving 

it better and tighter turns. 

This has a quad fin box 

set up that can be used 

as a twin also. The cedar 

stringers separate the 

stained balsa strips to 

represent the Striped 

Mackerel. 


Length: 5’10’’ - 6’4’’ 

Width: 20’’ - 22’’ 

Thickness: 2 ½” - 3’’ 

Weight: 4.6 kg 

Suits: Advanced to 

experienced 

Ideal waves: ½ - 5ft 

Construction: EPS foam 

core 

Stringer: Cedar parallel 

stringers 

Bottom shape: Vee from 

nose to centre and flat 

at the tail 

Tail shape: swallow 

Rails: Vee at front and 

centre, flat at tail 

The surfskate translates 

to new style wake surfing 

by using a thinner, smaller 

board for more tricks, flips, 

pops and airs. 

This board can be used 

in small hollow waves or 

behind a large wake boat. 


Length: 4’10” 

Width: 20” 

Thickness: ¾” centre 

and 7 / 8” nose and tail 

Nose and tail shape: Pin 

Fin: Single wood – 

reverse fish dorsal in box 

Construction: 

The solid balsa 

construction gives it 

good strength, flex and 

buoyancy. 

Suited to the experienced 

and agile waker or surfer. 

RILEY BALSAWOOD SURFBOARDS 

Ph: 0412 376 464 E: mark@riley.com.au www.balsasurfboardsriley.com.au 


129

JUNIOR SERIES 

FIRE-FLY TWINZER 

MINI BULLETT 

THE HYBRID 

CARBON STRIP 

Shaper: Goran Peko 

Specs: 5'8''x17 3/4''x 2'' 

Ideal: From local beachies 

to Indo reefs 

Suits: Intermediate to 

Advanced 

Description: High 

performance model, nice 

even plain shape with a 

single to double concave 

with a bit of vee out of 

the tail. This board loves 

getting shacked at Padang 

Padang. 

Construction: South 

Coast PU foam and 

polyster resin 

Fins: Thruster, 

Shapers fins. 


Custom order for Koki, 

a Bingin local charger. 

I've been sending a few 

boards over now and they 

seem to go pretty good. A 

lot of positive feedback. 

KOMA SURFBOARDS 

4/39 Bailey Crescent 

Southport, QLD 

Ph: 0402 863 763 

peko_art@hotmail.com 

www.komasurf.com 

Shaper: Mark pridMORE 

Specs: 5'10" x19 5 / 8" x 2 9 / 16 " 

Volume: 32 L 

Ideal: These things work in 

anything from 1- 6 ft. 

Description: The Fire-Fly is a 

twinzer - 4 fins, 2 small leading 

fins and 2 larger rear fins. These 

things are fast and free. A fin set 

up that many haven't tried, but I 

know many will enjoy. A smooth 

rail to rail board that can do big, 

drawn-out carves or do tight, 

snappy turns in the pocket. 

Construction: PU foam and 

Poly resin (also available in 

EPS-epoxy). 

Fins: Twinzer (hand foiled 

fibreglass only) 

Shaper comment: I am stoked 

on this shape. They go insane 

and I know a lot of surfers will 

really enjoy them. Twinzers have 

been around for a long time 

and have a good following in 

the States and for good reason, 

these things are super fun... 

MORE SURFBOARDS 

Available through 

Da Bomb Surf Centre 

3/ 25 Plaza Pde, Maroochydore 

www.dabombsurf.com.au 

Ph: 0405 475 026 

www.moresurfboards.com 

Shaper: Ian Byrne 

Specs: 5"9" x 19" x 2 3 / 8" 


Small beaches to medium 

point or reef waves 

Suits: Surfers looking for 

better performance in a 

small-wave board. 

Description: 

These boards are 

stringerless to maximise 

flex. They have flatter 

rockers and a bit more 

volume as they need to 

be quite short to get the 

maximum benefit from 

the design. Most are vee 

bottoms and there are nine 

tail variations. Length from 

5'7" to 6'0". 

Construction: 

PU Burford Blank, 4 x 4oz 

decks and 4oz bottom 

Fins: All have FCS 5-fin set 

ups to allow you to use as a 

thruster or a quad. 


Added flex translates 

to a whippy feel and 

acceleration through 

turns. Customer and 

team feedback has been 

excellent. 

MT WOODGEE 

SURFBOARDS 

Stores at Coolangatta, 

Currumbin, Burleigh Heads 

Ph: 07 5535 0288 

www.mtwoodgee.com.au 

Join us on Facebook 

Shaper: Lee Cheyne 

Dimensions: 

6'8" x 22" x 3" 

Ideal: Most conditions 

Suits: Everyone 

Ability Level: 

All abilities 

Construction: Burford 

foam, Surf 9 glass and 

Silmar resin. Glassed 

to last! 

Fins: Future, FCS or Gas 


Custom-made surfboards 

for real people. 

LEE CHEYNE DESIGNS 

19/48 Machinery Dr, 

Tweed Heads South 

NSW 2486 

Ph: 07 5523 3237 

0403 655316 

lcdboards@gmail.com 

leecheynesurfboards.com 

myspace.com/454626994 

tradewindsurf.com.au 

www.facebook.com/ 

people/Lee-Cheyne- 

Surfboards/1620685674 

Shaper: Woody Jack 

Description: z grom 

model,slight single to 

double concave. 

Construction: 

burford blank with 0.5 mm 

stringer and glassed with 

carbon strip cloth + extra 

carbon tail patches. 

Fins: FCS 


playing around with some 

different flex qualities... 

the 0.5 mm stringer helps 

to keep your rocker in its 

original form. 

WOODY JACk 

SURFBOARDS AUSTRALIA 

Unit 7, 25 Leonard Parade, 

Currumbin QLD 

Ph: 0415 789 706 

E: wjboards@gmail.com 

www.woodyjack.com 


GEAR: BOARDS 


E 

JOHN SCHMIDENBERG. Underground legend 

ROLE. Current Australian Champion 

MISSION. Nicaragua - 2012 ISA World Masters Surfing Championships 

BOARDS. Peabodys 6’1 and 6’4 

S P 

ESP - and John - use GASfins 

www.espsurfshop.com.au 

www.edsinnott.com.au 

ED. 0404 059 321 


131

UNIQUE BOARDS BY THE 

CLASSIC WATERMAN 

CUSTOM 

ORDERS 

We pride ourselves 

in quality materials 

and workmanship, 

designed and made 

on the Gold Coast. 

9ft glider in a 

pigment finish 

5’10” surf skate 

personalised by 

Anne Van Straalen 

DICK VAN 

STRAALEN 

8ft reel runner 

with a tint 

Factory: 7/3 Ramly Dr, 

Burleigh Heads 

M: 0409 262 729 

E: cwdvs@bigpond.com 

“It sings a 

sweet tune” 

Dave Rastovich 

carbon 5’8” 

quad fish 

STORES 

THE BOARDROOM Gold Coast 

HO’OKUPU Byron Bay 

SANDBAH Newcastle 

SANDY FEET Port Macquarie 

ADRIFT The entrance 

ALPINE BEACH Erina 

SHOP NEXT DOOR Manly 

PATAGONIA stores 

THE TRADITIONAL 

Shaper: Dave O’Reilly 

Specs: 6’5” x 16 ¾” x ¾” 

Ideal: Small to 

medium clean days. 

Suits: Anyone who 

wants to glide. 

Ability: Beginner to pro – 

give it a go. 

Description: All custom 

orders are shaped from the 

best premium grade blanks 

available. A flat deck with 

deep bottom rails and a 

single concave from just 

behind the nose to the tail. 

Thin the tail to give it some 

looseness and hey presto! 

– go slide! 

Construction: 100% 

Australian grown and milled 

plantation Paulownia, sealed 

with a mix of raw linseed oil 

and gum turpentine. 

Fins: No fins required – 

let the rails do the work. 

Shaper comment: Alaias 

are made for time travel – 

they will take you back to a 

simple form of surfing that 

gives you ultimate reward 

– a smile you can’t wipe off 

your face. Take the trip! 

SURFING GREEN 

Coolum Beach, QLD 

Mobile: 0412 042 811 

surfinggreen.com.au 

ZAP CAT 

Shaper: 

Glenn ‘Cat’ Collins 

Shaping experience: 

I am pretty certain 

Boards made: 

Don’t count 

Description: 

I am tall, dark and 

handsome. Think of a 

suave caveman 

Construction: 

100% pure muscle with a 

twelve pack, to boot 

Suits: Anyone with an 

open mind 


My own trip on the McCoy 

Lazor Zap 

Surfboards and surfing 

props for movies and ads 

SURF1770NOOSA.COM 

surf1770@bigpond.com 

surf1770noosa.com 

THE ORBIT 

Shaper: Shane Forbes 

Dimensions: 

6'0" x 20" x 2½" 

Ideal: Great board to get 

out at your local... and rips 

on small average surf. 

Suits: The all-round 

surfer. Check them in a 

bottle shop! 

Construction: Glassing, 

full resin tint with cut laps, 

futures fins, Glassed by 

resin master Mick Higgins 


Coopers promo boards... 

Australian-Made by a 

shaper who surfs Aussie 

waves and drinks Coopers 

too! Look out for them at a 

bottle shop near you! 

CLARK SURFBOARDS 

20 Cottage Road, 

Hackham SA 

E: leightonclark01@yahoo.com.au 

M: 0422 443 789 

Available at 

www.onboardsurf.com.au 


B Y R O N B A Y . A U S T R A L I A 

A bat out 

of hell for 

the serious 

kneelo 

GEAR: BOARDS 


BIG WAVE 

KNEEBOARD 

DART FISH 

THE ISLANDER 

TRADITIONAL 

LONGBOARD 

CUSTOM SPOON- 

TAILED LOG 

Shaper: Dave Parkes 

Dimensions: 

6'4" x 22 ½" x 2 ¾" 


8ft+ Indo. 

Suits: Made for me - 

approx 78kg 

Ability Level: Must be 

able to swim in???? 

Description: Made for 

long turns and barrel 

riding with the ability 

to turn at speed when 

required 

Construction: 

PU and glass 

Fins: Available with FCS, 

Powerbase or Futures 


I love this board because 

the thin tail really taps 

into the wave, whilst the 

rear set four fins give 

heaps of hold, but still 

feels free on the face. 

Shaper: Michael Cundith 

Dimensions: 

6’1” x 21” x 2 ½” 

Ideal: Small to medium surf 

Suits: 1-6ft 

Description: Extreme 

speed performance great 

paddler. Single concave or 

single to double concave. 

Construction: Special, 

new, high-quality resin and 

glass. Variety of weights 

to suit. 

Fins: All fin set ups. 


People call me MC the 

surf doctor. Making sure 

all my customers get 

what suits them. Over 40 

models to choose from. 

53 years of shaping. 

Shaper: Michael Cundith 

Dimensions: 

6’6” to 7’6”- custom size 

Ideal: Small to big surf 

Suits: Young and old 

Description: A narrower 

tail than our Fish. Slight 

single to double concave, 

wide point in front of centre 

Construction: Standard , 

strong, not too heavy and 

very durable 

Fins: Thruster, quad, 5-fin 

or even single fin 

Shaper comment: Great 

paddler. Fast and loose. 

Indo reports are unreal 

and local comments great. 

The Islander suits all 

surfers. This rocket holds 

in so well and is fast and 

manoeuverable. Stoked. 

Shaper: Peter Sheely 

Dimensions: 

10’4”x 23 ½" x 3 ½” 


Point breaks or good 

beach breaks. 

Suits: Everyone who 

wants to get into a 

traditional surfboard. 

Description: 

Traditional longboard 

with the features of the 

60s, with roll bottom and 

50/50 rails, hippy tail 

and excellent noseriding 

qualities. 

Construction: Choice 

of stringers: one, two 

or three. Foam inserts, 

colours, tints, pigments 

or sprays. Volane 8oz or 

10oz, or 6oz normal glass 

- you choose! 

Fins: 10 ½” to 12” single 

fin set in or fin box. 


Traditional 60’s style 

board developed with 

today’s technology 

Shaper: Scott Newman 

Specs: 9'0" X 23 ¼" X 3" 


Fun clean point breaks up 

to 3 foot. 

Suits: Not shortboarders 

Description: A classic log 

outline, pulled in 17 ¼" 

nose. Shaped from a mal 

blank spun around with 

the nose as the tail. Has 

a big, wide flip tail, deep 

spoon in it for all-time tip 

time. Deep teardrop nose 

concave runs into a rolled 

bottom. 

Construction: 

Foam, resin, sweat and a 

few beers. 

Fins: Single box with big 

11" Dead Loggers fin 


All custom boards are 

great fun to shape with 

not one the same. This 

board noserides so nice 

and makes the customers 

smile, so I've done my job. 

C U S T O M K N E E B O A R D S 

PARKES AUSTRALIA 

4/83 Centennial Circuit 

Byron Bay, NSW 

Ph: 02 6685 6627 

E: d-par@bigpond.com 

parkesaustralia.com 


SURF DESIGNS 

Ph: 02 6685 8778 

3 Banksia Dve, 



E: info@mcsurf.com.au 



SURF DESIGNS 

Ph: 02 6685 8778 

3 Banksia Dve, 



E: info@mcsurf.com.au 


PETER SHEELY 

SURFBOARDS 

Ph: 02 4957 3161 

Mob: 0417 264 739 

peter@sheelysurfboards.com 

sheelysurfboards.com 

SLS SURFBOARDS 

2/57 George St, 

Moffat Beach, QLD 4551 

Ph: Scott 0424 314 183 

slssurfboards.com.au 


133

Working 

flexitime 

NOT A FISH 

PERFORMER 

TURBO CONCAVE FISH 

THE HOT DOG 

THE BIG EASY 

Shaper: Paul Carson 

Dimensions: 

6’2” x 20” x 2½” 

Description: Similar 

dimensions to a fish but 

not! performance short 

board with wider nose 

(12½”-13¼") tail 14½”-1 

5½”) full concave bottom. 


shaped Burford blank, 

quality glassing with or 

without colour. 

Fins: Thruster with 

Shapers Fins also comes 

as quad. 


Great all round board, 

with volume and slightly 

pulled-in tail comes in 

any tail shape. 

THE FACTORY 

SURFBOARDS 

CALOUNDRA 

17 Allen Street 

Caloundra QLD 4551 

Ph: 07 5492 5838 

factorysurf@southernfoam.com.au 

thefactorysurfboards.com.au 

Shaper: Mitchell Rae 

Specs: 6’8" x 20" x 2 ¾" 

Available right through the 

size range 

Suits: 80kg 


2ft to double overhead 

Ability level: All 

Description: 

The latest innovation to our 

range of flex technology 

incorporating the V2 Flex 

concept with Kinetic 

Carbon Construction, 

which delivers increased 

energy transfer and 

controlled flex pattern. 

Construction: 

V2 Flex + Kinetic Carbon 

Construction. PU foam 

and polyester resin. Light 

high-performance or strong 

travel lamination. 

Fins: Quad or thruster. 

This one is a quad (my 

favourite) 


Alive to ride, the most 

technically advanced 

design and construction 

on the planet. 

OUTER ISLAND 

SURFBOARDS 

7 Bayldon Drive, 

Raleigh, NSW 

Ph: 02 6655 7007 

info@outerislandsurfboards.com 

outerislandsurfboards.com 

outerisland.blogspot.com 

Shaper: Tony Dempsey 

Length: 5'5" to 8' 

Thickness: 2 ¼" to 3 ¼" 

Width: 20" to 22" 

Ideal: 2' to 6' beach 

breaks or points. 

Ability: Beginner to 

advanced custom made to 

your requirements. 

Description: 

100% hand shaped, highperformance 

fish. 

Construction: PU blank 

and resin. Underground 

uses A-grade materials 

from local manufacturers. 

Fins: Tri-fin or Quad-plusone 

concept. 


This design was initially 

made for Dave Reardon 

Smith, being a top aerial 

surfer. It gave him higher 

speed on the face of the 

wave, a higher running 

line and more power 

out of turns. 100% 

Aussie-made from the 

Underground shaping bay. 

UNDERGROUND SURF 

3/31 McLean St, 

Coolangatta, QLD 4225 

Ph: 07 5599 1040 

kirra@undergroundsurf.com.au 

undergroundsurf.com.au 

Shaper: Dean “Dino” Tziolis 

Dimensions: 5’4” - 6’ 

Suits: Anyone - Custom 

Description: Fun 

shortboard. Super quick, 

easy to get up and 

planing, yet responds 

positively to rider input. 

Wider planshape for 

small surf. Enough rocker 

for medium surf. Ride 

about 4” shorter than 

a standard shortboard. 

Original print Goodtime 

logos - it’s a piece of 

Australian surfing history. 

Construction: South 

Coast Foam. 2 x 4oz glass. 

Rails are lapped on the 

bottom edge in carbon 

Fins: AFC 


Goodtime prides itself 

on making quality 

surfboards and has done 

so since 1971. Whether 

it’s a classic shape, a 

performance thruster 

or a simple fish tail, no 

matter how many fins... 

its been here or its in 

here. Goodtime is what 

surfing is all about. Over 

thirty years later, we’re 

still having a good time 

surfing! 

GOODTIME SURFBOARDS 

29 Ipswich Rd, 

Woolloongabba QLD 4102 

Ph: 07 3391 8588 

info@goodtime.com.au 


Shaper: Simon Jones 

Dimensions: 6’2” - 7’ 

Suits: Anyone - Custom 

Description: Semi 

roundhouse wing round 

tail with a vee through 

centre toward tail. 

Construction: Burford 

blank, fully handshaped. 

6/6/6oz Bay Mills glass 

Silmar polyester resins. 

Fins: Thruster FCS set up 


Goodtime prides itself 

on making quality 

surfboards and has done 

so since 1971. Whether 

it’s a classic shape, a 

performance thruster or a 

simple fish tail, no matter 

how many fins... its been 

here or its in here. Over 

thirty years later, we’re 

still having a good time 

surfing! 

Rider comment: “After 

catching a couple of 

waves went to the back 

and found it was really 

maneuverable, very fun 

and you could walk up and 

down it as well” 

Tyler Wright 

GOODTIME SURFBOARDS 

29 Ipswich Rd, 

Woolloongabba QLD 4102 

Ph: 07 3391 8588 

info@goodtime.com.au 



GEAR: BOARDS 



135

TEST 

WETSUITS 

“LET’S SEE WHAT THIS 

RUBBER CAN DO” 

ETS 

WATER WARMERS 

THE NORTH TO SOUTH OF WETSUITS 2012 

Some of us are fortunate enough to only need rubbering up in the colder 

months of the year and with winter on the way, we’re once again looking 

at the best ways of warming us through the next while. 

But, rather than wait for the winter to come to us, we decided to find some 

cold right away, in a place where tough men and women pull up zippers 

all year ‘round... We test some incredible wetsuits, gear to keep us warm 

through our trip to New Zealand, from mild to pretty darn cold. 

NZ pride... 

Handmade, custom 

suits and more by 

Seventhwave: 

Page 140 

Zee headgear 

Page 146 

THE DISCLAIMER 

What you are about to see is pages of extremely average (and below-average) surfers 

mostly attempting to stand up and look cool for a split second or so. We sincerely 

apologise up front if repeated photos of bald men and a big-bottomed blonde guy 

offend. And sorry wetsuit manufacturers - we hope not to lower the tone of your 

great gear with our ugly heads sticking out their necks. Hey, there’s no big-budget 

productions here, just real products for real people! Enjoy these everyday surfer’s 

opinions and don’t be afraid to give this great gear a go yourself! 

Kaikoura 

razor rocks... 

How insane 

are these? 


UITS 

West Oz 

warming with 

Radiator: 

Page 145 

C-Skins 

second skin 

Page 138 

Lined with 

Titanium - 

Triple X: 

Page 143 

A wetsuit 

disguised as 

boardshorts: 

Page 142 

Santa Cruz 

to Oz to NZ... 

Buell Wetsuits: 

Page 139 

Thermalution 

heated 

wetshirt: 

Page 144 

H2O... Wetsuits, 

gloves, even 

boots: 

Page 144 

Wet gear 

in the bag... 

WASP 


137

TEST 

WETSUITS 



Cuff seals... 

nothing’s getting 

in there 

C-Skins 

Wired S2 

2x2 Steamer 

RRP 3x2 $474.95, 2x2 $424.25 

What do you call an obsession with rubber? I 

don’t know but it’s the neoprene this suit uses that 

makes it feel different. That makes it feel quality. 

But this C-Skins wetsuit shouldn’t really be called 

that. It’s almost a dry suit such is C-Skins’ fixation 

with eliminating water entry. Rest assured there 

won’t be any ice-cold water trickling down your 

back with this suit. 

For starters, there are liquid sealed seams. 

Nice. Then there’s a super seal glideskin collar 

(a multiple part neck entry) and lock down cuff 

seals. And if that wasn’t enough, there’s bungee 

fixers either side of the front chest zip! No water 

is getting in this baby. 

On the flipside, the seals were pretty damn tight - 

perhaps they’ll loosen up a little with use? At the 

end of the day, you don’t want water entry, but 

you do want bloodflow. 

We did find ourselves reaching for this suit a 

good few times during the trip. 

THUMBS 

UP for: 

Minimal 

water 

entry 

Know your tester: 

kookman... 

Spends more time 

underwater than 

standing up, so 

knows all about 

water entry. 

Roger Hall 

fish... so cool. 

Notable points 

Easy neck 

entry... it 

always helps 

when you’re 

not struggling 

on those cold 

mornings 

Stockists of C-Skins are listed online, or contact them 

direct on +61 (0) 412 081 546 or tomas@c-skins.com. 

www.c-skins.com 


• This is by far the easiest chest zip suit to 

get in and out of thanks to the unique clam 

shell neck entry 

• The neoprene is super silky and flexible so 

it is easy to move in and a good fit. With 

that said, C-Skins doesn’t skimp on the 

rubber. Warmth is not sacrificed in the way 

of flexibility 

• The FireCore Poly Pro interior front body 

panel is not only plush and warm but seems 

to draw moisture away from your body. 

• Even though it is a 2x2 it will handle water 

temperatures in the low teens. 

• High quality, well made, looks great

BUELL 

3x2 Steamer 

Buell was founded in Santa Cruz, Northern 

California, one of the most demanding 

testing grounds for wetsuits. Friggin’ cold 

water and monster surf demand the best. 

So what did we think of it? It is best we 

let our good mate and photographer for 

our NZ trip, Ben Vos, give us a rundown. 

The reason being that once Ben put it on 

we couldn’t get him out of it. He liked it 

that much he didn’t want to try anything 

else, used it right throughout the North 

and South island. Only twice did we get 

him out of it long enough to have a trial 

run ourselves. 

“I liked the name and the monster logo. 

And the texture of the rubber got me 

toey. On a serious note, it was the fit and 

the quality of the rubber. The rubber was 

really flexible and just clung to your body. 

It made me feel toight and trim. 

“I find I chafe a lot with other wetsuits 

but with the Buell I didn’t. It didn’t restrict 

my paddling and the suit didn’t hold 

water either. Some suits can become 

quite waterlogged, but with the Buell 

it remained really light and when I took 

it off after each surf I was pretty dry 

underneath. There were also no annoying 

seams. 

“It is one of the best fitting suits I have 

ever tried.” 

THUMBS 

UP for: 

TOTAL 

COMFORT 


Zoolander... 

Very serious in front 

of the camera, 

likes short, stumpy 

boards and things 

with logos on them. 

Paddles well for a 

big-bottomed girl. 

Amazing 

7’ Sadanah Surfboards 

single fin, making the 

most of some cool little 

Christchurch waves 


• Super gummy, stretchy, soft rubber makes 

it feel like a second skin 

• One of the easiest chest zip suits to get in 

and out of thanks to the entry system 

• Liquid sealed seams 

Cool little 

details & extras 

go a long way 

to standing out 

from the crowd 

• The monster from the deep, Static B, is 

just super cool 

Originally from Santa Cruz in California, USA, 

Buell Wetsuits are now available in Australia 

at Triple Bull stores in Cronulla. For more 

information, call Aaron on +61 42 161 4068. 

www.facebook.com/buellwetsuitsaustralia 

www.buellwetsuits.com 


139

TEST 

WETSUITS 



All conditions... 

Waipu Cove on 

a Roger Hall 

Sea Creature 

and 7’ finless 

proudly kiwi homegrown 

Seventhwave 

Seventhwave Wetsuits might not yet be a household name in Australia, but travelling North to South in New 

Zealand, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more loyally supported brand of wetsuit by the locals. We were fortunate 

enough to try a great selection of their suits for all conditions on our trip. 

Max Comp 1.5mm 

Comp Ti FL ZB steamer 

(aka The Blue Flash) 

$629 NZD (approx. $500 AUD) 

I loved this suit. I felt fast in it. Maybe it was because it was just 800g. 

It was super flexible, super light and yet still very warm. It was so light 

but also stayed light. The Seventhwave suits didn’t get wterlogged, 

no matter how many hours you clocked up in the water. It was like 

someone covered me in blue body paint although I didn’t take kindly to 

the boys calling me “The Flying Smurf.” 


Captain Damage... 

Has no idea he’s no 

longer twelve years 

old. Will paddle 

out in anything, on 

anything. Gets injured 

and bleeds a lot. 

Has a weird big ass. 

• Made entirely from super stretch 1.5mm titanium lined neoprene 

• Breathable flatlock stitching. Could wear this right through winter 

in NSW & QLD 

• Until this trip I hadn’t been a fan of chest zips but this suit 

completely changed my thinking. I am now a huge fan. 

• Super lightweight and responsive (very unlike Captain Damage 

or his surfing) 


The Blue Flash streaks through 

Piha on a diamond-tail quad 

longboard by Mike Jolly 

No matter how 

much of a 

coldwater wuss 

you are, dressing 

up like a ninja 

makes it okay 

Max 3/2 Zip Bib 

Glued + Blind Stitched Construction 

(aka The Star Trek) 


MAX 4/3 Ti G&S ZB 

Steamer with interchangeable hood 

(aka The Ninja) 


I loved this suit as well and it looked just as 

cool. Similar in construction to the Blue Flash 

but this time a 3x2 combo with glued and blind 

stitched seams and fully taped to stop any nasty 

leaks. I hopped out of the surf in Christchurch 

completely bone dry. It was warm as. You would 

probably be fine in most places right through 

winter in this suit. 

This is it for tackling serious cold water. I can’t 

imagine you’d need anything more unless 

you were actually in the Artic but then again, 

we wouldn’t know - we’ve never been. Still, 

this is super-flexible and ridiculously warm. In 

12˚ Dunedin water the suit actually felt like it 

could be too hot due to the sunny conditions, 

meaning it would be perfect for a miserable 

winter’s day. Surprisingly not restrictive, which 

I expected a full suit like this would be. I’d still 

take some getting used to suiting up astronautstyle 

constantly though - you cold water guys 

and girls are pure tough. 

A full custom-fit service is included in the price 

of this model. 


141

Seventhwave 

I must admit I have fallen in love with all 

things New Zealand and the Seventhwave 

wetsuits were no exception. 

Everyone has a different body shape and 

for that reason certain wetsuits suit certain 

people. A standout feature of all the 

Seventhwave wetsuits for me personally, was 

the fit. I found them incredibly comfortable. 

Another positive was the speed at which 

they dried. The Seventhwave suits dried 

the quickest. No one likes putting on a wet 

wetsuit. It sucks. 

Our requirements were pretty stiff. We 

surfed several times a day and didn’t really 

give the suits much time to dry. They were 

literally hung up in the bathroom of our 

motorhome and didn’t even get aired at 

night as we experienced torrential rain for 

the first week of our trip. 

So why do they dry so quickly? Apparently 

it is because the Japanese Yamamoto 

neoprene featured in Seventhwave wetsuits 

use a special polymer made from limestone 

as opposed to petroleum and this enhances 

their drying capabilities and eco credentials. 

Further to this, the neoprene cells are filled 

with nitrogen to prevent water penetration. 

The other thing that sold me on 

Seventhwave was the business itself. We 

visited the factory in Christchurch on our 

third last day and were graciously given 

a trip through the factory by owner, Paul 

Zarifeh. All suits are handmade on the 

premises and the company is 100% New 

Zealand owned and operated. 

We stress time and time again about the 

importance of supporting local industry. 

Australia, New Zealand, we are all brothers 

in arms. Think of the ANZAC spirit. If there 

was ever a time Christchurch needed us, 

it’s now. After what they have been through 

and their unyielding courage to get on 

with things, the guys at Seventhwave are 

deserving of our support and their great 

suits make it an even easier choice. 


• These guys know cold water and how 

important it is to protect yourself from 

the elements. Based on the south 

island of NZ they have been building 

suits since ’87. 

• Custom fitting – Apparently around 

a third of people don’t fit a standard 

wetsuit so it stands to reason why 

it’s important to get the best fit, and 

hence best performance, from your 

suit. You can get your suit custom 

fitted using 22 unique measurements 

and even submit these online. 

• You can trade in your old 

Seventhwave wetsuit for a new one 

• The suits just don’t seem to get 

waterlogged and dry extremely quickly 

Visit the showroom in NZ at 243 

Dyers Road, Bromley, Christchurch. 

Freephone NZ on 0800 843 928 or 

Austraia on 1800 091 770, or simply 

order online at 

www.seventhwave.co.nz 

Retro 

Jacket 

$259 NZD (approx $205 AUD) 

One part syle, one part 

warmth, this trendy little 

top is perfect protection for 

those cool breezes when the 

temperatures are not too 

extreme. And with its retro 

stylings, you’ll automatically 

sprout a pencil moustache 

from pure awesomeness 

when you slip it on. 

Titanium 

Hot Top 

Long sleeve 


Perfect complement to your 

Seventhwave wettie or on its 

own with a pair of boardies. 

I wore it at Raglan with 

Seventhwave’s watershorts and 

was more than comfortable. 

Titanium-lined to reflect your 

body heat. Comes in short and 

long sleeve. 

Watershorts/ 

SUP shorts 


A two in one board short combo, 

a 2mm neoprene inner keeps you 

warm and stops any unwanted 

rashes or chaffing. These shorts 

are perfect for getting out on your 

SUP when you don’t want to look 

like a Russian gymnast. 

I loved these and made plenty of 

use in them in the surf. A great 

alternative to boardies when the 

water’s chilling down and the 

boys need warming. 


TEST 

WETSUITS 



Dunedin’s chillier water 

was no chore in the 

Triple X, on a Quarry 

Beach Fish 

Triple X 4x3mm L/S 

Titanium 3D Combo Mega-Stretch Sealed Seam Steamer 

$369.00 (Steamers start from under $200 in the Triple X range - see online) 

THUMBS 

UP for: 

absolute 

reliability 

We arrived in Dunedin. I heard the water was 12 degrees and went straight for the Triple X. 

The wetsuit remains unchanged. A Triple X 4x3 served me well in last year’s wetsuit tests down in Port 

Fairy near the Victorian/South Australian border in 13 degree water and as such, I had full confidence 

in this suit. It’s that simple. 

It’s comfortable and warm and damn well made. You would be hard pressed to find a suit of this 

quality at such an affordable price. 

The titanium 

is covered 

with a plush 

jersey lining for 

added comfort. 

Visit the Triple-X Wetsuits showroom at 

10 Piper Drive, Ballina to speak to Don in 

person about what you need. Freecall in 

Australia - 1300 483 634 - or +61 2 6619 0469 

international, or simply order online: 

www.triple-x.com.au 

Notable POINTs 

• Lifetime guarantee – you can’t argue with that. 

6-12 month replacement warranty and lifetime 

repair warranty. If there ever is an issue, which is 

highly unlikely, Don - the owner - will fix it. 

• 100% locally made in Australia and hopefully we 

are all starting to appreciate how important this is 

and why we need to support local businesses. 

• Titanium laminate insulation shield, smooth skin 

chest and back panels significantly cut windchill 

• Super comfy plush jersey lining 

• The unique, water resistant S-Lock zip in the back is 

one of the most sturdy you’ll encounter 

• Fully sealed, glued and blind-stitched seams. 

• The suit is incredibly well made so it won’t fall apart 

on you after a few surfs. 

• Personable, family-run business means there is 

accountability and a genuine commitment to quality. 

H2Odyssey 

boots to 

keep the 

toes toasty 


143

For those on a tight 

budget, H2Odyssey 

have not just 

wetsuits, but a 

range of winter 

gear you can mix 

and match. We 

tried out a fair 

few different bits 

and pieces. 

H2Odyssey 

Maliibu Hood 

Price: $29.95 

A good hood that does the trick. Tested by bald 

men, so we should know. One of my favourites 

for its fit and I have tested a fair few. Big fan of 

the glare visor more for the fact it stops the water 

from streaming down your face. 2mm neoprene. 

Gripper Split boot 

Price: $35 down from $65 (bargain) 

Personally prefer this kind of boot with the split 

toe for added balance and end join to stop your 

leggie from catching. Recommend going a size 

smaller than your shoe because you want a super 

tight fit – wet neoprene does stretch and you 

don’t want to trip over you boot. Sizes 5-13. I 

wore these in Dunedin water and had no drama 

with them at all. 

Magna Power 

Webbed Gloves 

Price: $34.95 

Let’s face it, if the water is like ice, you want 

gloves. If you are going gloves, you might as well 

go webbed gloves to increase paddle power. The 

question is, ‘Do they work?’ Bloody oath. Even 

the Kookman ninja (Page 141) outpaddled some 

serious contenders with these babies helping 

out. If he can do it, be prepared to increase your 

wave count too. 

THUMBS 

UP for: 

EASE OF 

USE 

Thermalution 

heated undersuit 

$380 with free shipping in Aust and NZ 

Why squeeze into an overly thick wetsuit that makes you 

feel like a walrus? 

With this wetshirt underneath, you can wear as light as a 

3x2 sealed wettie and still be comfortable in near arctic 

waters. We tested the Thermalution device in 12˚ water 

in Dunedin with a couple of different 3x2mm wetsuits 

over the top and if anything, it was as warm as you’d 

want it and more . 

See, the device has three heat settings. In low light, the 

Zoolander accidentally set it too high and felt like he was 

in a Jacuzzi. It’s that effective. 

All up, that just goes to show it works really well. It lasts 

for around an hour. The heating element is non-metallic 

so it is light, durable, secure and even washable. To 

power it up again, you simply plug it into an electricity 

socket or your car lighter. 

Use the undersuit surfing, on your SUP, snowboarding or 

even under your jacket if you’re heading to the footy. It’s a 

smart, reliable and affordable option to heated wetsuits 

at a quarter of the price. Big thumbs up from us. 

H2Odyssey 

3/2 Full Suit 

Price: $88, marked down from $179 

We trialed this suit on the North Island of 

New Zealand. If you’re on a tight budget, you 

can’t argue with a suit for $88. 

It’s ‘Microskin’ chest panel cuts down 

windchill. 

You would think 

the battery packs 

and hardware 

add weight but we 

didn’t feel anything 

in the water 

apart from being 

toasty warm. 

THUMBS 

UP for: 

PRICE 

For any of these H2Odyssey products, 

check out the website at 

www.seeyououtthere.com.au 

For more information and to 

buy online, see 

thermalution.com.au 


Having fun on a 

Roger Hall finless while 

wearing a 1.5mm on 

the North Island here, 

the Radiator suits saw 

use all the way down 

to Dunedin. 

 

TEST 

WETSUITS 



Radiator 

$324.00 long sleeve 1.5mm, $328.90 long sleeve 3x2mm 

How can we best describe our 

Radiator wetsuit experience? We 

were given two steamers from Bob 

at Radiator for our trip - a 1.5mm 

and a 3x2mm steamer. My first 

thought was, “We’re not surfing 

the north coast of NSW. We’re 

going to New Zealand...” 

Look at a map of the world to see 

what I mean. Auckland, NZ’s most 

northern city, is in line with the 

Victorian border. Christchurch is 

below the entire state of Tasmania. 

Dunedin, further south again – only 

4897km from the south pole! And 

we are taking across a 1.5mm and 

3x2mm?! 

Well, we used the 1.5mm regularly 

on the North Island - didn’t feel 

the cold a bit, and most days 

were overcast. A standout feature 

of this suit is that it’s incredibly 

lightweight, yet unbelievably warm. 

You want a wetsuit to do what it is 

meant to but less rubber is sure as 

hell going to make it lighter, easier 

to move in and easier to paddle. 

Radiator puts their ‘less is more’ 

approach down to their four layer 

composite construction. 

The jersey outer skin is hard 

wearing, then there’s the titanium 

coating which recycles your body 

heat, an inner core of closed cell 

neoprene and finally a ‘slipskin’ 

lining which further enhances 

the reheating effect of your own 

body. Whatever the technology 

these guys have applied - and they 

apparently invented it - it works. 

We wore the 3x2 in Dunedin with a 

Thermalution undersuit underneath 

and were too warm in 12˚water... 

Need we say more? 

No worries while 

you wait - the 

Radiator is as 

warm in the wind 

as it is in the 

water. 

Mens vest short 

sleeve 0.5mm 

Price: $86.90 

Same technology as 

applied in Radiator’s 

wetsuits. These ‘thermal’ 

wetshirts are all you need 

for tackling a midday surf 

in the middle of winter in 

Queensland or Northern 

NSW. I wore it on the 

North Island with a pair 

of boardies when the sun 

was out during a midday 

surf at Raglan and was 

100% comfortable. 

Radiator also have 

a cool range of 

accessories such as 

hoods, glocves adn more, 

starting aroudn $30 

Notable POINTs 

• Glued and blind stitched seams 

• Unique 4 layer construction creates an 

incredibly lightweight, warm suit 

• Simple design makes for a very cool, 

yet understated suit 

• Back zip for easy on and off 

• Collar has an inner slipskin - great neck seal 

Radiator suits are sold online and 

shipped out of Western Australia. 

Phone 1300 195 833 within 

Australia for more information or 

+61 8 9430 9284 internationally. 

www.radiator.net 

THUMBS 

UP for: 

warmth 


145


 

TEST 

WETSUITS 



Zee WETSUITS 

Phase III 3/2 steamer 

Price: $399 AUD 

The Zee suits are better than ever this season. This year we 

trialed a 3/2 chest zip and the fit was amazing! 

To be honest, at first I was uncertain about the chest zip with 

one closed shoulder: I thought it may prove tight around the 

shoulders, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. The range of 

movement in this suit was something else. 

The style of chest zip, coupled with the neoprene itself made 

for a very, very comfortable suit that just hugged your body - no 

rubbing and therefore no chaffing. Another cool thing is that 

the zip is designed to save from breaking. If there’s ever too 

much pressure applied, the zip will pop and can be rethreaded, 

rather than breaking the actual teeth. 

Each year ZEE improve their suits. There’s no bullshit, no 

marketing spin. They just find areas for improvement in their 

suits and get on with making them better. It shows. 

The thickness of the neoprene has been bumped up, so it’s a 

true 3/2. The jersey then adds to this thickness. As a result you 

could comfortably wear this suit throughout winter from the 

Sunshine Coast right the way down to Joanna in Victoria or 

the North Island of New Zealand. 

Exceptional suit and insanely priced 

considering the quality. Why you would 

pay a couple of hundred dollars more 

for a logo? As the hiphopapotamus 

and the rhymenocerous ask: 

“Why? Why, exactly?” 

Zee very 

good custommade 

hood 

NOTABLE 

points 

• Glued and blind-stitched with liquid sealed 

seems on the inside 

• Liquid seal seems around the arm and leg 

cuffs to minimize water entry 

• Lifetime warranty on workmanship 

• Super soft, super stretchy neoprene with 

good memory 

• One of the smartest looking suits we tested 

THUMBS 

UP for: 

FLEX AND 

MEMORY 

ZEE hoods 

Custom hoods from $39.95 

Keeping the noggin warm is a high priority for us follicly 

challenged folk and the ZEE hoods did the trick. The 

custom hood made for our trip was warm and a perfect, 

tight fit. A great feature is the ear drain that releases 

water to prevent it pooling up in your ear canal. 

Chat to the friendly ZEE folk in person on the Sunshine Coast 

at Unit 2/15 Venture Drive, Noosaville or 122 Brisbane Road, 

Mooloolaba or one of their select stockists. 

For more information, call on 07 5474 1010, email 

sales@zeewetsuits.com or visit the website: 

www. zeewetsuits.com 


BASIL WETSUITS 

Custom and colourful 

Price: from $250 AUD 

Somehow, we 

just wouldn’t 

look near as 

good in this 

suit... 

While running the showroom at MC Surf Designs in 

Byron Bay and selling Protecsun surfing hats keeps 

Toshie Cundith busy enough already, she’s now 

offering an option for tailor made, custom wetsuits 

for men and women. 

If you have a specific idea or requirement, a generally 

unfittable body shape, or purely want something 

completely different to everyone else in the line-up, 

Toshie will measure you up, find out exactly what you 

want and Japan-based Basil Wetsuits do the rest. 

“Basil use the highest quality rubber and materials on 

the market,” Toshie tell us. 

From steamers to swimsuits to sexy shorts, retro tops 

and pretty much anything you can think of, you’re 

in the creative driver’s seat. For really cold water 

you can even opt for dry suits with fleece-backed 

neoprene, waterproof zip, zipless entry and more. 

A cool way to express your individuality in the water. 

NOTABLE points 

• Men and women’s suits available 

• Glued and blind-stitched 

• Choice of thickness - 2mm, 3mm and 5mm 

• Range of colours to mix and match 

• Each suit is unique to the order 

• Other accessories including computer bags, camera 

bags, stubbie coolers are available on order too 

If you’re visiting Byron Bay, pop in to the MC Surf showroom 

at 3 Banksia Drive. Alternately call 02 6685 8778 or email 

info@mcsurf.com.au for more information. 


THUMBS 

UP for: 

individual 

cool 

YES! Men’s 

wetsuits are 

available too. 

After eleven 

pages, do you 

really need to 

see another guy 

in rubber? 


147

TEST 

EVERYTHING 

“DON’T KNOCK IT TILL 

YOU’VE TRIED IT” 

Having your 

changeroom and 

board storage on the 

beach doesn’t hurt 

at all 

A HOME ON WHEELS 

WORDS: DAVE SWAN 

We could go on about specific specs and features, but we gather what you’re really 

after is a general lowdown on the Britz Navigator itself. Here goes: 

There’s plenty of space inside - even enough for 

romantic a nachos and beer dinner for three 

On the road 

Was superb. It handled like a car, was easy to drive 

and felt unbelievably compact as opposed to some 

motorhomes where you feel like you are driving a big 

truck. Plenty of guts for New Zealand’s steep inclines 

and good traction when tackling winding cliff-top 

roads. We never had a heart-in-mouth moment and 

we did a lot of driving. 

Storage 

We decided to use the bathroom as storage for 

our wetsuits and shortboards – there are plenty of 

clean public toilets in NZ anyhow. Aside from that 

we had room for our bags, a closet and enough 

storage compartments to house a full pallet of 

smorgasboarder magazines – 64 boxes. There was 

plenty of storage! 

A motorhome is the 

perfect way to keep your 

travelling plans flexible, 

making a perfect holiday 

even better. 

Seating arrangements 

On the move you had the driver up front and one 

passenger. The other passenger seats were at the 

rear of the motorhome. It meant the person down the 

back could take in the scenery or grab a nap but was 

removed from the banter up front. 

Inside - sleeping 

Whilst compact on the outside it was spacious 

on the inside. It comfortably slept the three of us 

without any need for spooning. Mark and Ben were 

up on the top sleeping compartment with enough 

room between the two of them to fit bags and I was 

down the back, far enough to shield the boys from 

my snoring. 

It would comfortably sleep kids and even two 

couples, as long as you were good friends and there 

were no intimate moments. Four big guys or girls 

may be a squeeze and entail some spooning. Thank 

goodness Helmet* didn’t end up coming along. 

Cooking facilities 

We had a microwave, gas stove, toaster, kettle, sink, 

hot/cold water, plates, knives, forks.. all you needed 

along with a fridge to keep the beers cold. 

Other facilities 

• TV, DVD, CD 

• Linen, pillows, towels & cleaning products 

• Lockable safe for valuables 

• Dimensions: Length 6.22m, Width 2.30m, 

Height 3.30m, Interior Height 2.10m 

The people at Britz were incredibly helpful and they 

even provide an instructional DVD to take along for 

the ride, so you know how to work everything. 

There are plenty of other motorhomes in the Britz fleet 

to suit you travelling group. Visit www.britz.co.nz or 

for travelling in Oz go to www.britz.com.au 


Helmet* is a smorgasboarder contributor and mate better know as 

Pat Quirk, who dodged the trip at the last minute. Next time, Pat.

It’s not always easy to watch the road 

Keep it safe 

KEYGUARD PRO PADLOCK LOCK BOX 

RRP $49.00 

Forget jamming a key into your wetsuit or 

legrope, or worst, leaving it on your tyre... 

This little keysafe is how we kept our 

motorhome locked up and gear protected 

while we were in the surf through NZ. 

The major advantage of this system over 

other car key lock compartments is its 

punch-in pin code, as opposed to the 

standard twist combination lock. With 

those systems, if you come in from your 

surf after dark you can’t see the numbers 

to enter your combination code, but you 

can feel your way around this one in the 

dark. Super sturdy housing as well. 

www.ksq.com.au 

ROBE UP 

HOODED PONCHO 

$59.95 from Ocean & Earth 

Ever wrapped a towel around your waist to 

take the rest of your steamer off only to trip, 

lose your towel and land buck naked on the 

ground with your wetsuit around your ankles? 

Show your wares no more. Warm, plush and 

not too short. It also doubles as a dressing 

gown or imaginary boxing robe. I liked it so 

much I wanted to wear it out on the town. 

www.oceanearth.com 

PACKing SMART 

STEALTH SUPER SONIC 105 LITRE TRAVEL BAG 

RRP $199.95 from Ocean & Earth 

This bag is an absolute cracker. Super sturdy for the 

rough and tumble of travel with durable inline skate 

wheels and retractable handle. The best aspect of the 

bag however is the split compartments allowing for 

easy access to your gear. A big thumbs up! 

Split 

compartments... 

very smart 

Plenty of space 

and a handy 

inner net 

compartment 

MEGA WASP TRAVEL BAG RRP $79.99 

We realised this waterproof bag wasn’t only brilliant 

at keeping your gear dry, it was great at keeping your 

wet gear in. On our way home, we packed all our wet 

wetties in the bag. Any other bag would have been 

saturated. Super strong. www.waspbags.com.au 

GO BANANAS 

BANANA WAX 

RRP $5.00 for an 80g block 

This stuff is super tacky. Best used 

as a top coat on a hard wax base. 

Can understand what all the hype is 

about and why this wax has become 

particularly popular with aerialists. 

Strong underground following. 

www.bananawax.com.au 

KanuLock 

tiedown 

straps 

RRP $79.95 

Once we left our motorhome behind in Christchurch the 

only way to securely fasten our boards to our hire car 

was with our lockable KanuLock tiedown straps.On the 

road and at home, these would be one of our most used 

pieces of equipment at smorgasboarder. 

www.kanulock.com 


149

SHAPING 

MICHAEL 

PETERSON 

R.I.P. 1952 - 2012 

WORDS: ANDRE “ONDI” MARSAUS 

Chatting with Michael Peterson’s 

mother, Joan over lunch today the 

conversation turned to Michael and 

his gift as not only one of the world’s 

best surfers but his ground breaking 

board shaping. 

“Michael was the blueprint of surfing 

and now he has left his print behind.” 

Joan said. He shaped every board 

he competed on and spent hours 

developing the rails, rolled from top 

to bottom, and the fin position, set 

further back on his own boards to suit 

his long legs. 

Michael and his younger brother 

Tommy began shaping and re-shaping 

surfboards under Joan’s house in 

Tweed Street Coolangatta in the late 

60s. They were surfing and testing 

shapes at the now world-famous Kirra 

break every chance they got, little did 

they know back then that they were 

shaping surfing history. 

Michael surfed each wave with such 

confidence he made it look easy, he 

rode the waves with speed, flow and 

energy. 

An amazing waterman and gifted 

surfer, Michael also had a great 

understanding how surf craft worked 

in different conditions. His designs, 

particularly the Moonrocket, or 

‘Christmas Tree’ as Tommy called it, 

had the wide point behind the middle 

of the board well before the other guys 

had worked out that this development 

meant you could fit more maneuvers in 

and get a far greater response out of 

the board. 

The boys at the shaping bay had a 

laugh at his new design and so did the 

crew surfing in the Pa & Ma Bendall 

thinking, god what’s he come up with 

this time. Of course he won the event 

and the Moonrocket became one of 

the most rare and sought after boards 

ever made. 

Michael’s shaping career spanned 

from 1967 to 1982. As he got older 

he moved from shaping at home to 

Laurie Hohensee’s factory where he 

150 

WWW.UNDERGROUNDSURF.COM.AU 

may/jun 2012

MAIN & BOTTOM: A collection 

of MP boards, showing many 

different facets of board design. 

Photos Andre Marsaus. 

RIGHT: MP at Kirra courtesy of 

Dick Hoole. Supplied. 

CLOSEOUT: HISTORY 

Brought to you by 

Underground Surf 

learnt the fundamentals of surfboard 

manufacturing and became the only 

young shaper that Laurie would give 

fresh blanks to. 

Michael learnt valuable skills from 

the boys at Hohensee and from there 

went to shape for Joe Larkin, Aragorn, 

Burford, Goodtime, Shane, Cornish, 

Gold Coast Designs and later with 

Tommy for Spiral Ride and Wintersun. 

During this time he created a couple 

of his own labels and opened his own 

surf shop. He marked his boards with 

Michael, Michael Peterson or M.P. and 

his own fruit bowl logo is legendary. 

He also had two MP models he 

developed for manufacturers, which 

were carried on after he left and 

shaped by other shapers. 

Everyone wanted a piece of Michael, 

he was arguably the best surfer in the 

world for three years. He won almost 

every competition he entered and was 

the most dominant force in surfing in 

the early 70s. 

Michael’s designs were never 

commercial. He was underground and 

had his own ideas, which upset some 

of the crew trying to move competitive 

surfing into a new domain. 

Michael won the inaugural Man on 

Man Stubbies events on a self-shaped 

Aragorn in 1977. Following that he 

competed in Phillip Island, placing 

third and decided he would get out of 

competitive surfing and go in search of 

his own waves. Not long after that he 

gave up surfing altogether but he never 

lost the taste and always remembered 

his boards. 

Michael came to all the Underground 

Surf vintage board swap meets in 

Coolangatta over the last couple 

of years and happily signed any 

boards that he’d shaped. We saw 

a disappointed face or two when 

someone dragged out a single fin in the 

hope that it may have been an MP and 

it got a shake of the head, but all were 

humbled to be in his presence. 

He showed me how to pick his rails 

and the way he shaped some of his 

tails to suit his further back fin position 

on his personal boards. Michael’s 

memory was razor sharp when it came 

to surfboards and just six weeks ago 

we were talking about an old Goodtime 

and a Joe Larkin that he had shaped. 

“It’s nice to see the original fins,” he 

said, They’ve stood the test of time. 

They’re about 40 years old and they’re 

still going” he laughed. 

RETRO LONGBOARDS & SHORTBOARDS • NEW & CUSTOM BOARDS • BOARD 

HIRE • REPAIRS• SKATEBOARDS • CLOTHING • AND MUCH MORE... 

New surf shop, old-school feel 

3/31 McLean St, Coolangatta, QLD Ph: 07 5599 1040 

3/77 Noosa Drive, Noosa Heads, QLD

Nose & Paddle Guards, 

Rail Tape & Leash Plugs 

Pro Teck Fins 

Travel Safe Repair Kts 

FINDING IT 

CAN’T FIND ANY SURF? PERHAPS 

YOU NEED TO LOOK HARDER. 

Gerry Lopez visited Australia recently promoting 

his book Surf Is Where You Find It. I was 

reminded of these words recently during a sunset 

surf check. The tide was super high and with a 

small swell most spots had simply shut down 

as the tide lapped the dunes and drowned any 

potential at the reefs. No one was surfing, there 

weren’t any waves to be had. 

Late in the arvo I went to have a look at my 

favourite spot to see what sort of indicators 

there were for the following morning. There 

was a spectacular sunset brewing and so I took 

my camera hoping to get some choice pics. 

After a short drive I was perched on the cliff top 

contemplating whether the wedgy little peak 

on the corner of the cliff was surfable. It was 

stacking up and running left and right straight 

onto the rocks, at best it would be about a fifteen 

foot ride. The normal break was simply slapping 

straight into the rocks. 

As I was photographing the sunset I noticed a 

four wheel drive with NSW plates pull up with 

a board on the roof. A couple of photos later I 

noticed that the guy had taken the board off the 

roof and was putting on a wetsuit. I had a bit of a 

chuckle and thought what a silly bugger this bloke 

must be, couldn’t he see that there was no surf? 

I kept taking photos and mucking around with the 

flash to see what I could conjure up. The guy with 

the board had disappeared. 

With the sun having set I started wondering 

where the silly bugger with the board had gone. 

In the end I figured out he could only be in one 

place, so I wandered over to take a look. Tucked 

right up against the rocks at the river mouth the 

guy was sitting on his board. To my amazement 

he stroked into a wave that ran alongside the 

rocks, so close that if he had extended his left 

hand he could have touched them. The wave 

hugged the rocks briefly before picking up the 

sweep of sand as it headed toward the river 

mouth. On a day when no one was surfing here 

was this bloke catching some mad little peelers 

with no one else around. 

A couple of days later I spotted the four wheel 

drive parked outside Maurice Cole’s factory. 

Maurice told me it belonged to a Brazilian guy 

doing some glassing for him and pointed to a rack 

with the seriously long board he had been riding 

at the river mouth. I just smiled and thought yeah 

surf is where you find it. 

POINTS 

OF VIEW 

ECO IS ECO 

BEING GREEN CAN KEEP GREEN 

IN YOUR WALLET TOO. 

There’s a common misconception surrounding 

sustainability that I’ve been pondering on lately 

– the belief that it’s always the more expensive 

alternative. Forgive me for my philosophical 

ramblings on this issue but I’ve noticed over the 

past while how much this economic downturn is 

affecting everyone. And I mean everyone. 

So how do we live up to the ever-increasing 

expectations of being more sustainable? 

To put it bluntly, being environmentally aware 

is being shoved down our throats wherever we 

turn – reduce plastic, ditch that gas guzzler, 

conserve water etc. And for the pessimists out 

there, even if you’re not into sustainability, I 

think you might like the fact that being eco is 

actually adding up to be more economical. How 

so, you say? If you stop and think about it often 

the more sustainable alternative to any product 

works out cheaper if not immediately then 

certainly in the long run. 

So the downturn in the economy is actually 

helping sustainability in many ways. Gone are 

the frivolous chuck-your-cash-around-like-it’smonopoly-money 

days of the 80s and 90s. Us 

cynical Westerners are slowly realising that 

conserving water in the home, reducing fuel and 

power usage, choosing alternatives to plastic and 

installing solar panels will mean more beans in 

the saddle bag in these money pinching times. 

For surfers, often choosing the eco alternative 

is not the most expensive option, contrary to 

popular belief. Many eco surf accessories now 

on the market are very price competitive when 

compared to oil-laden mainstreamers. You may 

just have to search a bit harder. 

And when it comes to the humble surfboard 

we need to stop and think. Often the more 

economical alternative is in the sustainable 

board. For the price of two cheap made-in- 

China foam boards which often don’t have 

good long term durability you can buy or make 

yourself a wooden or sustainable alternative 

which can run circles around a mainstream 

board in terms of durability. 

So, don’t close your mind to the eco alternative 

because of the common misconception that it’s 

inferior or more expensive – as we see more 

and more examples of this in our everyday lives, 

hopefully more of us will come round to the 

concept that eco is in fact, eco on the pocket too. 



152 mar/apr 2012 

02 4226 1322 

Craig Baird, or ‘El Diablo’ as he 

sometimes likes to be known 

is a surf history buff and Curator of 

Surf World Museum Torquay . 

For info on the museum, visit: 

www.surfworld.com.au 

Nicola O’Reilly is the better 

half of the nice folks from 

Surfing Green, a couple 

passionate about providing 

sustainable surfing products. 

www.surfinggreen.com.au

Newport Beach, Australia 

STRETCHES 

FOR SURFERS 

IMPROVE YOUR FLEXIBILITY, MOVE BETTER AND 

PREVENT INJURIES WORDS: CLAYTON BEATTY 

I predict most surfers would like to have better flexibility 

in at least one or more areas of their body. I know as I get 

older my muscles appear to get tighter more easily after 

exercise and don’t seem to loosen up as quickly again. 

That’s why I make sure stretching plays a significant part of 

my training routine. Even up until a few years ago if I was 

rushed for time in my workout I would often skip stretching, 

thinking I would be fine without it. However these days I 

have a greater appreciation for regular stretching and the 

benefits it provides. 

WHY STRETCH? 

Stretching is an important activity for surfers for a number of 

obvious reasons. It will help improve your flexibility and joint 

range of motion so that you can move more efficiently when 

surfing (more mobile shoulders for better paddling, looser hips 

for different squat and lunge positions when riding a wave, etc). 

It will also help prevent injuries as you are less likely to strain a 

muscle that is long and flexible as opposed to short and tight. 

Additionally stretching can also help improve recovery after 

exercise by increasing blood flow to your muscles. 

WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO STRETCH? 

There is no right or wrong time to stretch, but there are 

times when it can be more beneficial. In my opinion the 

best time to stretch is post exercise (after surfing or after a 

workout) when the muscles are still warm. Stretching at this 

time will also help assist your muscles to recover and avoid 

stiffening up. 

You can also stretch before surfing or exercise, especially 

on muscles that are unusually tight. However I would also 

encourage you to do more of an active warm-up after 

stretching, as stretching can potentially relax your muscles, 

when really you want the opposite to occur before exercise. 

Thirdly you can stretch every day whenever it suits, such as 

in the morning or in the evening before bed. I know I will 

often stretch at night especially if I feel like my muscles are 

a bit tight from exercising or even from sitting in front of the 

computer. 

TRY THESE STRETCHES… 

There are lots of great stretches to help improve your 

flexibility and I’m sure you all have a few favourites. Here 

are a few that you may want to try to help free your muscles 

even more. Hold each stretch for 20-30 seconds and repeat 

on muscles that are especially tight. Make sure you keep 

breathing during the stretch and only go to the point of 

tension, not pain. 

1. 

Triceps / Shoulders / Lats 

Reach one arm behind your head, pull your elbow 

with your other hand and flex your body laterally. 

2. 

Chest 

Bend your arm at 90 degrees and with your forearm 

on the swiss ball, then rotate away from the ball to 

feel the stretch in your chest. 

3. 

Quadriceps / Hip Flexors 

Starting in a half kneeling position, extend your back 

foot onto a bench and reach your hand up overhead 

to get a better stretch. 

4. 

LOOSEN 

UP, CHUM 

Hip / Glutes 

Cross one foot onto your opposite knee, then clasp 

your hands behind your thigh and pull towards 

your chest. 

Clayton Beatty is a qualified Exercise Scientist 

with a BSc Human Movement Degree from the 

University of WA and is a member of Exercise 

and Sports Science Australia (ESSA). He runs 

Total Surfing Fitness, created to help surfers 

improve their skills and reduce the risk of injury. 

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. 

5. 

Hamstrings 

Wrap a towel around your foot and 

keeping your opposite leg on the ground, 

pull your foot towards you until you feel 

the stretch in your hamstring. 

mar/apr 2012 

153

SURF DIRECTORY 

Pick up the next edition of smorgasboarder at any of these fine businesses - out in July. 

Businesses that advertise in smorgasboarder allow us to bring you the magazine for FREE. So, be sure to support them! 

QLD CENTRAL COAST 

REEF 2 BEACH SURF SHOP 07 4974 9072 

Shop 1, 10 Round Hill Road Agnes 

Water/1770 www.reef2beachsurf.com 

THE BACK OF GLENN CAT’S VALIANT 

Anywhere from Agnes Waters to Noosa 

FRASER COAST 

RAINBOW BEACH TRADING CO. 

07 5486 8558 Shop 1 & 2, 14 Rainbow 

Beach Rd, Rainbow Beach 

SUNSHINE COAST 

NOOSA SURF WORKS 07 5474 4567 

1/11 Bartlett St, Noosaville www. 

shotgunsurf.com www.lagunabaysurf.com 

WATERLINE 07 5474 1010 - 2/15 Venture Dr, 

Noosaville, www.zeewetsuits.com 

ILLUSIONS NOOSA 0488 686 206 

2/2 Venture Dve, Noosaville & Shop 28 

Sunshine Beach Rd, Noosa Junction 

www.illusionsnoosa.com.au 

CLASSIC MALIBU AUSTRALIA 07 5474 3122 

Cnr Gibson and Eumundi Rds, Noosaville, 

www.classicmalibu.com 

ADVENTURE SPORTS NOOSA 07 5455 6677 

Shop 6A, 203 Gympie Terrace, Noosaville 

www.kitesurfaustralia.com.au 

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE 07 5474 1222 

3 Gibson Rd, Noosaville 

GOLDEN BREED 07 5455 3722 - 15 Noosa Dr, 

Noosa Heads, www.goldenbreed.com.au 

NOOSA LONGBOARDS 07 5447 2828 

2/55 Hastings St, Noosa Heads 

www.noosalongboards.com 

UNDERGROUND NOOSA 

3/77 Noosa Drive, Noosa Heads 

www.undergroundsurf.com.au 

SURF SHOP 07 5471 3489 - 224 David Low 

Way, Peregian Beach, www.surf-shop.org 

COOLUM SURF 07 5351 1742 - Birtwill St 

Coolum Beach www.alexsurfshop.com.au 

BLUE LINES 07 5351 1986 - 1776 The 

Esplanade, Coolum Beach 

WALLY’S WATER GALLERY 07 5448 8560 

6 Lorraine Beach, Marcoola Beach 

BOARDSTORE SURF 07 5448 7025 

15 Mudjimba Esp, Mudjimba 

WEIR’S INSIDE EDGE 07 5443 4143 

14 Memorial Ave, Maroochydore 

DA BOMB 07 5451 0620 - 3/25 Plaza Pde, 

Maroochydore www.dabombsurf.com.au 

OCEAN ADDICTS 07 5309 6624 - 

103-105 Aerodrome Rd, Maroochydore 

www.oceanaddicts.com.au 

ALTERNATIVE SURF 07 5475 4811 

11/140 Alexandra Pde, Alexandra Headland 

BEACH BEAT 07 5443 2777 - 164 Alexandra 

Pde, Alexandra Headlands; 07 5491 4711 

119 Bulcock St, Caloundra 

www.beachbeat.com.au 

ALEX SURF 07 5452 6276 

188 Alexandra Pde, Alexandra Headland 

www.alexsurf.com.au 

WORLD SURFARIS 1800 611 163 

2/174 Brisbane Rd, Mooloolaba 

www.worldsurfaris.com 

THE FACTORY 07 5492 5838 - 15 Allen St, 

Caloundra thefactorysurf.com.au 

SLS SURFBOARDS 0424 314 183 

2/57 George St, Moffat Beach 

www.slssurfboards.com.au 

SURFWARE AUSTRALIA 07 5491 3620 

2 Bulcock St, Caloundra 

BRISBANE 

PRIMITIVE SURF 07 3266 1001 - 601 

Nudgee Rd, Nundah primitivesurf.com 

GOODTIME SURF & SAIL 07 3391 8588 

29 Ipswich Rd, Wooloongabba 


FIIK Unit 2/3366 Pacific Hwy, Springwood 

www.fiikskateboards.com 

COD 07 3207 0116 - 51 Ziegenfusz Rd, 

Thornlands www.codsurfing.com.au 

N TH STRADBROKE ISLAND 

MINTY SURFBOARDS 07 3409 8334 - Point 

Lookout www.bobmintysurfboards.com 

GOLD COAST 

KOMA SURFBOARDS 0402 863 763 

4/39 Bailey Crs, Southport komasurf.com 

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 

STUART SURF DESIGN 07 5572 0098 

2576 Gold Coast Hwy, Mermaid Beach 

www.stuartsurf.com.au 

GANGSTA SURF 07 5526 6969 - Shop 1/ 


www.gangstasurf.com 

BOARD CULTURE 07 5572 9866 


www.boardculture.com.au 

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE 07 5526 6377 

2251 Gold Coast Hwy, Nobby Beach 

THE BOARDROOM 07 5527 7877 

2084 Gold Coast Hwy, Miami 

HARVEY SURF GALLERY 0414 557 624 

3/10 Pacific Ave, Miami www.harveysurf.com 

MT WOODGEE 07 5535 0288 

1730 Gold Coast Hwy, Burleigh Heads 

07 5598 2188 - 2 Stewart Rd, Currumbin 

07 5536 5937 - 122 Griffith St, Coolangatta 

www.mtwoodgee.com.au 

PATAGONIA BURLEIGH James Street, 

Burleigh Heads www.patagonia.com.au 

SEAN SCOTT PHOTOGRAPHY 07 5520 2774 

Old Burleigh Theatre Arcade, Shop 10, 

Goodwin Tce, Burleigh Heads 

07 5599 1150 - Shop 3, 120 Marine Pde, 

Coolangatta seanscottphotography.com.au 

DICK VAN STRAALEN/ CLASSIC WATERMAN 

0409 262 729, 7/3 Ramly Dr, Burleigh Hds 

dickvanstraalen.com, classicwaterman.com 

DALE CHAPMAN SURF DESIGNS 07 5593 8411 

Unit 3/48 Junction Road, Burleigh Heads 

www.chapmansurfboards.com 

SOUTHCOAST FOAM 07 5522 1600 - 15 

Greg Chappell Dr, Burleigh Gdns Estate, 

Andrews www.southcoastfoam.com.au 

GOLD COAST SURF WORLD 07 5525 6380 

Tomewin Street, Currumbin 

www.surfworldgoldcoast.com 

FIREWIRE SURFBOARDS 07 5587 7700 

1/49 Currumbin Creek Rd Currumbin 

www.firewiresurfboards.com 

DMS 07 5559 5949 3/56 Currumbin Creek 

Rd Currumbin www.dmshapes.com 

D’ARCY HANDSHAPES 07 5559 5866 

1/8 Hawker St, Currumbin 

www.darcysurfboards.com 

SHAPERS 07 5534 4228 - 9/7 Traders Way, 

Currumbin www.shapers.com.au 

BURFORD REINFORCED PLASTICS 

07 5534 3777 - 5 Stewart Rd, Currumbin 

WOODY JACK SURFBOARDS 

0415 789 706 - 7/25 Leonard Pde, Currumbin 

DIVERSE SURF 07 5598 4848 - 476 Gold 

Coast Hwy Tugun www.diversesurf.com.au 

DORRINGTON SURFBOARDS 07 5599 4030 

16 Musgrave Street, Kirra 

www.dorringtonsurfboards.com 

KIRRA SURF/WORLD SURFARIS 07 5536 3922 

8 Creek St, Bilinga www.kirrasurf.com.au 

UNDERGROUND SURF 07 5599 1040 

Shop 3/31 McLean St, Coolangatta 

www.undergroundsurf.com.au 

COOLANGATTA BOARD STORE 07 5536 7850 

152 Griffith St, Coolangatta 

www.cbsboardstore.com 

COOLY SURF 07 5536 1470 - Cnr Dutton St 

& Marine Pde, Coolangatta 

NSW NORTH COAST 

SIDEWAYS 07 5524 6699 - 13-21 Greenway Dr, 

Tweed Heads sidewaysboardsports.com.au 

FULL FORCE SURFBOARDS 07 5524 2933 

18/48 Machinery Dve,Tweed Heads 

SURF XCESS 02 6674 5350 

88 Marine Parade, Kingscliff 

CABARITA SURF SHOP 02 6676 3151 

1/38 Tweed Coast Rd, Cabarita Beach 

ELUSIV SURFBOARDS 

3/16 Coast Rd, Cabarita Beach 

BRUNSWICK SURF 02 6685 1283 

1/12 The Terrace, Brunswick Heads 

www.brunswicksurf.com.au 

McTAVISH 02 6680 8807 - 91 Centenial 

Circuit, Byron Bay www.mctavish.com.au 

ESP SURFBOARDS 0404 059 321 - 2/81 Centennial 

Circuit, Byron Bay www.espsurfshop.com.au 

PARKES AUSTRALIA 02 6685 6627 

4/83 Centennial Court, Byron Bay 

www.parkesaustralia.com 

MADDOG SURF CENTRE 02 6685 6022 

Ewingsdale Rd, Byron Bay maddog.com.au 

MC SURF DESIGNS 02 6685 8778 - 3 Banksia 

Drive, Byron Bay www.mcsurf.com.au 

MUNRO SURFBOARDS 02 6685 6211 - 29 Acacia 

St, Byron Bay munrosurfboards.com.au 

T&C SURF DESIGN / McCOY 02 6685 7485 

10 Acacia Street, Byron Bay 

BYRON BAY LONGBOARDS 02 6685 5244 

Shop 1 - 89 Jonson St, Byron Bay 

MADDOG BEACH SURF CENTRE 02 6685 6466 

4 Jonson St, Byron Bay www.maddog.com.au 

HO’OKUPU 02 6685 8861 - 2/9 Lawson St, 

Byron Bay hookupusurf.com 

UNPLUGGED 02 6685 7441 - Shop 1/ 2 Lawson 

St, Byron Bay www.unpluggedbyronbay.com 

LENNOX HEAD SURF SHOP 02 6687 7038 

71 Ballina St, Lennox Head 

ALL ABOVE BOARD 02 6687 7522 

68 Ballina St, Lennox Head 

MADDOG SURF CENTRE 02 6685 6094 

45 River St, Ballina www.maddog.com.au 

TRIPLE X WETSUITS 02 6686 3939 - 10 Piper 

Drive, Ballina www.triple-x.com.au 

GUNTHER ROHN 02 6681 5879 - 3/10 Piper 

Drive, Ballina www.guntherrohn.com 

THE PLANK SHOP 02 6645 8362 Top of the 

Hill, Yamba 

NSW MID NORTH COAST 

GANGSTA SURF 

1/15 Orlando Street, Coffs Harbour 

FLANAGAN SURFBOARDS 0432 361 694 

Unit 26, 22 Lawson Cres, Coffs Harbour 

www.flanagansurfboards.com 

THE LOG SHACK 02 6658 0223 - 392 Harbour 

Dve, The Jetty Strip, Coffs Harbour 

www.thelogshack.com.au 

WATER SURF+ART+CAFE 

Distinctively relaxed 

atmosphere, exceptional 

food, coffee and tea, great 

service, photographic 

art from Australia’s best 

photographers, exquisite 

gifts and select surfwear and 

boards. 

(02) 6651 4500 

370 Harbour Drive, Coffs 

Harbour Jetty 

www.watersurfartcafe.com 

OUTER ISLAND SURFBOARDS 02 6655 7007 

7 Bayldon Dr, Raleigh 

www.outerislandsurfboards.com 

VALLA SURFBOARDS 02 6568 8909 

8 Monro St, Nambucca Heads 

www.vallasurfboards.com.au 

COASTAL CURVES 02 6568 6902 - Ridge St, 

Nambucca Heads www.coastalcurves.com 

CRESCENT HEAD SURF CO. 02 6562 8306 

33 Smith St, Kempsey 

CRESCENT HEAD SURF SHOP 02 6566 0550 

Crescent Head Tavern, Crescent Head 

INNER VISION SURF ‘N’ SKATE 02 6583 7790 

80 William St, Port Macquarie 

SALTWATER WINE 02 6584 4877 

1/125 Gordon St, Port Macquarie 

www.saltwaterwine.com.au 

SANDY FEET 02 6584 1995 

5/21 Clarence St, Port Macquarie 

www.sandyfeetsurf.com.au 

JUNGLE SURF 02 6555 8556 - 86 Manning 

Street, Tuncurry www.junglesurf.com.au 

SALTWATER WINE 02 6554 7979 5 Wharf St, 

Forster www.saltwaterwine.com.au 

BOOMERANG BEACH SURF 02 6554 0351 

Shop 4, Boomerang Dve, Pacific Palms 

GRAFFITI SURF DESIGNS 02 4981 3409 

43 Donald St, Nelson Bay 

NEWCASTLE 

NEWCASTLE SURF DESIGNS 02 4968 9989 

4 Maitland Rd, Mayfield 

SAM EGAN SURFBOARDS 02 4969 7299 

28 Maitland Rd, Islington 

www.samegan.com.au 

SURF FACTORY 16 Maitland Rd, Islington 

www.thesurffactory.com.au 

SURFHOUSE PHOTOGRAPHY 61 Hunter St, 

Newcastle surfhousephotography.com 

BREAKAWAY SURF 02 4929 1144 - Shop 6 

Hunter Street Mall, Newcastle 

PACIFIC DREAMS 02 4926 3355 - 7 Darby St, 

Newcastle www.pacificdreams.com.au 

SANBAH SURF 02 4962 2420 - Shop 27, The 

Junction Fair, Union St, Newcastle 

www.sanbah.com.au 

BREAKAWAY SURF CO. 02 4943 2699 

181 Pacific Hwy Charlestown 

EGAN’S 02 4945 8055 

575 Pacific Hwy, Belmont 

THE SURF SHACK 02 4945 8965 

703 Pacific Hwy, Belmont South 

SWANSEA SURF SHOP 02 4971 4422 

164 Pacific Hwy, Swansea swanseasurf.com.au 

CENTRAL COAST 

BEACHIN’ SURF 02 43 96 5159 

262 Main Rd, Toukley 

BOARD CITY 02 4397 1092 - 150 Main Rd, 

Toukley www.boardcity.com.au 

ADRIFT SURF 02 4332 8355 - 133 The Entrance 

Rd, The Entrance www.adriftsurf.com.au 

BOARDERLINE SURF SKATE 02 4332 7175 

421 The Entrance Rd, Long Jetty 

www.boarderlinesurfskate.com 

SURFERS CHOICE 02 4334 6532 

473 The Entrance Rd, Long Jetty 

www.surferschoice.com.au 

BATEAU BAY SURF N SPORT 02 4332 1157 

101a Bateau Bay Road, Bateau Bay 

ONE EIGHTY SURF COMPANY 02 4385 8440 

Shop 2, 82a Ocean View Dve, Wamberal 

www.180surfco.com.au 

ALPINE BEACH 02 4367 4944 

177 The Entrance Road, Erina 

www.alpinebeach.com.au 

SLIMES 02 4365 5511 

1/203 The Entrance Rd, Erina 

THREE POINTS SURF 02 4382 1541 

170 Avoca Dve, Avoca Beach 

NORTHERN BEACHES 

BEACH WITHOUT SAND 02 9918 2763 

1a Nth Avalon Rd, Avalon 

RAISED BY WOLVES 02 9918 8861 - 40 Old 

Barrenjoey Rd, Avalon, 02 9997 4838 

Shop 3, 8-10 Waratah St, Mona Vale 

www.raisedbywolves.com.au 

LITTLE DRAGON 0403 974 967 

1 Bramley Lane, Newport Beach 

RON WADE SURF DESIGN 02 9979 7071 

23 Bassett Street, Mona Vale 

ronwadesurfboards.com.au 

CHANNEL ISLAND SURFBOARDS 02 9997 8266 

4/76 Darly St, Mona Vale cisurfboards.com 

QUIKSILVER MONA VALE 02 9999 3727 

1729 Pitt Water Rd, Mona Vale 

DIVISION SURF 02 9979 5334 

Cnr Bungan & Waratah Sts, Mona Vale, 

divisionsurf.com.au 

STAND UP PADDLE GEAR AUSTRALIA 

02 9986 3420 6/53 Myora Rd, Terrey Hills 

www.supgearaustralia.com 

BALMORAL BOARDS 02 9970 8600 

1228 Pittwater Rd, Narrabeen 

www.balmoralboards.com.au 

WICKS SURF CENTRE 02 9971 0760 

1103 Pittwater Road, Collaroy Beach 

LONG REEF SURF 02 9982 4829 

1012 Pittwater Rd, Collaroy 

www.longreefsurf.com.au 

WIND SURF ’N’ SNOW 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 

BENNETT SURFBOARDS 02 9905 5157 

180 Harbord Rd, Brookvale 

DRIPPING WET SURF CO. 02 9977 3549 

398 Pittwater Rd, Mona Vale; 

02 9977 3549 - 93 North Steyne, Manly 

www.dripwetsurf.com 

SUNSHINE SURFING 02 9977 4399 - 89 Pittwater 

Rd, Manly www.sunshinesurfing.com.au 

ALOHA MANLY STYLE 02 9977 3777 

44 Pittwater Rd, Manly 

www.alohasurfmanly.com.au 

MANLY SURFBOARDS 02 9976 0591 - 46 North 

Steyne Rd, Manly www.basesurfboards.com 

SALTMOTION 02 9976 6518 Market Place, 

Manly www.saltmotion.com 

MANLY LONGBOARD CO. 02 9977 0093 

Shop 10, 74 The Corso, Manly 

www.manlylongboard.com 

SURFECTION 02 9969 1011 - 522 Military 

Rd, Mosman www.surfectionmosman.com 

SYDNEY 

PATAGONIA 93 Bathurst St, Sydney 

www.patagonia.com.au 

BONDI UNDERGROUND 02 9365 0870 

2/72 Campbell Pde, Bondi Beach 

DRIPPING WET SURF CO. 02 9300 0055 180- 

186 Campbell Parade Bondi Beach 

SURF CULTURE 02 9389 5477 - 40 Bronte Rd, 

Bondi Junction www.surfculture.com.au 

MAROUBRA SURF AND SKATE 02 9344 4250 

198 Marine Parade Maroubra 

CRONULLA SUTHERLAND 

JACKSON SURFBOARDS 02 9524 2700 

57 Captain Cook Drive, Caringbah 

www.jacksonsurfboards.com.au 

TRIPLE BULL 02 9524 4822 - 41 Captain Cook 

Dr, Caringbah; 02 9544 0354 - 23 Kingsway, 

Cronulla www.triplebullsurf.com 

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 

LESSONS TOURS AND SALES 

Call Peter Japp on 

0488 887 SUP 

or 

0488 88 77 87 

sutherlandshiresupschool.com.au 


CRONULLA SURF DESIGN 02 9544 0433 

8 Cronulla St, Cronulla 

www.cronullasurfdesign.com.au 

KING SURFBOARDS 02 9521 3645 

577 Princes Hwy, Kirrawee 

CRONULLA STANDUP PADDLEBOARD 

Everything to do with S.U.P 

Lessons, Hire, Sales of 

New and Used equipment, 

Accesories, Apparel & more 

02 9544 2293 

0400 085 823 

Shop 3,13-15 The Kingsway 

Cronulla, NSW 2230 

www.cronullasup.com 

WOLLONGONG 

RETRO WOMBAT 02 4267 1322 

228 Lawrence Hargrave Dve, Thirroul 

www.retrowombat.com 

FINBOX BOARDSTORE 02 4268 2050 

1/269 Lawrence Hargrave Dve, Thirroul 

thefinbox.blogspot.com 

BYRNE SURF AND SKI 02 4268 3455 

303 Lawrence Hargrave Dve, Thirroul 

02 4226 1122 -115 Princes Highway, Fairy 

Meadow byrnesurfboardsaustralia.com 

SURF PIT 02 4283 7196 - 2/100 Railway St, 

Corrimal www.surfpit.com.au 

SKIPP SURFBOARDS 02 4229 1202 

231 Crown Street, Wollongong 

(factory showroom); 02 4228 8878 

24 Flinders St, Wollongong 

www.skippsurfboards.com.au 

CARABINE SURF DESIGNS 02 4229 9462 

36 Flinders St, Wollongong 

NSW SOUTH COAST 

SHELLHARBOUR SURF & SKATE 02 4295 3373 

Shop 6, 32 Addison St, Shellharbour 

ZINK SURF 02 4233 1189 - 136 Terralong St, 

Kiama www.zinksurf.com.au 

NATURAL NECESSITY SURF SHOP 02 4234 1636 

115 Fern St, Gerringong www.nnss.com.au 

AQUATIQUE 02 4421 8159 - 125-127 Junction 

St, Nowra; 02 4441 5530 - 55 Owen St, 

Huskisson www.aquatique.com.au 

BUSTED SURF CO. 02 4447 3485 

10 Fairlands St, Culburra Beach 

OCEAN & EARTH 02 4441 2482 

12 Springs Rd, Sussex Inlet 

www.oceanearth.com 

SUN & SURF SHOP 02 4441 1938 

Shop 1, 168 Jacobs Dve, Sussex Inlet 

MARK RABBIDGE SURF DESIGN 0427 767 176 

441A Bendalong Rd, Bendalong 


AKWA SURF 02 4454 5222 - Shop 1, 

Mellick’s Corner, Princess Hwy, 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 offshoresurf.com.au 

NAROOMA SURF & SKATE 02 4476 1422 

30 Princes Hwy, Narooma 

DSC SURFBOARDS 0424 867 962 

Princes Highway, Narooma 

BERMAGUI SURF SHOP 02 6493 4849 

4/28 Lamont St, Bermagui 

RAW SURFBOARDS 02 6494 4466 

1291 Tathra Road, Kalaru 

www.rawsurfboards.com.au 

BUSHRAT SURFBOARDS - 02 6495 9900 

Widgeram Rd, Merimbula www.bushrat.com 

MERIMBULA SURF SHOP 02 6495 1515 

Merimbula Drive, Merimbula 

COUNTRY VIC 

SURF SHACK 03 5155 4933 

507 Esplanade, Lakes Entrance 

ATOLL TRAVEL 1800 622 310 - 4 Bridge 

Street, Foster www.atolltravel.com 

SERIOUS SURF STUFF 03 5674 2540 

1 Williams St , Inverloch 

VORTEX SURF & SKATE 03 5672 4112 

54 McBride Ave, Wonthaggi 

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; 03 5956 7453 

4-5 Vista Pl, Cape Woolamai 

www.fullcirclesurf.com.au 

ISLANTIS 03 5956 7553 - 10-12 Phillip 

Island Rd, Newhaven www.islantis.com.au 

ISLAND SURF CENTRE 03 5952 2578 

147 Thompson Ave, Cowes; 03 5952 3443 

65 Smiths Beach Rd, Smiths Beach 

www.islandsurfboards.com.au 

ISLAND SURF SHACK 03 5952 1659 

148 Thompson Ave, Cowes 

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 

RPS (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 Rd, Sandringham www.shq.com.au 

MORDY SURF CENTRE 03 9580 1716 

628 Main St, Mordialloc 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; 03 5989 8402 

Point Leo Rd, Point Leo; 03 5984 5670 

46 Ocean Beach Rd, Sorrento 

www.triggerbros.com.au 

PENINSULA SURF CENTRE 03 9783 3811 

40 Wells St, Frankston; 03 5975 1800 

835 Nepean Hwy, Mornington; 

03 5985 4637 - 2137 Pt Nepean Hwy, Rye 

www.peninsulasurf.com.au 

BALIN 03 5986 6069 - 12 Newington Ave, 

Rosebud www.balin.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 

STONKER TORQUAY 03 5261 6077 - 1a Baines 

Cr, Torquay www.stonker.com.au 

HYDROPHILIC 0421 504 621 - 1C Baines Cr, 

Torquay www.southcoastlongboards.com.au 

SURF WORLD 03 5261 4606 Surf City Plaza, 

Torquay www.surfworld.org.au 

PATAGONIA 03 5261 4420 - 116 Surfcoast 

Hwy, Torquay www.patagonia.com.au 

TORQUAY SURF 03 5261 5666 - 3/108 

Surfcoast Hwy, Torquay 

STRAPPER 03 5261 3508 - 96 Surfcoast Hwy, 

Torquay; 03 5261 2312 - 106 Surfcoast Hwy, 

Torquay www.strapper.com.au 

WATERMARKS PHOTO GALLERY 03 5264 7232 

38-40 Bell Street, Torquay 

www.watermarksphotogallery.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 

HODGY’S SURF CENTRE 03 5237 7883 

143 Great Ocean Rd, Apollo Bay hodgys.com 

SHIPWRECK COAST 

PORT CAMPBELL TRADING CO. 03 5598 6444 

27 Lord Street, Port Campbell 

WARRNAMBOOL SURF CENTRE 03 5562 1981 

136 Koroit Street, Warrnambool 

SPOONS 03 5568 3452 

42 Sackville Street, Port Fairy 

TASMANIA 

LONG POINT SURF 03 6375 1717 

60 Burgess Street, Bicheno 

BAY SURF SHOP 03 6376 1755 

2 Pendrigh Place, St Helens TAS 

SCAMANDER BEACH SURFSHOP 03 6372 5529 

6 Lagoon Esplanade, Scamander 

www.scamandersurf.com 

RED HERRING www.redherringsurf.com.au 

03 6231 9001 - 75 Liverpool Street, Hobart 

03 6431 2455 - 12 Mount Street, Burnie 

03 6331 0984 - 127 Charles Street, Launceston 

03 6272 7552 - Shop 41, Northgate 

SOUTH AUSTRALIA 

BARREL SURF 08 8555 5422 - 10c Cadell St, 

Goolwa www.barrellsurf.com.au 

FLY BOARDRIDING (08) 8555 5331 

Shop 18, Goolwa Shopping Centre, Goolwa 

BIG SURF AUSTRALIA 08 8554 2399 

24 Goolwa Rd, Middleton 

SOUTHERN SURF 08 8554 2375 

36 North Tce, Port Elliot 

THE SURF SHOP 08 8552 5466 -15 Albert 

Place, Victor Harbor thesurfshop.net.au 

SURF ESTEEM 08 8557 7201 - Aldinga Central 

Shopping Centre www.surfesteem.com 

THE DING KING / CLARK SURFBOARDS 

0422 443 789 - 20 Cottage Road, Hackham 

leightonclark01@yahoo.com.au 

PREECE’S SOUTH PORT SURF 08 8386 0404 

159 Esplanade, Port Noarlunga South 

www.preece-sthport-surf.com.au 

FLY BOARDRIDING 08 8386 0100 

Shop 41 Seaford Shopping Centre 

www.flyboardriding.com.au 

ONBOARD SURF WIND SNOW 08 8294 3866 

21 Saltfleet St, Port Noarlunga; 1-3 Lights 

Landing, Holdfast Shores, Glenelg 

www.onboardsurf.com.au 

MV2 08 8382 2468 

36 Beach Road, Christies Beach 

CUTLOOSE SURF 

The largest range of surfboards, mals, 

SUP’s, wetsuits & 2nd hand boards 

is SA with over 300 boards in stock. 

Custom boards and SA’s cheapest 

ding repairs on site. 30 years and still 

going strong… 

OPEN 7 DAYS - 08 8326 0939 

4 Piping Lane, Lonsdale, SA, 5160 

www.cutloosesurf.com.au 

MID COAST SURF 08 83845522 - 8/200 Dyson 

Road, Lonsdale www.midcoastsurf.com.au 

ISLAND SURF 08 8296 9776 

363 Brighton Road Hove 

EXTREME BOARDRIDERS 08 8295 1219 

1/118 Jetty Rd, Glenelg 

JRS SURF & SKI 08 838 47466 - Centro 

Colonnades; 08 8377 0322 - Westfield 

Marion; 08 8223 5505 -121 Grenfell St, 

Adelaide CBD; 08 8231 9577 - Myer 

Centre, Adelaide CBD; 08 8396 4822 

Tea Tree Plus www.jrssurfandski.com.au 

WALLBRIDGE SURFBOARDS 08 8376 4914 

27 Oaklands Rd, Somerton Park 

www.wallbridge.com.au 

SNOW & SURF CO. 08 8223 5277 

187 Rundle St, Adelaide; 08 8332 0900 

177 The Parade, Norwood 

www.snowsurf.com.au 

MTB SURF 08 8391 3311 Mount Barker 

YORKES SURF 08 8854 4008 Marion Bay 

DING REPAIRS 

AGNES WATER/1770 

REEF 2 BEACH 

Mon-Sat, 9-5pm, Sun,10-4pm 

07 4974 9072 

MOFFAT BEACH 

EPOXY BOARD REPAIRS 

By appointment 

0427 019 420 

THE FACTORY SURFBOARDS 

Mon, Wed-Friday 9am-5pm, 

Saturday 8am-12pm 

(07) 5492 5838 

SLS SURFBOARDS 

Mon, Wed, Fri 11- 5pm, Sat 8 - 12pm 

0424 314 183 

BRISBANE 

PRIMITIVE SURF 

Mon-Fri 8:30-5:30pm, 

Thurs 8:30am - 8pm, 

Sat 8:30 - 4pm, Sun 10am -4pm 

07 3266 1001 

SOUTHPORT 

KOMA 

Mon-Fri 9am -5pm, Sat 9am -12pm 

0402 863 763 

MIAMI 

DINO’S DING REPAIRS 

Mon - Fri 9am - 5pm, Sat 9am - 12pm 

0409 727 735 

TUGUN 

DIVERSE 

Mon-Fri 8:30am - 5:30pm 

Sat & Sun 9-4pm 

07 5598 4848 

KIRRA 

GRB SURFBOARDS 

Mon - Fri 10am - 4pm 

Sat 10am - 2pm 

0408 701 467 

COOLANGATTA 

UNDERGROUND SURF 

7 days, 9am - 5pm 

07 5599 1040 

TWEED HEADS 

FULL FORCE 


07 5524 2933 

BYRON BAY 

DR DING 

SURFBOARD REPAIRS 

Mon-Fri 8am - 5pm 

Sat 10am - 4pm, Sun 10am - 2pm 

0431 740 940 

MC SURF DESIGNS 

Mon - Fri 9am - 5pm, Sat 9am - 1pm 

02 6685 8778 

YAMBA 

PLANK SHOP 

02 6645 8362 

TOMBSTONE SURFBOARDS 

Tues - Fri 9am - 4pm, Sat 9am - 12pm 

0432 330 826 


BUSTED YOUR BOARD? 

GET IT FIXED HERE... 

BUDGEWOI 

BUCKO’S SURFBOARD 

REPAIRS & RESTORATIONS 

Mon-Fri 10am - 5.30pm 

Weekends by appointment 

0422 304 078 

LONG JETTY 

SANDLOCK SURFBOARDS 

Mon - Fri 9am - 4pm, Sat 9am -12pm 

0437 032 614 

WOLLONGONG 

SKIPP SURFBOARDS 

Mon-Fri 9am - 5:30pm 

Thurs 9am - 7:30pm 

Sat 9am - 4pm, Sun 10am - 4pm 

02 4228 8878 

JERVIS BAY 

INNER FEELING SURFBOARDS 

Seven days, 9am - 5pm 

02 4441 6756 

NAROOMA 

DSC SURFBOARDS 

Seven days, 9 - 5pm 

0424 867 962 

BELLARINE PENINSULA 

ROUSA SURFBOARDS 

Mon-Sat, 10am-5pm, 

0403 693 333 

THORNBURY 

ZAK SURFBOARDS 

Mon - Fri 10am - 6pm, 

Sat 10am - 5pm 

03 9416 7384 

TORQUAY 

STONKER 


03 5261 6077 

THE SURFERS SHED 


0437 246 848 

PHILLIP ISLAND 

ISLAND SURF 

SHOP - COWES 

7 days, 9-5pm 

03 5952 2578 

ADELAIDE 

WALLBRIDGE 

SURFBOARDS 

Mon - Fri, 9am - 5.30pm 

Sat 9am - 4pm 

08 8376 4914 

SOUTH ADELAIDE 

THE DING KING 


0422 443 789 

RAGLAN, NZ 


7 days, 10am to 5pm 

except winter - catch us if you can 

+64 7 825 0544 

FIX BROKEN BOARDS? 

Promote your repair business 

for $15 an edition. 

Call 0401 345 201 

155

SURF TRIP ACCOMMODATION 

Planning 

QUEENSLAND 

NEW SOUTH WALES 

a surfing holiday or weekend away? These fine accommodation options offer great 

proximity to surf beaches in some of Australia and NZ’s best surf spots. Get out there. 

TASMANIA 

PORTOBELLO BY THE SEA 

 

6 Beerburrum St, Dicky Beach 

Caloundra 

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 

From $325 for two nights. 

SHAMBHALA @ BYRON 

14 Childe St, Byron Bay 

Majestic, hidden beachfront 

just minutes to the heart of 

town. Relax after a day in the 

surf in our ambient and tranquil 

environment. Beautiful rainforest 

setting with private spas, 

steam room, sauna. Perfect for 

couples or families. 5-star, selfcontained 

tree house retreats. 

Proximity: Absolute beachfront, 

on surf friendly Belongil beach. 

15 m walk to centre of town 

P: 1-800-SHAMBHALA 

E: enquiries@shambhala.org.au 

www.shambhala.org.au 

From $279 per night 

Quote promo code: SURF AD 

SOUTHVIEW BULLI 

19 Southview Street,Bulli 

Southview is a bed & breakfast 

and self contained holiday 

accommodation, nestled 

between Sandon Point Beach 

and Bulli Beach. Recently 

rated 4.5 stars by AAA tourism 

it is the perfect place to 

unwind and perfect for the 

surfer and their family. 

Proximity: Nestled Between 

Sandon Point and Bulli Beach 

Telephone: 02 4268 6303 

E: info@southviewbulli.com.au 

www.southviewbulli.com.au 

From $145 per couple 

KIAMA COVE BOUTIQUE MOTEL 

10 Bong Bong St, Kiama 

UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT 

Kiama Cove Boutique Motel is 

in a fantastic location right near 

the heart of Kiama overlooking 

Surf Beach. The motel offers 

ocean views, king sized beds in 

most rooms, off-street parking, 

free Austar, swimming pool 

and a fabulous sun lounge area 

overlooking the beach. 

Proximity: Right on Surf 

Beach and a short stroll to the 

main street of Kiama. 

Phone: 02 4232 4500 

E: info@kiamacove.com.au 

www.kiamacoveboutiquemotel.com.au 

Room rates are from $90 

to $200 for family rooms 

MARRAWAH BEACH HOUSE 

19 Beach Road, MARRAWAH 

The Beach House is located on 

an organic beef farm on the wild, 

west coast of Tasmania. The 

comfortable, self contained twobedroom 

cottage has spectacular 

views of the Southern Ocean 

and easy access to the beach. 

The perfect base to explore the 

wilderness of the Tarkine and 

Arthur River areas. 1 ½ hrs drive 

from Burnie Airport and 2 ½ hrs 

drive from Devonport Ferry. 

Proximity: Close to quality reef 

and beach breaks as well as the 

local general store and hotel. 

P: 03 6457 1285 or 0428 571 285 

E: marrawahbeachhouse@activ8.net.au 

Rates from $140 per night 

VICTORIA 

COOLANGATTA SANDS HOSTEL 

Cnr McLean and Griffith Street, 

Coolangatta 

Your ultimate surf HQ! 

Where else can you find some 

of the world’s best beaches and 

beach breaks on your doorstep 

- Kirra, Snapper Rocks, D-Bah, 

Rainbow Bay, Greenmount and 

Coolangatta? Free breakfast, free 

pick-up, economical shared and 

private rooms. Stay three nights 

and you can travel to Byron Bay 

for free on our shuttle bus! Part of 

the Coolangatta Adventure Crew. 

Proximity: Across from great 

surf breaks, restaurants, nightlife 

Phone: 07 5536 7472 

E: hostel@taphouse.com.au 

www.coolangattasandshostel.com.au 

Rates from $29 per night 

9 Shirley Street, BYRON BAY 

Outrigger Bay is the perfect Byron 

getaway for the ultimate relaxing 

holiday. With direct access to 

the beach, these fabulous 2 or 

3 bedroom apartments are not 

only in a stunning location but 

are also so close to Byron’s great 

restaurants and bars. This is 

an ideal location for a surfing 

holiday with the family or a 

group of friends. 

Proximity: DIRECT ACCESS to 

beach - only 50m walk. 2 min 

walk to town centre shops. 

P: 02 6685 8646 

E: info@outriggerbay.com 

www.outriggerbay.com 


NOVOTEL WOLLONGONG 

NORTHBEACH 

2-14 Cliff Rd, North Wollongong 

Stunning ocean views, 

spacious, light filled rooms and 

a reputation for exceptional 

service has made Novotel 

Wollongong Northbeach 

one of New South Wales’s 

most popular getaway and 

business venues. Opposite 

North Wollongong beach, 

the 4 ½ star hotel boasts 204 

rooms and suites. Catering for 

both the leisure and business 

traveller, there’s a range of 

facilities and services including 

pool, spa, fitness centre, day 

spa, restaurant and two bars. 

Proximity: Beach 50m, CBD 

2km, train Station 1km, Sydney 

Airport 70km 

Phone: 02 4224 3111 

www.novotelnorthbeach.com.au 


SILVERWATER RESORT 

17 Potters Hill Rd, San Remo 

Spacious one, two and 

three-bedroom self-contained 

apartments all with spectacular 

bay views and modern 

conveniences. 

Complementing the 4.5 star 

accommodation is an excellent 

range of resort facilities 

including indoor and outdoor 

pool, billiards and games room, 

tennis and basketball courts, 

restaurant and bar. 

Proximity: Five mins to surf 

beach, two mins to town 

Phone: 1800 033 403 

res@silverwaterresort.com.au 

www.silverwaterresort.com.au 


SCAMANDER BEACH SHACK 

130 Scamander Ave, SCAMANDER 

This is the ultimate authentic 

beach shack and only $130 

per night, anytime of the 

year! Amazing location 

right opposite Tasmania’s 

premium east-coast surfing 

beach. Uninterrupted views of 

waves and the Scamander River 

mouth provide breathtaking 

scenery sitting in the comfort 

of the shack. An ideal getaway 

for surfers and their families or 

keen fisherpersons plus a cosy 

getaway for a couple. 

Proximity: Right opposite 

Scamander Beach. 

Phone: 0400 912 583 

www.scamanderbeachshack.com 

$130 per night, all year round 

TV 

gym 

laundry 

kitchen 

parking wi-fi pool airconditioning family-friendly pet-friendly spa 

bbq 


Keen to hop on a plane? 

Accommodation now including NZ! 

NEW ZEALAND 

PIWIWIWI SURF 

CAMPERVAN RENTALS 

Raglan NZ 

DON’T STAY... EXPLORE! 

The only campervan rentals 

company in New Zealand aimed 

at surfers. Vans are kitted out 

with all the gear you need 

including straps to hold your 

boards safe INSIDE the van. 

PiwiWiwi is a small, friendly 

company based in the magic 

surf town of Raglan. 

Transfers to and from 

Auckland Airport available. 

Raglan Office: +64 7 825 0974 

NZ Free Phone: 0800 74 94 94 

E: info@piwiwiwi.co.nz 

www.piwiwiwi.co.nz 


SURF DIRECTORY 

* Boards not included 

SUP 

& SURfBoaRD 

StRaPS 

onlY 

$30 

toUGH, 

affoRDaBle & 

SImPle StoRaGe 

SolUtIon foR 

all BoaRDS! 

Like us on Facebook - elofant board straps. 

Order straps online from 

www.elofant.com 

WANTED: 

SALESPERSON 

Commission basis, to sell 

high-quality, sustainable surf 

accessories and products. 

East Coast Australia. 

Please contact Dave of Surfing Green 

on 0412 351 585 

MAKING A SURFBOARD? 

RESTORATION OR REPAIR? 

LEARNING ABOUT THE INDUSTRY? 

MAKING BLANKS MAKING FINS? 

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WWW.SURFERSTEXTBOOK.COM.AU 

GOING FOR A SURF? 

SO WHERE YOU GOING TO HIDE YOUR KEYS? 

GET A COMBINATION 

KEY LOCK BOX! 

from Keywatch Systems 

MODELS TO SUIT CARS, 

UTES, WAGONS, 4WD & 

HITCH TYPE TOW BARS 

Buy direct from importer online or by phone: 

www.ksq.com.au 

sales@ksq.com.au 0409 762 040 

FROM 

$29.95 

RAGLAN KOPUA 

HOLIDAY PARK 

61 Marine Parade Raglan NZ 

Located just across from 

Raglans town centre and 

almost completely surrounded 

by water, we offer motel units, 

tourist flats, studio units and 

backpacker accommodation, 

plus powered and non-powered 

camping sites. 

With our world famous left 

hand breaks just a short 

drive, you’ll love the laid back 

atmosphere of Raglan - art 

galleries, wonderful eateries, 

great fishing and of course our 

fantastic west coast sunsets 

Proximity: Short walk to harbour 

and main street. 7km to Manu bay 

and Whale Bay Point breaks. 

Phone: 08004raglan 

E: stay@raglanholidaypark.co.nz 

www.raglanholidaypark.co.nz 

From $17 per person 

ADVERTISE 

IN THE SURF 

DIRECTORY 

Super-affordable rates for 

the smallest of budgets. 

Call 0401 345 201 

Small surf businesses,cool products and more! 

No big brands. No marketing hype. 

Just cool merchandise from the salt of 

the Australian surf community 

UNDERTOW? 

FLASH RIPS? 

KEEP KIDS 

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SUBSCRIBE! 

If you can’t get to a your local surf shop 

to pick the mag up in person, have 

smorgasboarder delivered to your door. 

The mag’s still free, but Australia Post 

want to get paid... 

$18 IN AUSTRALIA 

GETS YOU SIX EDITIONS, DELIVERED. 

Sign up at www.smorgasboarder.com.au. 

It’ll arrive every two months. Missed an 

edition? Back issues are available for $5 each. 

INTERNATIONAL SUBCRIPTIONS email for 

info: subscriptions@smorgasboarder.com.au 

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157

Brought to you by 

SURF TRIP ACCOMMODATION 

COOLUM BEACH 

Noel Mooney - 0417 756 076 

coolumbusinessandtourism.com 

Welcome to a world of beachbreaks, boosts, barrels and brilliant fun - Coolum Beach on the Sunshine Coast 

North Shore. Beyond the tourist strip of Mooloolaba and just south of the righthand pointbreaks of Noosa, the 

water here is warm all year ‘round and there’s no shortage of surf breaks. It’s a true surfers playground and a 

top destination with a unique personality and charm. Here are your top choices for accommodation. 

EXECUTIVE 

ACCOMMODATION 

Managing over 25 executive 

beach homes and apartments 

from Twin Waters through 

to Coolum Beach, Coolum 

Holidays has the perfect 

property to indulge all of your 

needs while on vacation. 

All of our executive properties 

are tastefully decorated 

throughout and provide a 

high standard of facilities 

including swimming pool, air 

conditioning, bbq and pay 

television. Accommodating 

singles, couples and families, 

our portfolio of executive 

accommodation will surely not 

disappoint. 

P: 1300 303 423 

www.coolumholidays.com.au 

From $1300 a 

week, shorter 

stays available 

PET-FRIENDLY 

ACCOMMODATION 

Take your four legged friend 

on your next holiday! Enjoy a 

stress free holiday knowing 

your pet is safe with you. Pet 

friendly holidays are becoming 

increasingly popular and Coolum 

Holidays has 30 holiday homes 

that specialise in providing the 

right accommodation for you 

and your pooch. All our holiday 

homes adhere to strict policies 

and conditions so that your 

holiday with your beloved pet is 

safe, secure and comfortable. 

A $110.00 non refundable pet 

fee applies to all bookings 

made – a small price to pay for 

peace of mind. 

P: 1300 303 423 


From $490 a 

week, shorter 


YOUR CHOICE OF 

HOLIDAY APARTMENTS 

Managing an array of self 

contained apartments on the 

beautiful North Shore, Coolum 

Holidays will help you find the 

perfect apartment to relax in 

whether it be for two nights or 

two months. 

Stay in one our apartments and 

stretch out with more privacy 

and space than a hotel room, 

perfect for an extended stay or 

corporate accommodation. 

We can offer you a great deal 

on one, two and three bedroom 

apartments – phone our friendly 

booking consultants today. 

P: 1300 303 423 


From $490 a 

week, shorter 


COOLUM BEACH 

GETAWAY RESORT 

3-7 First Ave, Coolum Beach 

A modern 4½ star resort. 18 

spacious, air-conditioned 1, 2 

& 3 bedroom townhouse-style 

units and apartments with 

self-contained kitchens, laundry 

and lock up garage. Tropical 

gardens, heated pool and spa, 

half tennis court, plus bike and 

surfboard hire. One street back 

from the beach with a quiet, 

pleasant family atmosphere. 

Proximity: Only a short stroll 

to Coolum’s fabulous beach, 

alfresco dining and shopping. 

Located centrally on the 

Sunshine Coast, the tourist 

attractions, world-class golf 

courses and rainforest walks are 

all within easy driving distance. 

P: 07 5471 6759 F: 07 5471 6222 

Australia: 1300 723 263 

E: info@getawayresort.com.au 

www.getawayresort.com.au 

Phone for your special price 

SEACHANGE COOLUM BEACH 

1864 David Low Way, Coolum Beach 

A world away from the 

everyday... 35 boutique holiday 

apartments with style and 

character... The ideal retreat for 

your tropical getaway. Designed 

to be different from the rest, 

Seachange features fully selfcontained 

one, two bedroom 

and family apartments - some 

with private rooftop spas and 

ocean views, all immaculately 

presented by resident managers 

who offer you personalised 

friendly service. 

Isn’t it time you experienced 

Seachange? 

Proximity: Walking distance to 

beach, local shops, restaurants 

P: 07 5471 7799 

F: 07 5446 5380 

Freecall: 1800 008 112 

info@seachangecoolumbeach.com.au 

seachangecoolumbeach.com.au 

Call for best rates 


BUSINESS PROMOTION 

SURFING COOLUM 

Surf spots within close vicinity include Coolum main beach 

where a consistent left-hander reels in from in front of the 

surf club. At the southern end of the beach below the lookout 

at Point Perry, when the swell is 4 foot plus, a quality righthander 

can break close to the rocks. This wave is definitely the 

standout when it’s on but typically a place for the chargers in 

the surfing community. 

Just over the headland the FIRST and SECOND BAY (from the 

water it is really one bay) are also popular and fairly consistent. 

Although surrounded by rocks, the bottom is largely sand and 

the lefts and rights can be found depending on where you 

want to sit. In rare conditions, THIRD BAY breaks but this is 

definitely rocky and risky. 

COOLUM CAPRICE 

1770 David Low Way, 

Coolum Beach 

Located right in the heart of 

Coolum Beach, our ocean view, 

fully self contained apartments 

cater for couples, families and 

groups. With 1, 2 or 3 bedroom 

apartments to choose from, 

Coolum Caprice boasts the best 

views and location in town. 

Proximity: Middle of town, 

walking distance to shops and 

restaurants. Directly across 

the road from the beach and 

Surf Club. 15 minutes Sunshine 

Coast Airport and 1½ hours 

from Brisbane Airport. 

Phone: 07 5446 2177 

E: relax@coolumcaprice.com.au 

www.coolumcaprice.com.au 


Smorgasboarder reader special: 

Call today for 20% off! 

ENDLESS SUMMER RESORT 

9-21 Frank St, Coolum Beach 

This is the perfect place to stay 

in Coolum for holiday resort 

accommodation. Ideal for 

couples or the whole family. 

Choose from fully self-contained 

and spacious apartments 

located in a peaceful setting, 

away from traffic, but only a 

100m stroll to the surf beach, 

main restaurants and sidewalk 

shops. Fantastic 25m heated 

pool, waterslide, children’s 

playground and mini golf on-site. 

Proximity: 100m to patrolled 

surf beach and shops. 

Phone: +61 7 5471 9800 

E: holiday@endlesssummerresort.com 

www.endlesssummerresort.com 

Keep an eye on our web page 

for specials throughout the 

year or call direct to ask for our 

special surfer’s rates. 

COOLUM SEASIDE 

6-8 Perry St, Coolum Beach 

Perfectly positioned to take 

full advantage of the Sunshine 

Coast’s natural scenic beauty 

and holiday attractions. Our 

fully self-contained AAA 5-star 

rated one to four bedroom 

apartments are air conditioned 

and have Austar, LCD TVs, CD 

& DVD players. Roof terraces 

are available with majestic 

coastal & hinterland views. 

Facilities include 3 heated 

pools, 4 spas, tennis court, 

gymnasium, internet lounge/ 

library and poolside barbecues. 

Proximity: Short stroll to 

patrolled beach, shops, cafes 

and restaurants. 

Phone: 1800 809 062 

E: info@coolumseaside.com 

www.coolumseaside.com 

Check our specials online 

COOLUM MOTEL & 

BUDGET ACCOMMODATION 

1862 David Low Way, Cnr Ann St, 

Coolum Beach 

Coolum Motel is ideally 

located across from beautiful 

Coolum Beach. We offer a 

variety of room types ranging 

from Private Ensuited Rooms 

to Budget and Backpacker 

style and facilities. For a 

family friendly venue offering 

fantastic deals and discounts - 

Stay with us! 

Proximity: Short walking 

distance to restaurants, shops 

and clubs. 

Phone: 07 5471 6666 

E: info@coolummotel.com 

www.coolummotel.com 

From only $ 35 per night. 

Quote this magazine for 

20% DISCOUNT! 

Dates and conditions apply 

ELEMENT ON COOLUM BEACH 

1808 David Low Way, 

Coolum Beach 

This is seaside luxury right 

on Coolum Beach. These self 

contained luxury Coolum beach 

apartments combine the best 

of urban chic and beachside 

living. Stay in either a one, 

two or three bedroom holiday 

apartment right in the heart of 

Coolum and right across from 

Coolum Beach. Surf all day 

and stay in style at Element on 

Coolum Beach. 

Proximity: 1 minute walk to 

beach, shops and restaurants. 

Phone: 1300 139 744 

stay@elementoncoolumbeach.com.au 

www.elementoncoolumbeach.com.au 

From only $149 per night in 

a one bedroom apartment 


159

TOP PARTING SHOTS 

A different kind of aerial expert, Sunshine Coast photographer Mike 

Swaine recently sent us a few absolutely unbelievable photos to check 

out. How incredible is the image above? Speaking of which, that’s the 

name of Mike’s business - Above Photography. 

Mike Swaine Above Photography. 

Mike Swaine Above Photography. 

For more of Mike’s work, visit www.abovephotography.com.au 


WOODEN FANS WORK MAGIC 

ABOVE, L-R: Gary Miller (Workshop Instructor), Josh Morgan, Robert Wood, Jose Mejia, 

Tim Mosely, Aaron Lorych, Paul Lonergan, Robert Ivers (Workshop Instructor) 

The Mornington Peninsula in Victoria provided three days of glorious autumn weather for the April 2012 

Tree to Sea Australia Wooden Surfboard Workshop. Six fantastic wooden surfboards were made over the 

three days using excellent quality Paulownia timber supplied by David Evans from Paulownia Surfboard 

Supplies. Four Fish and two Mini Mals were made and will now join the line up in the Victorian breaks. 

Robert Ivers and Gary Miller and have officially formed Tree to Sea Australia with the blessing of Rich 

Blundell the Tree to Sea founder from the USA. Together they will run workshops all year round. 

To find out more and register your interest for future workshops go to www.treetosea.com.au 

RIVER RACERS 

Words and Photos By Daniel Hampson 

www.looktosea.com.au 

1. 

After the success of the event last year, the 

committee members of the Cronulla Sutherland 

SUP Club Inc wanted this year’s Naish River 

Race to be even bigger and better. Thankfully 

we had Peter Japp, club president, driving it. I’m 

sure without him, the event would still be only a 

concept and not a reality. I’ve never been involved 

in planning and executing an event before, it was 

a real eye opener to see how much work goes into 

getting an event off the drawing table. 

The day included the Eastcoast Stand Up Paddle 

14’1+ race division, the Gumby Lock Handicap Race 

- which takes into account type of board, paddle, 

age and weight to put everyone on an even playing 

field - the AAT Kings Non Race board division, the 

Land and Sea Family division, Quickblade Paddles 

12’6 Race, the Surf for Sanity Junior race, the 

Naish 14’ Race and the Street SUP SUP Lemans. 

The day was a huge success and from all reports 

everyone had a great day of flat water racing. I can’t 

wait for next year! Cronulla Sutherland SUP 

Club Inc would like to thank all the sponsors who 

jumped on board for the race this year! 

For info on getting involved in SUP in the area, see 

www.cronullasutherlandsupclub.com.au 

2. 

1. Start of the Gumby 

Lock Handicap Race 

2. Alfie Prosser, 

3. Street SUP SUP 

Lemans buoy turn 

4. Dane Hurst, winner 

of the Street SUP 

SUP Lemans 

3. 

4. 


161


GET READY FOR MORE ALOHA BARRY NEXT EDITION - OUT IN JULY

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quality materials, every 

ZEE WETSUIT is built to 

last. Made locally and 

100% Australian owned. 

Available DIRECT 

from ZEE, or from 

select surf stores 

OPEN HOURS: Mon-Fri: 9 - 5, Sat: 9 - 12 

BOTH STORES OPEN 6 DAYS! 

NOOSA: 07 5474 1010 

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sales@zeewetsuits.com 

www.zeewetsuits.com 


163

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