SB_issue51_digital

2021
smorgasboarder
#51
SURF
magazine
We’ve got boards galore, getaway shacks,
coastal art, photography and more.

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CONTENTS
#51
2021
24
46
36
84
12 comps + news
18 controversy
20 stuff
24 island time
36 OCEAN IMAGERY
46 BOARD SENSELESS
78 INTO THE WILD
88 gear
98 aloha barry
smorgasboarders
Editorial | Dave Swan
dave@smorgasboarder.com.au
0401 345 201
Editorial | Geoff Crockett
geoff@smorgasboarder.com.au
0413 988 333
Advertising | Simon Cross
simon@smorgasboarder.com.au
0413 698 630
New Zealand | Jiff Morris
jeff@smorgasboarder.co.nz
0220 943 913
South Australia | Jimmy Ellis
james@smorgasboarder.com.au
0410 175 552
Design | Horse & Water Creative
mark, kate, val, jimbo, helen, taylah
mark@horseandwater.com.au
Accounts | Louise Gough
louise@smorgasboarder.com.au
2021
#51
smorgasboarder
SURF
magazine
We’ve got boards galore, getaway shacks,
coastal art, photography and more.
our cover
Island Surfboard’s Sandy Ryan.
Cover photo by: Andy Chisholm
FB: andychizphotographics
Insta: andychiza
get involved
Stories, photos, ideas, new and
interesting surf-related stuff you
want to share? drop us a line on
editorial@smorgasboarder.com.au
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Smorgasboarder is published by Huge C Media PTY LTD ABN 30944673055. All information is correct at time of going to press. The publication cannot
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photo: lime light creative studios
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Rider: Jeremie Bernard
Courtesy of CLOUD IX SURFFOILS
... there are just so many developing, morphing and
emerging board “sports”, for want of a better word,
that we thought, let’s bloody explore them all -
every imaginable board sport. After all, that’s what
smorgasboarding is all about – riding everything and
anything that get’s you wet.

Surfing is truly an incredible thing. The mere fact that we can
derive so much pleasure from something so many of us are
honestly pretty crap at (if we stare down the cold hard truth of
reality) is truly amazing. Imagine if it was drawing for instance and
the best you could manage after years of practice was a stick
figure. Would you still be heading out to the art studio early every
morning, putting pen to paper to draw another stickman? We
think not. And yet, so many of us embrace the ocean with open
arms no matter how foolish she may make us look or how many
beatings she delivers.
Surfing brings a smile to our dial, prompts a laugh, a bit of chat, a
holler and a hoot. Yes, it is such an incredible thing… an incredible
feeling… and once you have tried it, you just want to experience
more of it… in different places, in different conditions, and for
many of us, on different craft.
That’s what makes surfing even more addictive. Nowadays there
are just so many different types of boards and ways to enjoy a day
on the waves.
Now the reason this edition came about in particular, was a new
found obsession with foiling. Nothing like a bit of danger and
excitement to get the blood pumping... or flowing... if you happen
to fall off and slice yourself in half.
Anyhow this obsession saw us, like most things in life, do
absolutely nothing about it. I mean, how many years has it been
around? At least a few? And do those silvery sharp bits that race
along just below the surface of the water truly attract sharks?
There has been a few incidents – looks like a big mackerel I am
thinking. Nonetheless we digress, we had done nothing about
our obsession with foiling until this edition came around and it
prompted some action. We thought, let’s find out a little more
about foiling, what the setup cost is, how you can learn to ride the
thing and so on. It just looks so cool.
Well, foiling then lead us down the garden path of wing surfing.
Now, that looks super, super cool and best of all, you can
combine the two. And if that shark does come along to bite your
foil, you can simply go wooshka up in the air and fly over that big
sucker.
What this really highlighted is there are just so many developing,
morphing and emerging board “sports”, for want of a better word,
that we thought, let’s bloody explore them all - every imaginable
board sport. After all, that’s what smorgasboarding is all about –
riding everything and anything that get’s you wet. Or damp… if
you’re in the snow. Or damp with blood if you’ve tackled downhill
skateboarding or freebording.
At the end of the day, apart from some self-proclaimed ripper who
only rides a 6’0” and states all the other stuff is for kooks, we’re
not going to upset anyone, apart from that guy, and he is probably
way too cool to read this mag anyhow.
You see at Smorgasboarder, we are truly all about inclusivity
- shortboards, longboards, paddleboards, wakeboards,
skateboards, kooks, rippers, retro riders, male, female, young and
old. We’re here to celebrate all that is great about riding mother
nature, in any form. Most importantly, how would you ever know
if something is fun or not if you didn’t give it a go. So, enjoy the
edition, have a read, feel inspired, hopefully have a laugh and go
get out there and enjoy whatever you’re riding.
The Smorgasboarders

Win!
Viking Kayak
2 + 1
valued at $1199 AUD
To celebrate all things watersports with this very special
edition of Smorgasboarder, we thought it only fitting to have
some additional prize draws, none more special than this
cracking Viking Kayak from the good folks at Kayak & Sup
in Kawana. These guys are a one-stop specialist shop for
kayaks and paddle boards. You can even try before you buy
at their Sunshine Coast store or you can order direct online.
So what is up for grabs
we hear you say?
You can just picture yourself now heading off solo for a bit
of fishing, or perhaps taking a cruise with your better half,
even a paddle with the family. It really is the ideal kayak for
those wanting the versatility of a double kayak that can be
easily paddled solo too. The 3 moulded seat positions and
foot wells are designed to make sure you're comfortable in
all 3 positions. The Viking 2+1 is a double kayak that’s been
designed specifically for easy paddling as a single, double or
even as a double with a junior sitting in the middle, making it
much easier to get the whole family on the water.
Awesomely stable, the Viking 2+1 offers room and comfort
while the rounded edges and sides make this an excellent
kayak for easy re-entries during those snorkelling adventures
along the coast or when having fun in the waves.
So how do I enter?
All you have to do is tell us what it means to be a true
waterman/ waterwoman and send your entry to us at
competitions@smorgasboarder.com.au We will choose
what we believe is the best entry and publish it in our next
edition of Smorgasboarder.
Viking 2+1 includes:
2 x Propelz Ergo Seats
2 x Propelz Eco Paddles
3 hatches & two hatch buckets
2 x paddle parks
Deck grabline
Bow & Stern carry handles
2 x flush mount rod holder
Specifications: 3.9m length, 81cm width, 27kg weight,
200kg carrying capacity, Stability rating = Very stable
Things you need to know...
We’ll pick a winner on Monday January 31, 2022 so
you have plenty of time to enter. This competition is
open to Smorgasboarder readers throughout Australia
and New Zealand. It will be the winner’s responsibility
to collect their prize from Kayak & Sup at 188 Nicklin
Way, Warana, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia.
This is a game of skill – the better you describe what
it means to be a waterwoman/ waterman, the greater
your chance of winning this awesome Viking Kayak.
SB / #51 / 12

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CUSTOM FIT FOR YOUR NEEDS.
We are kayak, fishing and SUP specialists, carrying some
of the world’s most popular brands.
Our friendly, expert team can answer all your questions
and guide you to your ideal kayak or board – you’re
welcome to use the demo pool before you buy so you can
be sure it’s perfect for you.
Packages range from $399 to $4000+ so you can be sure
we have the perfect kayak or Paddleboard for you.
KAYAKANDSUP.COM
07 5437 7035
188 Nicklin Way, Warana, Sunshine Coast

comp
Win
Yep, there is even more stuff to win
in this edition of Smorgasboarder!
The legends at Ghost Racks have thankfully provided
us with ANOTHER set of their super strong, invisible
racks to give away. All you have to do to enter and
potentially win is send us an email to competitions@
smorgasboarder.com.au telling us why a surfboard, or
skateboard for that matter, is a living piece of art.
We will choose the winning entry from all the
submissions and you never know, it just could be you
staring lovingly at your beautiful board up on the wall
thanks to Ghost Racks - just like Will Furney from last
edition. Read all about the special board he is mounting
on his set of Ghost Racks he won on page 88.
Things you need to know...
We’ll pick a winner on Monday, 31 January 2022,
so make sure to flick us an email.
Open to Smorgasboarder readers worldwide. Prize
will be your choice of either a vertical or horizontal
wall rack from the Ghost Racks surf or skate range.
We will even post the racks to you at their expense!
This is a game of skill - the smarter your comment,
the better your chance. Dazzle us with your wit and
win. RACK ‘EM UP!
SB / #51 / 14

surfer_ Benny Hansen
photographer_ Michael Lester
shaper_ dburge
WORLD CLASS AUSTRALIAN MADE
SURFBOARDS AT AFFORDABLE PRICES
Custom Shortboards
Hybrid & Fishes
Mals and Logs
Factory 3/6 Kerta Rd, Kincumber NSW 2251
M: 0415 577 085

comp news
Win
Do you want wax with that?
And if the last two prizes weren’t enough, thanks to the
best surf wax in the land, Hueys Choice, we’re giving
away 24 blocks of the sticky stuff and a Hueys Choice
cap to the person who sends in the best wipeout photo.
It can be of either yourself or a mate (always funnier
when it’s not you).
Make sure we are authorised to use the photo because
it will more than likely feature in the next edition of
Smorgasboarder.
With so much bad news about the world of late there is
nothing that brings a smile to your dial like a hilarious
wipeout photo. The one featured here is of our good
mate Pat Quirk, aka “Helmet”, and it never ceases to
amuse, even though this is the third time it’s made an
appearance in our mag over the last 10 or so years.
To enter, simply send your wipeout photo to
competitions@smorgasboarder.com.au
Things you need to know...
We’ll pick a winner on Monday, 31 January 2022,
so make sure to send your funny photo in.
Open to Smorgasboarder readers worldwide.
24 block wax and cap prize pack can be one or
a mix of Hueys different wax types – cold, cool,
warm or tropical. And we will even post the wax
pack to you at their expense! This is most certainly
a game of skill, it takes a lot to wipeout with style.
SB / #51 / 16

news
Endless Surf
Surfers looking to jump on board continuously perfect waves of the artificial
variety still have some time to wait in Australia it seems.
UrbnSurf, which operates Australia’s only public Wave Pool at Tullamarine
in Melbourne, has plans for a second venue at Sydney’s Olympic Park.
The Sydney Olympic Park Business Association noted on its website that
construction began there in August this year, and UrbnSurf has listed
Summer 2022 as the likely date for first rides on the new waves.
UrbnSurf Sydney will also have a café, function room and training centre
attached.
At Yeppoon, the Surf Lake design has been active for several years now
as a research and development site for the plunger-based technology that
promises to be able to cater for up to 200 surfers at a time.
There have been several plans announced around potential tourism
accommodation to surround the park, and the last media before we went to
print suggests the opening is expected at the end of 2022.
For those on the Gold Coast the The Club Parkwood, home to the Gold
Coast Titans, has announced its intention to install an Endless Surf wave
pool as part of its future development, adding to the golf course and other
facilities already on offer.
As of November, the concept was just that, an idea to incorporate a surf
pool into a large-scale expansion including an eight storey, 222 room hotel
and apartment complex on one side of the pool, all of which is yet to be put
to Gold Coast Council for approval.
The same Endless Surf technology, which is a brand created by its designer
WhiteWater based out of Canada, has been mooted as part of a proposed
Actventure water park and 160-villa Invigorate Family Resort on the
Sunshine Coast, just up the road from Australia Zoo in Glenview.
Groundworks on the theme park and villas started in November as part of
Stage 1 of the development which is being overseen by Sanad Capital.
Sanad Capital’s managing director Bradley P. Sutherland said the surf pool
would fall within Stage 2 of the project and he was hopeful it would all be
open in December 2023 / January 2024.
Other Sunshine Coast wave pool proposals include Surf Ranch at Coolum
Beach and Surf Parks Australia’s proposal for a park using the Perfect
Swell technology at Glasshouse Mountains.
Surf Ranch has been backed by Consolidated Properties, Hutchinson
Builders and Kelly Slater Wave Systems. The proposal is for the surf pool
to be part of a large residential and tourism development likely to have
1500 homes if allowed. The project would require the State Government to
change the status of the land in the area to allow residential development
as it falls outside the current urban footprint of the Sunshine Coast. There
appears to be little movement here since August 2020.
Surf Park Australia at Glasshouse Mountains is at the stage of lodging plans
with Sunshine Coast Council with no confirmation yet of any proposed
dates for opening.
RHEMAGRAPHICS
THE ART OF
SURFING
SINCE ‘79
DIGITAL DECALS | SCREEN PRINTED DECALS
FULL BOARD DECALS | COLOUR MATCHING | INKS
E: info@rhemagraphics Ph: 07 5534 1469
Unit 1 / 7 Wheeler Crescent, Currumbin QLD 4223
www.rhemagraphics.com
17 / #51 / SB

ontroversy
As the great Andy Samberg, aka Connor4Real,
once said in his smash hit Equal Rights,
“Discrimination, it ain’t right.”
words: dave swan
Well just as it is wrong to discriminate against one’s skin
colour, height, weight, hair colour (or lack of it), sexual
orientation or more... the same applies to surfing. We have
to cease ridiculing the board sports we don’t participate
in and appreciate their appeal to the devotees. And as we
explore the myriad of board sports in this special edition of
Smorgasboarder, we hope that it provides a pathway to a
greater understanding of each discipline and the people who
partake in it and true aquatic inclusion for all. Each one of us
are surfers in our own special way.
In essence, that means if you’d like to pretend you forgot how
to stand up and lie down on a surf mat like good friend Neal
Cameron, you go get ‘em tiger. You ride those waves all the
way to the shore on your blow-up pin cushion without a care.
Never mind what other people might say. If the truth be told,
most surfers of the fibreglass board variety will be relieved
to have you in the water - you guys, girls and others have
absolutely no chance of fending off a shark with one of those
things - reportedly it gives the sharks gas and slows them
down somewhat as well, just enough anyhow for everyone
else to make their way safely to shore.
And to all those ocean janitors standing atop their trusty
12-foot rotoplastic barges with paddles in hand, the same
applies. You ride that big boy with pride. From all the way
up there it’s easier to stay out of the commotion around you.
Ignore all that screaming and
shouting as you accidentally
mow down a migrant family
visiting the seaside for the first
time. We get it. We understand.
Those things are hard to control
and accidents most certainly do
happen.
And speaking of those on high,
foiling fans: we all welcome
you and your flying Freddy
Krueger fin as you head down
the line towards us. Like a
boiled egg welcomes the
wire cutter that’s about to
separate it down into neat
salad slices... Who’s afraid of
a bit of blood?
The same applies if you’re a burnt-out shredder hasbeen
on a partially submerged shortboard with a massive
beer gut who paddles for every wave, swearing at all and
sundry for dropping in when the only wave you’re getting
is if someone gives you an almighty push. You carry that
surf rage with pride, you’ve earnt it. No one more than
you knows what it’s like to paddle for 600 waves and
catch only one. You have the right to keep paddling and
swearing incessantly.
And the longboarders, hell, I guess it’s best we leave those
guys alone for now (don’t worry, we don’t miss them later
on). They’re on their way out the door of life so just let them
experience a little joy before they catch their last wave.
Then there’s those paragons of virtue and extreme patience -
the kiteboarders who spend more time on the beach setting
up their gear than they do actually getting in the water.
Even goat-boaters with their budgie-smugglers and strap-on
hats, they’re surfers too! Ok... I might have stretched things
are little far there, but you get my drift. They’re probably
officially classified as flotsam, but they ARE part of the marine
environment too.
And that’s where it is at people. Ride what you want without
being discriminated against – simply ride the right board,
craft, plank, inflatable, pool noodle or other for the appropriate
conditions. Let’s be real: how cool are any of us anyway? It’s
not about trying to be cool, it’s about having fun.
To take a leaf from a different book... Cyclists for example:
do you think those guys shave their legs and wear full body
spandex for performance? Of course not, they do it for fun.
And society is all the richer because of them. They don’t don
those lyrca unitards and prance about your local coffee shop
for no reason. It’s to put a smile on your dial.
So, let’s not only cease discrimination throughout life in
general but most importantly in our own ocean environment.
Let’s put an end to discrimination amidst the various board
pursuits. Let’s respect and appreciate people can do whatever
they like for fun… within reason… as long as it doesn’t
offend… including this article which may have but has been
very much written tongue in cheek and you can rest assured,
absolutely no small animals were harmed in the process. And
it’s important to note that the author identifies as many of the
described surfers in the rainbow of descriptions in this article,
depending on the day, mood and conditions. No judgement,
please.
SB / #51 / 18

OKE SURFBOARDS
SINCE ‘68
OKESURFBOARDS.COM
1/1-7 Canterbury Rd, Braeside, VIC
P: 03 9587 3553
E: rory@okesurfboards.com

stuff
BARZ OPTICS
A desire to help protect surfers’
eyes, combined with a plan to
go out on his own in business
inspired Kevin Barr to launch Barz
Optics at Burleigh Heads nearly
25 years ago.
Kevin, a former surf champ, who started out
working as a surf, snow ski and sailboard retailer said he progressed
into his own business after finding many customers and friends suffering
from eye problems such as pterigium – a type of cataract caused by
prolonged exposure to UV rays, wind, spray and salt.
“We were developing something different to meet a specific need,”
Kevin said.
He said surfers out early on the East Coast of Australia were faced with
the sun and the reflection of the sun as they paddled out and looked for
waves – an environment that was challenging for the eyes.
Kevin said the other problem Barz Optics aimed to tackle was the
challenge of surfing for people who had eyesight that was not 20-20.
The Barz Optics sunglasses are designed in such a way they can easily
take a prescription lense.
Another innovation in recent times has been the addition of air cells into
the temples and nose piece of the frames which meant if the glasses fell
off, they floated and could be found again.
Now sold in 32 countries around the world the Barz Optics brand has
been a hit with mariners, be that boaties, yachties or windsurfers or
surfers.
Lately Barz Optics have picked up another market too – with their
sunglasses becoming popular with road cyclists looking for prescription
glasses that beat the glare and still let them read their on-handlebar
technology such as Garmins.
The full range of glasses is available on the website at
www.barzoptics.com and includes floating models, photochromic
lenses, prescription swim goggles and the Kiama cross sport sunglass
/ goggle.
The business has evolved from the early days as advances in
technology have sped up the process.
They were originally hand made from cellulose acetate requiring 16 hand
routing processes and three days of tumble polishing. Each pair took
twelve days in production.
At that time, a maximum of 200 pairs could be produced per week.
By 2004, and three design developments later, the frame was produced
by injection mould using a hybrid nylon TR90 in Barz Optics Currumbin
factory. The assembly was also carried out in the same facility enabling
a capacity of 1200 pairs per week.
In terms of the process for customers these days Kevin said most would
choose their style of frame and send through their prescription to have
the glasses custom-made and sent back for years of future use.
If you happen to be down Burleigh way you can find Barz Optics at 11/4
Leda Drive, Burleigh Heads.
www.barzoptics.com
Real Surf
“Real Surf is a locally owned and operated Core Surf Store
specialising in surfboards, wetsuits, hardware and rentals. Come
check out our new store just down the road at 5/56 Kingsford
Smith St, Lyall Bay, Wellington.
“We’re open 7 days a week with a friendly and experienced team
ready to help out with your next purchase!
Alternatively check out our website for the latest products and
sale deals at www.realsurf.co.nz or find us on social media.”
+64 4 387 8798
www.realsurf.co.nz
team@realsurf.co.nz
Maranui Surf Life Saving Cafe
“Pop out to Lyall Bay to visit the iconic Maranui Cafe. Here you
can forget about the time and tuck into something scrumptious
while gazing out over the beach, which is often filled with surfers
attempting to master the waves. Brimming with personality,
Maranui has a feel for colour and embraces all things eclectic
when it comes to design. Sitting above the Maranui Surf Life
Saving Club with a great coffee in hand and staring into the
glistening blue distance, you’re sure to feel the holiday vibes.”
+6 4387 4539 cafe@maranui.co.nz
SB / #51 / 20

stuff
NZ SHRED
words: jase johns
THE THREE R’S OF SUMMER
RESILIENCE –
RESOURCEFULNESS –
RED PADDLE COMPANY
If this last 18 months has taught us anything, it is
about battling through, developing our strengths
and just enjoying what we have around us. Outside
of the day-to-day, the thing most of us have felt has
been stolen, is our ‘freedom of movement’ - most
importantly, our ability to get outside, travel and
play. Humans are mobile creatures - we walk, we
run, we climb, some of us fly … but this summer, we
will float, we will ride, and we will paddle.
Stand Up Paddleboarding (SUPing) is nothing
new! A recent sport for the masses, however it has
been part of the water culture for many of us for
years. More recently, we’ve seen a development
in customer interest in taking their paddleboarding
experiences to the next level – Adventure SUPing. At
the forefront for design and development is the RED
Paddle Company. They have just landed their 2022
range of inflatable SUP boards instore … spanning
four riding genres and including a staggering 16+
models - from the nimble 8’10” Whip (ideal for
travelling surfers), through to the 10’8” Activ (for
the Yogi in the group), to the enormous 14’0” Elite
(accommodating the race and downwind rider).
However for us, in the lakes, rivers and ocean of
southern New Zealand, by far our most popular
model is the award winning 10’6” Ride. These
boards are easy to manage; with the well thoughtout
backpack carry bags. They’re easy to inflate - in
just over 5 minutes and have multi-purpose, double
chamber pumps to care for your back. Using high
density drop stitch in the construction, the boards
are stronger and stiffer. Red Paddle Company has
developed an application to laminate high-density
structural PVC – meaning the boards look cleaner
and ride infinitely better.
With the decision making taken out of your hands,
it now just comes down to “where can I take my
new toy?” … and the answer really is anywhere.
Here in New Zealand’s South Island, we are blessed
with a multitude of different opportunities to SUP
right at our doorstep. From a quick weekender down
the coast for the easy beginner/intermediate righthander
at Riverton, or the beachie at Colac Bay …
to a noodle around the picturesque and secluded
bays and coves of Lakes Wakatipu and Wanaka.
However, one of our favourites, is only available to
us from about this time of year. Traditionally, wellknown
for the winter snowsports, Queenstown’s
Remarkables mountain range holds a summer
secret that really is something to behold. Perched
some 2000m above sea level is the stunning Lake
Alta. Frozen for well over half of the year, it is only
within the last two months that the warmer Spring
sun has enough punch to chemically deconstruct
the 220 acres of surface area, from a flat pure white
alpine plateau, to a crystal clear (freezing cold)
amphitheatre of turquoise colour and contrast.
With no road access further than the Ski Area base
building, this is truly ‘an effort trip’. Once reaching
the Lake edge, water access from the eastern shore
allows the paddleboarder to circumnavigate the
Lake, gazing at the 40 degree angled Alta chutes
(familiar to our advanced snowboarding readers)
or the breathtaking views up the Grand Coulour
(leading to the high peak of Single Cone, at an
impressive 2319m). While the board deflates, you
can finish with a bone-chilling dip in the post-ice age
water, then take the lazy downhill walk back to the
carpark, through snow tussock fields and high alpine
wetlands.
Magical … but just one of the many “Adventure
SUP” excursions that a safe andc thoughtful
paddleboarder can engage in throughout the South
Island, with a Red Paddle Company paddleboard
available from NZSHRED.
(Note: The waters of the South Island are cold and
weather conditions can be unpredictable. Always
have a plan and be prepared to cancel if needed).
visit
www.nzshred.co.nz
21 / #51 / SB

stuff
PEDal AND PADDLE
“Explore Whangamata and the spectacular Coromandel region
with courtesy vehicle pick ups and drop offs.
“Extensive SUP hire range, surf or explore flat water.
“Visit the now natural wonder of Whenuakura Island and its
spectacular bush fringed lagoon.
“Have a day off the water but wish to explore the region? We
have a wide range of E-Bikes available, or walk our bush and
coast tracks.”
www.pedalandpaddle.co.nz
Coastal Sports Kaikoura
“We’re a small shop living the dream in Kaikoura NZ,
with adventures from the surf to mountains at our
doorstep. Since 2003, owner operated, hardware
focused, passion run business. Coldwater surf
specialist, adventure gear, and all the fun stuff. Shop
smarter, surf more, and consume less.”
+6 3319 5028
www.coastalsports.co.nz
LOCAL & INDEPENDENT
MOANA SUP
If you’re looking for personal
service with a smile, drop in and
see Toby and Bridget at Moana
SUP in Nelson.
Just across the road from the
beach, Moana SUP is a familyowned
independent surf and sup
store selling premium gear, surf and
sup hardware, boards, wetsuits and
apparel.
Toby has designed and shaped a
wide range of products to suit the
novice right through to top grade
surfers such as Jamie “Chip”
Andrews - one of New Zealand’s
best all round surfers.
If you’re in the greater Nelson area
or just passing through you’ll get
a wealth of knowledge about all
things SUP and Surf from Toby and
Bridget.
“Best little surf shop
in town (and beyond)”
Shop 6, 623 Rocks Road, Moana, Nelson
visit
visit
moanasup.co.nz
SB / #51 / 22

stuff
SUPCENTRE
SUPcentre may seem like a specialty
stand up paddle store at first glance.
However once you step inside it soon
becomes apparent that it houses multiple
wave riding tools. Its humble roots as
a stand-up paddle specific store have
slowly morphed over time into a hub for
all watersports.
The store is still renowned for its vast
array of stand-up paddle equipment from
high performance to all-round sup boards,
paddles, fins and accessories. In recent
years, SUPcentre has also taken on the
role of a surf shop with longboards, soft
tops, shortboards, fishes and specialty
shapes by the likes of Auckland based
shaper Steve Morris.
If you have become or are looking to
become one of the recent converts to
wing foiling, SUPcentre is definitely worth
a visit. We now stock boards, foils and
wings from brands such as Naish, Axis,
Ensis and SIC.
All in all Supcentre is the destination for all
your wave riding needs from surf apparel
to boogie boards and hard goods. If the
ocean is your thing then SUPcentre is
sure to be able sort you out with all the
accessories and equipment for your next
adventure.
The store itself is even an escape from the
hustle and bustle of Auckland City. The
friendly staff are available to answer any of
your general or product related questions,
the chilled atmosphere will likely lead you
to grab a seat in front of our big screen
tv and maybe a coffee from Aucklands’
famous Cafe Lafarre just next door. The
store is super accessible only as its only a
few minutes off the motorway and not far
from the CBD making it a perfect stop-off
point for anyone wandering Newmarket or
travelling through Auckland on their next
mission.
SUPcentre is one of the few inner-city
surf/watersport shops, It is your one-stop
shop for the keen water and outdoor
enthusiasts alike. They offer a broad range
of clothing, surf and sup accessories,
wetsuits and more. There is sure to be
something for every family member and to
spark every interest. So next time you’re
in Auckland pop in to hang out with the
supcentre team and check out our wide
range of wave riding goods to cater to all
water sports.
visit
www.supcentre.co.nz
23 / #51 / SB

The old shop at Cowes.
Left to right - Sam Smith, Matt Ryan,
Tommy Tyrrell, Neil Luke.
SB / #51 / 24

Holy
Cowes
Photos supplied by Island Surfboards.
Smorgasboarder delves into the world
of one of Australia’s most iconic surf
brands and finds the reason for their
success is hardly a surprise!
In the year when the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Russell Morrison
and Elvis Presley were top of the pops in Australia, two surfers
with a dream started shaping boards in the garage of one of
their parent’s homes on a little island most commonly known as
the home of the Fairy Penguins in Victoria.
It was 1969, and the two surfers, Matt Ryan and Tom Tyrrell,
had worked out a plan to immerse themselves in the surfing
industry with enough flexibility to be able to down tools, shut
the shop, and chase the waves when they arrived.
It was also the year that Island Surfboards was born at Phillip
Island – a business that continues to this day as one of
Australia’s longest standing independent surf shops.
The shop’s been going so long, it has three generations of the
Ryan family invested in its ongoing success – and a factory
team with a combined experience easily clocking more than 200
years.
For Matt, who’s now 75, and not quite retired, it’s been one wild
ride. While Tom retired a while back, Matt said the strength of
the business had a lot to do with the strength of their friendship
which stretched over 40 years in business together.
“He’s (Tom) not involved in the business anymore. He retired
about 12 years ago, maybe a little longer,” Matt said.
“It was funny. I was going to retire, and he was going to
continue working. And then, out of the blue, he changed his
mind and said - `I want to retire, and you can buy me out’.
“So, instead of retiring, I got back to work. He beat me to it. I’ve
got one foot on retirement and the other on a banana peel!”
Over nearly 53 years Matt has seen a lot of change in the surfing
industry and the small island town he calls home. He counts
some of their success to the timing of when they got started.
“To a certain extent, we had the benefit of luck, there wasn’t
anyone else making boards on Phillip Island.
“The surf industry was in it’s infancy – most of the board makers
were in Melbourne.
“All I wanted to do was surf and making boards was a good way
to get some work done and still have plenty of time for the surf.
But yeah, being in the right place, at the right time.”
Matt’s son, Sandy, who has built a strong reputation as a
notable big wave surfer, now runs the business for the family.
He said Island Surfboards had built a strong reputation for its
focus on helping others to share in their love of surfing.
“The business is an iconic place in the fact that it’s about
providing a service rather than running a get rich quick
scheme,” Sandy said. “We’re here because we enjoy it, it’s a
fantastic lifestyle and it’s a pleasure to give people technical
advice and provide them with the surfing products that allow
them to go out and have the time of their life,” he said.
The ethos has obviously worked well as Island Surfboards
now has two shops, (Cowes and Smiths Beach) and employs
more than 40 people when you include casuals during the peak
season, manufacturing and retail staff at the two shops. The
team produce about 350 of their own boards each year.
The longevity of the business has carried on to the experience
of the staff with the factory brimming with talent who have stuck
with the business for more than 20 years.
25 / #51 / SB

Above: The Big Dog - Matt Ryan - in his prime.
Below: Styling in front of the Smith Street shop.
Left to right
- Matt Ryan,
Greg Wilde, Neil
Luke, Fatcat
Marlborough
(Angus’ Dad),
Tommy Tyrrell.
SB / #51 / 26

27 / #51 / SB
Left to right - Neil Luke, Tommy
Tyrrell, Phil Grace and the gang.

Glyndyn “Ringa” Ringrose
Ringa doing his thing on a tiddly one!
SB / #51 / 28

29 / #51 / SB
We’re all good
mates. We’re all
friends. We started
that way. I have
been pretty selective
when new people
start, I like to have
a good feeling with
new people and I’ve
been a pretty good
judge of that so far
I reckon,” Matt
said.
“We’re all good mates. We’re all friends. We
started that way. I have been pretty selective
when new people start, I like to have a good
feeling with new people and I’ve been a pretty
good judge of that so far I reckon,” Matt said.
It’s a thought echoed by Sandy.
“It’s just a nice place to work – it’s like a
family,” he said.
“Well, technically, it is a family, but it’s more of
an extended family of staff and customers.
“You know customers that have been coming
in since before I started working here. It’s fun,
it’s social, it’s enjoyable – rewarding.”
On the family front, Sandy said plenty of
Ryans had appeared behind the desk in the
shop over the years including Sandy’s sister
Julia, his other sister Kate, his Mum and Dad,
and now Sandy’s son Jack. He fully expects
his youngest two, Julian and Tamika, will get a
call up too at some stage.
With a policy of work being work, and home
being home, Matt said there had never been
conflict within the family and he felt having the
family involved had been an asset rather than
a liablity for the business.
Speaking of family, we had to ask Matt
whether all of his children were as seemingly
crazy as Sandy when it comes to taking risks
and chasing huge waves. Luckily for the
fatherly stress levels, it seems Sandy’s on his
own on that front.
“He is unique. My other kids are totally
different, I love them just as much, but they’re
all three different personalities. They’re not like
Sandy, not extreme risk takers like he is,” Matt
noted.
On the factory front, the Island Surfboards
website proudly promotes the team behind
the creation of the boards and the team has
plenty to say about why they do what they do.
The Island creative line-up includes:
• Custom shaper and factory manager
Greg “Hoges” Hogan who has more than
40 years experience in the surf industry,
23 of those at Island Surfboards.
• Glyndyn “Ringa” Ringrose - custom
shaper and team rider with 35 years’
experience in the surfing industry, 23
of those at Island. He was once ranked
20th in the world on the CT and is a WSL
water patrolman.
• Newbie, Angus “Gus” Marlborough,
custom shaping and sanding for two
years with the team. Worth noting the lad
has a sense of humour - noting on his bio
that “I’ve got more freckles than the night
sky has stars”.
• Dean “Deano” Bould is a kneeboard
shaper with 10 years at Island. He also
happens to have won plenty of local and
State kneeboard titles.
• Adam “Adzy” Vyverberg has been
spraying boards and sorting out dings at
Island for 12 of the 15 years he has spent
in the game. He also creates custom
boards and reckons 99% of the dings he
fixes are Sandy’s boards.
• Peter “Pud” Coffey has clocked up more
than 40 years in the surf industry, the last
three at Island where he’s in charge of
glassing and tints. He started at Klemm
Bell Surfboards in 1967 and has probably
forgotten more than most people will ever
learn about this game. He’s often joined
on the job by his son James.
• Terry “Klemmy” Klem has the title of
classic customer shaper - and with 56
years in the game, the last 10 at Island,
it’s a journey that started way back in
1959 when he crafted his first board out
of balsa. He digs recreating boards from
original 60’s templates and at Klemm
Bell was one of the first manufacturers in
Victoria.
• James “Jimmy” Coffey has clocked up
three years at Island out of his 15 years
in the industry. He’s on the sander and
repairs and is the second generation of
Coffey to work at Island.
• Greg “Slim” Hyndman is a master glasser
- 35 years in the game, 30 of those at
Island. He’s been making boards since
he was 16 years old.
Slim remembers his start in the game.
“I turned up here in ’86 and there was Tommy,
Neil, Matt. Andy was the glasser – Greg Wild
was here as well,” Slim said.
“I did a few boards shaping and did all the
polishing of the boards you know.
“All the boards were polished in those days,
so I did that. Andy left and I started doing all
the glassing from then on - so it’s been a few
years.”
Veteran shaper, Hoges, has been at it for
many a year too.
“I shaped my first board back when I was 13,
but I’ve done heaps of other sh*t as well,” he
notes. Hoges was also quick to point out that
it was about more than the shapers, saying
everyone contributed to the creation of their
boards.
Former Tour surfer Glyndyn “Ringa” Ringrose
is another shaper in the team. He started in
1993 and has been there ever since. He jokes
about riding his own boards during his time on
the circuit.
“There were a few guys before me that did
that too, but I was the last one, the last bloke
to ride exclusively my own boards on tour.
Maybe it was my downfall,” he laughs.
If you go looking online there’s a few pics of
Ringa surfing all manner of boards including a
finless selection in some pretty gnarly waves
in Fiji. Just as the team will ride all manner
of gear, they will not shy away from shaping
anything.
“No way. I have a go at it all. Everything and
anything. Kneeboards, goat boats, wave skis,
mals, sups, shortboards, fishes. Whatever
anyone wants me to do, I’ll have a go,”
Ringa said. “I just want to keep improving,
keep getting better, adjusting to the times.
Constantly tweaking to get something a little
bit more.”
While stories abound in the surfing industry
about top secret designs and delicate egos
in the shaping bays, the Island Surfboards’
team say the years of working together have
created an equilibrium that works.
“Back in the day, shapers didn’t share
anything,” Slim said. “It was like a secret
society. No-one shared anything, unless a
guy put you under his wing. Nowadays, some
people share, other people go, `nup – I’m top
secret’. We just do our own thing here. I come
in, do my work. They come in and do their
work – that’s it.”

SB / #51 / 30

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Hoges said a few years of experience helped.
“Most of the time, it works well because, number 1 –
everyone’s really f*#ken old. You know, I say to them -
`you’re on piece rates – you’re all f*#ken adults – I shouldn’t
have to tell you what to f*#ken do,” Hoges said.
“It’s the surfboard industry you know, the shaper can make
it hard for the glasser, the glasser can make it hard for the
sander, the sander can make it hard for the finisher. So,
there is co-operation here so none of that happens.
“But as I said, they’re all adults and they get paid to do the
job. There’s a certain team that’ll share and another team
that don’t. Personally, I couldn’t give a f*#k.”
Ringa said the fact they all worked in the same factory
meant they all saw each other’s work at any rate – and that
both he and Hoges made a point of sharing their work with
their apprentice Gus as part of his training.
Matt said the strength of the factory team was reflected in
the strength of the brand.
“Everyone in the factory is an expert at their craft, and
there’s always been a good mix of experience and youth,”
he said.
The other half of the creation of great boards is great
feedback and Island Surfboards have a team of willing
surfers on their list who are happy to help on that front.
Aside from Sandy and Ringa, The Island Surfboard’s talent
list includes: Harry de Roth, Carl Wright, Brock Jeffrey-
Warren, Eli Curry, Simon McShane, Codie Jeffery, Francis
Meade, Adrian Maier, Kirra Marlborough, Bridget Gregson,
Nick Huigsloot, Blake Green, Josh Griffin, Kyle Griffin, Eden
Goldsbury, Jamie Liatos, Niamh Moore, Ollie Van Venrooy,
Rye Cicero and Jarrah Cicero.
Hoges said different surfers had different strengths when it
came to providing feedback.
“Sandy’s exceptionally good. Harry’s sh*thouse. But nah, a
lot of guys just grab them and surf them good, they like it,
but they don’t really know why.
“Sandy will go, `why does it do this?’ or `feel like this?’ and
you can work it out from there. McShane’s probably as
good as anyone, he’s incredibly fussy but you can learn a
lot from that feedback.”
For Ringa, all feedback’s worth noting.
“You always get feedback from all sorts of areas,” he said.
“You’ve obviously got the pros and the team riders, they’ve
got their own ideas anyway, you’ve got to modify their
ideas.
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“He is unique. My other
kids are totally different,
I love them just as much,
but they’re all three
different personalities.
They’re not like Sandy,
not extreme risk takers
like he is,” - Matt Ryan.
Sandy Ryan,
Shipstern Bluff.
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SB / #51 / 32

33 / #51 / SB
“Then you’ve got people who might not have a lot of idea,
but they’ve got an idea in their mind of what it should look
like or how it should go.
“Everyone expects that their board is going to make them
a surfer.
“What I’ve learnt over the years is that you can make the
board go. You are the person that has to adjust, work,
understand the board to make it perform to its limitations.
But you can always push those limitations to the max.”
The combination of talent behind and on top of the boards
has certainly worked for the business - taking them to great
heights, including winning the Quiksilver Core Surf Store
Challenge event held on the Gold Coast - up against some
giants of the industry.
“It was pretty big for a little surf shop from Phillip
Island to take out the biggest and best surf shops
across Australasia, so yeah, it was pretty huge,” Sandy
reminisces.
“On top of that it was really fun surfing Snapper, and
obviously a big party ensued which was a bit of fun too!”
Helping others to build their skills extends beyond their
own team too. Island Surfboards is renowned on the
East Coast of Australia for having one of the biggest surf
schools in the country – a reputation that has been built
over many years.
“It’s been going a long time, coming up to 30 years now,”
Sandy said.

Sandy Ryan
Pic: Andy Chisholm
“We provide a very hands-on service of teaching people
how to surf, as opposed to just crowd control. A lot of return
customers. We offer group lessons, school groups right across
Victoria.
“It’s a very personalised approach, no matter how big the
group is.”
With so much time in the market and such a strong brand to
build from, the opportunity has been there for further growth –
however Matt said it had never really been of interest to him.
“I didn’t want the stress I suppose,” Matt said.
“For most of my time, being directly involved, I’ve wanted
to surf as much as I can as well. I just haven’t been that
ambitious.
“The potential was always there, but you have to throw a lot
more time out of the water into it all. We’ve just been plodding
along. It is a selfish point of view really, we just wanted to
surf.”
Sandy said it comes down what they love about the business.
“We just love Phillip Island, it’s where I’ve grown up. We’ve
only been growing within our means. A lot of other brands
seem to go big and it’s often to their detriment. I guess it
comes back to that lifestyle that we’ve got here on Phillip
Island.”
Off the back of a tough two years of COVID-19 restrictions and
lockdowns Sandy said the focus for the future was to just keep
getting better.
“In terms of outlook going forward, we’ll just keep the same
thing running and obviously try to improve where we can. Just
do what we do, better,” Sandy said.
As for Matt, he’s happy to take a backseat on what comes
next.
“I’ll leave that to the younger generation. No one wants to
be taking any notice of what a 75 year old thinks. The young
people can make the decisions now, and I’m happy with that.”
Sandy said it comes
down to what they love
about the business.
“We just love Phillip
Island, it’s where I’ve
grown up. We’ve only
been growing within
our means. A lot of
other brands seem to
go big and it’s often to
their detriment. I guess
it comes back to that
lifestyle that we’ve got
here on Phillip Island.”
If you happen to be down south in Victoria and want
to check out Island Surfboards, you’ll find them at
147 Thompson Ave, Cowes or 225 Smiths Beach
Road, Smiths Beach. Failing that, find them online at
www.islandsurfboards.com.au
Facebook: @islandsurfboards
Insta: @islandsurfboards1969
SB / #51 / 34

Team Rider – Zac Haynes
Pic – Matt Macdonal
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35 / #51 / SB

SB / #51 / 36

Through a
different lens
words: geoff crockett
37 / #51 / SB

SB / #51 / 38

If you happen to be
wandering down
a bush track to an
isolated surf spot along
the Great Ocean Road
to make the most of
some huge waves and
you hear a rustle in the
bushes – don’t be too
alarmed.
If the swell’s up and the conditions are right, that rustle
could well be Torquay photographer Romy Roache
heading toward the edge of a cliff for an eagle-eye view of
nature unfolding.
Romy is a multi-talented creative soul. She plays music,
speaks German fluently, has travelled extensively and
spent countless hours on the water sailing and enjoying
nature with her family as she grew up on Victoria’s
coastline. Right now, she’s also learning how to be a Yoga
teacher.
Most recently though Romy has developed a new career
for herself, taking a childhood love of photography and
applying a passion for learning to morph from interior
designer to photographer and open her own studio in the
surfing mecca of Torquay.
For Romy it’s a journey she’s undertaken later in life. She
said it’s been at times nerve wracking and scary, but now,
it’s increasingly, rewarding.
Her latest piece of good news was that one of her photos
was selected by author John Ogden to open a section of
his latest book Waterproof: Australian Surf Photography
Since 1958. The book was released in September this
year.
Tracking back to when her interest in photography began
Romy said while she can remember enjoying taking
pictures as a child when it came to choosing a career and
further study she had been drawn towards interior design.
She said as she started to travel, taking photos was
always part of the experience. Feedback from friends
inspired by her snaps shared on social media or in person
let her know people enjoyed her work.
39 / #51 / SB

SB / #51 / 40

“I moved back to Torquay and I started going down the beach and
enjoying the ocean and taking photos and got more and more into it,”
Romy said.
“I met my husband down here and he surfs and I think that’s been a big
part of the bigger picture as well.”
As for when the idea of being a photographer full-time became a reality,
Romy said: “I do remember the moment very well”.
“I made friends with a guy who had a studio down here – I used to
come in with my Iphone and say look at the shot I took this morning.
“Over time, he picked up my phone one day – and he took it out of my
hand. He goes – `you’re buying a camera’.
“I said I don’t know what to buy and he just said - go to Melbourne, pick
them up, play with them and buy one. I came home with the Olympus.
“He showed me a few things – I found this awesome lady to teach me
too. That’s how it started.
“Then he gave me a job to work in the studio on the weekends. Then I
formed my own eye for the shots I like.
“He pretty much said to me from the very first day – you’ve got
awesome composition – he said don’t worry, whatever you’re doing,
you’re doing right.
“Some of my shots are not the correct composition as to what you’re
taught at school. It’s not perfect. I don’t want that perfect look. I just see
lines – as soon as I see lines, I’m hitting the camera button and I’m off.
“I just wait. Over time you just learn how to read the waves – you can
already see what’s happening in the background and you start to think
what settings am I going to use for this shot. It’s all quick.
“I do like to go up high to shoot – I usually climb in the bushes and hide
from everyone else. Someone the other day went `Oh My God – you
gave me such a fright’ when I came back out onto the track.
“It is work though – I’m working and I’m out there to get something. It’s
easier to do it without interruptions.”
When it comes to the best time of year for photography, Romy said it
was a mix.
“I was going through my favourites looking for my best shots, and as
much as winter are the best waves, autumn has the best colours.
“Winter is my best time though – you need everything – you need the
full gear – sometimes you can’t even tell if you’re a boy or girl. It gets
really cold – Antartic winds blowing in.
“Every time you go out, it’s so different.
“The colours are different, the swells are different, the wind’s different,
the tides different, what’s exposed on the rocks is different, you can
never get sick of it. It’s such a beautiful thing to be part of. God I’m
lucky, I’m doing this as a job.”
Since taking up the camera in earnest – Romy said she was surprised
by the speed at which her business has grown.
“Some of my shots are not
the correct composition
as to what you’re taught
at school. It’s not perfect.
I don’t want that perfect
look. I just see lines – as
soon as I see lines, I’m
hitting the camera button
and I’m off.
41 / #51 / SB

You owe it
to your eyes.
Barz Optics developed their initial surfing
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they have developed a further six eyewear styles
for surfing.
Barz latest model The Coolie provides that classic
sunglass look.
Featuring a dual moulded nose piece and temples
for a comfortable fit. Ideal for protecting the eyes
from glare, salt and spray while surfing and the
protecting the eyes from pterigium growth.
Available in either a matt grey or matt black
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polarised lenses.
The Coolie can also be fitted with limited RX
prescription lenses for those who are optically
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The nose piece and temple tips are non slip.
Each pair is supplied with a leash that keeps the
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Available at good surf shops or at
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Phone +61 755764365
“For me it’s come a long way very quickly, even with the hard times of
COVID.
“There was one moment where I wondered what was going to happen.
I feel very privileged, very looked after.
“It is a good story – it’s a good story for people who don’t come across
their dream until later in life.
“I went to school as interior designer. When I took up photography
again obviously all the cameras had really changed.
“I found this amazing teacher. There were only certain things I wanted
to freshen up on and learn and she taught me, one-on-one, about the
digital cameras and all the different apps.”
Much like a surfer, Romy said her days are planned around the
weather and the swell – constantly monitoring the surf apps to try
and understand when the next big swell is likely to roll through, and
the weather apps to know when the conditions might be just right to
capture nature at her best.
“I’m not really a surf photographer, I’m a landscape or ocean
photographer.
“People love it – it’s a bit mystical – it takes them away from the reality
of the hardships of life at the moment.
“They want to know where it was shot and when it was shot. And they
seem to like the idea that it was me who took the shots.
“I just like to get out there and do my own thing. I think I always try to
find spots that look appealing or different to me.
“I think a lot of it is just luck and the only planning I really do is swellnet
and the weather conditions.”
Romy said she’d also developed a bit of a following with local surfers
who’d message her to find out if she was going to be out shooting.
“You get a lot of surfers going – are you going out? I can’t wait to see
what you get.
“The other day I went out and took a few shots of the 50 year storm
down here at Bells – and they were in touch asking did you get any
shots of me? I do have a good look and try and help them out.”
Predominantly Romy said her photos were of the coastline around
Torquay and along the Great Ocean Road close to where she lives.
While most are ocean shots, she also has a love of the tree ferns and
forests of the Otways and has started to take more shots of Australian
native animals she encounters on her journeys.
SB / #51 / 42

There was one moment
where I wondered what
was going to happen. I
feel very privileged, very
looked after.
“It is a good story – it’s a
good story for people who
don’t come across their
dream until later in life.”
Romy said the holidays she and her husband Phil take most often
revolve around surf and photography, but so far, the timing’s not gone
her way.
“We often go up to Crescent Head, or Byron, but it’s funny, we keep
missing the swell somehow. We keep saying next time there’s a
cyclone we’re heading up and take photos.”
When it came time to choose a honeymoon destination, Romy and Phil
headed to the Mentawai’s, home to nearly 30 different surf breaks.
For Romy, her surf time is normally spent up high, looking down on the
action through the lense, although she said she has a longboard she’s
been known to dabble with occasionally.
On the business front, Romy said she had started an online business
first and started to sell prints of her best photos to people all over the
world.
While slow to start, she said the interest grew, surf sites picked up or
shared her posts, and the comments gave her the confidence to go all
in and explore setting up a studio space in the main street of Torquay
to better showcase her work for locals.
“I had my online business and that was growing – I had people
ordering stuff and I’d have it framed up. But I wanted to see those
images on the wall. Not just be sending them away in a tube.
“I put all my money into it and thought if I don’t give it a go, I’ll never
know whether I’ll be able to do this. So I found a little studio that ended
up opening way, way, later than it was meant to, which was in March
last year, exactly when COVID hit.
“Everything was done, and then I couldn’t get the keys. It was about
nine months behind schedule – I missed out on the Christmas before,
then Easter. I finally got the keys in March and brought them home
and my husband and I just put them aside and we didn’t say anything
about them for about a week.
John Ogden’s latest book
Waterproof: Australian Surf
Photography Since 1958.
43 / #51 / SB

“Then one day I just woke up and said I’m doing
this and we started to set it all up. Decked it out,
painted it, got the signage, tried to make it really nice
and had it ready to go for when that first lockdown
ended.
“It’s just been a bit of a whirlwind – but I believe it’s
been to my favour.
“The locals have been so supportive. Predominantly
I thought it would be all the tourists – but COVID
stopped that. I’d had small pictures set up that
would be easy for travellers to pack and take home,
but it just never went that way.
“Then I realised that people were coming in and
wanting to buy big scale pictures for these holiday
homes. I just think people wanted beautiful pictures
on their walls to make them happy as well.”
Right now though Romy’s continuing to explore
what’s possible with her photography, creating
postcards, pictures of different sizes and even
having an image printed onto a surfboard created by
Matty Shaw from Pale Horse Surfboards.
“You know what I really love. I have my hours 11am
to 3pm most days and you don’t have to always be
there – it’s a nice atmosphere. I find it really present.
“If there’s great swell you can put a sign on your
door and say - `I’m out taking shots’.”
Keen to be environmentally sustainable, Romy said
she uses sustainable products for her frames and
her paper choices and has also started to dabble in
driftwood art and driftwood lights which are sold in
the studio as something a little bit different.
“I’ve tried to give it a bit of a quirky feel. I want
something else in here that’s local and a bit of fun.”
As for what’s next, Romy said she was looking
forward to next year when the Bells Beach surf event
would be on again, and hopeful that in a post-COVID
world she’ll be able to share her photos with even
more visitors.
As for a favourite photo so far – Romy can’t go past
a shot she calls the Golden Tube.
“It was actually the biggest swell that I’ve seen to
this date – it was a beautiful swell – it wasn’t blown
out waves.
“I remember taking shots and shots and shots and
I thought I reckon I got this big tube and I reckon
there’s guys in the back of it – oh my god I can’t wait
to get home and check it.
“And straight away, when I looked at it, it was
exactly as I thought.
“I’ve got that in my studio now in a beautiful acrylic
and I ended up doing my A-Board and my photos
on it too.
As for what’s next,
Romy said she was
looking forward
to next year when
the Bells Beach surf
event would be on
again, and hopeful
that in a post-
COVID world she’ll
be able to share her
photos with even
more visitors.
To see more of Romy’s work go to
www.romyphotographer.com.au
@Romyphotographer
SB / #51 / 44

45 / #51 / SB

OARD
ENSELE
SB / #51 / 46

GET READY BECAUSE WE’RE
ABOUT TO THROW ALL
MANNER OF BOARD SPORTS
AT YOU, EVERYTHING YOU’VE
EVER CONSIDERED BUT
PERHAPS NOT YET TRIED.
This feature article is perfectly suited for surfers like us
with an increasingly short attention span. So, if you’ve
grown tired of nowhere near mastering what you are
doing now but want to try your hand at something else
S
you will be equally crap at, please read on.
We aim to provide you with a rundown on the appeal
of each given board sport, the initial bit of kit you
require, associated setup costs, lessons, etiquette and
any other useless bit of information we can find…
basically everything you need to know to get started. In
doing so, rest assured, in true Australian spirit we will
mercilessly take the absolute p*ss out each discipline.
After all, that’s part of the fun.
words : dave swan & geoff crockett
47 / #51 / SB

BYRON BAY INDUSTRIAL ESTATE
MILLIONS of pieces of clothing are produced everyday.
If you take sustainability seriously be responsible. Get Vintage

SURFING EVOLUTION
Dave’s grom boards
The main thing to remember when looking
through the history of surfing, the evolution
of the surfboard and all its various offshoots is
that you should assume everyone and anyone
you know has invented something. There is
no limit to the legends who have staked their
claim on how they radically changed the face
of surfing. So one thing is for certain when you
read this article is that we will more than likely
get it all wrong and give credit to the wrong
person and offend someone, but as they say
“sh*t happens”. So here we go, a speed dating
approach to the evolution of the surfboard.
Top image: Magazine illustration of First Nation Hawaiians
surf-riding (surfing) from an article entitled "Our Neighbors
of the Sandwich Islands" in Hutchings' California Magazine,
November 1858. Butler / Hutchings’ California Magazine
According to the Surfing Heritage and Culture Center
in San Clemente, the oldest known papa he‘e nalu, or
surfboard, dates to the 1600s and comes from Chiefess
Kaneamuna’s burial cave in Ho’okena on the Big Island.
Image: Wiki Commons
49 / #51 / SB

There are reportedly some 23 million people across the globe who surf,
close to 2 million in Australia and about 200,000 in New Zealand.
Historians believe surfing evolved as part of ancient Polynesian culture,
dating as far back as 1200 AD and although the origins of surfing are
not known, sailors on a ship in Tahiti were said to be the first Europeans
to witness it back in 1767. It was said the top surfer was also the chief
of his local community. It is pretty much the same in our office, so it is
clearly apparent that kind of thing continues to this day.
SB / #51 / 50

Making a surfboard was a spiritual ritual of
sorts and a great deal of care went into its
construction, which I can certainly relate to
given my supernatural shaping skills. The
Polynesians were interested in learning how to
tame the ocean and only the most skilled surfers
were highly respected in society.
As far as surfboards go, they were made of
wood: the smallest was the paipo, next was
the 20 ft-long olo and the the third type was
the alaia, said to be the predecessor of modern
surfboards. Many may have seen them in recent
times, they look like a wooden ironing board,
flat as a tack with absolutely no fins. Only skilled
people like myself know how to ride them, which
I don’t mind informing you about.
From Hawaii, surfing eventually made its way
to the East Coast of the United States in 1912
where James Matthias Jordan Jnr took to the
waves at Virginia Beach on a Hawaiian redwood
board. Then in the 1920s, surfboard design
took a major leap forward when Santa Monica
lifeguard and surfer Tom Blake took a boat trip
to Hawaii. He was of the opinion surfboards
were too bloody heavy (he probably didn’t use
those exact words) and started adapting his
15ft-long redwood model by drilling holes in it.
Blake’s hollow style board was a massive
success and in the 1930s the number of surfers
in California quadrupled. Blake then decided to
add a stabilising fin in 1935 and violà, we pretty
much had the basics of a surfboard as we know
today.
Later in 1949, Bob Simmons, dubbed the “father
of the modern surfboard”, became obsessed
with creating the world’s fastest surfboard. His
experiment with plywood, balsa and Styrofoam
composites resulted in a board made of a
polystyrene core and mahogany veneer sealed
with resin and fibreglass. The result reduced
the weight by 50% and created a massive
improvement in performance.
Fast forward to the 1960’s and things went
crazy, possibly in part due to the types of
lawn being grown as we entered what was
considered surfing’s “golden era”. Boards went
from 10ft long to around 8ft and by 1970, the
top competitors in Australia had reduced the
board size further to between five and six feet.
This enabled them to adopt a lower and more
aggressive stance, connecting more closely
with the waves than ever before.
51 / #51 / SB

Now before we get into all these other board
sports, let’s talk about plain old surfing first,
riding a wave in its purest form. At least this is
something we can do here at Smorgasboarder,
albeit not very well. It doesn’t matter if you’re a
long planker w*nker who is really just there to
drink cappuccinos with your mates afterwards,
or a slop-groveller on a board so small you
clearly love paddling for hours on end to just to
miss out on every single wave whilst swearing
at everyone around you, or even one of those
weird kneeboarders. I mean, who would ever
understand why you would kneel when you can
stand, or even those poor boogers that resemble
giant sea slugs, but we digress. Despite your
preference, we love you all, in all your unique
special ways, and we celebrate you. That is what
Smorgasboarding is all about - ride what you like.
Just don’t expect us not to have a little fun along
the way. Life is just too serious at times.
Appeal:
For the water lovers among us there’s some primal
instinct that drives us to want to be in the water,
mixing it up with the waves and revelling in the power
and beauty of nature.
While body surfing could arguably present the purest
form of human vs ocean, for thousands of years
we’ve been tempted to take a plank of wood, or
bark, or whatever we could find, drag it out to sea
and then try and ride it back to shore.
Whatever it was that drove us to want to be on
the water, it is fair to say over the past 100 years
in particular and countless thousands of hours of
thinking, making, breaking and innovating have been
poured into creating the perfect ride for just about
any body shape, size, and skill level on the waves.
While what “perfect” actually means will always be
a matter of perception, the reality is, in 2021, surfers
have access to boards made from cutting edge,
space-travel worthy substances – right back to finely
honed balsa wood masterpieces.
Surfboards have gone from being super-heavy
three metre chunks of wood, to being crafted out of
polyurethane (PU) or extruded polystyreene (EPS)
foam and covered in resin. Most recently American
company Varial has developed a new core material,
Varial Foam, which they say is not only 25% lighter
than the usual materials, but 40% stronger too, so it
can be used to produce boards without the need for
wooden stringers.
Needless to say surfboard design and construction
is constantly evolving and as a result we are now
spolilt for choice with a multitude of board designs
to suit a broad range of environments and rider skill
levels from shortboards to longboards, retro inspired
shapes and fishes, big-wave guns and tow-boards
to kneeboards and even finless creations. Plainly
put, the world offers an infinite spectrum of waves,
and that is why there is an increasingly wide range
of surfboard shapes and styles. And that’s just
the board styles themselves, there’s then all the
elements of each respective design such as the
length, width, thickness, outline, rocker, bottom
curves, rails and fin setup to consider. Suffice to say,
beginner, advanced, emerging or reformed, there
are no excuses for not getting your share of waves.
There is a board to suit everyone so don’t blame your
equipment, just your own selection.
As a basic rule, beginners tend to need longer
boards with higher volumes to help them paddle on
to waves. The more waves you get, the more fun you
have and the more you learn. It’s that simple. Wave
count is key. As you get better, there’s the myriad
of board designs on offer that we just mentioned
depending on what feeling or style of surfing you are
pursuing.
As a basic guide surfboards range in height from
five feet for a Mini Simmons or Fish style board
(which has a W-shaped tail), through to 10 foot for a
Longboard and up to 12 foot for what is now referred
to as a Glider.
Shortboards obviously work best on fast, steep,
waves. More often then not they have a pointy nose,
thinner rails and are usually between five and seven
feet in length. They are easier to turn and will respond
quickly in critical sections of the wave.
Longboards and Mini Mals range from eight to 12
feet, generally have rounded noses and are up to
3.5 inches thick on average. They’re easier to catch
waves on and are often suggested as a starting
point for beginners working on the basics of wave
selection but equally as appealing to those who want
to surf with style. These are the boards the really
good riders like us can be seen walking up and down
on the wave and occassionaly putting their feet over
the edge (Hanging Ten as it’s colloquially known).
Gliders are gargantuan longboards designed for
when the waves are miniscule and you are desperate.
The Fish, with it’s W-shaped tail is often shorter,
wider and flatter than a shortboard with greater
volume. This makes them plane better and generate
a lot of speed in small to medium waves. They’re not
so good for steep or hollow waves unless you can
surf like Dave (or so he tells us).
For big wave surfers there’s a board that kind of
looks like a shortboard on steroids. It’s a little longer
with a more narrow nose and tail and is known as
a Gun. This style of board generally ranges from
seven to 10 feet in length and is designed to be easy
to paddle to generate enough speed to catch and
drop into big waves whilst possessing all the turning
capability of a shortboard.
Tow-boards are really a different beast altogether
and the technology employed insane – way too
much to cover in-depth here. Suffice to say, if you
are planning on tackling 20-30 ft plus waves you
need some serious equipment. These boards can
reportedly attain speeds of up to 120kms per hour.
They need to be strong to handle the beatings, they
need to be fast, and they need to be nimble and able
SB / #51 / 52

to turn on a dime in critical sections of monstrous
waves. Think carbon/ kevlar materials, deep concave
bottoms to reduce the “wetted” surface area, 80/20
foil fins and you are in the realm of tow-boarding talk,
which we have absolutely no idea of what all that
means.
Kneeboards are another option for those who like
to tuck in and get inside the tube. Proponents of
kneeboarding speak of the appeal of being able to
see and feel the wave’s energy more intimately than
when standing. The boards themselves are not unlike
many of the performance shortboards and retro
shapes we previously mentioned aside from being
a little wider to accommodate a fin placement more
suited to kneelo turns that are more drawn out.
Then there’s finless creations - quite simply, boards
with no fins! This style of surfing pretty much
appeals to two types of people: those who could
literally surf anything, meaning a tree has fallen down
in your backyard, you lop off a couple of branches
and that said person can take it down to the surf and
go crazy; and those like us who haven’t mastered the
true art of surfing but have decided to try their hand
at something else to make it appear like we can surf
when in reality we can’t. But hey, it’s fun.
53 / #51 / SB

Cost:
Just like the variability of the boards on offer in the
surfboard spectrum the prices can differ based on
board size, shape, the skills of the said shaper, or
even just what’s popular at any particular time. As
a guide, Australia’s longest running independant
surf shop Goodtime Surf in Brisbane has an El Nino
Scorcher 44” softboard with fins for $139.95 (great
for kids getting started), entry level shortboards from
around $600 such as their Goodtime 6’0 Hot Dog
for $649 and longboards from around the $1000+
mark. A quality hand shaped longboard however
from the likes of the many custom shapers in this
very magazine will set you back around $2000. It
comes down to what you are after and your budget.
As an interesting aside, a search for the most
expensive surfboards ever brings up a $1.3million
board called The Rampant, which, according to the
Adventure Maldives site that compiled the list, was
created by New Zealand-based surfboard designer
Roy Stuart. It’s 3.2m long and made from the timber
of a Paulownia tree, native to Asia. It’s crowning
glory is a gold lion that’s been painted on with a
red resin outline. It’s a big drop to the next most
expensive board on their list – but still at $183,000
the Aureus board created by Ellie Miller in a small
studio in North Devon in England and incorporating
24k gold plating in the fiberglass is something
special.
Lessons:
Being the most common way to tame a wave has
its benefits when it comes to hunting down surfing
lessons. As a rough guide, two-hour group lessons
at the King of Surfing (www.kingofsurfing.com.au)
Surf Schools in South Australia will set you back $44
per person, or three for $100. Like anything new, it’s
well worth the money if you’re just starting out, or
even looking for a refresher or to step up to your
next level. Surf school instructors live and breath
surfing. They can spot what you’re doing right and
wrong, suggest where you move your feet, shuffle
your torso, or focus your eyes and shoulder in just
the right spot and all of a sudden your wave count
will go up and the smiles will too.
Etiquette:
Because plain old surfing is the simplest, and
arguably one of the cheapest ways to access the
waves, more and more people are doing it.
In Coastal towns across Australia and New Zealand
it’s not an unusual sight to see a board in the back
of a ute, strapped to the roof or across the back
seat of a car as locals go about their days with one
eye on the weather and the other on their watches
just waiting for the chance to get out on the water
at their favourite break. A big challenge is that the
big breaks are now heavily trafficked, making it all
the more important to understand a few of the basis
rules that guide a surfing line-up.
In its simplest form, it’s about common sense,
respect and fairness.
If someone has already jumped on the wave and
you can’t slot in without getting in their way – they
win, you lose, wait for the next one. Equally, if you’re
a gun surfer and you know someone else is sitting
there just waiting for their chance, don’t be a hog,
maybe even give them a hand to get on a wave and
have some fun.
Apologise if you get in someone’s way, respect the
locals, and if you know you’re out in a swell that’s
really beyond your skill level, head back in and find
a spot on the beach where the waves are bit more
to your liking. The general rule is that the surfer who
has the longest potential ride on the wave, is the
surfer with the right of way.
SB / #51 / 54

55 / #51 / SB

ite
It just looks so cool when you see them soaring
through the air but when you get to the beach
to give it a go, you realise there is just so much
string... so much string, more string than the eye
can see and you just know you’re going to get
all tangled up in that sucker, flailing about like a
drunken monkey working his way along a mile
of grapevine. With all that said, it does look like
a hell of a lot of fun and one day we promise to
master it.
Appeal:
What to do when the surf is blown to buggery?
Go fly a kite. The popularity of this said “board
sport” is quite literally soaring and for good reason.
Kiteboarding is such a “thing” these days it even has
its own association Kiteboarding Australia (www.
kiteboardingaus.com.au). This is great news for
Smorgasboarder readers, and this scribe too – as
there’s some great information available on what it
all means.
In a nutshell, kite surfing uses a giant blow up kite,
some strings or “lines” to which they are referred to
as, a steering bar and a board you’re able to strap
your feet into to harness the power of the wind to
propel the rider through, over, and along, the waves.
It’s an evolution of the original “windsurfing or
boardsailing” that traces its history as far back as
late 1968 when sailor Jim Drake and surfer Hoyle
Schweitzer patented a “sailboard” in California.
In simple terms, kite surfing has taken away the need
for a sail and a mast and created the chance for
riders to have double ended boards, to jump off the
top off waves and to “fly” for more than 30m being
carried by the kite above and the enormous speeds
they’re able to reach when flying up the face of the
waves for take-off.
The kite surfer’s kit includes a kite (the size you’ll
need depends on the strength of the wind you’re
aiming to tackle), bar and lines to match the kite,
a board (beginners tend to be larger than experts
which are shorter), a harness, safety leash, safety
knife, flotation vest, helmet and a wet suit (if you’re in
those cold waters down south).
Cost:
Kite Surfing’s biggest costs are the kite to catch the
wind and the board to stand on. While there’s always
the option of hunting secondhand gear to give it a
go, if you’re looking for a new set up a bit of research
shows the costs range between around $3000 to
$4000 for a package buy including board, pump,
harness, kite, bar and lines. The best site we found
so far for all things Kite Surfing is www.kitepower.
com.au. Of course, like anything, you can pay a lot
more for the very latest technology, or less if you’re
happy to run with something two or three seasons
old. Ask your local retailer for guidance is probably
the best advice here.
Lessons:
One thing that’s pretty obvious to any of us who
have watched the kite surfers get their gear ready
and head out on the water is that there’s a bit more
to kite surfing than just turning up, throwing a kite in
the air and going splash. Lessons are a great way
to find out more about the gear you’re keen to use,
and to learn all of the tricks of the trade that will
keep you safe and save you time on set up and pack
down. Kite Surfing Australia has a Lessons section
of its website which would be well worth a visit for a
provider near you – otherwise your favourite search
engine is your friend. As a guide to price, the team
at Exmouth Surf Centre in Western Australia offer a
three-hour beginners kitesurfing lesson at $290 per
person.
Etiquette:
From setting up on the beach to hitting the waves
Kite Surfing offers plenty of opportunity to get in a
tangle and find yourself on the wrong end of a not
so friendly spray. It’s important to understand the
kites need room to breathe and you need room to
lay out the lines, so unpacking close to the packed
beach between the red and yellow flags is not going
to work. Take a stroll or find yourself another beach
entrance with a bit more space to spread out. Like
surfers, kite surfers tend to congregate – the wind
turns, and they’re out. And just like surfers, it’s
imperative kite surfers are always aware of their
surroundings, watching the progress of their fellow
enthusiasts and steering clear of any chance to
cross kites, tangle lines, or smash your board into
someone else’s body. Boards are hard,
you’re travelling fast. Another point
worth noting on the kite surfing front is
to keep an eye on the shore. While the
technology is pretty good at helping
the kites rise from the waves in just
about any conditions these days – if
your kite won’t come up, you’ll be left
swimming to shore and not all
of us are capable of swimming
the English Channel. Having
some kite repair tape would
be handy too – as essentially
these kites are giant balloons.
If something pierces the skin,
air gets out, and you’re left
hanging on to a few strings, a big stick
and a very large, wet and heavy piece
of plastic. They’re built tough, and it
does not seem to be too common a
problem, however it gets a mention on
quite a number of advice sites.
SB / #51 / 56

DO YOU HAVE AN
EYE FOR DETAIL?
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a highly skilled all-round craftsman/
woman well versed in glassing, sanding
and polishing.
Base yourself in Scotts Head and live
the dream.
Interested?
Call for a chat 02 6655 7007
57 / #51 / SB

Growing up as a kid, I was one of those first few
who jumped at the chance to windsurf in the
early 80s. I loved it, wish I kept at it and indeed
still dream of doing what Robbie Naish did on
monstrous waves. The footage of windsurfers in
huge seas is still etched into my memory. Perhaps
it is not too late to don some fluoro boardies and
relive my youth.
BEER
O’CLOCK
“Is it surfable?”
“Is it drinkable?”
Scan the code to find out.
ind

Appeal:
So – as a kid you played around with sailing at
school, you’ve dabbled with surfing, but thus far
your financial limits have put the America’s Cup out
of reach, or even some sort of small catamaran for
that matter. If sails and boards are your thing, then
the original wind taming, water riding gear of the
windsurfer may be just for you. As the predecessor
of kite boarding and wing surfing, wind surfing was
once the biggest thing since sliced bread. School
camps taught children how to do it, local lakes and
dams on breezy days were a sea of colourful sails,
and people of all shapes, sizes and levels of skill
could be found floating around at the whim of the
wind enjoying a fun day out. As the sport progressed,
and the riders improved, windsurfers could be seen
flying headfirst up the face of massive waves and
launching themselves into the air to try all manner of
flips, twists and turns.
It certainly drew a passionate tribe, and none more so
than Hoyle Schweitzer, who co-founded Windsurfing
International in Southern California in 1968 with his
wife Diana. In 1984 he described the windsurfer this
way: “A futuristic vehicle for your dreams has risen
out of the western sea, bringing new dimensions to
life itself. How can such a simple, easy-rider device
bring so much joy to millions? Because… it puts you
– with your skills and your dreams and your hidden
potential – into a perfect interaction with wind and
water. Thus, this one small vehicle brings with it the
power to make your visit here on planet earth even
more fulfilling.”
Windsurfing proved so popular world championships
started in 1974, attracting 456 competitors to Nassau
in the Bahamas in 1976 where a 13-year-old kid from
Hawaii took out the title. The kid’s name was Robby
Naish and it was the first of 22 world titles he won
in the sport over the years. The sport proved so
popular it was trialled as a demonstration sport at
the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles.
In Australia, windsurfing continues to have a loyal
following with the 44th Nationals coming to Parkdale
Yacht Club at Port Phillip Bay in Victoria from
January 20-23, 2022, offering events such as racing,
slalom, marathon and freestyle.
In terms of equipment, the windsurfer is going to
need a decent set of wheels to cart all his gear -
no mopeds here! Boards range from 2-4.7m, then
there’s the mast, boom and sail, which can be
anything from 3-4m2 to 7m2.
Cost:
So many components, so many opportunities for
variable costs. Different sails, mast lengths, board
lengths, board styles, materials, etc, play into the
total cost here, not to mention the added bonus of
cold weather wet suits and gear for those surfing
at the southern end of Australia or New Zealand.
As a guide, SHQ Boardsports has an intermediate
package deal with all of the key elements for hitting
the water on a mid-range set up for $4195.
Lessons:
Mastering windsurfing means mastering the feel
of a board beneath your feet and the wind in the
sail in front of your face. Those who learn to carve
with the board and jibe properly with the wind will
get the best results from their experience, go faster
and have more fun. A couple of key tips from the
experts online point to the need to learn the various
balance points on the boards, and to teach the body
the right posture, keeping your arms straight and
relaxed, thumbs on top of the boom with a straight
back and legs in a sitting posture. This posture will
use leg power and strength to guide the sail. The
alternative is a whole lot of pain for the hand, arm
and back muscles and shorter days on the water.
Interestingly, when you go hunting for “windsurfing
lessons Australia” online Australian Sailing comes up
as one of the major providers, with yacht clubs all
around the country offering a range of longer courses
from beginner to racing – pricing appears to be “on
application”. As a guide, www.flyingfishsailing.com.
au at Middle Harbour Yacht Club in NSW advertise
their private lessons for $225 for three hours for one
person, or as low as $125 per person if you can
round up four other mates for a five-person lesson.
Etiquette:
When it comes to windsurfing there’s basic beach
etiquette, and there’s windsurfer to windsurfer
etiquette to master. On the first one – it’s pretty
simple. You’re on a big boat-like piece of water craft
capable of travelling pretty fast and loaded with gear
including a solid mast and heavy sail that is going to
do some damage if it hits or falls the wrong way on
an unassuming bystander. Stay clear of the surfers
and swimmers and find your own piece of beach
paradise to play in. It’s a big ocean, and there’s
room for everyone. If you’re windsurfing with other
windsurfers, on a lake or in the ocean, there are
three basic right-of-way rules that all windsurfers are
taught in a bid to reduce the chance of crashes. The
rules – leeward over windward, starboard tack over
port tack, and responsibility to maintain direction.
So - if two windsurfers are heading away from the
beach with a wind coming from the right-hand side,
the surfer on the upwind side (windward) must give
way to the surfer coming from the downwind side
(leeward) of them (in this example, a rider on the left).
If two riders are coming at each other from different
directions, the rider who is tacking into the wind
with their right hand closest to the mast (a starboard
tack) has the right of way. This rider must maintain
their speed and direction – the other rider must take
evasive action. On the waves – the first windsurfer on
the wave has right of way, and the closest windsurfer
to the peak has priority.

wing
This board sport is so, so cool - yeah I know, we
say that about all of them but this is the coolest
and most surely would be something that
we would never be able to do. It sure is good
to dream about it though. Jokes aside, this is
a “must master” before I die aspiration. I can,
I will, I must. Sing with me, “I can believe I can
fly, I believe I can fly…”, hang on, we probably
can’t sing that song anymore. That dude went to
prison. He ain’t flying anywhere, anytime soon.
Appeal:
So, wind surfing involves a sail attached to a largish
board with a vertical mast more akin to a one-person
yacht. Kite boarding ditches the sail and mast
in favour of a parachute to harness the wind’s
energy and is controlled by “lines” and a steering
bar. Wing surfing/ boarding strips all of that away
and opts instead for a giant inflatable sail with no
chords, just hand grips and a wrist rope so you
don’t lose it. With one of these blow-up wings in
your backpack (literally – that’s what they come in)
you can potentially harness the wind’s energy to
add a bit of speed to any sort of board - if you have
enough room and the inclination. Think high-energy
skateboarding or snowboarding as just two ideas.
Wing surfing is not necessarily
a new thing – with history
tracking back to the mid-80s
when a bloke called Tom
Magruder invented a wing
called the Wind Weapon
and rode in the Columbia
River Gorge in the US. There
was a product, Slingwing
developed in 2011, but that
product, and others like it,
failed to captivate the market
until around 2019 when
Robby Naish released his
Wing-Surfer and surfers around the world were becoming
more interested in swapping out their shortboards
for new challenges – who knows – maybe
that trend has a bit to do with aging baby boomers
finding the paddle out harder every day and looking
for ways they can enjoy the ocean for longer. Naish
was 55 years old when he launched the wing.
Of all of the wind-driven surfing trends, wing boarding
is arguably the most portable with the lowest
entry price given you can simply buy a wing and use
it with your existing stand-up paddleboard or similar
to give it a go. Like most things though – there’s a
high road or a low road, and if you’re super keen it
would be easy to empty the credit card.
Cost:
A Cloud IX Wing Wing will set you back $849, which
we don’t mind saying is a cracking deal. A specialist
board complete with foot straps and set up
to accept a foil attachment will set you back up to
$2400. If you opt to go wing foiling rather than wing
surfing, a carbon mast and fuselage with glass/
carbon wings is $1399 at Cloud IX.
Lessons:
When it comes to mastering the mixture of surfing
and sailing that wing surfing represents it helps to
have some idea about both – but it’s not entirely
necessary. Kitesandup.com.au at Warner’s Bay
near Newcastle offer wing surfing lessons for $180
for two hours for one-on-one tutoring, or $250 for
a two-hour lesson for two people, including gear.
The MACKite Wingsurf School has a few tips online
for those looking for some self-learning first. Key
recommendations include playing with your wing on
land first to get used to the pull of the wind and the
way it handles. Practicing on your knees, adjusting
the sail into different positions to understand how
it grabs the breeze, and how to release it and ease
back if you want to slow down. The MACKite team
suggest moving from ground practice to a large
stand-up paddleboard on flat water with a decent
downwind breeze and building your skills from
there. They make the point that wing surfing upwind
is near on impossible without a foil and suggest
anyone who gives that a go and fails should not be
too hard on themselves.
Etiquette:
Introducing a giant inflatable wing into a busy line
up of nose to jowl surfers of all manner of skill levels
is fraught with danger. Wing surfing is best done
away from the main breaks where the crowds are
smaller and there’s more room to take advantage
of the wind power. Beginners tend to head out on
heavy and stable stand-up paddleboards, the sort
of weapon that can cause riders and anyone else in
the water pretty solid damage at the best of times
when they crash off the top of a wave and start
spinning. Being trapped under a wayward surf wing
would not be a great day on the beach either. The
best advice appears to be to carry your board upwind
and your kite downwind when you’re walking
up the beach for the best control and to stay a safe
distance away from other watergoers downwind
when you hit the water.
SB / #51 / 60

oiling
Let’s consider you’re a grumpy old bastard who’s
packed on a few kilos with age and are frustrated
with surfing your submerged high-performance
shortboard. Perhaps taking to your crowded local
lineup with a massive 3-foot butcher’s cleaver
attached to your board is something you would
like to consider? It will help get out some pent
up aggression whilst culling the numbers and
keeping the sharks busy – 3 birds with 1 stone we
reckon. So, what’s this foiling all about.
Appeal:
Foiling is surfing for those who like to jump up and
down like a jackhammer, whilst plummeting down
the front of the wave with the added risk element of
potentially cutting themselves in half should they fall
off and get attacked by their board.
Yep, what’s been hailed as potentially the “future” of
watersports is all about using hydrofoil technology to
help riders to generate their own energy in the water,
offering the potential for more time spent riding on
top of the board than splashing around in the ocean
waiting for the next big wave to roll through.
The ride has less friction than a normal surfboard,
the long foil with its hydrodynamic wings is what cuts
through the water while the board stays in the sky.
When you lean back, the wings tilt upright, the board
lifts up. You tilt forward, it dives back down. Pumping
backwards and forwards, front foot, back foot, front
foot again, generates forward motion thanks to some
mysterious law of physics falling under the category
of kinetic energy, and some pretty solid speeds can
be reached.
Depending on where you land on the world wide web
of information, the “real history” of foiling will provide
slightly different answers – but fair to say big wave
surfer Laird Hamilton’s name pops up more than a
few times, along with Australian inventor Brett Curtis
who apparently developed a paddle in version in
2009. And, 2017 in Puerto Rico a small company by
the name of Lift Foils took the technology to a new
level by adding a propeller and an electric motor to
the foiling set up. In Australia – Fliteboard has taken
on the electronic challenge.
The foils come in all sorts of shapes and sizes to
suit different wave sizes and rider skill levels. The
best bet here is to find a foil supplier and ask some
questions. With so many variables to play with the
set ups are almost endless – different stem lengths,
wing sizes, materials on the boards, weight capacity,
wave capacity, battery power and propeller style on
the electric boards – need we go on.
Cost:
Really, how long is a piece of string. For the bare
basics, as we mentioned on the page prior, Cloud
IX has a carbon mast and fuselage with glass/
carbon wings for $1399. The Surfboard Warehouse
has carbon foil boards from $1499 sans the foil. Put
the two together and you’re looking at about $2.5k.
On the other side of the ditch, Sup Centre NZ can
get you set up on a Naish S26 Hover Wing Foil 85
($1995) with all the necessary bits and pieces for
around $3300-$4000 NZD. If you want to go top
of the range – the Series 2 Fliteboard, which has a
maximum speed of 55km/h, a range of 40km and a
duration of two hours (based on an 80kg rider), be
prepared to spend close to $20,000.
Lessons:
If you’re a first timer aiming to get out and foil –
lessons would be a great way to start. These boards
add a whole new level of juggling when it comes
to playing in the surf, there’s way more than just a
board to hit you on the noggin if you fall off the wrong
way, and the hydrofoil wings and stem can be pretty
unforgiving when they come into contact with flesh
and bone. Not to mention they’re heavy – the top of
the range electronic motor powered Fliteboard can
weigh up to 30kg – which is a hell of a big rock to
come screaming off the face of a wave and into your
chest or someone else’s. If you google Foil Surfing
Lessons you’ll find something close to you. As a
guide, Ocean Addicts on the Sunshine Coast offer
a private Learn to HydroFoil Lesson being towed
behind a boat in calm water for $240 for two hours.
Etiquette:
If you’re heading out to your favourite break with a
board that weighs as much as a pre-teen child and
you are not 100 per cent sure about what you’re
doing – it’s not going to end well. The debate over
who has right of way on the waves is never going to
be solved in this paragraph, but let’s just say, these
things power themselves – so there’s no need to hog
the waves. You’re faster and more deadly than most
of the water-based contraptions us humans like to
throw at the ocean, and if you cherish your own life
and the lives of your fellow surfers the best bet is to
find a less crowded or more isolated spot and carve
it up in peace.
SB / #51 / 62

IMAGE: CLOUD IX SURFFOILS
IMAGE: CLOUD IX SURFFOILS
IMAGE: CLOUD IX SURFFOILS
IMAGE: CLOUD IX SURFFOILS
63 / #51 / SB

If you live somewhere like the Sunshine Coast
where there’s no waves for long periods and have
a rich mate with a boat, you might want to try
your hand at wake surfing. In the open ocean it
is kind of like trawling but a bit more challenging
for the sharks. You can even try it with a string
of sausages tied around your waist to raise the
stakes.
Appeal:
If wave power, or wind power, just doesn’t give you
the speed buzz you’re looking for when riding a
board, then wakeboarding could be for you. Rather
than waiting for nature to work her magic and give
you a ride, wakeboarding relies on the machines of
man in the form of ski boats or cable ski equipment,
to pull a rider along via a tow rope at speeds of up
to 50km/h.
As a sport, its full history will likely never be known.
The best guess is it evolved from surfers, waterskiers
and snowboarders looking to replicate and innovate
on the experience of being towed into waves or
speeding down the slopes.
One story goes that Scottish extreme sports pro
Lachlan Snowie lent a “skurf” board to an Australian
mate Jeff Darby in Queensland Australia in the late
80s. Darby and his mates tried it behind a boat
before going on to create their own boards, then
meeting an American called Tony Finn and together
launching boards under the “Skurfer” brand.
Another is that Australian surfboard shaper Bruce
McKee and a friend Mitchell Ross produced a plastic
skurfboard named the “Mcski” with adjustable footstraps,
a concave tunnel bottom and a keel fin – and
this should be considered the start of wakeboarding.
Given there’s Australians involved, there’s every
chance the sport’s first true beginning came from
some bloke standing up on an esky lid at the end of
a tow rope and thinking there must be a way to make
it go faster.
All that aside, the sport has evolved, the boards
have got lighter, faster, more aerodynamic, the
bindings more comfortable, flexible and effective,
and the human nature of always trying to go one
better has created an extreme sport with a tribe of
loyal followers and even a language of their own to
describe the amazing array of tricks they’re now able
to do by making the most of the “air” created when
they jump off the top of the wave created by the
wake of the ski boat and start flipping.
As a sport, wakeboarding provides an option for
board riders caught a long way from surf or snow,
but still craving the challenge of sliding fast over the
surface of the earth with the wind in their hair and
tricks up their sleeve.
It’s not a lonesome sport though. Unless you’re
hitting a cable ski park, you need a boat and
someone to drive it – which is perhaps another part
of the appeal. Grabbing the crew for a weekend
of waterskiing, wakeboarding, kneeboarding, and
tubing behind a fast boat is part of the experience.
Cost:
Our friendly search engine kicked up prices here
ranging from $450 for a basic board, to close
to $3000 for a Ronix RXT Blackout Technology
Wakeboard. The specs on this board point out that
Ronix owner Danny Harf, who can land a 1260 spin,
is a rider of this particular piece of high-end gear. If
you’re super serious about the sport and want to buy
your own boat – that’s a whole other level of expense
with something like the Axis A20 specialised ski boat
likely to set you back close to $72,000.
Lessons:
Having someone else who knows what they’re
doing showing you how to get started is always a
good idea. When it comes to wakeboarding, there is
a fine art to understanding how to work with a tow
rope, your boat driver, speeds, and stance on the
board. You only need to drop by a lake and watch
someone trying to teach themselves how to “get up”
for the first time in an amateur environment to quickly
understand that without following the right steps
it’s entirely possible to find yourself moving from
squatting in the water, ready to roll, to face planting
in the water, hanging on to a tow rope you’ve
forgotten to let go of and dragging your wakeboard
like an anchor behind your ever stretching body. Not
so pleasant. There are a few wakeboarding groups
around the country and www.wakeboardaustralia.
com.au seems to have the most links to other statebased
groups and contact details that may help
in finding a club close to you and someone taking
lessons. As an example of pricing the good folk at
the Mulwala Pro Ski Shop offer half hour lessons for
$110 for 30 minutes for one-on-one tutelage, $200
an hour for 2-3 people and $380 for a two-hour
session with four to six people.
Etiquette:
If you’re wakeboarding at a cable park, the etiquette’s
pretty simple. Follow the list of rules on the massive
signs on the way in, wait your turn on the cable,
move out of the way if you fall off, and stick your
hand in the air and wave for help if you hurt yourself
and you need one of the supervisors to come out on
the lake and pick you up.
wake
SB / #51 / 64

oard
GIVEN THERE’S AUSTRALIANS INVOLVED,
THERE’S EVERY CHANCE THE SPORT’S
FIRST TRUE BEGINNING CAME FROM SOME
BLOKE STANDING UP ON AN ESKY LID AT
THE END OF A TOW ROPE AND THINKING
THERE MUST BE A WAY TO MAKE IT GO
FASTER.
If you’re on a river or a lake with a whole lot of ski
boats travelling at 50km/h with riders strung out
30m behind them, the rules matter. Depending on
where you’re enjoying the sport, consideration
for the neighbours and their land is another factor
– constantly smashing the water’s edge with large
amounts of wake will erode the bank and gradually
steal land from the very people who may be letting
you use their lake. With that in mind, Alliance Wake
produced a basic list of does and don’ts for boat
drivers and wakeboarders including:
• Middle runs all day – meaning try and take your ski
runs in the middle of the lake as much as possible to
allow the wake to dissipate before it hits the shore, or
rocks other people’s boats unnecessarily.
• Shoreline courtesy – they say if you need to go closer
to the shore, aim for longer runs rather than running a
short line over and over again.
• Keep the tunes down – that $70,000 ski boat will come
with some great speakers – but so does everyone
else’s. If everyone keeps their sounds to themselves
there’s less chance of fights breaking out between
lovers of Pearl Jam and Justin Bieber.
• Back off – don’t follow other boats too closely or go to
close at the side.
• Look forward – if you’re the captain, driving the boat,
don’t be looking backwards at your mate, keep
looking ahead so you don’t run into anyone else.
• Be respectful – don’t be the one to give other
wakeboarders a bad name by behaving badly.
65 / #51 / SB

SB / #51 / 66

tand up
You’ve possibly witnessed at first light someone
gracefully cleaning up a spill in aisle four at your
local lineup and thought that one day, you too
would like to become an ocean janitor. If that’s
the case, paddleboarding could be just for you
and best of all, you never have to worry about
crowded lineups. You simply plough through
them all without a care on your giant ocean liner.
Appeal:
Look back far enough in history, or at least read old
scripts or see pictures of cave paintings and there’s a
fair chance you stumble across mention of a human
standing on some sort of board or vessel and using
a big stick propel themselves along.
Taking that basic concept and converting it to the
surf has been attributed, in the modern context, to
a Hawaiian bloke called John Ah Choy who found
himself struggling to paddle out prone on his board,
so decided to stand up, grab a canoe paddle and
use that to get him back on to the waves to surf. That
was in the 1940s.
Fast forward to now and the range of boards is
bigger, paddles are high tech and generations
of paddleboarders since have found new ways
of incorporating their big boards into their lives
including such things as SUP fishing, SUP yoga and
SUP touring on flat water lakes and rivers.
Most recently the nature of the physiological side of
the sport, standing and engaging the core, twisting
the hips, using the shoulders, has been hailed by
many a sports / fitness blogger as offering a solid
full body workout with the added bonus of being
outdoors in variable conditions as opposed to
running on a treadmill and staring at the same wall
for hours on end.
Surfers whose shoulders and hips may no longer
allow them to get a lot of pleasure out of jumping
up into a stance on a standard board, or freestyle
padding their way out the back, can often still work
with a paddleboard to catch a wave.
For stand-up paddleboarders, the surf does not
necessarily have to be pumping either for them to
get out on the water – with the help of the paddle
surfers can generate more speed than arms alone,
and the size of the board (think malibu surfboard vs
short board) means their platform is well suited to
smaller swells and long, smooth rides. The boards
will also work on lakes, rivers and streams, adding
some flexibility for the rider looking for a day on the
water.
While historically, paddleboards presented something
of a challenge when it comes to transportation, being
up to 3m long and reasonably heavy, the advent of a
range of blow up paddle boards that break down to
fit in an oversized back pack has added to the appeal
of the sport as a portable activity.
67 / #51 / SB

For those who want to
SUP with style there’s
this Riley Balsa creation.
Cost:
The range of uses and styles to cater for
beginner through to expert paddle boarders is
reflected in the variation of prices available in the
market. For beginners, who are better off on a wider,
longer, more stable board, there are blow up boards
starting from about $700.
For the pro, or those who simply like to have the
cutting edge, Surf FX at Southport stock a few high
end boards such as the $4300 SIC RS 2021 from
master shaper Mark Raaphorst that is the latest
version of the RS Board that won the SUPConnect
Race Board of the Year award in 2018. It’s nearly
14ft long, about 23 inches wide, and boasts a
full PVC wrapped core finished in a carbon and
fiberglass skin and dressed in metallic flake pain
with a crocodile textured EVA deck pad.
So many of our good supporters here at
Smorgasboarder have great deals on sups: Natural
Necessity, Goodtime Surf, NZ Shred, SUP Centre
NZ and Moana NZ Sup to name a few.
Lessons:
The good news for anyone looking to have a crack
at Stand Up Paddleboarding for the first time is that
lessons are relatively easy to come by and can be
bought for as little as $60 an hour through gift giving
sites such as Red Balloon. In most of our more
popular tourist centres around the country the local
surf schools are offering stand up paddle boarding
classes with a variety of add ons, including lessons
and tours, or lesson packs.
Etiquette:
For those venturing into the surf zones, use common
surf etiquette, take your turn on the waves, be
conscious of who is around you at any time, don’t
cut in on people and if it’s a madly busy line-up, find
somewhere else. Always wear a leash so your board
doesn’t decapitate 10 people on its way back to
shore and don’t paddle through the line up.
The sheer size and weight of the paddleboards
makes them a formidable watercraft when they are
careening off the face of a wave.
For stand up paddleboarders hitting the rivers or
bays, one golden rule is to make sure you stay out of
the shipping channels – boats are big, you’re small.
Boats can move fast and be slow to stop – and you
can only paddle so fast to get out of trouble.
For stand up paddleboarders paddling in a group
– the best advice is to use your mouths and
communicate if boards are close to colliding. Push
someone else’s board away with your paddle and
there’s every chance you’ll both end up in the water,
or at the very least the person pushed.
THE SHEER SIZE
AND WEIGHT OF
THE PADDLEBOARDS
MAKES THEM
A FORMIDABLE
WATERCRAFT WHEN
THEY ARE CAREENING
OFF THE FACE OF A
WAVE.
SB / #51 / 68

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Over 100 hours per map to create the most detailed surf charts from around the world.
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P : 61 422 175 706 | E : guy.hastings@hotmail.com
75 Paterson Street, Byron Bay, NSW, 2481, Australia
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MOBILE: 0427 767 176
EMAIL: markrab88@gmail.com
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SLIDE
69 / #51 / SB

SB / #51 / 70

Who wants to be a two-planker w@nker. Never mind
what those toffy skiiers tell you, knuckledraggers
(snowboarders) are the go. It takes you to a place
where you feel like you are riding a 100ft wave
without fear of a shark biting you on the ass. Better
still, after riding your “wave”, someone picks you up
and drops you out the back -aka the chair lift. Ride
on snowboarding sisters and brethren. .
Appeal:
When surfers head to the hills to check out the
white fluffy stuff on the top it’s not unusual to see
them brandishing bags of a different kind that are
carrying boards of the “snow” variety. Nowadays,
there’s the extra bonus of having boards that split
in two (split-boards) to allow their riders to more
easily backcountry runs. It’s the latest incarnation
of a snowboarding tradition that traces its origins all
the way back to the infamous “Snurfer” created by
one interestingly named character called Sherman
Poppen on Christmas morning 1965 when he decided
to brace two Kmart skis together and try and surf the
snow in his backyard. Little was Sherman to know
that nearly 50 years later snowboarding technology
would again be based around two separate pieces of
sliding material bound together for the downhill ride,
and pushed apart for the climb. Not that he probably
cares too much – his Snurfer sold 750,000 units over
15 years and started a long line of innovation and a
new sport.
Early adopters of the technology included Jake
Burton and Tom Sims and from 1978 they pushed
their own brands of snowboards out to the masses in
a bid to ride the wave of interest in the sport. In 1985
the first US Open Snowboarding Championship was
held at Vermont’s Stratton Mountain where it stayed
as an annual event, attracting crowds up to 30,000
people, before the event moved to Vail, Colorado in
2013.
For surfers, and skateboarders, the art of snowboard
relies on similar concepts of balance, with the added
element of having your boots strapped to the board.
Styles of snowboarding range from flat out downhill
and slalom racing, to tackling jumps and massive
half pipes to showcase ever increasing feats of
supreme athleticism. If you can make sense of
this line describing the 2017 US Open run of Mark
McMorris that “featured spins all four ways including
a huge switch backside triple cork 1620”, then you’ll
have an idea of just how far the best snowboarders
in the world have taken their craft. The sport debuted
at the Winter Games in Nagano, Japan in 1998 and
remains to this day with categories including giant
slalom, half-pipe, snowboard cross, slopestyle, and
big air.
In terms of the gear itself, much like surfing, length,
weight, shape, balance, materials all play a part in
how a board performs the task it’s made for. If you
wanted to try and simplify the range, it might make
sense to break it down to four overarching styles of
board:
• True Twin (completely symmetrical) – popular
with freestylers, rides the same whichever way
you’re facing.
• Directional Twin (nose slightly longer than the
tail) – another one for freestylers looking to
switch leading legs while riding,
• Directional Shape (longer nose than tail and
often different nose and tail shapes) – optimised
for carving, speed and powder in one direction.
• Tapered Directional Shape – (width of widest
point of the nose is wider than the widest point
of the tail) – good for freeriders with a short tail to
kick around trees with.
As for the splitboard – or a snowboard that is split
longitudinally and can be snapped together to form
one board – their biggest use is for snowboarders
who want to hit the back country and are sick of
having to carry snowshoes and smaller skis on their
backs to climb or find their next run.
Cost:
When it comes to all things snow there are really
only two names we call on: NZ Shred in beautiful
Queenstown and Shed Nine down in Rye, Victoria.
Eddie Wearne always has awesome deals on his
own Shed Nine branded boards starting at $499 for
a Traditional Round through to $899 for a Splitboard.
Jase Johns over at NZ Shred has all the top names
from Burton to Jones, Arbor and more. A top of
the pops Jones Hovercraft Splitboard retails for
around $1500 and if you want to try something a
little different there is the Burton Backstreet Driver, a
snowboard sans bindings that goes for about $500
odd. This is a pow surfer with an exaggerated spoon
nose provides float and flow and is reportedly built
to spread the joy of surfing on snow and we so want
to give it a go.
Lessons:
When it comes to protecting yourself and others,
snowboarding lessons are well worth the money
spent. On the safety front, making sure you know
how to unclick yourself from the board, and how
to fall properly will go a long way to ensuring you
don’t leave your knees on the slopes along with
your pride. As basic as is might sound, if you’ve
not snowboarded much it’s not a bad idea to have
a refresh on how to ride the various forms of ski
tows and lifts correctly, including sliding off at the
end gracefully and not being the chump that puts
the board down square and falls flat on their face
while the chair lift threatens to take your head off (not
speaking from experience here at all!). As for the cost
of lessons, the average price for two hours of private
tuition appears to sit around $190 per person.
Etiquette:
On the slopes themselves the etiquette is now pretty
much the same as skiing – be aware of who is around
you, don’t ski across other people and assume that
whoever is on the slopes with you is no better at
this than you are. If you don’t think you could stop
if someone else landed right in front of you, there’s
a fair chance if you do it to someone else, you’re
going to get bowled over. Don’t push in on the lift
queues and if you want to try and step up to a harder
run than you’re used to, be conscious of how busy
it is, and think about bring a mate along to try it with
you so there’s someone close by should you get into
trouble.
71 / #51 / SB

Dave Hackett Slash 1980
Image: 1GodDude viaWikimedia Commons
Growing up in landlocked South Africa, skateboarding gave my
good mate and Smorgasboarder partner Mark Chapman his “surf”
fix. Indeed, he’s a pretty good skateboarder who can carve,
cruise and drop into a bowl with the best of them. He can
even kickflip, pop shove-it and do a benihana, whatever on
earth that is. Anyhow, skateboarding is yet another outlet
for us surfers to hone our skills and get our fix when the
waves aren’t on… or break a few bones if your injury prone
like me.
Appeal:
Starve surfers of good waves for long enough and they’ll likely
start looking for alternatives to find their stoke. For the most
part, all of the boards that have been created or designed and
discussed in these pages have had at least one surfer involved in
their creation – so it should come as no surprise that skateboarding
is exactly the same.
While skateboards appear to have been around from as early as the
1920s, the early incarnations with metal wheels and pretty simple
decks never really took off. It wasn’t until around 1963 when clay
wheeled boards started to appear that a small following developed.
The opening of the world’s first skate park in Anaheim California, Surf
City, brought some more attention. When polyurethane wheels were
added to the boards making it easier to skate on different surfaces -
skating really started to take off. In 1976 Albany Skate Track was
opened in Western Australia – one of the first in the country.
When skaters in the United States started to skate in empty
swimming pools, the trend caught on here with small “bowlriding”
championships popping up across various states in
Australia.
While skateboarding dropped off from “craze” status to virtually
disappear in the mid-80s, it made a comeback in the 90s as a street
sport before being picked up as an extreme sport. Skateboarding
was cool again, skate parks started to appear all over the country,
skateboard lessons were available, skateboard riders became video
game heroes too, and in 2016 skateboarding was announced as
official Olympic sport for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo – even
if we had to wait until 2021 for that to happen and our stars to
shine – no more so that Keegan Palmer who took Gold in the Park
category at the Games.
For surfers, skateboarding presented a chance to use gravity to
ride the footpaths, streets and skatebowls of the land, performing
a range of similar tricks to those made possible when surfing,
especially among the surfers with a love of hitting big “air” by
flying up the face of the wave and launching into the sky for some
aerial acrobatics.
The boards were small enough to take anywhere, required
minimal gear and were of some training value in that the
skateboarding and surfing stances are similar, as is the way
you shuffle the body’s weight to change directions whilst being
propelled forward by gravity.
In the past 20 or so years skateboards have continued to evolve
in style, shape, and technology to the point where there are now
hundreds of different brands out there offering all sorts of board
set ups, including several models of electric powered skateboards
that add a whole new range to people’s riding skills.
A bit like surfing, skateboards have been designed to suit
different slopes, different terrains, different riders and different
skill levels. For beginners the suggested path is a wider board
with flatter concave (the size of the curve across the top of the
board), medium to hard wheels and low trucks to keep your
centre of gravity low and help you balance on the board. The
better you get, the faster you want the wheels to roll, the thinner
the board you’ll aim for and the more customised you’ll make your
rig to suit your style of skating and the terrain you’ll be tackling the
most of – be that skate parks or public streets.
SB / #51 / 72

Smorgasboarder team
rider Sunny Jones airing
at the local skate park.
Cost:
A decent beginners board packaged from a reputable skate shop will set you back
around $150. Bigger boards such as Cruisers start heading past the $300 mark, and
if you decide to trick up your accessories with high end bearings, different wheels
or more, you could add another $500 pretty quickly. On the top end of today’s
skateboarding market though is the electric skateboard such as the Evolve Hadean
Carbon All Terrain model sold by Skate Connection for the princely sum of $3,399.
This little toy has been crafted out of carbon fibre, a top speed of 42kph, dual
3000w motors and a 40km range on one charge. It even has brake lights and usercustomisable
LED lights that can be adjusted through the board’s remote controller
or the Evolve app.
Our personal favourite is the mid-range, electric FIIK Pool Cleaner V2 perfect for
cruising the streets or hitting the skatepark. Super responsive with an authentic
skateboard feel, it can hit speeds of up to 28 km/h and retails for $999.
Lessons:
Your local surf or skateboard shop is the best option for sussing out the range of
lessons and coaches in your local area. Searching online shows plenty of options
for children’s lessons, groups and otherwise, with specialist skate schools showing
up in most states.
Etiquette:
On the street, skateboarders are a bit like cyclists who choose to use the footpath.
Simple etiquette is to remember that those walking or jogging still can’t move as fast
as you on a board. Depending on the surface too, skating up behind someone may
well be something they just don’t hear. Play it smart, leave space between yourself
and other path users and try not to scare anyone into jumping into your path. On the
road – cars will kill you – play by the road rules or be prepared for the consequences.
At the skate bowl, the rules are similar to that of a surf line up. As a guide, if you’re
not skating, step off the park and watch for a distance – you don’t want to be that
person who stuffs up someone’s near perfect run by standing in the wrong spot.
Pick your times to visit to suit your skill level. If you’re just learning, turning up at
peak times will be frustrating for you, but also for those more experienced skaters
who’ve snatched half an hour to have a ride and spend 29 minutes of it dodging
skaters who don’t yet have the skills to get themselves out of the way.
73 / #51 / SB

freeboard
Snowboarding is on snow. Freebording is on
concrete. Powder snow is more forgiving than
concrete. Freebording can certainly hurt if you’re
flung to the ground like a mistimed snowboarding
carve. It’s a little scary but well worth tackling
your fear, just make sure have plenty of pads on.
Trust me, no one will call you a pussy for doing
so if they have a crack themselves. If you need
further inspiration, just check out some YouTube
footage of guys bombing huge canyons.
Appeal:
Snowboarders looking to hone their skills when the
snow’s not there now have a chance to experiment
with the closest thing to a snowboard on wheels, the
Freebord. The Freebord looks a bit like a skateboard,
until you turn it over and notice it’s actually more like
a giant in-line roller skate with training wheels on
either side that allow you to carve on the edges and
mimmick movements otherwise only achievable on
the snow. The wheels on the centreline of the board
rotate 360 degrees allowing board riders to slide in
any direction and even swap leading foot mid-way
down a hill. Just like a snowboard, the Freebord is
designed to lock your feet in, although in this case
it’s a solid toe slide-in system positioned in similar
stance to a snowboard, rather than the hard click
lock-in of the snowboarding world.
As a business, Freebord has been around since 1996
when Steen Strand started to play around with an
idea to bring snowboarding to the pavement. While
COVID-19 has hurt the flow of boards around the
world, Freebord’s CEO Bob Glashan and fellow
freebord rider Bently Anderson have continued to
push on with the development of their latest version
of the board, the Freeboard 5-X which will hopefully
make it on to the shelves in 2022. With independent
suspension hangers now in place the creators say
the board is perfect to master the edge-to-edge style
of snowboard riding, with less vibrations over rough
ground.
Cost:
While stocks appear to be low on Freebords
right now in Australia and New Zealand, www.
concretelines.com.au are still showing images of
the Freebord Black Bamboo Series Pro Complete
which was selling for $409.99 – so that at least is an
indication of price. Much cheaper than a snowboard
and a lift ticket it seems, but a little difficult to get
hold of right now.
Lessons:
Still a relatively new addition to the on land skating
line up, lessons for Freebording are not common
place. If you can get your hands on a board it
might be worth messaging the Freebord team at @
freebordaustraliaandnewzealand and asking for their
advice as to where to find a stockist or a tutor close
to where you live. Key to surviving and thriving on
this equipment would be learning how to stop quickly
and to turn away from danger without falling off.
Etiquette:
Freebord’s are designed to turn any street into a
downhill slope. The steeper the street, the more
closely it resembles a black diamond experience.
Sadly, most streets are lined with parked cars,
driving cars, vans, trucks and motorbikes, the odd
pedestrian, traffic lights and more. If you’re on the
street, you’re another vehicle that needs to obey the
traffic laws and behave in a way that does not put
other people’s lives at risk.
SB / #51 / 74
s

Now some may question whether skimboarding
is a form of surfing and to that we say go google
skimboarding Puerto Escondido in Mexico or
The Wedge in Newport Beach California. After
you’ve cleaned your shorts out and picked up
your jaw, you will have a healthy appreciation for
what talented folk can do on one. As for bloopers,
skimboarders have some of the best of those too.
Anyhow, what those skimboarders do nowadays
is a far cry from the early 1920’s when American
lifeguards would use a flat piece of wood to skim
down the edge of the water to get to swimmers in
trouble more easily.
While there are still basic wooden skimboards in
play, with a finely honed shape and polished epoxy
coating for smoother rides, there are also carbon
fibre weapons designed to create as little resistance
as possible when it comes to riders flying fast on top
of the water hunting the perfect waves for a trick or
three and a ride back to shore.
kim
While the ocean is the most common place to skim,
these finless boards offer endless opportunities for
enthusiasts who have posted up videos skimming
inland rivers, lakes, dams and even flooded streets
and back yards.
In Australia there’s even an Australian Skimboarding
Association that’s been set up to link skim loving
riders all over the country to regular meets and
competitions.
For skaters and snowboarders, the motions are
similar – the boards can spin to have the riders swap
leading legs mid ride, they slide and the edges are
used to change direction.
Rather than finding a giant slope to ride down, or
jumping into a skate bowl and using the forces
of gravity to generate speed for the uphill side,
skimboards generate their own pace, charging the
base of an incoming wave, riding to it’s peak, quickly
flicking their boards around as they near the top and
then racing the lip all the way back to shore.
Costs
A basic Ryder Series 41” skimboard from Zak
Surfboards featuring a teardrop template and
durable plywood construction retails for $69.95
At the other end of the scale an Exile Double
Carbon Hybrid skimboard will leave your wallet
$947 lighter. You do get the same materials as
an astronaut for that though and the knowledge
that you’re on the same board as World Champion
skimboarders Austin Keen and Blair Conklin.
Lessons
Finding skim lessons may be somewhat of a
challenge if our google searching is anything to
go by. A good start would be to ask the board
store where you buy your skim board for any tips
on locals who might be able to offer a bit of oneon-one
tuition to get you started. Another option
is to search for SkimBoard videos along with
the names Blair Conklin or Austin Keen as these
champions appear to have created a range of
content for beginners to intermediates looking to
get better at their sport.
Etiquette
Like most board sports, if you’re not too sure what
you’re doing, the best bet is to find your own part
of the beach, without a crowd, and practice where
no-one else can get hurt. If you’re skimming with a
crew, take turns and be aware of where everyone
is – don’t steal anyone else’s waves and be aware
of the dangers that surfing waves right on the
shoreline present in terms of falling off in shallow
water. Most importantly though – have fun!
75 / #51 / SB

final word
Being a passionate waterman and the founder of
Australia’s largest independent surf store (Natural
Necessity in Gerringong), with every bit of board
sport kit you can imagine under one roof, we thought
it only fitting to round out this special feature with a
word from Kent Ladkin.
Kent’s long been an advocate of the Smorgasboarder
philosophy - ride everything and anything, just make
sure it’s with a smile.
We asked Kent for his thoughts on surfing and here
is what he had to say.
“Surfing is an opportunity to immerse ourselves
in nature, to feel and become one with the energy
vibrations of the universe.
“It’s very fleeting, but the moments dropping in,
getting barrelled, turning off the bottom or the top
of a wave are moments of pure ecstasy. There’s no
mind, we move into the realm of being, transcending
time, gravity and limitations.
“It’s like making love, meditating, being in nature or
listening to great music. It’s these transcendental
moments that give value to life. They are key, peak
experiences that are a measure of who we are and
the depth of our experience and being.”
For Kent it all started way back in the late 1950s.
“My first experience of riding a board was in
Maroubra in 1959 at the age of 8,” he said.
“My grandparents lived there. It was a neighbour’s
board and we took it by tram from their house off
Anzac parade.
“This was only three years after the first modern
boards were seen in Australia, bought out by the
Californians during the 1956 Melbourne Olympics.
“It was over a decade before leg ropes and I
remember flicking out, which was the hot manoeuvre
at the time.”
Kent remembers fondly his first ever board too.
“I was lucky getting my own board at the age of 11
in 1963.
“It was a 9’5,1/2” Bill Wallace, nicknamed the Banana
Boat. Then immediately I went on my first surf roadtrip
up the coast to surf Crescent, Snapper Rocks
and Greenmount Point in uncrowded conditions.
“After two weeks of epic surf, I returned home from
the August holidays, transformed into a seasoned
board rider.”
And for Kent, variety in the craft he chose to ride
soon became a part of life.
“For the previous three years growing up in
Merewether, I’d ridden 5’10,” rubber pump up
“Surfo’s”. This was years before bodyboards were
invented.
“The next major change in the design of surfboards
happened in 1967 when boards dropped from 9’6”
to 8’6”, then in 1968 boards dropped to 7’6, so in my
HSC year in 1969, boards were 6’6”,” he said.
“The following year in 1970, Mark Richards was
riding Twin-Fin boards under 6’.
“Thrusters, credited to Simon Anderson, followed
about a decade later in 1980.
“Apart from the introduction of Modern Mals in the
mid 70’s by Brian Ingham, a shaper at San Juan
Surfboards in Byron Bay, which I was lucky enough
to try and fall in love with, and the introduction of
the new EPS foam and epoxy resin materials in the
late 90’s, these meta steps in design have not been
seen since.”
As board styles, designs and materials evolved, so
to has Kent’s riding experience. If it floats, he’s had
a go on it.
“Over the past 62 years I’ve surfed, I’ve been lucky
to have worked in the surf industry for 54 years of it,
enabling me to experience the cutting edge of break
throughs in boards design.
“But surfing is much more than one design or
dimension.
“It’s not just about riding any one type of surfboard
or surf craft, it’s the whole opportunity of interacting
with waves and the ocean any way you can.
“Limiting yourself to just Shortboards, Mals, Logs,
Bodyboards, SUP’s, Windsurfers, Kiteboards,
Bodysurfing or whatever is just that, limiting.
“Laird Hamilton, a pioneer in different modalities of
surfing, nailed it in an old surf movie called “Tow,”
which was the first time most of us saw Tow-Ins &
Foils. Laird said `The true Waterman is someone who
interacts with the ocean in many different ways, and
are they not limited’.
“I believe boards are like pieces of art, and I collect
them and use different boards in different conditions.
“I love my 7 footer, my 8’6, 9’6 and 10’6, plus my
SUP. Each is ideal for different circumstances.
“I embrace being a Waterman.”
SB / #51 / 76

Into
the
wild
words: geoff crockett
images: stephen liew
Hitting the beach, surveying the waves, smelling the salt
air, feeling the sand under your toes, and then diving in and
paddling out the back. For many surfers, those basic steps
are like taking big, deep, breathes.
Popping up to sit on the board and stare out to the horizon,
a tiny speck in a seemingly endless ocean, is what brings
peace, focus and a new sense of reality in what can often
be busy lives.
For Melbourne-based photographer, and practising dentist,
Stephen Liew, that same sense of peace, relaxation and
re-charge is to be found in travelling to off-the-beaten track
locations, camping, and being at one with nature.
What started as a hobby has morphed into a side hustle that
has served up all sorts of adventures and a gallery of simply
stunning images of our great wild world.
“Perhaps the defining moment was an off-grid cabin holiday
near Mangonui, New Zealand called Riverside Glamping,
which is run by our now friends Maggie and Brooke,”
Stephen said.
“I’d always travelled with increasingly complex photography
gear and loved capturing natural escapes for personal
satisfaction.
“However, after sharing the images with Maggie and Brooke
it became clear how the portfolio could really help boost the
popularity of not only a particular cabin.
“More importantly, every time we (Stephen and his wife
Susie) checked out a new remote cabin and popped it on
social media, a wave of ‘where is that place!!’ comments
from our mates led me to push to shoot professionally to
inspire people to get outdoors for their mental wellbeing.
“It was a real lightbulb moment when I realised that I could
combine what we love doing, to escape, with a professional
activity.”
Photography was a love Stephen developed as a child, with
a bit of help from his parents.
“I recently found an album of wind and click photos I took
at a school camp when I was 10 years old, and they are a
poorly executed set of images of some amazing old wooden
huts hidden in forest. “Seems that since I was a kid, I’ve l
always been obsessed by hidden cabins and the quietness
of escaping into the woods!

“Music puts you in
a flow state similar
to photography or
surfing. This state is
absolutely vital for
wellbeing.”
For Stephen and wife
Susie, time in nature
is another way of
attaining peace.
SB / #51 / 80

“My parents must have recognised my photography
interest as they gave me a Canon Ixus IIs for my first point
and shoot in my early teens.
“I remember learning for hours how to use its long
exposure setting to capture this stellar purple sunset at the
beach and failing multiple times to translate what my eyes
were seeing into an image.
“This was actually how I came to learn about the effects of
exposure time, aperture, ISO etc.”
The creative streak is strong for Stephen who also is also
musically inclined.
“I’ve had a lifelong passion for music and taught USA-style
drumline percussion for many years,” he said.
“Along with an old mate we started an entertainment group
called D2Drumline about 10 years ago.
“We field choreographed, mobile drummers to entertain
large events including the AFL Grand Final, World Cup
Cricket etc.
“Music puts you in a flow state similar to photography or
surfing. This state is absolutely vital for wellbeing.”
For Stephen and wife Susie, time in nature is another way
of attaining peace.
They have their own tiny caravan that they gutted and
converted into a cosy, tiny home and bush retreat over a
12-month period.
“It’s our favourite place. Ask yourself when was the last
time you spent a day tracking the changing light across
your natural surroundings? This happens every time we
visit, and we always feel better for it.
“Anyone who has tried to live in a small home with less
understands it ironically gives you more.
“By that I mean, practically, there’s less to maintain or
clean and it’s often a cheaper existence which frees you
from the ties to conventional lifestyles, but in addition it
flips your mindset to focus on your surroundings, explore
your place in the natural world and gain understanding that
there is another way besides the loop a lot of people get
caught in.
“Not everyone can ditch their job however, and cities have
many benefits, but it’s easy to get so caught up in a narrow
urban view you never have time for self-reflection, you just
chase a material item instead.
“My wife Susie and I love the outdoors. Half of our
holidays are in that old caravan and we camp off grid really
regularly.
“We’ve enjoyed multi-day hikes for years. I think the driving
factor was how obviously time in nature just calms the soul.
The Japanese concept of Shinrin-Yoku - forest bathing - is
real. I’m a better person away from the competitiveness of
our time in major cities, and when we return, I have a more
rounded perspective on what matters and humans in the
context of our planet. This makes us more effective in our
other roles in life.
“I have a feeling most Smorgasboarder readers will
absolutely get this.”
The love affair with travel started as a youngster when
Stephen’s Malaysian parents immigrated to Australia,
landing first in Ballarat and spending many holidays
exploring Australia.
Over time they have travelled all over Australia and New
Zealand and as a far away as Iceland, where Stephen’s
favourite photo so far came about.
“It’s a shot of a lone lady in front of Skógafoss waterfall,
Iceland.
“It’s an awe-inspiring spot, and unique in that you can walk
right to the base of this massive wall of water which hits
you with your insignificance.
“The mood on the day was murky, crows circled and then
this lone lady walks up, dressed like a viking and looks
forlornly off into the distance. It just all came together to
nail the feeling of Iceland.”
While that shot and that trip had long been Stephen’s go to
as his “favourite destination” he said his mind had changed
over time.
“I always used to say Iceland - it’s primordial. Literally
forged from the core of our earth. I found it amazing that
there’s no naturally occurring flora or fauna because
mankind had to bring it all onto the island that formed after
the eruption.
“Nowadays, I actually say Australia and NZ. Nothing like
home.
81 / #51 / SB

When it comes
to the style of
travel, the more
remote the
better.
“You can get everything from glaciers, volcanic plains and
windswept islands to desert and tropical, world heritage, jungle
across our two island nations. And it’s way closer than 28 hours
travel to Iceland!”
Asked for his top five dream destinations he’s yet to visit
Stephen lists The Faroe Islands, Galapagos, Antartica,
Greenland, and Patagonia.
When it comes to the style of travel, the more remote the better.
Stephen and Susie have travelled and worked with a number
of different tiny home tourism businesses specialising in unique
experiences across Australia and New Zealand, including
Unyoked and Canopy Camping Escapes.
“I’ve partnered with Unyoked for years now, and those guys
really get it - they curate the experience to be accessible to all,
including encouraging less outdoor-minded folks to turn off,
focus into a flow state and remove the technology blinkers.
“This is exactly why Susie and I get out to these cabins and
decompress as often as we can. You can’t be concerned
about how Karen from accounts treated you when you’re busy
enjoying the view from the top of a mountain.
“Having said this there are many in this world suffering right
now so we cannot lose sight of the fact that enjoying nature in
comfort is a genuine privilege.”
Once at a destination, prior planning and preparation are key to
Stephen’s amazing photographic results.
“I try to work with contrasts - textures, light, colours/saturation
and activities portrayed to focus the eye on the subject.
“Crucially I always emphasise the scale of the natural
surroundings and try to capture that feeling of how we felt
walking into the site for the first time.
“Given I work outdoors, I need to research the site well using
sun and moon timing and angle apps to pre-plan the shoot.
This eliminates the guesswork.
“I never use artificial light, so timing is everything, and a lot
cannot be faked during image development.
“Once I shot sunrise over Wineglass Bay Tasmania from the
top of Mt Amos in summer - this meant starting the climb at
4am.
“It’s always worth it.
“I keep it extremely simple to ensure naturalness and agility.
“The last thing you want climbing a mountain is a team of
people tramping about in the mud.
“Also, a number of my shots require hiking with a pack and the
less you carry the better.
“The weather changes so often where I work you must also be
ready to shoot at short notice. For this reason, I’ve never aimed
to work with dedicated models. Friends or family that happen
to be on the hike? Sure.
“That shot of the lady in the waterfall which I described before
was purely chance, and we did chat with her beforehand.
“The rest of the time it’s almost always Susie. She is pretty
agile and a lot of the time is in a position that’s useful for
framing so we capture it.
“Now and again, for more precise framing, we’ll work together
to find the perfect position.”
Once the photograph is in the camera Stephen said he tries to
minimise time spent on editing.
“I rarely use Photoshop, which focuses more on creating, not
editing.
“It’s entirely necessary to develop the image however, and for
that I use Lightroom.
“Proper development is crucial, but my workflow emphasises
elements of the shot, rather than adding them. My workflow is
quite fast due to this.”
The development of drone technology has added to Stephen’s
photography practice, providing him the opportunity to capture
the grand size of nature in both photo and video format.
“It evolved out of a need to frame images more evocatively
than what I could reach on my feet.
“For my field of photography, a drone is indispensable. The
vastness of nature is more obvious from the air.
“I lose a drone to nature almost as an annual sacrifice, so it
continually evolves!
“I currently use a DJI Mavic which I love due to its DNG raw file
ability - vital to allow the correct processing and preservation
of data in post.”
When he’s not behind the lense shooting photos, Stephen
said his aims are simple: “Get outdoors! Crank some music.
Whiskey.”
To see more of Stephen’ s work go to www.sjl.photography
@steve_jl_photography
SB / #51 / 82

83 / #51 / SB

Into
the
words: geoff crockett
wild

It’s amazing what you stumble across when you have
a chat to someone. While interviewing Stephen Liew
about his amazing photography, he mentioned staying
at some amazing locations in New Zealand sourced
through a company called Canopy Camping. Inspired
by the photographs and the sense of freedom Stephen
described when staying at these locations we thought
we’d dig a little deeper and find out more so our
Smorgasboarder readers could share in the joy.

SB / #51 / 86

We caught up with Liz Henderson, who together with
Sonia Minnaar, started Canopy Camping Escapes in a
bid to meet the demand from their own families for luxury
camping in stunning locations.
Here’s a little bit of our chat with Liz:
Q. Tell me a little bit about how canopy
camping came about?
Back in 2012, my business partner (Sonia) and I were
lamenting the lack of ‘cool places to stay’ in New
Zealand.
If they existed, they were hard to find.
We discovered glamping around the same time - and
loved the connection to nature and experiential nature
of a glamping escape... having a campfire, enjoying an
outdoor bath, sleeping under canvas in the middle of
nowhere.
We were looking for a business idea and thought that
glamping would appeal to New Zealanders - and help
farmers and landowners diversify into tourism.
It took a few years to gather momentum, but it’s definitely
a well-established trend now.
Q. How many sites do you have now?
About 90 and growing!
Q. What do you think people get out of a
canopy camping experience?
The chance to escape the everyday grind and immerse
themselves in beautiful, natural surrounds.
It’s a chance to slow down, rest and reset.
Many people turn up thinking that they will get out and
about to explore the local area - but often they never
leave the property.
Q. For the surfers out there, are there any
sites that are closer to the waves that you’d
recommend?
We have some great spots near amazing surf breaks
- two that spring to mind are Kawakawa Station which
is very close to Ning Nong break on Cape Palliser and
Woodpecker Hut and Fox Hut which are just above
Safety Bay on the West Coast near Punakaiki (www.
nzsurfguide.co.nz/surf_breaks/west-coast/safety-bay)
Q. What about the snowboarders and skiers –
do you open in Winter in the snow country?
The best stays we have for skiers and boarders are Ringa
Kaha Cabin on the Central Plateau in the North Island
and a number of Canterbury based places 40-50 minutes
from Mt Hutt, a Summerhouse and converted railway
carriage at Rockwood Station and a shepherd’s hut at
Washpen Falls.
Q. What’s on the cards for 2022 for Canopy
Camping?
We have lots of new and amazing sites coming on board
over the next 3 - 12 months so we’ll be busy onboarding
our new hosts.
Q. Do you have a favourite venue?
It’s too hard to choose!
Q. Do you have a favourite photo of Stephen’s?
Yes, I love the drone shots he took at a Kawakawa
Station - beautiful! But I love all the photoshoots he has
done for us over the years. Damn COVID for trapping him
in Australia! He never fails to deliver exceptional shots.
To check out the full list of Canopy Camping
NZ’s offerings, see www.canopycamping.co.nz
@canopycampingescapes
87 / #51 / SB

gear
William Furney
Josh Dowling
A ghostly tale of JD
Josh’s chopnosed
design
all set for
Will’s wall
with his new
ghost racks.
This story is a cracker, if I
don’t mind saying so myself. As
it goes, we recently drew the
Smorgasboarder Ghost Racks
competition. We were stoked
to get so many entries. one in
particular stood out however
from a guy called William
Furney down in Shellharbour.
The competition question was to simply to tell us in
one or two sentences what you missed most about
Smorgasboarder following our hiatus. William’s
submission was as follows: “What I missed most
about Smorgasboarder: Sitting back with my feet up,
a hot cup of coffee and just reading about people,
places and products that ‘I’ can relate to. That could
be your neighbours, your local spot or your next
favourite accessory. That’s what Smorgasboarder
gives me and what I missed.”
Being a mag for grassroots surfers William nailed it.
What he said is in essence what we are all about.
So we get in touch with William, or “Will” as I will
now refer to him, to let him know he has won himself
an awesome set of Ghost Racks. He then tells us he
has the perfect board to mount on his wall.
“I have one of the last boards Josh Dowling has ever
made. It’s an absolute wall hanger and now it will
finally have a home.”
This piques my interest. How does a guy from
Shellharbour have a board from one of the Victorian
Surf Coast’s most notable shapers? Josh had
always, intentionally it seemed, flown a little below
the radar. I had the great pleasure of interviewing
him back in 2011 and was absolutely blown away by
his craftsmanship.
Long story short, Josh was instrumental in the
development of Firewire Surfboards. He later left
the coop and started shaping boards under his
own name. His boards employed the sandwich
construction method with a twist that made them so
unique. Below is a little snippet from that interview.
“I start out with a flat block of super lightweight EPS
foam instead of a blank. And unlike a blank, there is
no rocker established in the plug. I actually create
rocker by building the board in layers, bending and
gluing each one in much the same way as how
skateboards are constructed.”
“On the top and bottom of a super lightweight,
‘bouncy’ EPS core there is a 3mm layer of either
timber or very hard high-density foam, which is a
different chemical structure all together to normal PU
and is very durable. This ‘outer shell’ has fiberglass
on both sides as opposed to just on the outer as
with other composite board construction.
“The reason I fiberglass both sides of the ‘outer
shell’ is because I believe with EPS you need more
glass. It is much the same as a zigzag steel truss as
opposed to a solid wood rafter. You are removing
the material in between and reducing the weight
but not the strength. The top and bottom truss is
separated by the lightest possible material and this
EPS core, which is holding the deck and the bottom
apart, has some give in it and flexes as opposed to a
more solid construction without sacrificing strength.
“In the lamination process I use epoxy resin as
opposed to polyester. It has a different molecular
structure and in my opinion is more resistant to
fatigue plus the boards stay fresh and crispy longer.
“It is similar to Surftech’s Tufflite technology but as
opposed to being a moulded clone of an existing
shape, my boards are custom made to suit the
individual. Therefore you have an individually tailor
made surfboard that is still extremely durable.
SB / #51 / 88

gear
evel knievel
Josh’s flaming arrow board
“Further to this, I hand laminate my boards which
makes them less rigid than other sandwich
construction methods.”
No doubt you now get the drift. Josh is an absolute
freak and quite possibly one of the most talented
board builders and spray artists I have ever come
across.
Anyhow, Will sends this photo through (top left) and
it is pretty clear the bloke can surf, and then he tells
me he was a guest rider for McCoy.
“I think I get away with it because I am a big bloke
that surfs small boards. I’m not now but at the time
that photo was taken I was about 118kgs and it
just kind of happened. I got some nice photos for
McCoy and he wanted me to ride his boards. I think
I am still up on his social media page. And I got
some nice photos of Josh’s boards and sent them
off to him and he said he would like to use them on
his social media page.
“Getting back to Josh, some mates kept saying
to me to check out these Josh Dowling boards. I
started getting Josh’s boards and loved them and
took them overseas. I was really enjoying them. I
ordered this particular chop-nosed design and it
took months. And I knew it always took months but
this one really stretched out.”
To cut a long story short, unbeknownst to Will,
Josh was struggling with an allergic reaction to the
epoxy resin he used every day in board building.
It’s a condition known as Allergic Dermatitis
(Sensitization) where the body overreacts to an
allergen. The reactions range from irritated skin
(much like a reaction to poison ivy and may include
swelling, itching and red eyes) to respiratory
problems that can be mild or severe, acute or
chronic. Josh’s condition was quite serious.
“Anyhow, Josh apologises for the delay and
finished up my board. It is the one I am surfing in
the photo. It is a spectacular board, almost too
good to ride.
“Yeah, Josh apparently tried the space suit
(special protective garment like the covid
garb) and even still, he said when he peed
it smelt of epoxy resin. So, he stopped
shaping.”
“Anyhow it is an incredible board and
that is me riding it in the Mentawais. I
think it was one of the last boards he
made. That’s why I want to hang it up
on the wall with the Ghost Racks I
won. It is a pretty special board.”
Now I know what readers are
thinking, have you confirmed this
with Josh as to whether this is the
last board he made and what kind
of journalism do you call this? Well,
my reply to that is, Will didn’t pull his
finger out and get back to me until
we were just about to go to print
so you will have to wait until next
edition for us to chat to Josh. Hey,
it builds a bit of suspense. Anyhow,
the story continues.
“Earlier on in our relationship, a
few mates and I followed him on
Facebook because we rode his
boards, and he spoke of the first four
or five Firewires he ever made. He
mentioned he had the first four but
sold the first one because he needed
the money at the time.”
The board was called RD1 – Research
and Development 1 – and one of Will’s
mates tracked it down. It is reportedly the
very first surfboard to have the Firewire label
on it.
“We tracked it down and talked to the guy about
selling the board and thankfully we bought it.”
They sent it off to Josh with a note that read
something along the lines of, “Here you
go mate. Just when things look shit (he
was dealing with a bit at the time), here’s
something you have been trying to find
for years. Hope it brings you a little bit of
happiness.”
How friggin’ awesome is that?
As for how Will’s own JD board looks
on his set of Ghost Racks he won, it
is apparently still before the Ministry
of Works.
“I am still in negotiations as to where
I can place the board.
“I dropped a few hints to my wife as
to where I can place the JD board
whilst on a recent holiday, when her
defences were down. Unfortunately
the return to children and work has
seen a recent resurgence in the
re-employment of the death star’s
deflector shields. May the force be
with me.”
We will just have to wait and see if
Will’s reverse Jedi mind trick worked
and whether his board gets beautifully
mounted on his new set of Ghost
Racks. Stay tuned.
Josh’s evel knievel design
89 / #51 / SB

gear
6’6” x 20 1/2” x 2 5/8”
1970’s curved channel bottom
inspired by Jim Pollard designed
to generate more speed without
tracking.
Classic Single Fin feel jazzed up
with some more functional presentday
elements.
All boards are completely handshaped
and customised to suit
surfer ability and wave condition.
Just what we love about a custom
board build. The customer gets
what the customer wants. Copy
of his favourite 80s board shorts.
Amazing free hand artwork by the
amazing @robinsurfboards
HARVEST SURFBOARDS
2/24 Christine Ave, Miami, QLD
P: (07) 5576 5914
E: hello@harvestsurfboards.com
M: harvestsurfboards.com
THE DING KING /
CLARK SURFBOARDS
Units 7 & 8, 9 Chapman Road,
Hackham, SA
E: leightonclark01@yahoo.com.au
M: 0422 443 789
ENDLESS FUNNER
8’6 x 22 1/2 x 3
Sooooooooo much fun to ride hence
the model name whoo hoo!
MID LENGTH QUAD
PLUS ONE
7’0 x 21 x 2 3/4
DARREN DICKSON
SURFBOARDS
Shed 4, 10 Baines Cr, Torquay, VIC
M: 0437 246 848
E: dickosurf@gmail.com
ENTITY SURFBOARDS
Unit 1-2 / 1 Regmoore Close,
Culburra Beach, NSW
M: 0423 987 492
E: entitysurfboards@gmail.com
SB / #51 / 90

gear
DARKSIDE MID-
LENGTH
6’10” x 20 ¾” x 2 ¾”
42Lts
Double stringer T-band with
coloured high density foam.
Custom shapes to suit the individual.
MR DAMAGE SURFBOARDS
Shed 2, 44 Hill Street, Port Elliot, SA
MARK BENSON SHAPES
M: 0416 199 764
E: nxtsurf@hotmail.com
FRIAR TUCK KNEEBOARDS
David Parkes
M: 0408 663 862
E: d-par@bigpond.com
W: www.parkesaustralia.com
Dbl stringer
9’- 2”× 221/2” × 2 7/8”
Made in Australia. Not an import.
3 stage bottom fin box and side fins
can be made with only a single fin as
well.
zombie fish twin
5’9” x 20 x 2” 3/8
RON WADE
8 Angorra Rd, Terrey Hills. 2084
M: 0410 443 776
W: ronwadesurfboards.com.au
ESP SURFBOARDS
Byron Bay
M: 0404 059 321
E: axissurf@yahoo.com.au
W: espsurfboards.com
I: @edsinnottsurfboards
91 / #51 / SB

gear
Balsa board courses
Keep an eye on www.balsasurfboardsriley.com
for the next course.
“Custom made surfboards for
real surfers”
MUNRO SURFBOARDS
2/7 Acacia St
Byron Bay, NSW
M: 02 6685 6211
W: www.munrosurfboards.com.au
Darcy Twinza Pin
5`11” - 19 7/8-2 1/2
D’ARCY SURFBOARDS
Gold Coast, QLD
M: 0409 527 467
W: darcysurfboards.com
www.balsasurfboardsriley.com.au
SB / #51 / 92

HOW COOL?
PERFECT FOR CHRISTMAS.
T-shirt $39
T-shirt + annual subscription $55
Order at www.smorgasboarder.com.au

SB / #51 / 94

Aires art
We recently cornered Smorgasboarder
designer Valeria Borscak to ask her
about her move from Argentina to the
Sunshine Coast and how on earth she
became so lucky to work with us.
So aside from being so incredibly fortunate to
work with the immensely talented and humorous
crew at Smorgasboarder, what is so good about
living on the Sunshine Coast?
For a girl who was born in the City of Buenos Aires,
Argentina, moving to Australia and more specifically
Sunshine Coast has been like a dream.
I´ve gone from living almost 500 km from the sea, to
having it only five blocks away. From stepping on the
beach two or three times a year, to every day.
A friend told me the other day: you live on vacation.
And he may be right. Not only do I live here, but the
office where I work is in Alexandra Headland, and it has
an ocean view! I consider myself lucky.
The days start very early, whether to go surfing the
Bluff or Cotton Tree, go for a run or ride my bike, if
there are not good waves. Then go for a good coffee
and go to work. In order not to lose the habit, in my
break at noon it is worth crossing to have lunch by
the beach and watch the surfers. The afternoons are
varied, if the swell is good you go back to the water,
if not there is always a good place to go and watch
the sunset, a walk through Mooloolaba, a hike to
Mount Coolum, a few beers at Alex Hill, even a bit
of bouldering in the climbing gym. Sunshine Coast
is relaxed in tone, but it is full of activities to do and
new things to discover every day. Yes, you can rest,
but who can rest with everything there is to do?
Local produce markets, a drive to the Hinterland,
camping, fishing, diving, kayaking, paddle boarding.
Non stop. It is also close to one of the most beautiful
and paradisiacal beaches in the world such as Noosa,
and an hour and a half from one of the largest cities
in Australia such as Brisbane. I can’t ask for more, I
love it! The truth is that I have not chosen this place to
live, but I feel that it has chosen me, and I cannot be
happier, because it is not a dream, it is a reality.
In December 2020 I decided to travel from Palm Cove
by car along the East Coast to Melbourne, where I was
planning to settle down again and work as a graphic
designer. There was a plan: celebrate New Year’s
in Byron, drop by to say hello to friends, and maybe
explore places I hadn’t been. Perfect! Did it happen?
Well, no. From that plan, nothing has come of it. I met
a friend in Noosa, we went to a surf shop, she bought
a longboard, I bought a mini mal, and we celebrated
the first day of the year surfing. Such happiness! And
so it was, I went from vacationing a month in Noosa, to
living almost a year in Sunshine Coast.
I believe you have been in Australia for 2 or so
years now, can you tell us a little about your
mother country and where you grew up?
I arrived in Australia in April 2019. So, yes, it’s been
more than 2 and a half years. I did more than 11,000
kilometres and felt that I was in another world. I came
from living in a neighborhood with low rise houses and
few buildings and getting to know everyone there, to
living surrounded by skyscrapers, in a city that does
not sleep like Melbourne, full of culture and trying to
understand a different kind of English that I wasn’t
taught at school.
Argentina is as big as Australia. We have large cities
but far from each other, a large urban concentration
near the coast, different climates from north to south,
each province has its own style ... just as here each
state has its own personality. So far, I have lived in
Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland, which is
my favourite now. I don’t know if it’s the weather or the
people, or maybe both. I like the relaxed atmosphere,
the simplicity and the appreciation of a healthier and
more active life.
In Buenos Aires, Argentina, where I was born and
raised, everything is more complicated. We have
public education and health, but we end up using the
private one, because nothing works as it should. Taxes
are paid, but they are stolen by the state. There is a
lot of corruption, insecurity, a lot of villages and little
understanding towards poor people. The middle class
abounds, and the vast majority get up very early to go
to work even if it is a Saturday. And they give their all,
but it is never enough ... you always have to put the
other shoulder ... that’s Argentina, a fighter, it doesn’t
get tired. And we complain, but still smile. I think that
if something defines my country, it is that unity and
95 / #51 / SB

We had no TV, no internet, and
sometimes you had to have a shower
in less than 5 minutes and go to sleep
very early. But we spent the day on the
beach, walking in the woods, reading
or cooking. I had fewer distractions,
and that’s when surfing started to
catch my eye.
passion that keeps us alive, so we give everything and
endure bad times ... there is no resignation, there is no
abandonment. We cultivate our customs, we focus on
friendship and family, because that does not fail. We
talk about it all, we tell each other everything. We find
something to laugh about, we find an excuse to get
together and celebrate.
When did you first get into surfing and what
initially drew you to the ocean?
Despite having grown up far from the sea, my parents
always took us (my sister and I) to spend the summer
on the coast, to one of the most popular coastal cities,
Mar del Plata. Only two weeks during the year... I have
memories of great happiness, summer, sand, skin
burning from being in the sun. It was never enough.
When I was 10 years old, my parents decided to buy
a house in Miramar, another coastal city located 50
kilometres south from Mar del Plata, much quieter, but
just as beautiful. I fell in love. It became my favourite
place in the world. After that, we stayed there for one
month or two months during the summer holidays.
We had no TV, no internet, and sometimes you had
to have a shower in less than five minutes and go to
sleep very early. But we spent the day on the beach,
walking in the woods, reading or cooking. I had fewer
distractions, and that’s when surfing started to catch
my eye. I don’t have an explanation, but I dreamed of
being in the deepest part, far away in the sea, catching
the waves without fear or just enjoying the silence of
the water ...
It took me 19 years to take my first surf class, thanks to
a friend who insisted … and I remember it as if I hadn’t
spent a single day, swallowing water, trying to get past
breaking point and at the coach yelling: ¨Paddle Val,
Paddle!!¨
Of the three classes I took, I stood up only once. After
that, I didn’t surf again until I did several surf trips in
2016 and 2017. I don’t understand why I put it off for
so long. I think I felt that I wasn’t going to be able to
do it, that it wasn’t for me, that surfing belonged to
others… but then I understood that surfing does not
belong to anyone, that it is free, and that it is a lifestyle,
waiting for you to adopt it, to practice it, to spend a
little time on it, even once a week. And it’s not to prove
anything to anyone, it’s to make yourself happy.
Everyone gets something different out of their
surfing ritual. What does surfing do for you? How
does surfing make you feel?
There are days when it is easier than others, you can’t
wait to be in the water, there is no need for coffee,
energy flows from you to the sea, from the sea to you.
And there are other days when your strength is not the
same, but you know that there is a good swell and you
force yourself to go into the water, and you know that it
will be worth it, that the effort you put in will come back
SB / #51 / 96

to you, and you will come out with a great smile, even
when you didn’t surf your best wave.
Surfing is something different for everyone. If I go
alone, it is a moment of connection, it is the energy
of living in the present, of being fully connected with
what I am doing, without thinking about anything else.
On the other hand, if I go with friends, I want to have
fun, have some party waves and encourage ourselves
in some difficult situations. Once you find your way to
enjoy surfing, everything becomes easier. For example,
I like point breaks better and surfing a longboard,
and I’m practicing to be better at that. I’m not looking
for a giant swell. or learning how to ride and turn a
shortboard. Those kind of days, I know what makes me
happy: admire from the shore, enjoy the show, while
having a coffee and taking photos.
Whether practicing it, or as a spectator, surfing is a
magnet for me, an inexplicable positive energy that
seduces and attracts. I don’t know if it’s something I
could get tired of.
We’re well aware you’re a talented designer but
please tell us a little about your art, what you like
to draw, your inspiration.
Hahaha, I don’t know if I am talented, but yes, I
like Graphic Design. And I consider myself quite
passionate.
Always gaining experience, through the years and
trying to improve. But if we talk about a place where I
can be totally free, it is through illustration.
No matter how much you ask, I never took drawing
classes. Since I was a kid I liked to copy cartoons, I
spent the day drawing, locked up at home, and then
I started making sketches of human figures, faces,
bodies, eyes, expressions. I needed to create, all the
time.
Studying design at the university gave me certain
tools and resources, it introduced me to photography,
collages and different software. It was in that space
that I started to play as I wanted. I didn’t need just
pencil and paper, it was everything I wanted to add.
There were no limits to colours or shapes. When you
know that world, you realise that the only limit is in your
imagination.
If I can choose what to draw, it will never be something
static like an object, or realistic based on a landscape.
I had my moments of more decorative art, more
abstract, full of colours. Then I approached lettering
and calligraphy, but what I like and what I always come
back to are figures, people, animals, the creation of
characters. And that’s where your creativity comes
into play, and that could keep me awake for hours and
hours.
Creativity depends on your inspiration, and inspiration
will find you when you least expect it. While driving, in
the shower, before sleep, cooking or even chatting with
friends. In my case, inspiration can come in several
situations: when I am reading or writing, sharing a deep
conversation, listening to good music or visiting an
art gallery. Not to mention when I’m bored and doing
something I don’t like.
Illustration can differ from design because if it is for
yourself, you feel free, there are no customers to
please, there is not just one solution, there is no right
or wrong. It’s more like art, you can put as much of
yourself in it as you please and find happiness in that.
97 / #51 / SB
Photo: Tony Piper
@tonypiperphotography

Art: Mitchell Rae - Telo Islands
E_ outereye@gmail.com
P_ 02 6655 7007
www.outerislandsurfboards.com