Smorgasboarder_11_May-2012

PHOTO: BEN VOS
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
may/jun 2012
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