SB_Summer Edition_48

surfboards, snowboards, paddleboards, skateboards and everything in between 

issue 

48 

SUMMER 19 

f r e e 

SURF MAG 

pursuing 

passions 

inspiring stories from people who love what they do

Surf Shop 

GERRINGONG, NSW 

ONLINE STORE 

Celebrating 

40 YEARS 

NATURALNECESSITY.COM.AU 

IN-HOUSE 

CAFE 

5,000+ 

LADIES COSIES 

“Australia’s Largest IndependEnt Surf Shop” 

c 

HUNDREDS OF SWIM 

+ FASHION BRANDS 

1,000+ 

SURFBOARDS 

S.U.P 

EXPERTS 

DEMO 

150+B O A R D S

smorgasboarder 

The epitome of surf stoke and a man who loves what he does, Mr Tom Wegener. He will eventually slow down long enough so 

we can catch up with him for a proper chat. Here at the Wooden Surfboard Show & Ride. 

do what you love 

Do what you love? It’s a relatively simple notion and 

yet amazingly, so many of us seem to stuff it up, 

losing sight of what matters, distracted by worry and 

periphery bullshit. 

But what it in essence does that mean? The age-old 

adage goes, “Choose a job you love, and you will 

never have to work a day in your life.” It’s a good 

saying but it’s also absolute horse sh#t. You may 

work at something you really enjoy but make no 

mistake, in most instances, you will be working ten 

times as hard than if you were doing something you 

hated. Why? Because you care. Because you are 

passionate about it. Because you want what you do 

to count, to impress, to be something people enjoy, 

to leave people in awe. But don’t let that discourage 

from doing something you love, because whilst 

you’re hard at it, you are enjoying it at the same. 

More work, more fun. 

And success? When you get down to the nitty gritty, 

if you are passionate about something, you will find 

a way to succeed. That doesn’t mean it will come 

easily, hell no! What it does mean however is that you 

will persist. It means if you are genuinely committed 

to doing something you really enjoy you will find a 

way to make it work and can build on your success 

from very meagre, humble beginnings. Passion is not 

only a motivator but an enabler. 

We understand it. That’s been our journey with 

Smorgasboarder. And the people featured throughout 

this edition understand it. They love what they do, 

blokes like surfboard enthusiast Grant Newby, 

Brazilian born Japanese wood board builder 

Rodrigo Matsuda, Jase Johns down at NZ Shred 

in Queenstown, the Bishops who just opened their 

Flipside Skate & Ride shop in Gympie, the boys 

at Heads of Noosa Brewing Co, the list goes on… 

hell, even Curl enjoys what he does despite being 

so terribly exploited by the very publishers of this 

magazine. He still loves what he does. Sure, he 

may not have the villa in the Bahamas nor the black 

jet Motley Crew used to fly around in that he was 

promised, but he loves what he does still the same. 

So enough of the dreaming, get off your backside 

and start doing what you love… even if that simply 

means putting on some boardies or your bikini and 

getting out there in the salty brine. This edition is sure 

to give you plenty of inspiration to get out there and 

get cracking. Enjoy. 

3

BRUSH 

ON 

CLEAR 

GRIP 

• Easy, DIY clear and clean 

paint-on grip 

• Gearbox fin boxes with all wood covers 

• Wood coloured fin boxes 

• Fin box install kits 

• Timber fins 

• Surfboards 

• Blanks 

• Cork tail pads & SUP deck grip 

• Aussie-made leashes 

• Raw balsa / cedar DIY board kits 

• Instructional DVDs 

• Timber Board racks 

• Pinch and Roll storage 

• Tide clocks 

• Sharkbanz shark deterrent 

wearable devices 

ALSO AVAILABLE 

Clear board grip tape - Let the beauty of 

the balsa show through with clear Versa 

Traction Grip Tape. Environmentally 

friendly and suits all size boards. 

Wholesale enquires welcome 

Australian Environmentally-friendly handcrafted 

surfboards for the individual in all of us, with a 

guarantee. Enjoy Responsibly

The 

Diamond 

Series 

Last month we released The Diamond Series 

range of performance surfboards. Featuring 

a diamond shaped tail with a paulownia/ 

cedar tail block, the design provides added 

strength and weight for hard back foot 

driving (paulownia twice the weight of 

balsa). 

We have already crafted a number of fun 

boards we have called the Diamond Python 

along with several performance shortboards 

called the Diamond Ring. With a recycled 

EPS foam core, balsa skin and double layer 

of glass on the deck, finish coated and 

polished to perfection, the Diamond Series 

looks incredible and performs the same. The 

Diamond Ring in particular is amazingly 

light at only 2.6kg and not only flies but can 

turn on a 20c piece. As always, all of our 

boards come with a one-year snap guarantee 

and can be customised to suit your needs. 

Call 0412 376 464 or 

Email mark@riley.com.au 

www.balsasurfboardsriley.com.au 

HANDCRAFTED IN AUSTRALIA 

Riley Balsawood Surfboards are made using renewable resource balsa and recycled 

polystyrene for performance, durability, beauty and lower environmental impact 

SHIPPING WORLDWIDE 

Photo: Lime Light Creative Studios


scan this! 

to get into listening at smorgasboarder.com.au/podcast/ 

issue 

summer 2 0 1 9 

forty-eight 

03 foreword 

10 letters 

12 controversy 

14 stuff 

30 grant newby 

44 flipside skate & ride 

48 heads of noosa 

50 6 questions for curl 

52 gear 

60 art & music 

cover photo 

rodrigo matsuda 

lascawoodworks 

WINNER 

BEST NON-DAILY 

PUBLICATION 

QUEENSLAND MULTIMEDIA 

AWARDS 2013 

FINALIST 

BEST NON-DAILY 

PUBLICATION 

QUEENSLAND MULTIMEDIA 

AWARDS 2017 

want to get your hands on a copy? 

there’s three ways to score yourself a 

copy of smorgasboarder. 

1) subscribe - the mag is still free - you 

just pay for delivery. 4 editions per year - 

$25 annual subscription (Aus and NZ) 

2) call in to one of the businesses 

featured in this mag - they’ll have some 

free copies. If they're not, they won't. 

3) download or read it online at 

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 publication 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 publishers. All rights 

reserved. Reproduction in part or whole is strictly 

prohibited without prior permission. 

listen up! 

the 


podcast: 

full-length interviews and 

conversations 

enjoy an intimate listen-in with 

alex and dave, as they have 

interesting chats with interesting 

people about surfing, surfboard 

building and completely unrelated 

things. 

available on: 

iTunes/Apple Podcasts 

Spotify 

Buzzsprout 

(search for smorgasboarder and 

remember to hit subscribe) 

or listen on our website 

smorgasboarder.com.au for 

additional links and show notes 

8 

editorial 

dave swan 

dave@smorgasboarder.com.au 

0401 345 201 

editorial contributer 

alex benaud 

alex@smorgasboarder.com.au 

0423 950 235 

advertising 

tami argaman 

tami@smorgasboarder.com.au 

0466 439 330 

new zealand 

jiff morris 

jeff@smorgasboarder.co.nz 

0220 943 913 

south australia 

jimmy ellis 

james@smorgasboarder.com.au 

0410 175 552 

design 

the team at horse & water creative 

mark, kate, helen, taylah 

mark@horseandwater.com.au 

accounts 

louise gough 

louise@smorgasboarder.com.au


letters from afar 

paul tickner, winner of the 

dumbest comp ever 

“I subscribed to your fabulous magazine because 

I was having a coffee with my hubby at Cabarita 

this morning, and while he was reading your mag 

I could see how excited he was by the pictures, 

sustainable boards etc… 

You see, my hubby hasn’t surfed since his back 

operation several years ago and right now he is 

waxing his board and heading for the waves! My 

son will hopefully have his dad back in the surf 

with him in no time. 

Thank you for giving him back his surfing mojo!” 

Candice :) 

“Why I love Smorgasboarder! 

It’s a magazine you can leave on the coffee table 

to be read by men, women, children and even the 

family dog! 

You guys have integrity and passion promoting a 

magazine that relies on its content, not on girls in 

bikinis or corporate fluff!” 

Last edition you read the winning submission from 

Paul Tickner, winner of our ‘dumbest comp ever’. 

(see page 10 of edition 47 spring 2019) 

Here’s a few more bits of feedback from you, our 

most loyal supporters. We couldn’t help but feature 

a few more - it is the feel good edition after all! 

Thank you for your kind words. 

“I like reading Smorgasboarder when I’m on my own 

My favourite place is on the throne 

Because the mag is free, I pass it onto my mates 

They all think that the mag is great 

I have collected all the mags and become a hoarder 

Regards, Tyler 

“The reason I am writing to you is because you 

guys and gals are the best. Your magazine is a 

fitting tribute to all the hard work you put in, inbetween 

surf trips and surfing. 

Above all though you produce a wonderful local 

magazine with great content and interesting 

stories to read. The finished product has always 

been fantastic quality. 

Anyway, keep up the great work. 

Your faithful frother of Smorgasboarder.” 

Mahalo, Paul Tuckett 

On the top of pile is the latest edition of 

Smorgasboarder.” 

Gavin Webster 

10


silver linings 

words: tami argaman 

When an edition of Smorgasboarder is printed, 

I pack my little KIA full of boxes and head south 

to deliver the mags to all friends and supporters 

who are based between the Sunshine Coast, QLD 

and Ballina, NSW. 

I enjoy my little road trip. It’s always amazing to see 

people’s reaction when they get the new edition, and 

of course it’s nice to hear what’s new in their lives 

and businesses. 

My last delivery run however, took a turn for the 

worse when I stopped for a bite to eat at the 

beach… 

I sat down, enjoyed an apple, and watched the 

ocean for about 20 minutes. 

When I went back to my car to continue my journey, 

I was greeted by the sight of a broken window, 

with my purse and esky stolen! The thief had also 

flattened my left back tyre, and the rock that had 

been thrown through the window was still in the 

driver’s footwell. Seriously, Smorgasboarder is free 

at the shops – you don’t have to smash into a car to 

get yourself a copy. 

What to do? 

Nothing like this had ever happened to me before! I 

took a deep breath and told myself it’s okay. A lovely 

caravanning couple were about to take their dog for 

a quick walk at the beach, but stopped to check on 

me, waiting while I contacted the police. 

Once the police assured me they were on the way, 

the couple continued their walk and I sat down on a 

rock, reflecting on what had just happened: 

• Window and tyre were screwed. 

• I still had my phone and all my cards which I 

keep in my phone case. Lucky. 

• I don’t usually carry cash and the purse was a 

cheap one from an op shop. Nothing to worry 

about there. 

• The esky only had a banana and two mandarins. 

At least the thief got himself a healthy snack! 

But something else was missing. 

A tear ran down my face when I realised the purse 

had also contained my journal. All handwritten 

thoughts, feelings and secrets that I had experienced 

since February were documented in there. All in 

German - my mother tongue - never for anyone to 

read but me. The journal only had a few unwritten 

pages left - the last entry was done only a few 

hours before it was stolen. Waiting for the police, I 

had enough time to prepare my mind to accept the 

situation as best I could. Stressing and crying would 

not fix the car or bring back my journal. 

Shit happens. 

The journal was filled with a lot of important things 

that had happened to me over the year. 

But as I spent more time thinking about it, most good 

things and people that had come into my life since 

starting the journal were not simply documented in 

the book, but were committed to my memory. They 

were not really gone and never would be. 

I realised how much the journal had helped me - 

every time I wrote down what felt too heavy on my 

mind - and finally started seeing the situation as a 

relief rather than a loss. 

The police finally arrived after 4 hours of me 

philosophising and the sun burning my skin. They 

helped me change the tyre, took the rock for 

investigation and recommended I have a large glass 

of wine that night. 

So where is my silver lining? 

Once the initial shock was over, I realised I got to 

meet some great people I usually wouldn’t have, all 

who helped to restore my faith in humankind. 

For instance, the lovely people from Pottsville 

Beach Motel who provided a safe place for me 

to park my car, a great room and a vegan pizza 

recommendation. Also the boys at Pottsville 

Bogangar Auto and Tyre who sorted out a new tyre, 

had a great chat and gave me some plastic to cover 

my broken window for a safe trip home. 

And the dog-walking couple who stopped to lend a 

little moral support when I first got back to my car. 

No matter how many bad things happen, it’s always 

good to remember that there are more good people 

than bad out there. And I hope the thief is now 

inspired to eat more fruit and maybe learn German 

instead of breaking into cars. 

12

Tree to to Sea Australia Eco Board workshops are are held over over 22 days, days, 

we have Tree 

14 or so models to choose from ranging from performance 

Tree to Sea to Sea Australia Eco Eco Board Board workshops workshops are held over are 2 held days, 

over 2 days, 

shortboards, fishes, guns, longboards and our popular custom service. 

we have we have 14 14 or or so models to choose to choose from ranging from ranging from performance 

from performance 

If If you prefer Tree to Sea Australia can and build our popular an an Eco custom Board service. for for you. you. 

shortboards, fishes, guns, longboards and our popular custom service. 

If you prefer Tree to Sea Australia can build an Eco Board for you. 

If Further you prefer info, workshop Tree to Sea dates, Australia to view can boards build an for for Eco sale Board go go to to 

for you. 

Further info, workshop dates, to view boards for sale go to 

Further info, workshop www.treetosea.com.au 

dates, to view boards for sale go to 

www.treetosea.com.au 

CHRISTMAS GIFT VOUCHERS AVAILABLE


stuff 

firewire the gem TT, ft taylor jensen 

photo supplied by natural necessity surf shop 

14


stuff 

advanced technology surfboards 

Natural Necessity Surf, Australia's ultimate surf 

shop stocks over 1000 boards and these are some 

of their best sellers. 

"Surfboards have come a long way since 1958 

when the first PU foam blanks were blown in 

Australia. 

"Lighter stronger materails such as EPS and epoxy 

resin have captivated the market. 

"Explore these and more online, or instore in 

Gerringong, or trial the 150 demo boards." 

naturalnecessity.com.au 

15


stuff 

2. 

1 & 2. firewire seaside beyond LFT by rob machado 

3. firewire seaside helium by rob machado, photo by toddglaser 

4. firewire the gem TT, ft taylor jensen 

5. torq TET fish 

6. torq TET fish blue pinline 


1. 

3. 

4. 

16


stuff 

salt gypsy, mid tide 


5. 

All these boards and more at: 

natural necessity 

naturalnecessity.com.au 

6. 

17


stuff 

lascawoodworks 

A Brazilian born, Japanese descendant by the 

name of Rodrigo Matsuda has been paving the 

way in the Japanese surfing industry for the last 

11 years with his spectacular use of Japanese 

carpentry techniques. Using the vacuum system, 

Rodrigo from LascaWoodworks has created a 

smorgasbord of visually stunning surfing crafts, 

ranging from Alaias to fishes and Mini Simmons to 

hand planes and even skateboards using materials 

such as XPS foam, paulownia wood and the 

increasingly popular cork, which are sealed with 

natural oils without the use of fibreglass. 

Rodrigo tests all types of different woods, changing 

the density and flexibility with each design in order 

to craft the perfect wooden performance surfboard. 

His aim is to eventually match the durability and 

performance levels of the conventional surfboard 

design using wood. Rodrigo’s work is truly 

masterful. 

lascawoodworks.com 

18


stuff 

living in an eco-friendly age 

words: jase johns 

“It’s not easy … being Green”. Did Greta say that? 

Or, was it someone else, well before her time? Either 

way, they were right. It’s not easy, but it is certainly 

doable! 

In the age of sustainability, re-use, up-cycling and 

zero-waste, you can sometimes get lost in the 

good and the bad - what’s truly impact driven and 

what is simply a plausible effort to skew consumers 

thoughts. We all want to do the right thing, to make 

a difference … but, to what extent. Should we go 

vegan? Should we stop using detergents? Should 

we just wash less? At what point is the answer itself 

sustainable? The fact of the matter is, shouldn’t we 

just ‘start by making an effort’. 

In retail, we are both ‘Cause and Effect’ … we turn 

on lights, stock arrives in single use plastic, we 

subscribe to shipments which see product sent 

from all around the world. However, we try to create 

opportunity and facilitate solutions, which are both 

passed on from, and to the brands we deal with. 

From a shop point of view, we try to be tangible – we 

are changing our lighting to LED based fittings. We 

are eliminating outgoing plastic satchel courier bags, 

replaced with re-used or repurposed packaging, with 

just the tracking sticker. And, we’ve banned all staff 

from using throw away coffee cups (Yes, we had to 

provide everyone with their own re-useable cups … 

and we were happy to!). On a brand scale, at this 

very moment, we are in a relationship with Volcom 

… to enhance and encourage the consumption of 

their 'Eco-True' products. These are everything from: 

• enzyme washed jeans, saving litres of wasted 

water, through to 

• boardshorts made from repreve, which is a fibre 

product created from plastic bottles, to 

• bikinis and rashtops made from econyl, a 

product created from recycling nylon fish nets. 

Certainly, we are not the only ones pushing change 

and brands like Volcom are not the only ones 

facilitating it. It’s a team effort and we all need to be 

part of the 'Push for Change'. 

It’s not easy being green – it takes effort, 

commitment and a desire to be better at what we 

do. And, certainly better than we’ve been in the past. 

Who did say, “It’s not easy, being Green” … Yep, 

good old Kermit-the-Frog! 

He was right. But there is no try or try not! There is 

only do or do not! 

Maybe he and Yoda did know a thing or two!!! 

NZ Shred 

nzshred.co.nz 

19


stuff 

sup and away 

SUP is a safe and easy sport in itself, however 

there are a few simple steps that everyone should 

follow to stay safe out on the water this summer. 

Even if you have paddled for a number of years it is 

a good time to refresh the memory. 

Always wear the correct type of leash for the 

conditions 

Losing your board is bad news, so a leash is your 

#1 safety item. However, it needs to be the right 

sort for the conditions. In surf, use a straight leash. 

But if you find yourself in fast-flowing water (rivers, 

strong tidal currents), take that ankle/calf leash 

off! If it gets caught on something in the water, you 

will not be able to undo it - this is one of the most 

common causes of drownings in paddleboarding. 

In these conditions use a leash with a quick-release 

system that can be operated from above the waist, 

or nothing at all. 

Wear a buoyancy aid 

It’s a legal requirement in most places, and if you 

get separated from your board you’ll be very glad 

of it. The modern beltpack PFDs are a great option 

for a competent swimmer. 

Take two waterproof ways to call for help 

Being able to call for help is vital - either for 

yourself, or if you encounter someone else in 

trouble. Carry your phone in a waterproof bag, 

and a whistle to attract the attention of other water 

users close by. 

Tell someone onshore your plans 

So easy to do. But if something goes wrong you’ll 

be very glad you did. In New Zealand you can use 

the coastguard nz app to log your paddle, this way 

if you are overdue, at least they know where to 

begin searching. 

If you are just messing around at your local beach, 

never out of sight of family ashore etc, then it’s not 

so critical to follow all of these recommendations. 

But if you’re paddling any distance, particularly if 

going out of sight of where you started from, then 

following sup safe is just good sense. Check out 

supsafe.nz for more good info on sup safety. 

supcentre.co.nz 

Know the conditions, now and forecast 

Know the weather, wind strength and direction 

(now and forecast), tides or river flow information 

depending on where you are, and the water 

temperature. Is your ability, equipment and clothing 

right for the conditions? 

20


stuff 

coastal sports kaikoura 

The cold water specialists. "We get you further and out 

there for longer. Not just your average surf shop, we 

believe in gettng you out having more adventures in the 

water or on the land. Need quality gear we’ve got you 

covered, need info, we’ve been sharing our passion for 

the surf and outdoors since 2003. 

Same Location for 16 years." 

Call on +64 3 319 5028 

coastalsports.co.nz 

pedal and paddle 

Whenuakura (Donut) Island. 

Coromandel’s must do trip with Pedal and Paddle 

Guided or Self Guided options available. 

pedalandpaddle.co.nz 

real surf 

In the creation of the Wellington surf scene, only 

slightly less important than the Duke bringing surfing to 

Wellington in 1917, was Roger Titcombe picking up the 

planer and sureform in 1971. A place where dinosaurs, 

humans, savants and degenerates frequent to babble 

questionable surf chat, REAL SURF is a Wellington 

surfing institution. The Wellington surf scene may have 

changed a bit since 1971, but like the Wellington wind, 

Roger and the Real Surf team remain relentless in their 

pursuit of being Aotearoa's No.1 core surf store. 

realsurf.co.nz 

board traction for the 21st century 

Looking for a wax free traction solution? Contribute 

to a more sustainable planet with RSPro traction 

products. 

No more mess or missing waves while you’re waxing 

up! HexaTraction is a modular traction system to suit 

any size board and can be combined with our cork 

front foot deck grip where a greater level of traction is 

required. 

rspro.com.au 

21


stuff 

denman marine 

Denman Marine’s 

partnership with Grain 

Surfboards is assisting 

surfers with a desire to 

create their own wooden 

surfboards and return to 

old traditions. Experience 

the satisfaction of 

building a unique wooden 

surfboard and stand out 

from the crowd. 

denmanmarine.com.au 

surfing the alphabet 

Join the many stoked families Australia-wide who have 

added the award-winning Surfing the Alphabet to their 

grommet’s book collection. Written and illustrated 

by Avoca Beach cartoonist Buddy Ross (@buds.art), 

Surfing the Alphabet is a 56-page book that helps kids 

learn both the alphabet and surfing terms using bright, 

colourful illustrations and simple rhymes. 

Equally suitable for both girls and boys, it’s the perfect 

gift for all young surf champs of the future. 

Retail price $25.00 AUD. Stockist enquiries welcome. 

Buddy Ross 

Author and illustrator of Surfing the Alphabet 

and the Flat Day Fun Book. 

Winner of The Australian Cartoonist's Association 

2018 Book Illustrator Award. Perfect Peak Publishing 

0450 907 759 

surfingthealphabet.com.au 

bakslap 

Bakslap Founder Raph McGowan sadly lost his sister 

Tess to melanoma, found on her back in one of those 

typically hard to reach places. 

Since her death, Raph’s made it his mission to rid the 

world of this terrible disease. In 2017 bakslap was 

born. It’s a unique sunscreen applicator that allows 

you to apply to places like your back and ensures you 

protect your entire body, without getting messy hands! 

Check it out for summer. bakslap.com.au 

22


stuff 

ship set sail! apparel 

“Fresh from the West. Born on the coastline of Perth, 

WA, back in 2018, Ship Sets Sail! Apparel was a dream 

that’s now become a reality. A small venture with big 

hopes of delivering the finest, freshest threads all year 

round. With designs inspired by their love for the deep 

blue and ocean lifestyle, SSS!A is not just a surf brand, 

it’s a way of life.” #jointhevoyage 

shipsetssailapparel.com 

garage handplanes 

Meet the new limited edition 

‘garbo’ handplane. 

The Garbo is a collaboration between bodysurfing 

aficionados, Avalon Beach's Garage Handplanes 

and Japan's Mabo Handplanes. Built for speed and 

with a tighter hold in the barrel, the Garbo model 

has a refined, tapered profile drawn into a tight 

pintail. Reduced volume helps the Garbo become 

an excellent asset when paddling, while heightening 

manoeuvrability on the face of the wave. The concave 

hull from nose to tail gives the Garbo incredible lift and 

speed making it the ideal handplane for fast beach 

breaks and down the line charging. Made from carbon 

fibre it is also surprisingly light and super strong. The 

hull of the Garbo also features an exclusive artwork by 

New Zealand surf artist Allan Wrath. 

garagehandplanes.com.au 

SHEPPSolutions 

Introducing our newest 

addition to the gnarwall 

collection, a wall mounted 

drip rack that holds two 

full suits within a minium 

footprint. For more 

information head to our 

website! 

sheppsolutions.com 

23


24


stuff 

beware 

Street sweepers of the sea be warned that this 

latest creation from Mark Riley of Riley Balsa Wood 

Surfboards could cause you to spontaneously 

combust with excitement. 

It is not only a beauty to behold, weighing in at only 

10kg despite being 12ft long, it will absolutely fly 

like the wind. Mark Riley picks up the story. 

“Peter Kennett spotted an 11ft racing sup on my 

instagram page and he wanted to go bigger and so 

did I. So, we went for a 12’ x 28” x 5” paddleboard. 

It turned out exactly how I had imagined and 

planned it. 

“I had to take 4 pieces of polystyrene to laminate 

together to get the outline. The foam was mowed 

down with an electric planer followed by some 

heavy rasping and final sanding with balsa sanding 

blocks. 

We decided to add the balsa skin at 3mm thick to 

the bottom with no stringers because of the shape 

of the hull and the fact it needed to bend at a 6" 

radius, so adding cedar to the sheet would have 

restricted this flow curve. I added a centre stringer 

after the sheets were bagged on.” 

Riley brought the magic to the deck with 5 parallel 

cedar stringers separating the wood stained balsa 

panels. He added a cedar rail band to finish off the 

cedar stringers followed by another balsa band to 

achieve a nice rail. The board was glassed with 7oz 

glass and polyester resin, finished to a high-grade 

polish. 

“The board came out at 10kgs which was amazing. 

We put in a 12-inch wood coloured fin box and a 

10-inch cedar fin. To add to the finishing touches, 

I put on rail tape and the Hex Versa clear traction 

grip tape.” 

That way Peter had plenty of grip but was still 

allowed the beauty of the wood to shine through. 

“The board was then packed up and sent to New 

Zealand. It went to Auckland first then Wellington 

and on to Duneden. I hope he enjoys it.” 

To find out more and see further stunning balsa 

wood surfboards go to: 

balsawoodsurfboardsriley.com 

25


new summer tshirt online now

S 

E 

R 

F 

I 

S 

F 

R 

U 

E 

SMORGASBOARDER


photo: shane macgregor 

30


passion 

words: dave swan 

With the busy lives we all lead, it is hard to 

comprehend doing something extra for no 

commercial gain. I mean, why take on more when 

most of us can’t even handle what we already 

have? 

So that’s what is so hard to comprehend with 

a bloke like Grant Newby. He has a hectic job 

working as a production manager at a busy Gold 

Coast advertising agency and yet he still managed 

to organise what were two of the most notable 

surfboard meets in the country. 

We first chatted to Grant way back in January 2012. 

Back then he was the founder and orchestrator of 

the Alley Fish Fry and Wooden Surfboard Show 

& Ride. The Fish Fry is no more with Grant of the 

opinion it had run its course after 10 years. His 

wooden surfboard meet however still lives on, 

now in its 11th year. I caught up with this man to 

once again try and understand what drives him to 

organise such events and how they continue to be 

such a success. 

31


photo: aaron chapman 

images from the alley fish fry 

thealleyfishfry.blogspot.com/2012/09/ 

32


“It’s a pretty simple concept and I think that’s why 

it works. I don’t promise anything. At the end of the 

day, I am just the conduit to get people together.” 

Whilst incredibly humble, it is no doubt the 

passion Grant exudes for surfboard design and 

construction, along with their continual progression, 

that attracts other like minds. 

“I realise we are all very passionate people and 

through it, Jackie (Grant’s wife) and I have met so 

many great people. 

“They are so passionate and so they are a certain 

breed of people I suppose, and they’re inquisitive 

people because they’re really challenging 

themselves as they’re out on their own. A lot of 

them are doing it in isolation and then through this, 

we negate that I suppose.” 

In facilitating this communication between like 

minds Grant has created a network of sorts, one 

that has seen him travel the world to get similar 

events up and running. 

“I get emails daily from people around the world. 

Jackie and I went to Spain last year. I helped Sergi 

(Galano of Flama Surfboards) set up the European 

one (wooden surfboard day). They had their third 

one at the end of August. It was amazing. There 

were people who had come from Brazil and 

Argentina and France and Italy.” 

Grant incidentally worked with Mike Cunningham 

to set up the Fish Fry over on the North Island of 

New Zealand at Waipu Cove as well. His trip to 

Spain however brought about a realisation of how 

Australians take so much of what we have for 

granted. 

“Europeans really are so much more eco conscious 

than what we are. I come from New Zealand, 

and New Zealanders are eco conscious as well. 

Australians are becoming more that way but in the 

surf industry as such, we are just touching on it by 

comparison.” 

It’s an interesting observation and I was curious 

to understand from Grant whether this was due to 

commercial reasons or complacency. 

“We’re probably spoilt for surf and beaches and 

the weather. I mean, we’re surrounded by great 

beaches. What we have for them is a dream. 

“When we travelled through Spain and Portugal, 

we were there 3 weeks and I wouldn’t have seen 

50 animals. I’m talking cows, goats, horses, even 

roadkill, everything’s disappeared. So, they realise 

that they’ve already lost lots of things. Whereas 

coming here is like living in a bloody zoo you know, 

kangaroos hopping around, possums everywhere. 

Over there, there’s nothing.” 

This explains the motivation towards a greater 

eco consciousness amongst surfers but I was still 

keen to understand what drove Grant to work so 

tirelessly towards driving the movement here. I 

mean, I get the whole passion for surfboards and 

eco construction but there’s still a lot of work to be 

done to get these days up and running and create 

the network he has. It takes a special person, 

otherwise anyone would be doing this kind of thing. 

“I just thought there was a need for people to get 

together and through that need we’ve created 

something special. It just happened. 

“Too much to do with surfing is competitive and 

then there’s winners and losers, and then if you 

have trophies and sponsors - people have different 

values of what that’s worth and the outcome… it 

sort of becomes political in a way. 

“Surfing is all about the surfer rather than the dude 

that hammers away making boards in the dust 

and sh*t all day. That was a revelation that I never 

realised with the Fish Fry until it really got going in 

that so many shapers didn’t even know each other. 

They had never met each other and yet they work 

in the same town. They know each other’s logos 

and they all thought they were doing something 

unique until they arrived at the one place and 

realised - no. 

“So, the Fish Fry, it was actually for the shapers and 

you know, it gave people inspiration to experiment. 

And I mean, the fish in those days was just a sort 

of a conduit of getting those people together. From 

that we ended up with shorter boards and quads 

were sort of born/ reborn. Things got experimental 

you know, like finless boards. Tom (Wegener) was 

doing it with the alaias, but then people started 

getting more into finless boards and it just opened 

up people’s thinking. And it gave shapers a chance 

to say, ‘Oh well, I’m going to experiment’ and then 

at the Fish Fry they’d bring along those alternative 

boards.” 

Make no mistake, Grant does not personally take 

credit. He attributes the Fish Fry for getting a 

collective of minds together to further surfboard 

design and experimentation. 

“All this stuff started with the Fish Fry – these 

people getting together and discussing surfboard 

design. It’s funny, white thruster manufacturers 

are now making fishes but it took them 10 years 

or more to catch on and realise that there was a 

market for that you know. It took a while.” 

Being such a catalyst for surfboard development, 

I had to enquire why the Fish Fry ended in 2016. It 

is also interesting to note that no one has picked 

up the torch since. It underlines what a unique 

character Grant is. 

33


“I just thought 

there was a 

need for people 

to get together 

and through 

that need 

we’ve created 

something 

special. It just 

happened... 

wooden board day Gold Coast 

“Yeah, it had sort of run its course I felt. I don’t 

even know what the life of this is from year to year 

(referring to the present wooden surfboard meets), 

because I never know who’s going to turn up. Many 

people say they’re going to come and then they 

don’t. And then people turn up that you’ve never 

heard of. Like at the Fish Fry, people would turn up 

with 6 surfboards and their girlfriend and a Wicked 

camper van and they had never been to Australia 

before, all on a whim to meet some people in a 

park.” 

It truly is incredible when you consider what has 

transpired through the years. We’ve seen the likes 

of San Diego shaper and pioneer of the fish design 

evolution Rich Pavel attend, world class surfer and 

equally talented snowboarder Chris Christenson of 

Christensen Surfboards fame, who shapes some of 

the raddest, most diverse boards out there along 

with talented hand shaping surf craft artisan Ryan 

Lovelace of Santa Barbara. These guys travelled 

across the globe to see what was going down in a 

park across the road from The Alley surf break in 

Currumbin. It may not have been the only business 

they were attending to in Australia but it formed a 

major basis for their visit. It is mind blowing. 

“I think a lot of people initially were intrigued by the 

format and it’s the same with the wooden surfboard 

day. At the worst Jackie and myself end up sitting 

in the park for the day together. People make of it 

what they will.” 

Through it all however, Grant has acquired a great 

deal of respect and admiration amongst his peers 

- lovers of the art of surfboard shaping the world 

over. 

“In the past I have been at home and had people 

rock up on the weekend and ask, ‘Are you Grant 

Newby? We have come to see your surfboards.’ 

And I get emails all the time, people asking this and 

that. Why did I do it all in the first place? If I have 

an idea, I just do it. Because it is a pretty hollow 

feeling when you go, ‘oh, I thought of that.’ There’s 

nothing worse. You just have to say, f#ck it, I am 

going to do it.” 

34


And that’s exactly what Grant did with both the 

Alley Fish Fry and the Wooden Surfboards Show & 

Ride. He made it happen. 

It was here I turned our discussion to both our 

loves, the art of surfboard design itself. I was 

keen to hear from Grant how his own designs had 

progressed through the years and whether his 

professional role as a production manager had 

played a pivotal role. 

“I think from my background and being a 

production manager, I meet a lot of people that 

have bought new machinery or technology or 

whatever, and a lot of them have bought it for 

a purpose but they don’t actually know the big 

picture of all the possibilities that it could do. 

“And then you see something that somebody else 

is doing, and you think, well if that guy did that 

and then he did that to that, we’ve actually created 

something else altogether. And these people 

don’t know each other and they don’t know that 

technology is available and by combining the two 

or three you create something. 

“That’s kind of how my mind works and that’s 

how I have discovered so much – through my own 

naivety of not knowing how things work, so I try it. 

And that’s how I’ve come up with what I do. Like 

when I was vacuum bagging with that polyurethane 

glue, the guy that I bought the glue from said, ‘We 

sell this all over the world in the boat industry but 

I’ve never heard of anyone vacuum bag with it.’ He 

said, ‘What made you do that?’ I said ‘I didn’t know 

you couldn’t do that!’ You know, because I’ve never 

glassed a board and never wanted to because it’s 

messy and it’s chemistry and if you have a failure 

it’s a f*ck up. I leave that to people who have that 

experience.” 

In short, Grant’s experimentation lead to his 

subsequent discoveries. 

“The other thing is that lots of people that deal with 

wood use epoxy. But I mean, we’re dealing with a 

really light soft timber in paulownia and epoxy is 

hard! You already have two conflicting materials 

that you have to try and work with. It just makes it 

even harder whereas this glue is so easy to use and 

it’s stronger than any timber.” 

35


wooden board day in Spain 

36


more of Grant’s shape in foam and wood veneer 

37


Grant’s approach was essentially replicated in 

Firewire’s range of Timbertek surfboards. Indeed, 

he became a consultant to Firewire assisting them 

with the production of their Timbertek range. It is a 

far cry from when Grant first started crafting hollow 

wooden surfboards from ribs and spars. 

“It doesn’t take long and I think other people have 

realised, in fact a lot more have realised now, that 

building a wooden surfboard with a frame - 70% of 

it IS the frame. Now if that’s not right (the frame), 

the finished product will never be right and you 

can’t fix it because IT IS the structure and all you 

have got to do is put the skin on and that’s it.” 

Grant contends that too much time is spent 

building the actual surfboard rather than shaping 

and refining its rails and contours. Rocker tables for 

these hollow wooden boards take even longer than 

the boards themselves he adds. 

“At the end of the day, the frame, all it’s doing is 

holding the top and the bottom apart and it’s giving 

you the profile for your concaves or whatever you 

want, and that’s its sole purpose. When it’s covered 

in wood, nobody really knows what’s inside. So, 

if you can shape a blank and put the timber on, 

you’ve negated 75% of your time. 

“When you start with a piece of foam, you know 

what the finished thing is minus whatever you’re 

going to add to the outside, whereas if you start 

with a big long stick as a stringer and a bunch of 

bloody ribs and spars, you don’t know what it looks 

like until it’s like too late, and there’s no way of 

modifying it. Polystyrene foam is still recyclable and 

it became a no brainer for me. And if you are going 

to do it (shape surfboards) to make money, it takes 

less time, so the end product is more profitable.” 

To restate the surfboard construction process 

Grant now undertakes, he first starts with shaping 

an extruded polysterene blank then vacuum bags 

a 5mm Paulownia timber skin (depending on the 

board being shaped) using only a polyurethane 

glue to bond the two together. The surface is then 

simply sealed with a varnish or lanolin. 

“The thickness of the skin depends on the 

polystyrene. I now use the blue extruded 

polystyrene and it is as hard as hell - totally 

different characteristics to normal polystyrene in 

that there’s no beads and it doesn’t suck in any 

water – and with that I only put a 2mm skin on. 

“Then if you want to talk recycled polystyrene, 

we have a company here on the Gold Coast, 

Polystyrene Solutions, they make polystyrene from 

scratch, cut it up and use it for marina berths inside 

pontoons, and then they put the leftover bits back 

into the mould with virgin beads and add heat and 

steam and fuse all that together. So that’s recycled 

without even leaving the same building. I don’t think 

anybody else that we know of does that anywhere 

in the world. People talk about recycled but it’s 

such a small percentage whereas this is more like 

80 to 90%.” 

Rail wise I noted Grant had been using cork as well 

as paulownia recently. 

“Good quality cork, the beauty of it is that it has no 

structure. So, it is easy to put on and shape and 

repair. But because it has no structure, it doesn’t 

bring anything to the party whereas if you use 

paulownia you are creating a parabolic stringer. 

“Finish wise I use a variety of different methods; 

lanolin, water based varnishes, indeed lots of 

products are evolving that don’t have any VOCs 

(volatile organic compounds). So yeah, they’re a lot 

less toxic and they’re way easier to use. It makes 

life easier too and you can get glues that go off in 

20 to 30 minutes. So to use all these sorts of things 

and advancements to me is a no brainer. 

“I am not having a poke at the surfboard 

manufacturers, but to say that somebody who uses 

recycled EPS blanks and epoxy resin is a gold level 

standard eco board is just bullshit. But then again, 

I / we don’t need to have what we do accredited 

by anybody else at the end of the day. Like a lot of 

people do it for validation of what they do. A lot of 

the boards we are crafting are in our actual homes 

so there’s a solid motivation to make sure they are 

safe because you are still doing them out of your 

garage.” 

Another interesting development with regards 

to Grant and his love of surfing is that he can no 

longer do it! Yep, he can’t surf! 3 years now! Get 

your head around that? 

“I only have 10% movement in my left shoulder. It’s 

been a major mental hurdle for me because a big 

chunk of my life is no more. 

“I have been to two surgeons, it is totally destroyed. 

I can get it operated on but the only outcome there 

is that I’d have no feeling in it, so it wouldn’t hurt 

anymore. And now I have a lot of arthritis in it as 

well. So that’s pretty hard. It took me a while to get 

my head around that.” 

38


photo: aaron chapman 

39


40


The hardest thing is, he can’t even body board 

because you still need your arms to paddle. 

“I can’t swim and I can’t even dive into a wave with 

both arms out in front of me because one of them 

doesn’t go out in front of me. People say, ‘what 

about Bethany Hamilton?’ Yeah, well I’m 63 and 

weigh 125 kilos, so you know, the situation’s a bit 

different. 

“I must admit it did kill my passion. So, I didn’t 

make a lot of boards initially because I lost a bit of 

motivation. Plus, I didn’t have that outlet from work 

and that headspace that surfing gave me – the 

enjoyment.” 

Grant’s mention of his work prompted me to ask 

how he has managed to juggle everything through 

the years. People have interests and hobbies but 

Grant takes things to a whole new level altogether. 

“Well, it’s really having the support of family and 

Jackie letting me do it as well (he laughs). I mean, 

that’s the same for all those guys in the park. You 

know, they’ve got families and other jobs and a 

couple of them are school teachers as well. For 

them they’ve been helping get school kids involved 

(in surfboard building). And to be quite honest, I 

would rather build a board with you and show you 

how to do it, then build a board and give it to you. 

“Building a surfboard like that is a journey. It’s a real 

journey in learning about yourself. We all have our 

limitations. I mean, some people couldn’t make a 

bread board out of a piece of square wood (Mark 

Chapman springs to mind). You ask yourself a lot of 

questions when you’re doing it by yourself. You’re 

limited by your time, your money, your tools, your 

family time away, the space you’ve got. I mean, I’ve 

helped guys that have built boards in an apartment 

in the middle of Berlin. They had to get mates to 

lower it out of the window because they can’t get 

it down in the lift. They made a longboard in a 

hallway in their apartment.” 

It is not just Grant’s passion for building surfboards 

that has caught my attention. Upon attending 

the recent Wooden Surfboard Show & Ride day, 

I was taken aback by the overall willingness of 

board builders to share their trials, tribulations and 

successes with one another. 

“That’s what’s advanced it.” 

Consequently, I questioned whether this lack of 

sharing had hobbled the advancement of surfboard 

design and construction in the commercial 

surfboard building industry to a degree. 

“Absolutely. I shared what I was doing and that 

is how Firewire found out about it. Then they 

approached me and said, ‘we’ve been looking for 

this and what you’ve been doing has been staring 

us in the face the whole time.’ Because they would 

try to add all sorts of other substrates and carbon 

rods and all sorts of things to get the feeling they 

wanted in their surfboards and wood was a no 

brainer. That became their Timbertek finish. 

“And I believe they would say that development 

was a big driver to getting Kelly (Slater) involved 

with Firewire as well - the eco side of things - 

because that’s a big passion of his. So, it’s nice 

to be involved with a company like that and you 

know, they’re a company that thinks totally different 

as well. A lot of people involved (in Firewire) are 

not from the surf industry. They pluck people from 

other areas of expertise to make things happen, so 

they’re a very successful and progressive company. 

It was a nice validation of what I was doing.” 

It is this notion of sharing ideas that is forwarding 

the advancement of board building in this country 

and the discovery of new processes, materials and 

techniques. 

When we started Smorgasboarder close to 10 

years ago, there seemed to be an emergence, a 

growing willingness to once again try new and 

weird and wonderful surfboard shapes, hence the 

name of our magazine. Now things seem to have 

risen to a whole new level. 

When you look back to the 60s and 70s there were 

so many shaper surfers that pushed the boundaries 

of surfboard design and fuelled the evolution of 

modern day surfboards. It then seemingly ceased 

all together. But with so many people once again 

having a go at shaping their own surfboards, 

questions around surfboard design are once again 

being asked and explored. 

“I think what you have is that people have 

once again opened their minds. People were 

like longboarders and that’s it, or shortboard 

thrusters and that’s it. Now people are riding 

everything. Look how many girls surf nowadays, 

the numbers are huge compared to 10 years ago. 

We have surfing in schools, heaps and heaps of 

surf schools. There are still people who only surf 

white shortboards and they have 6 of them all 

within millimetres of each other and think they all 

surf totally different, the poor bastards. But then 

you have those that want to try this and that and 

something else. 

41


photo: shane macgregor 

“But you will get guys who surf white surfboards 

and they go, ‘I like that but I don’t think it will fit in 

my car?’ And my reply is, ‘Do you want to surf it 

or f*#kin take it for a drive?’ Or they will speak at 

length as to how they want the rails and then you 

see them waxing their rail so they can grab it when 

they duck dive, talk about hydrodynamics and they 

have a tail pad at the back. It’s interesting how 

some people’s minds tick.” 

So, what next? What’s next in store for Grant 

Newby? 

“My approach hasn’t been the eco thing at all, but 

when you look at alternative materials, that’s kind of 

the materials that you end up with because they’re 

easy to use and easy to get a hold of. They’re 

quite adaptable to different processes and they’re 

friendly to work with. It becomes a bit of a no 

brainer. And so the whole thing with my approach 

is, what is the simplest way of doing what we need 

to do? Because the first thing when you go to build 

a wooden board is that people end up overbuilding 

it and have this massive heavy thing that you could 

probably park a car on. It’s a matter of simplifying 

it, but also trying different things. People say, ‘how 

do you know that happens?’ Well I cut it in half and 

had a look, how else would I know, otherwise you 

are only guessing. You’ve got to try things and keep 

trying things. I sort of have a collective between 

myself and Sergi in Barcelona and Philippe in Brazil 

and Tom (Wegener) and myself and these other 

guys in Spain as well. We chat and share emails 

and share ideas and try different things and it kind 

of speeds up the process. You know, some of them 

are doing it full time and for others it is side thing. 

42


“I think that is what is at times frustrating for Tom 

(Wegener). I get people asking me questions all 

the time and I share it. With Tom, it’s his job, it’s 

his business, so he can’t go telling everybody 

everything because that’s what he has to make his 

money out of. I don’t think some people understand 

that. That’s the difference between him and me 

but he and I share stuff. We keep pushing the 

boundaries and so you don’t really know what’s 

around the corner because you don’t know what 

new things you’ll find, and a lot of that stuff is 

staring you right in the face. You just never thought 

outside the box far enough to grab it and give it a 

go. 

“You know, this time last year when I was 

sitting in the park with Sergi in Spain we said, 

there’s probably more people sitting in this park 

thinking about the surf industry and ecology and 

sustainability then the whole rest of the world in the 

surf industry, and we all do this for fun. The harsh 

reality is that the surf industry doesn’t spend a 

lot of money because there isn’t a lot of money in 

surfboards anymore.” 

And Grant’s final words on surfboard design… 

“The only way to find out how something goes is to 

have a go. And so, what you’ll find is those people 

in the park are the people that are willing to have a 

go. Because there’s lots of people who go, ‘Oh that 

looks good, but how do you do it? Well, have a go 

and then you will find out how to do it. And if you’re 

having a go, there’s plenty of people to help you 

along the way. You don’t have to scratch your head 

at night by yourself.” 

43


44


GYMPIE 

family values 

You’ve heard the old saying of “do what you love 

and you’ll never work a day in your life?” 

It’s so not true. As anyone who actually ‘does what 

they love’ for a living will know, you usually work 

twice as hard as the average Joe, but you wouldn’t 

give up following your dreams for the world… 

When it comes to following dreams and setting up 

shop as Flipside Skate & Ride, the Bishop family 

had their path well and truly laid. Of course it was 

going to be a skate and bike shop. How many 

people do you know that are committed enough to 

have their own concrete skatepark built at home? 

Joel and his wife Kylie decided to put their love of 

skateboarding, BMX riding and skate culture into 

the launch of a brand new store in the main street 

of Gympie, just north of the Sunshine Coast in 

Queensland. While it’s bold enough to commit to a 

physical retail space in today’s ‘clicks-not-bricks’ 

landscape, opening Flipside was about much more 

than the shop. 

“We wanted to have an old-school meeting place 

for skaters and bike riders to hang out,” says Kylie. 

“But we also wanted it to be a place where mums 

and dads would be comfortable to come in and 

shop for the up-and-coming little shredders… Just 

friendly, inclusive and not ‘too cool’.” 

Thanks to Flipside opening this November, people 

around the Gympie area now have their own local 

spot to get all the high quality gear for the new 

Gympie Youth Precinct Skate Park - a $2.8 million 

development including skate bowls, a skate plaza 

and pump track - without having to travel to the 

city, or buy unseen online. 

Having a healthy family of their own, Joel and Kylie 

are all about the kids, as well as building the local 

scene and community. 

“We want kids to get involved, love being involved 

and stay involved!” says Kylie. 

“We want kids to get involved, love being 

involved and stay involved!” 

45


the new Youth Precinct 

photo gympie regional council 

friends of flipside 

skater: @ashar__b_ 

46


flipside tent at the launch of the new Youth Precinct 

flipside store 55 Mary St, Gympie 

“We have existing relationships with non-profit 

organisations such as Skate-aid and we plan to 

activate the skatepark through mentoring, teaching, 

encouraging and introducing new youth into the world 

of skate and BMX. Keep the park active! 

“Skate and BMX is a culture we want to nurture and grow 

as a life for our kids and the community - everything from 

the family values to the punk music... the freedom .. The 

new youth precinct will be a space we can all enjoy and 

come together as one, and Flipside will be a pillar of that 

support.” 

Sometimes things were just meant to be. For the Bishops. 

Flipside Skate & Ride is that thing. 

Flipside Skate & Ride is open at 55 Mary Street Gympie. Stocking 

brands like Vans, Santa Cruz, Spitfire Wheels, Independent 

Trucks, Envy Scooters, S1 Helmets and more. 

flipside skate & ride 

flipsideskate.com.au 

47


heads up 

All readers of Smorgasboarder know our love for 

waves and Noosa is only matched by our love for 

beer. Hell yes, it is always good to celebrate a good 

session with another good session. Keep the good 

times rolling. 

With that all said, there is an independently 

Australian owned craft brewery located in Noosa 

that you need to know about, if you are not already 

aware of it, and it goes by the name Heads of 

Noosa Brewing Co. 

It was founded by two brothers, Lance and Craig, 

and the company has a real sense of family about 

it that extends throughout the entire team. The 

boys have a true passion for lagers and a focus 

on quality, striving to produce enjoyable beers for 

everyone. It’s been close to a decade in the making 

but the dream finally came to fruition in 2019. 

It’s been said that their beers are inspired by the 

nearby rocky headlands of Noosa Heads. “East 

facing, the Heads stand upright to the full force 

of Mother Nature and the unbridled swell of the 

magnificent Pacific Ocean. It’s their very nature 

to craft these swells into one of Australia’s finest 

breaks. Our nature and passion is to craft raw 

natural ingredients into some of Australia’s finest 

beers that are truly enjoyable time after time.” 

So, what’s the verdict? They are brewing some 

ripper amber nectar. Focusing on predominantly 

malt-forward lagers, the beers will appeal to a wide 

range of people. The Heads of Noosa Japanese 

48


Lager at 4.5% wins the popularity contest hands 

down, even with the ladies! This beer is 100% 

Australian and is only Japanese in style using a 

blend of malt and rice for the grain bill. 

Filtered, the Japanese Lager looks as good as it 

tastes. We however have a special place in our 

hearts for their Summer Dusk, a 4.8% Amber Lager 

that has picked up two gold medals in 2019 alone. 

Malt forward, with subtle caramel notes, lightly dry 

hopped and filtered, this beer is full of flavour and 

goes down way too easy. The brewery certainly 

lives up to its motto of ‘Just Exceptional Beer.’ 

The boys have also been active in supporting the 

local surf scene, which is great to see. In the short 

time Heads of Noosa has been operating, they’ve 

partnered with a number of surfing competitions, 

exhibitions and board shapers. Heads of Noosa 

were the naming sponsor for the 2019 Noosa 

Logger, hosting events at the Taproom and of 

course supplying beer! Recently they worked with 

local legend and former world champion Josh 

Constable to create a custom 9ft long board for a 

promotion at the Noosa Heads Surf Club, which 

was a hit with the locals. They also allowed the 

brewery floor to be converted into an art gallery 

to exhibit surf art as part of the Soleart Surf Art 

Expo, an official event on the Noosa Festival of 

Surfing calendar. They’ll be hosting the expo again 

for the 2020 festival, working with organiser Owen 

Cavanagh (another local legend) to go bigger and 

better. 

49


6 questions for curl 

words: dave swan 

Now we know what you are thinking, why 6 

questions? Isn’t it usually 5? Well you’re correct but 

at Smorgasboarder we are always keen to give you 

more than you expect. So without further adieu, 

here’s our 6 questions with Curl. 

But wait, you first have a question? Who is Curl? 

Regular readers of Smorgasboarder will by now 

hopefully have come to know, and hopefully love, 

unless they’re completely devoid of humour, the 

politically-incorrect, crusty, old school, hippiebogan-bludger 

called Aloha Barry that graces our 

inside back cover and has done so for the past 8 

years. 

The incredible wit behind Aloha Barry is a very dear, 

good friend of ours called Darren Marks who also 

goes by the name Curl. 

Well…. let’s first address the elephant in the room. 

There’s some truly sick humour going on in your 

Aloha Barry cartoons. What brain injury did you 

sustain to have a mind that thinks like yours? 

Well, thank you very much. I don’t know where it’s 

sort of come from. It’s probably the company I keep 

to tell you the truth. I suppose it’s a bit of a mixture 

of different people that I know from down this way. 

I think every community’s got them really haven’t 

they? Those slightly eccentric individuals. 

50


Some readers are possibly unaware you live on 

Phillip Island down in Victoria. I was thinking it 

was perhaps one too many ice-cream headaches 

surfing in those parts that messed you up? 

Yeah, it could be. You’ve got to sort of wonder why 

you do live in this cold area of the world. But um, 

you just get to know the people that you’re hanging 

around with, those that you are drawn towards, the 

nuttier people. 

So, tell us about Barry. You started “creating” 

Aloha Barry (I guess that is what you arty-farty 

people would call it) for our awesome magazine 

way back in 2012. I believe you shopped it around 

to everyone else first and we were a fall back? 

I think the first couple of Barrys I did was for a 

magazine called Coast down here. But that need 

to draw, you know, the ego fulfilling feeling of 

being published in a magazine basically lead me 

to you guys. I was keen to do a bigger form of 

the cartoon and I was drawn to your magazine 

(Smorgasboarder) and the fact you guys appeared 

to be a little rough around the edges. And obviously 

the money you pay too was a large draw card 

(laughing). 

So, way back then did you think you had struck it 

rich? 

Ohh yes mate. It was like I had struck a rich vein of 

gold. It just never stops giving back to me I tell ya. 

Are you disappointed some 8 years on that you 

still don’t own that villa in the Maldives we 

promised? No doubt you understand it is simply 

due to the fluctuating exchange rate? 

I’ve learnt to go without a few things being 

a cartoonist. It is not the most profitable of 

professions. I guess it is just one of those things 

you do. Well, that’s what I keep telling myself. I 

don’t know why I do it to tell you the truth. Why do 

I do it? 

So I am kind of guessing, the first time you met 

both Mark and myself was no doubt a bit of a life 

changing experience for you? Do you find more 

people swipe left or right nowadays? 

A life changing experience, like sorta herpes or 

dementia? It has had an effect on me for sure. 

In one of your cartoons, your alter ego Aloha 

Barry mentioned he wanted to milk the surf scene 

like a cow. I was curious to know how that worked 

out for you and whether that is part of the reason 

you are now a vegan? A lack of milk? It’s kind of 

ironic, given you were once a milkman. 

‘Vegan’ is a very touchy subject. I am not that 

disciplined. It’s a pretty big commitment. I am 

probably a bit more of a lackadaisical vegetarian 

really. The cartoon though probably came about 

and was inspired by you and Mark’s blatant greed - 

the exploitation of poor cartoonists. 

So, getting back on to the plant-based diet, vego 

thing, the whole not eating animals bit, is that a 

karma thing? You know, you don’t eat animals in 

the hope one of those big friggin’ white pointers 

in your parts down there isn’t going to eat you in 

return? 

It’s part of it I guess. 

I mean fairs fair though, he’s not going to mistake 

you for a seal is he? An aquatic giraffe perhaps? 

(For those unaware, Curl is 7’10”) 

I’m 6’8”. I’m a little on the taller side but could still 

probably pass for a very sickly seal. 

So finally, what’s life like as an artist? Is it all 

lattes and berets as they say, and how many berets 

do you own incidentally? 

No berets funny enough. 

It is just something I do for a bit of fun. It’s not as 

though it is something I can count on to put my 

kids through school, or feed my dog for that matter. 

It is just that creative outlet. Having that twisted 

sense of humour, it is good to let it out every now 

and again rather than have that bottled up! 

Now I know what you were thinking, that was way 

more than 6 questions. Well, you’re probably right 

but we were pissing ourselves too much to care. 

To hear more of this cracking interview 

go to the Smorgasboarder podcast. 

smorgasboarder.com.au/podcast 

itunes spotify buzzsprout 

I don’t know. I was impressed by what you guys 

were doing. The spirit of the magazine, and I do 

say this genuinely, I think the spirit of the magazine 

was right. I think it just sorta suited a lot of people 

and their experience with surfing. You know, not 

everyone is trying to be a pro surfer. 

51


surfer: riley thomson 

photo: andy carruthers 

classic malibu 

Peter White (the owner of Classic Malibu) has been 

making surfboards of all sizes for over 50 years. 

He has gone through shortboards and those retro years 

(before it was retro) and is now revered as one of the best 

longboard shapers in the world. 

After a tumultuous 5 years, having his factory burn down 

and moving several times, Classic Malibu have a new 

site which is conveniently located next to a craft brewery 

in Noosaville, Queensland. Peter can be found there 

shaping most days. 

Classic Malibu have some excellent tried and true 

models which are regularly surfed on the world longboard 

circuit and over the past 5 years have dominated with 

2 world champions and a dozen excellent surfers riding 

Peter’s shapes. However, he is always coming up with 

new designs and is happy to chat about what board suits 

the individual surfer best. 

There are no airs and graces about the boards people 

should be riding. Whether it be a log, performance shape 

or something in between. There are no rules, just what 

will work the best for each individual surfer. Offering 

a totally custom service using the best materials, the 

boards are of the highest standard. 

The showroom has a selection of stock boards which 

showcase some designs and excellent quality that 

Classic Malibu insists on. They also have a great 

selection of 2nd hand boards which have been traded 

for new, together with accessories, and their own T-shirt 

designs, only available online or at the store. 

52


photo: kirra molnar 

surfer: kathryn in taiwan 

photo: andy carruthers 

photo: kirra molnar 

classic malibu 

37 Project Ave, Noosaville, 

Queensland, Australia 

+61 07 547 43122 | info@classicmalibu.com 

classicmalibu.com 

53


QUARRY BEACH 

SURFBOARDS 

75 David Street, 

Caversham, Dunedin NZ 

P: +64 3 455 7414 

M: +64 27 518 8678 

E: grahamcarse@xtra.co.nz 

QBSURFBOARDS.COM 

CLASSIC FISH 

5’8” x 21 ⅜” x 2 ⅜” 

Our modern take on a 

design classic. Speed to 

burn and insane amounts 

of drive and hold, this Fish 

delivers maximum fun in a 

wide variety of conditions. 

Hand crafted in sunny 

Gisborne, New Zealand, 

Red Leaf custom make 

sustainable surf craft in a 

variety of construction types 

as well as offering ‘Build 

Your Own’ workshops. 

OKE SURFBOARDS 

1/1-7 Canterbury Rd, Braeside, VIC 

P: 03 9587 3553 

E: rory@okesurfboards.com 

okesurfboards.com 

RED LEAF SURFBOARDS 

W: redleafsurfboards.com 

I: @redleafsurf 

F: @redleafsurf 

54


Custom shortboards, 

hybrid & fishes, 

mals & logs. 

Full repair service. 

WORLD CLASS AUSTRALIAN MADE 

SURFBOARDS AT AFFORDABLE PRICES. 

DBURGE SURFBOARDS 

Factory 3/6 Kerta Rd, 

Kincumber NSW 2251 

M: 0415 577 085 

55


After an 18 month hiatus, soul arch surfboards is back from 

01/01/2020 with a totally new product based primarily around 

recycled timber with a build method to suit all budgets and ethics 

based around making a sustainable product for years of enjoyment. 

SOUL ARCH SURFBOARDS 

M: 0404 348 131 

E: enquiries@soularchsurfboards.com 

Insta: @soularchsurfboards 

Facebook: soularchsurf 

THE DING KING / CLARK 

SURFBOARDS 

Units 3/4, 9 Chapman Road, 

Hackham, SA 

E: leightonclark01@yahoo.com.au 

M: 0422 443 789 

THE NOSERIDER 

The NOSERIDER 

features a parallel 

style outline, flipped 

tail, concave under the 

nose and 60/40 rails. 

Set your line, get to 

the nose and enjoy 

the view. 

6’2 x 19 ¾” x 2 ¾” A modern single fin for waves from 2-5 feet. Wide 

point forward with great thickness under the chest for easy paddling. 

Single flyers just behind the fin to loosen up the tail. Rolled vee bottom 

feeding into double concaves. Custom mural by our artist Marc. 

Available as a custom order in all sizes. Shipped Australia wide. 

NMC SURFBOARDS 

Barwon Heads, Victoria 

M: 0438 800 539 

E: nmcsurf@bigpond.com 

BLACK SQUARE SURFBOARDS 

M: 0407 604 753 

E: info@blacksquaresurfboards.com.au 

BLACKSQUARESURFBOARDS.COM.AU 

56


5’2” 

A Hughies surfboard will outlast any normal fibreglass surfboard by 

years. The performance of a Hughies will also match the performance 

of other surfboards but the boards will continue to look immaculate for 

years to come. This is to the use of high density eps foam, paulownia 

timber and dense cork. You are making a difference by purchasing a 

more environmentally friendly surfboard. 

HUGHIES 

P: 0401 928 754 

Insta: @hughiesboards 

HUGHIESBOARDS.COM 

A noserider with some 

adjustments like a 

wider pod to be able 

to perch for longer 

noserides, and tail 

deck tail concave to 

lock and hold into 

the wave. Features a 

deep nose concave. 

6’10” x 20 ½” x 2 ⅝” 

Schnaveler 

CLEARWATER SURFBOARDS 

M: 0417 912 207 

E: stevedelrosso@yahoo.com.au 

Insta: @cwsurfboards 

WWW.CWSURFBOARDS.COM 

CHRIS GARRETT SHAPES / PHANTOM 

SURFBOARDS 

M: 0424 450 690 

E: phantomsurfboards@gmail.com 

W: chrisgarrettshapes.com.au 

Custom surfboards, contact Chris or see 

On Board Byron Bay for stock boards 

57


Different strokes for different folks. 

I make surfboards specifically tailored 

to the rider not carbon copy cut-outs. 

Talk to me about your next custom. 

Shortboards through to longboards and 

everything in between. 

RABBIDGE SURF DESIGNS 

P: 02 4456 4038 

M: 0427 767 176 

E: markrab88@gmail.com 

The Lady Mustard 

9’4” x 23” x 3” 

Incorporating elements of 

design from the involvement 

period, The Lady Mustard is an 

allrounder. Features a slightly 

pulled in nose, hips just behind 

centre, smooth consistent 

rocker nose to tail combined 

with a pinched foiled rail. Subtle 

concave running through the 

front end, makes for a great 

nose rider. However, these are 

a versatile board and great for 

those looking for a new log that 

caters for more than just nose 

riding. Comfortable in tight 

hollow point waves and short 

punchy beach breaks. It’s a 

must have in any quiver. 

Available for order in 

8’10” to 10’6” 

Custom made chambered wooden surfboards made from locally 

and sustainably grown Paulownia 

OCEAN STREET SHAPES 

Specialising in logs, mid-lengths 

and twin fins. 

M: 0420 351 286 

E: oceanstreetcreative89@gmail.com 

Insta: Ocean Street Shapes 

MORGAN WOOD SURFBOARDS 

P: 0413 393 630 

E: tyronmorgan@outlook.com 

MORGANWOODSURFBOARDS.COM 

58


RON WADE 

8 Angorra Road, Terrey Hills, Sydney NSW 

M: 0410 443 776 

E: info@ronwadesurfboards.com.au 

RONWADESURFBOARDS.COM.AU 

STOP PRESS! UP TO 60% OFF! 

HURRY! CLEARANCE SALE ON ALL STOCK BOARDS - 

THESE ARE THE CURRENT MODELS AVAILABLE 

Longboards, Mini mals, Fishes, (short to mid length) and Shortboards. Over 50 boards 

to choose from. Tri-fins & Quads. All boards must be sold, so now is the time to get a 

bargain. Est. 1967. Celebrating 52 years of designing and shaping experience. 

photo: steve rigney 

59


tatini art 

words: alex benaud 

Tatini Art was born on the Mediterranean coast just 

outside of the vibrant, bustling capital city of Rome 

in Italy. Matteo and Giulia’s desire to share their 

love for the ocean and nature is beautifully depicted 

through their clever use of recycled timber offcuts 

from a local window making factory. 

Born, raised and currently residing in one of the 

world’s most famous and historically important 

cities, Matteo Ciofi and Giulia Tatarella began 

surfing for a way to escape the daily pressures of 

life and to feel closer to nature, something they are 

both very respectful of. 

Italy is perhaps not the first destination that comes 

to mind when thinking of your next surfing trip, 

but as the sport becomes increasingly popular 

worldwide, it’s not as strange as it was 10 years 

ago to hear that there are so many passionate 

surfers there. 

“I clearly remember the adrenaline buzz of hitting 

the waves for the first time, so fresh, so free.” 

Recounts Giulia when quizzed about how she had 

come to discover surfing. 

“Matteo has surfed for many years, his first time 

was on a borrowed surfboard from a German that 

was sitting nearby on the beach. After that he was 

hooked so much that when he returned to Italy he 

saved enough money until he could afford one of 

his own.” 

And boards aren’t cheap in Italy! 

Both have been lucky enough to find flexible jobs 

that allow them surf and work on their Tatini Art 

project that sees them travel to various markets 

around Italy, sharing their love and passion in 

a sustainable and eco-friendly manner. Now 

expanding with stickers, key-rings and clothing 

items, it won’t be long until the infectious Tatini Art 

arrives down under to remind us why we all fell in 

love with surfing. 

tatiniart 

60


“I clearly remember the 

adrenaline buzz of hitting 

the waves for the first 

time, so fresh, so free.” 

61


onboard 

an exhibition of creative talent, 

with a boardriding bias! 

words: jase johns 

For me, one of life’s little fascinations is seeing 

or experiencing people’s hidden talents. Add to 

that the creation of an expressive environment, 

in which gifted individuals blossom and flourish, 

it is both inspirational and massively satisfying. 

For those of us who like ‘standing sideways’, our 

Boardriding Community – be it, surf, snow, skate or 

whatever – the flair, passion and creative aptitude is 

unprecedented. 

Earlier this year, my partner (Tamara) and I had the 

priviledge of facilitating the second generation of 

NZSHRED’s Recycled Snowboard Art Exhibition 

in Queenstown … under the working name, 

“OnBoard”. 

A Not-For-Profit event, and with the help of some 

quality local business sponsors, we drew on the 

talents in our regional community to showcase 

what can often be ‘hidden just under the surface’. 

With the direction to donate all proceeds to two 

hardworking regional organisations (one, a group 

dealing with family and mental issues, and the 

other, the newly established Rescue Helicopter 

service) – what was achieved was truly inspirational. 

To see their faces, as they walked through the 

gallery rooms full of art pieces … pulling up beside 

their own, with a rye smile and a worthy sense of 

self-acknowledgement made it all worthwhile. 

Boardriders are passionate – we all know that. 

We want that next sunset wave or that epic pow 

day. Sometimes, there’s a little something that 

shines a light, and lets us see what we had no idea 

was there! This was and is, an exhibition for the 

community, by the community! This was a chance 

to use business to collate and congregate … to 

bring people together and to understand, “We are 

all more than just what appears on the surface!” 

Nick Haprov (Artist & NZSHRED Ambassador), Tamara 

Cummins & Jase John (NZSHRED “OnBoard” Organisers). 

62


OnBoard Recycled Snowboard Exhibition, held at Queenstown Arts Centre. 

63


support the grassroots 

surf directory 

music 

bronze age commeth 

In some ways it is terrible to describe 

a band as sounding similar to another 

because they are all unique in their own 

right. However, in doing so it does assist 

to give the prospective listener a sense of 

the style of music the said band plays. 

Well in the case of Bronze Age, these 

incredibly talented young musicians from 

the Sunshine Coast (all under 20 years 

of age) have a sound reminiscent of early 

Red Hot Chilli Peppers with a little Led 

Zeppelin thrown in. They have the stage 

presence and swagger, cool vocals, a 

lead guitar belting out incredible riffs, 

phenomenal bass guitar and a female 

version of Chad Smith on drums, albeit 

way better looking. 

They have only been together a few 

months but have already scored a huge 

number of gigs on the Sunshine Coast 

and Brisvegas and are developing quite a 

following including yours truly. Expect big, 

big things from this band in the coming 

months. 

your original surf shop - packed full of the best gear 

Celebrating great customer service along with the latest surf gear 

and fashion for 44 years and going strong. 

T7, 119 Princes Highway, Woolworths Centre, Ulladulla 

P: (02) 4454 4904 

Instagram: @southernmansurf 

southernman.com.au 

tried and trusted blanks 

Family owned and run for the past 56 years, our consistency is the 

best in the world. Our blanks come in a multitude of different lengths, 

rockers and weights. We also have an extensive variety of timber 

stringers of varying widths. And we have all the shaping tools you 

need to make a board from scratch! 

5 Stewart Road, Currumbin Qld 

P: 07 5534 3777 burfordblanksaustralia.com.au 

flipside skate & ride 

A real down-to-earth skateboarding and BMX shop in Gympie, QLD. 

We stock all the best brands - Vans, Santa Cruz, Spitfire Wheels, 

Independent Trucks, Envy Scooters, S1 Helmets and more. Drop in 

for gear, apparel, advice and old-school service. 

55 Mary Street, Gympie QLD 4570 

w. flipsideskate.com.au 

Instagram: @flipsideskate Facebook: flipsideskate 

64


the heart of the surf community 

coolest spot in town 

A front row seat to beautiful Lyall Bay, Wellington’s top surf spot and 

the best brunch around! 

Located at Lyall Bay in Wellington. Opened 7am – 5pm 

maranuicafe.co.nz 

the board shop 

New Zealand’s Surf Specialists – The Board Shop has been at 

the cutting edge of hi-tech epoxy surfboard, longboard and SUP 

technology for over 20 years. Drop in or check them out online. 

49 Barrys Point Rd, Takapuna, Auckland 

P: +64 9 486 0930 | theboardshop.co.nz 

blanks 

cloth 

resin 

shaping tools 

shop online . nz wide delivery 

raglan surf emporium 

Clothing, wetsuits, surfboards, surfboard and wetsuit rentals. 

Open 7 days 9am – 5pm 

3 Wainui Rd, Raglan 

P: +64 7 282 0018 E: info@raglansurfemporium.com 

raglansurfemporium.com 

sadhana surfboards 

Everything for the board shaper from backyarder to pro. Full range 

of PU and EPS blanks. Polyester and water clear epoxy laminating 

resins. Shaping, sanding and glassing tools. Custom boards, repairs, 

short and long term hires. Shop online with freighting NZ wide. 

3 Garlands Road, Woolston, Christchurch 8023 

P: +64 (3) 389 5611 | sadhanasurfboards.com 

surfing accessories 

We have Australia’s hottest new surfing accessories to keep you 

in the surf longer. Our innovative products can help you enjoy the 

surf and outdoors even more and provide you with protection and 

comfort as you follow your passion! Stockists of H2Odyssey webbed 

gloves and X-STING-WISH®IT. Organic sting relief. 

seeyououtthere.com.au 

for your culinary delights 

The Rivermouth General Store. Great coffee + speciality teas, 

gourmet food, fresh juices, smoothies, art, awesome vibe, surfing 

stories + the floor is worth reading. 

101 Sunpatch Parade, Tomakin Nsw 

Instagram: @therivermouth 

Facebook: The Rivermouth General Store 

65


support the grassroots 

sup centre 

Life’s better standing up. A one stop 

shop for everything SUP with the best 

brands, range, prices and expertise. With 

access to all the major SUP brands in NZ, 

through a nationwide delivery service. 

20 Melrose Street, Newmarket, NZ 

P: +64 9 520 3366 

supcentre.co.nz 

we are a core surf shop. 

Just up from Fitzroy Beach. 

Locally owned and operated. 

Surfboards and wetsuits. 

New and used. Repair and hire gear. 

Located at 39 Beach St, Fitzroy/New 

Plymouth, NZ 

Ph: (06) 7580 400 

surfboards designed and shaped 

by mike jolly 

Full repair service. Rentals, surfing gear 

and good advice. 

122 Seaview Road, Piha Beach NZ 

P: +64 9 812 8723 

pihasurf@xtra.co.nz 

preece’s surf shop 

Plenty of new and used surfboards, 

bodyboards, wetsuits, clothing and 

accessories. The only surf shop right on 

the coast. Open 7 days. 

159 Esplanade, Port Noarlunga Sth, SA 

P: 08 8386 0404 

preece-sthport-surf.com.au 

brunswick surf shop 

Chock full of awesome threads, sunnies, 

surf and skate accessories, Therapy, 

Matt Hurworth and RA Hand Shaped 

Surfboards to have the locals frothing. 

1/12 The Terrace, Brunswick Heads NSW 

P: 02 6685 1283 

brunswicksurf.com.au 

alkali adorn 

Beautifully handcrafted artisan jewellery 

with rustic unpolished silver, shells and 

precious stones to create one-of-a-kind 

pieces. Inspired by the surf and the 

natural wonders of the sea. 

Instagram: @alkaliadorn 

for 

more 

enquiries 

new zealand 

jiff morris 

jeff@smorgasboarder.co.nz 

0220 943 913 

australia 

tami argaman 

tami@smorgasboarder.com.au 

0466 439 330 


66

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