Smorgasboarder_23_Feb_2016-s

SUN
SAFETY
WITH SUN ZAPPER
THANK YOU TEAM
At Sun Zapper we’re super lucky to have
the support of our ambassadors, surf
shops and retailers, supporting clubs and
sun-savvy users. All these beautiful guys
and girls love this sunburnt country just
as much as we do. In saying that, they
also know why it’s important to protect
ourselves from the harsh Aussie sun. So
here’s a big thank you to all of you!
I would like however to especially thank
our ambassadors. We may be a bit
biased here but our ambassadors are the
best bunch of sun-loving humans on the
planet! They are surfers, bodyboarders,
ocean photographers, content creators,
swimmers, sailors… let’s just say they
live and breathe the salty air. They
spread our sun safety message here at
home and abroad, they capture the most
awe-inspiring content and feature it in
Smorgasboarder and/ or upload it to the
Internet reaching thousands of people. Our
ambassadors are actively out there, day in
and day out, zinc’d up and ready to take on
any task they have at hand.
A big thank you to Josh, Luke, Michael,
Dylan, Joe, Joel, Ray, Warren (pictured
above), Jacob, Nathanael, Jaidyn,
Lawrence, Holly, Oscar and Toby.
So if you think you share these qualities
then send me an email at melanie@
sunzapper.com.au and we’d be happy to
have you on the Sun Zapper team.
The Sun Zapper range is Aussie made and
owned. Find Sun Zapper at your local surf store,
Woolworths, Big W, IGA and FoodWorks.
www.sunzapper.com.au
HOPS
THE WOLF AMONGST THE WEEDS
I suspect it was the absolutely incredible
smell that initially drew brewers and
herbalists to experiment with the flowers
of Humulus lupulus or the “wolf amongst
the weeds” as the Latin name roughly
translates. They soon realised that
when hops were added to the boil the
beer tended not to spoil. This is due to
compounds called humulones that once
boiled become inhibitory to certain beer
spoilage bacteria. These compounds
also added bitterness to the brew, which
helped to balance out the malt-derived
sweetness. Germans became such a fan
of these properties that they soon passed
the Reinheitsgebot, a law prohibiting the
use of any other herbs in brewing (people
were putting in all kinds of psychoactive
herbs before then!). Hops also have a mild
sedative effect – as if you needed another
excuse for drinking a good hoppy Pale Ale
after a hard day’s work.
A relative of hemp, the flowers of hops
form only on the females of the climbing
vine-like plants that are grown (away from
males plants) on tall wire trellises. They
tend to grow best in temperate climates
and some of the world’s hopspots (hops
become cheesy in flavour when left in the
sun!) are Germany and the U.S.A., with
Australia and New Zealand also gaining
a reputation as producers of new and
interesting hop varieties.
Hop flavours are often described as fruity,
floral, herbal and/or spicy and different
strains are used to give beer styles their
unique characters. The flavour of the hops
depends on the strain as well as terroir -
the area that they’re grown in. With the
boom in craft beer and the generous use
of hops in styles such as Pale Ales and
IPA’s, the price of hops is soaring with
some varieties fetching $50/kg.
We love our hops here at Byron Bay
Brewery and I’ve been generous in
hopping our Pale Ale, using a combination
of Australian Galaxy hops with American
Citra, Columbus and Amarillo. We also
dry-hop the beer, a process whereby
hops are added during the fermentation
after the yeast has created some alcohol,
thereby better extracting the essential oils
that contain the awesome aromas and
flavours.
Alastair Gillespie holds a Bachelors
of Science in Microbiology, is a madkeen
surfer and the Head Brewer at
Byron Bay Brewery.
byronbaybrewery.com.au
4 TIPS
ON CHOOSING
SURFBOARD ART
Over the last two years we have helped
hundreds of delighted customers design,
develop and deliver affordable original art
as a centrepiece for homes, offices and as
gifts. Here’s a few things we’ve learnt.
1. FANTASIZE – MIND SURFING IS FUN
An image of that perfect wave, beach
scene can be amazing. Immediately
transporting you someplace else.
Choose an image that means something,
something that you have a connection
with – a local break, a place you have
visited or would like to.
2. OLD OR NEW BOARD?
If you have a board you could repurpose it?
Is it in fair condition (reasonably smooth
and with no unrepaired damage)? This
may help, especially if it is an ol’ fav - the
outcome is all the more special.
A new board can offer a completely
different look - sleek, smooth, clear of
damage. It’s a great way to have the art
leap off the wall.
3. SIZE MATTERS
Knowing the space you want to fill is
key to the next steps. A surfboard is
typically 6-10 ft long (we think hanging
them sideways works well – but you can
do it standing up). So choose a wall that
will allow for something of this size, a
good bit of space at either end will help
make the board pop…
4. NOT EVERY IMAGE IS A WINNER
Surfboards are weird shapes - typically a
4:1 or greater ratio. This is a lot different
to your average photo. If your heart is set
on a whole image and it won’t work just by
itself, you consider a cool collage design.
Be prepared to manage the compliments for
your new piece... And send them our way!
Dave West is half of Ctrl V,
creating custom graphics for
surfboard wall and surfable art.
www.ctrlv.com.au
SUMMER 2016 | SMORGASBOARDER 107