SB_issue53_DIGITAL

smorgasboarder 

2022 

#53 

SURFmagazine 

cold snap 

Photographer 

Marcus Paladino 

cool tunes 

And warm waves 

blank pages 

board Builders Directory 

dynamic duo 

New surf blank tech

Surf Shop 

Gerringong 

90min SOUTH OF SYDNEY 

Celebrating 

45 YEARS 

Celebrating 

45 YEARS 

500 

+ 

O N L I N E S T O R E 

R E V I E W S 

ONLINE & INSTORE 

c 

“Australia’s Largest IndependEnt Surf Shop” 

“Australia’s Largest IndependEnt Surf Shop” 

HUNDREDS OF FASHION 

c 

1,000+ 

WETSUIT 

+ SWIM BRANDS 

SURFBOARDS 

EXPERTS 

Proudly family owned & run naturalnecessity.com.au (02) 4234 1636

hand made 

CONTENTS 

#53 

2022 

20 22 

the blank pages 


52 

page 70 

26 

18 

12 news 

16 controversy 

18 across the ditch 

26 marcus paladino 

52 music in paradise 

58 gut slider 

62 Core duo blank 

70 blank pages 

98 aloha barry 

70 

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 

Social Media | Phoebe Swan 

phoebe@smorgasboarder.com.au 

0459 705 404 

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, helen, taylah, sarah 

mark@horseandwater.com.au 

Accounts | Louise Gough 

louise@smorgasboarder.com.au 

SMORGAS 

BOARDER 

cool tunes 

And warm waves 


2022 

#53 

SURFmagazine 

blank pages 


dynamic duo 

New surf blank tech 

cold snap 

Photographer 

Marcus Paladino 

our cover 

Photo: Marcus Paladino 

Surfer: Pete Devries 

get involved 

Stories, photos, ideas, new and 

interesting surf-related stuff you 

want to share? drop us a line on 

editorial@smorgasboarder.com.au 

get your fix 

1. Subscribe - the mag is still 

free - you just pay for delivery. 4 

editions per year - $25 annual 

subscription (Aus and NZ) 

2. Call in to one of the businesses 

featured in this mag - they’ll have 

some free copies. 

3. A full list of stockists are online 

smorgasboarder.com.au 

4. Download or read it online at 


Smorgasboarder is published by Huge C Media PTY LTD ABN 30944673055. All information is correct at time of going to press. The publication cannot 

accept responsibility for errors in articles or advertisements, or unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or illustrations. The opinions and words of the authors 

do not necessarily represent those of the publishers. All rights reserved. Reproduction in part or whole is strictly prohibited without prior permission.

HIGH PERFOMANCE SHORTBOARD 

The ultimate high performance craft! The magic in this board is a 

culmination of all the knowledge and experience Ringa has gained 

throughout his surfing and shaping career. From surfing at the 

elite level on the World Tour to shaping boards for the Island's best 

surfers. This is a MUST have board for any up and coming ripper! 

FOR STOCK DIMENSIONS AND CUSTOM 

ORDERS FOR THE NXT CHECK IT OUT 

ON OUR WEBSITE WITH THE QR CODE! 

Cowes 5952 2578 

147 Thompson Ave, Cowes 

Smiths 5952 3443 

225 Smiths Beach Rd, Smith Beach 

WWW.ISLANDSURFBOARDS.COM.AU

Photo: tommywilliams.photography

where: Vancouver Island, Canada 

photo: marcus paladino 

...Before you say anything, we know it is the Spring 

Edition but it’s nearly Winter somewhere and we never 

conform to the ‘usual approach’. 

We’re proudly unusual and most certainly 

authentically Smorgasboarder.

In this special edition we celebrate our three greatest loves: 

surfboard shapers, the very heart and soul of the surf industry; 

innovation, not just in relation to surfboard manufacturing but also 

the surf travel industry; and surf travel itself, a topic every surfer 

loves particularly after the last few years. 

So firstly, surfboard shapers, why are they such an integral part 

of the surf industry? Well, not to put too fine a point on it, without 

them, there is no surfing. They craft the things that bring us 

such joy and excitement. Is there anything more exciting than 

purchasing a new surfboard? So with that in mind, we have 

compiled over 30 pages of inspirational eye candy to get your 

heart racing and inform your next purchase. Our Blank Pages 

special surfboard shaper focus is an extensive list of the best 

shapers going around, broken down state by state. It’s a who’s 

who in the board building game. These are the quality tradesman 

who can get you riding the right craft for your abilities, tailored to 

where you want to surf. 

Whilst on the topic of board building, in this edition we also 

interview two blokes with different takes on the craft. The first 

is Keith Robinson whose board building career spans nearly 

60 years. Amazingly he still can’t bring himself to put down the 

planer. The call of the ocean and the creativity of board making is 

just too great. His latest creation is a tri-plane hull with different 

rail and bottom curves that takes real guts – its designed for those 

of us who can no longer stand but still want to get amongst the 

waves. 

Speaking of guts, we also speak with Michael Watkins, surfer, 

shaper and inventor of the Core Duo Blank. He’s made it known 

he wants to make an indelible mark on the surf industry. 

Mick wants to bring about his own revolution in surfboard 

construction and design. Simply put, his Core Duo project has 

sought to harness all the positives of both PU and EPS blanks 

without the hang-ups. As he puts it, “imagine what a surfer will 

be able to do on a wave if we give them the tools to be creative. 

We’re going to see surfing that we never dreamed of before. 

We must provide surfers with the tools to expand their creativity 

and we can only do that through the continued development of 

surfboard technology and materials.” 

Then for lovers of surf travel, we have two very different surf 

destinations. Perfect Wave takes us to the Maldives for warm 

waves and cool tunes - the ultimate marriage of a surf trip and 

music concert all in one, and our feature story is for the freaks like 

me who love cold water. We have a super cool (read freezing) surf 

destination – the one pictured here. We look through the lens of 

the amazingly talented Marcus Paladino who hails from Vancouver 

Island. Bring on the ice cream headaches… yeehah! 

The Smorgasboarders

see the wood

for the seas 

Eco-conscious. Sustainable. 

Hand-made. High performance. 

All Australian. Built to last. 

Boards. Kits. Fins. Blanks. Accessories. 

and BALSA BOARD BUILDING COURSES. 

www.balsasurfboardsriley.com.au

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return 

NEWS 

Platts 

The Platt family is back at the helm of their 

clothing label and proud to be releasing a new 

range of surfwear this Spring. Staying true to their 

roots they have released a limited collection of 

board shorts inspired by the same great ‘Platts’ shorts 

that served surfers for decades past. Keeping everything as 

original as possible with details like leather patches, brass buttons and 

sturdy quick-dry materials, this collection will evoke the qualities that 

everyone loved about Platts albeit with a modern twist. 

Jean Platt, the lady who stitched her name into surf legend , had this to 

say about the brand’s return. 

“We prefer to stay as close to the surfer 

as possible. The last thing we want is to 

flood the market as we have exclusive 

garments which have proved to be exactly 

what the surfer needs,” 

– Jean Platt. 

For the past two years, The Platt family have 

not only been collating the story and legacy 

of an iconic Australian surf brand, they 

have been curating a new line of quality 

surfwear inspired by the original designs, 

using modern materials and 21st century 

manufacturing processes. 

check them out online 

plattssurfwear.com.au 

SeaZinc 

100% natural and organic sun 

care products handcrafted and 

hand-poured in Australia. 

Naturally tinted Face Zinc, Lip Balm, and 

After-Sun Body Oil. All products contain 

pure, high quality organic ingredients 

to nourish your skin and protect from 

the elements. Recyclable non plastic 

packaging. Get your SeaZinc on before 

your next paddle out! 

Purchase from stockists or online: 

www.seazinc.com.au 

sb / #53 / 12

NEWS 

PandemaBOARD 

queenstown 

They do great things the boys at NZ Shred, not just in store but out in, and 

for, the community. They are always there to lend a hand to worthy causes 

and help out wherever they can for the greater good of their community 

and those further afield. It sums up the kind of people they are and why 

both Jase and Jon have such a very loyal and parochial following. 

And so it is, while this edition goes to print that NZSHRED’s Annual 

Recycled Snowboard Exhibition “PandemaBOARD” is now in the Barn 

at the Sherwood Queenstown. There’s a gold coin entry and artworks 

can be purchased with all proceeds (and that is absolutely all) going to 

their two nominated charities, Happiness House Queenstown Community 

Support Centre and I Am Hope who are a charitable organisation working 

to address and prevent suicide. 

For more on goings 

on across the ditch 

go to page 18 

13 / #53 / sb

stuff 

Here’s what 

we’re loving of late 

the portable tank range from WaterPORT. 

GO SPOUT 

Weekender 

It’s basically a pressurised portable hose 

you can store in your car to wash down 

all your gear and even shower under. The 

GoSpout features 7.5 litres of water that 

you can pressurise in just a few pumps 

with the built in Pump Cap (or from a 

garden hose if you add the optional fill 

valve)! Throw this handy container in the 

trunk or carry it down to the beach. 

Includes: 

7.5 litres capacity for several 

minutes of spray time 

Pump cap to pressurise the 

tank anywhere, anytime 

Food grade plastic for 

potable water 

5 pattern high pressure 

spray nozzle 

Built-in Nozzle Holder 

Day Tank 

Available in 2 options: 

Black Tank 

Black Tank with fill valve for selfpressurisation 

from a garden hose 

$255 with self-pressurising 

fill valve 

If you wish to step things up a little the Day Tank takes the hassle 

out of manually pressurising water by conveniently absorbing the water 

pressure from your house. Simply plug your garden hose into the tank’s 

quick connect and your Day Tank will automatically pressurize as it fills. 

The Day Tank has 4 available mounting options: hitch mount, bar 

mount, platform mount, and bed rail mount. 

Includes: 

14.5 litre tank 

High pressure spray nozzle 

8′ coiled hose 

Fill valve 

And if you wish to go the whole hog you can go the big daddy 

of these tanks, the Weekender. Featuring a 3O litre tank the 

Weekender is ideal for on-the-go showers, cleaning and rinsing 

equipment, basically any time you need pressurised water. 

The Weekender comes with mounts 

for your roof rack 

and will work with 

platform or cross 

bar style racks 

(with additional 

hardware). 

Includes: 

Weekender 30L High pressure Mounting plates 

water tank 

spray nozzle 

RRP $235 16 coiled hose Fill valve 

RRP $799 

All are available in 

Australia through 

seachangeboating.com.au 

RRP $385 

Day Tank 

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FÚ

fin cut 

I’m not referring to that nasty little surfing 

injury that often results into a trip to the doctors 

and a few stitches, I’m talking about the slice of 

the pie fin manufacturers have carved out for 

themselves. 

In our last edition I put forth the case forward as to why 

surfboards are worth every cent and made it known the 

very small margin many surfboard shapers try to survive 

on. In this edition however I want to turn your attention 

towards fin manufacturers. 

Why is it the general punter will squabble over the price 

of a board, some completely crafted by hand, and yet 

seemingly not object to forking out up to a couple of 

hundred dollars for a set of fins that are made overseas. 

By this you can gather I am not referring to the artisanal 

hand foiled fins of the local artists, but the big boys, the 

big manufacturers. 

Sure, there are no doubt huge investments to be made 

in tooling and setting up the mould for various fin 

templates, as well as setting up an operation overseas, 

and presumably fin royalties to the original designer, we 

hope, but one would imagine these are quickly offset by 

the margins they presumably operate on. 

Now you may note I have used words like “presumably” 

and “seemingly”. I am making assumptions based on 

the fact that whilst many surfboard shapers struggle to 

put food on the table it would appear many involved in 

the fin industry have endless amounts of cash to burn. In 

fairness though, I don’t know the margins they operate off. 

Despite attempts to engage in conversation through the 

years, we have never been fortunate enough to be granted 

an audience with any of them, it would appear they have 

words: dave swan 

always been way to cool for school to talk to us. So, 

consider this an open invitation to any of the high-ranking 

execs who would like to respond. Indeed, the only bit of 

feedback I can ever recall from a fin company is when one 

of their state reps commented on the launch of our mag 

some 13 years and 53 editions ago. I believe he gave us 

2-3 editions tops before we would fold. Well buddy, we 

are still hanging around like a bad smell to remind you. I 

guess he possibly never understood or took into account 

the might of the grassroots surf community. Several surf 

titles have folded since that statement but fortunately not 

us, and it’s in large part thanks to the unwavering loyalty of 

many surfboard shapers. 

Back to the topic of discussion however, fins are most 

certainly an important part of the package but if they’re 

true value is between $100-$200, then surfboards possibly 

need to be way more than what they are presently priced. 

Fins are integral to drive, speed and direction but they 

don’t get you out to the wave or on to the wave, nor can 

you stand on them. You can even argue that you can surf 

without fins (finless) but you can’t surf without a board. 

Then we come back full circle to the current consumer 

sentiment of supporting local. If this push is fair dinkum, 

you can be assured of where your board is made when 

you visit a local shaper but unless he’s installed a set of 

hand foiled fins, your fins are presumably made offshore 

and made for a fraction of the cost they retail for. So whilst 

some may squabble over seeing a surfboard shaper make 

a $100 for a hard week or two’s work, they are happy to 

pay the same to the big boys to pop out a fin and produce 

how much carbon to ship it to the other side of the world? 

sb / #53 / 16

supplied by: NZ Shred

Across the ditch 

Who doesn’t like a bit of powder, especially when you get to make first tracks? 

The snow season might have drawn to a close by the time this edition hits the streets but the 

carving turns you engraved into the mountain will be forever etched in your mind. Is surfing 

better than snowboarding? The debate continues but no one could deny uncrowded ‘breaks’ 

like this are the stuff of dreams. Stay classy Queenstown.


SHAPING OUR 

WINTERS 

BOARD RIDERS ARE JUST “BOARD RIDERS”. 

IT’S A CULTURE, BUT MORE SO, IT’S A WAY OF LIFE! 

It does almost seem as simple, as “some people 

stand forwards, while the rest of us are happiest 

when we’re sideways”. 

Whether it be skateboarding, wakeboarding, 

foiling, snowboarding or surfing - the enjoyment, 

the thrill, the stoke is always there! 

Winter, in the Southern Alps of New Zealand’s 

South Island, is a magical mix of brisk early 

rises, cold fingers, cold toes, the smell of wax 

as you walk the streets, and the welcome return 

of those ‘snow enthusiasts’. Everyone who 

puts themselves through the sub-zero degree 

temperatures, is here for one reason, and one 

reason only … to get their snow time. But in 

amongst, are those that wonder in parallel 

universes … those that work behind the scenes, 

to achieve something off-set to the norm. 

Jarad Aston loves his snowtime, but I get the 

feeling he is ‘a surfer, who snowboards’. A 

Western Australian native, he moved over to 

Queenstown, New Zealand, via several winter 

seasons at Mt. Hotham, Victoria. In the great 

Australian descriptive vocabulary, Jarad’s a 

‘chippie-by-trade’ … however, as we’ve regularly 

learned, that’s seldom the end of it … there’s 

often a back-story. People engaged like this, 

seldom sit still. They’re active, keen and driven. 

With the memories of Uncle Cliff’s old balsa 

shortboard, Jarad started to encourage his love 

of the use of wood to develop his own style and 

direction in construction and shaping of quality 

made and realistically performing surfboards. All 

from his now surrogate homeland, the ‘Adventure 

Capital of the World’, Queenstown, New Zealand. 

Make no mistake, Jarad is very much a multidisciplinarian. 

As New Zealand’s No.1 retailer of 

Jones Snowboards, NZSHRED is well aware of 

his go-to ride, and it’s very much a surf-inspired 

orientation of a snowboard, the Chris Christenson 

designed Storm Chaser Split … with its retail 

catch phrase of “unlocking access to those 

remote frozen swells”. 

And when he can free himself of the pressures 

of the construction industry, he chalks up 20- 

30 days of snowtime a season … whether 

that be inbound on the great local ski fields 

or adventuring into the endless backcountry 

opportunities our region offers and beyond. He 

has a big passion for the Kiwi club fields, like 

Temple Basin. 

But … back to his passion … building 

surfboards!!! They say, the way to a man’s heart 

is through his stomach … perhaps the way to a 

shaper’s heart, is through their materials. 

And isn’t that what we’re after? When you get 

down to the nitty-gritty, and you’ve decided 

against a shelf-hogging pop-out, then you are 

open to creating a relationship with that master 

who builds something that has passion in the 

veins, it has sweat dropped onto the surface and 

shall we say (metaphorically) blood spilt to create 

the masterpiece. 

Jarad’s own go-to at the moment is a 5’6” EPS/ 

Epoxy Fish Twin, that he shaped from the leftover 

underfloor insulation of a build he was 

working on in Queenstown. 

Like the Jarad Aston Surfboard I have, which 

along with the eco-friendly materials, is a hollow 

wood construction, with paulonia skins and 

frame and a cedar tail block, Jarad’s also has 

a cloth inlay on the deck and is glassed with 

entropy bio epoxy. 

Simplistically, life is complicated in a town like 

Queenstown. For Jarad, and many of the rest 

of us who like to play in any way we can, we 

are somewhat attention deficit. It’s not our fault 

… we just can’t think of anything other than 

what makes life fun at this particular moment. 

“It’s winter and I really want to snowboard … 

but, there’s surf, and there’s no one out”! How 

possibly can we decide? 

It’s not a mass product version of shaping, 

more so Jarad’s designs and shapes are 

personal and constructed around 

what influences him and what 

he’s passionate about … the 

water, the mountains and the 

environment. You can do 

that when you’re not a 

mainstream commodity. 

As a purist, it’s just 

how you’d like it 

… “I can’t give 

a timeframe … 

SB / #53 / 20

3-4 weeks if it’s a semi regular board and up to 3 months for a specific 

wood-hollow”. 

I am writing this to you, and the computer thing on my loungeroom 

wall says 16.8deg inside my house and -3.7deg outside. Leaning up 

against my couch is that 6’8” board that Jarad so graciously passed on 

to me. In an effort of symmetary, I had planned to get a photo of said 

handmade, locally and passionately constructed surfboard, taken in our 

current alpine environment, alongside my current daily ride, the Jones 

Snowboards sustainably sourced, woodcore Stratos. 

And why didn’t I? … Well, there was just too many snow humans in the 

NZSHRED wagon, when we were heading up the hill, to fit that board in 

as well. But its time is coming soon! 

BEACH FRONT CAFE 

OFFERING BREAKFAST, LUNCH 

OR AN AFTER SURF BEER! 

NZ SHRED 

words: jase johns 

www.nzshred.co.nz 

CONTACT 

+6 4387 4539 

cafe@maranui.co.nz 

7 Lyall Parade, Lyall Bay, 

Wellington, New Zeland

sadhana 

surfboards 

Hand crafted quality 

Sadhana Surfboards was born in 1997, the idea formulated 

on a lifeguard chair as a reaction to the mass-marketed, 

mediocre, one-size-fits-all approach to surfing at the time. 

Drawing on the daily influence that the ocean holds and 

utilising various garages, shaping rooms and sheds around 

the world, a small cottage label was formed. While those 

backyard days are now part of history, it is this hand-made 

craft philosophy that drives founder Jay Jackman still. 

Since the move to Christchurch, New Zealand in 

2008, Sadhana has grown to provide one of the most 

comprehensive ranges of hand shaped boards to suit all 

styles of surfing, on New Zealand’s beautiful South Island. 

Building upon their own hand crafted boards, NZ Board 

Builder Supplies has been set up to supply blanks, materials 

and tools for hand crafting your own boards.. 

Their retail shop, located in the historic Tannery centre, 

has a range of new and used stock boards, accessories, 

clothing, gifts and music all influenced by the spirit of 

surfing, and good times! 

They also offer a quality board repair service, demo and hire 

boards, guide books and travel supplies. 

Sadhana is your gateway to the classic waves New 

Zealand’s South Island has to offer. 

NZ Board Building Supplies 

NZ Board Builder Supplies, is New Zealand’s only online specialist 

shapers supplier. 

Stocking a full range of Bennett PU and EPS blanks, known for their 

whiteness, small cell structure, consistent density, strength and 

lightness. We also have fibreglass cloth and tapes, polyester and 

epoxy resins, Shapers tools, DIY kits and installation equipment. 

Whether you’re a seasoned shaping veteran or a backyard expert, we 

have the tested, professional equipment to craft your own board. 

Buy online or visit us in store at Sadhana Surfboards, Christchurch. 

Shipping New Zealand Wide 

sadhanasurfboards.co.nz 

+64 03 3895611 sales@sadhanasurfboards.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 

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 

SUPCENTRE 

It always seems a controversial topic when the discussion of 

Surf Shop vs Local shaper is brought up. The endless banter 

over mass produced boards compared to hand shaped 

custom and even the banter around shapers who have sold 

themselves out to the corporate giants can be polarising. 

Over the last few years more and more people have found 

surfing for the first time. It is these newcomers that normally 

find their way to a local Surf Shop. Initiating what will 

hopefully become a lifelong passion with the ocean. At this 

stage it is up to the Surf Shop to provide guidance to enable 

someone to make an informed choice as to the board and 

equipment they will need to get started. 

As a surfer’s skills develop, as well as the ability to feel the 

idiosyncrasies of various boards under their feet, curiosity of 

board design grows, leading them to the door of their local 

shaper. It’s here the unique experience of discussing newly 

gained knowledge and feel with someone who can transcribe 

this into a truly unique board begins. It is this 

journey of creating a custom surfboard that 

takes a surfers passion to the next level. 

Often it is difficult to see the progression of 

a surfer through this transformation from 

newcomer to a passionate lifelong surfer. As 

a shop we are often only involved for fleeting 

moments. However we all have a role to play 

in the experience. To realise enhances the 

part of the experience we can provide and 

our passion of this lifestyle we all love. The 

team here at SUPcentre strive to ensure we 

play our part in this journey. 

www.supcentre.co.nz 

visit

X 

E 


O 

L 

R 

E 

W 

H 

A 

N 

G 

A M 

P 

A 

T A 

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 

N 

E 

W 

Z 

E 

A 

L 

A 

D 

N 

Beachstreet 

Beachstreet Surf Shop - is a core surf shop, locally owned and 

operated, just up from Fitzroy Beach. 

We stock surfing products for all types of wave riding. Home to local 

brands Lost in the 60’s and Blacksand. 

Also offering trade in’s, ding repair, hire equipment and stand-up 

paddle and surf coaching. 

Beachstreet Surf Shop, it’s all about surfing! 

+64 6-758 0400 

chip@hotmail.co.nz 

Ultimate Surf 

& Skate 

Ultimate Surf & Skate has been 

Auckland’s premium core surf & skate 

shop since 2000, supplying New Zealand 

with quality gear that’s been tested and 

proven by our crew. 

We’re New Zealand’s biggest stockist of 

Firewire and Haydenshapes surfboards, 

with many other amazing brands such as 

Christenson, Tokoro, Salt Gypsy, NSP 

and many more. 

Tested and proven wetsuits from 

Billabong, Vissla, C-Skins and 

Sisstrevolution. 

Next time you’re up in Auckland 

come visit us in our huge 

showroom and have a chat 

with our very experienced, 

knowledgeable and friendly 

staff. We’ll make sure you’re on 

the correct gear and/or advice 

before leaving the store 

+64 9 476 7000 

ultimatesurfnskate.co.nz 

‘Ultimate Surf & Skate - 

by surfers, for surfers’ 


Leading surf and skate brands 

TWO ULTIMATE 

SURF SHOPS 

ULLADULLA 

NSW 

Rip Curl Ulladulla 

138 Princes Hwy, Ulladulla 

T 02 4454 4904 

southernman.com.au/rip-curl 

Premium range of surfboards, 

SUPs, bodyboards and wetsuits 

for sale and hire. Stocking 

apparel and travel gear. 

Surfer Luke O’connell 

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MARCUS PALADINO 


He lives in Tofino on Vancouver Island’s 

west coast, an area known for its wild 

natural scenery of lakes, inlets, ancient 

rainforest and sandy beaches. Air temps 

are cool by Australian standards ranging 

from 8 to 19 degrees with the water 

markedly chillier. In Summer temps only 

get as high as 13 degrees and winter 

can get as low as 6 or 7 degrees. It is 

here that Marcus Paladino has carved a 

niche for himself as the Cold Water Surf 

Photographer Guy. 

the cold-water guy 

words: dave swan 

photos: marcus paladino 

27 / #53 / SB

“We got lots of waves and 

I got great photos and I 

suppose I didn’t realise how 

special this place is. I don’t 

need to spend two grand 

on a plane ticket to shoot 

something incredible.” 

Many dream of surfing the waves of Hawaii, the 

Mentawai islands or G-Land, but for me, one of the 

top 3 spots on my bucket list is Tofino. 

That is probably why the rest of the team at 

Smorgasboarder consider me a freak but that’s ok. 

To me there is just something so appealing about 

cold water and rugged alpine scenery. The chance 

to surf when it’s snowing in my book would be 

altogether something else. And so it is that I have 

been completely absorbed in the photography of 

Marcus Paladino. 

For so long I have been keen to chat with him and 

feature his work in Smorgasboarder and thankfully 

that opportunity finally came around. Sure, it may 

have been more appropriate perhaps to feature 

Marcus in a Winter edition as opposed to Spring but 

hey, we do things differently here. Marcus filled me 

in on how he earned his unofficial moniker and what 

it’s like to be a surf photographer in these parts. 

“I was very adamant on traveling for a really long 

time, like I would jump on any trip I could. I just 

wanted to see as much of the world as I could 

through surfing and through my camera. 

“And then COVID happened and no one was 

travelling, and for me, I was kind of, ok this will be a 

nice break from trying to go here and go there. And 

it just so happened we ended up having one of the 

best winters we’ve ever had here, and it was very 

productive. 

“We got lots of waves and I got great photos and 

I suppose I didn’t realise how special this place is. 

I don’t need to spend two grand on a plane ticket 

to shoot something incredible. So, I kind of started 

putting more focus on just shooting here. 

“Not that I wasn’t before, but it was always sort 

of an in-between trips. So yeah, I now get really 

stoked on just shooting here and I’m grateful for 

that because I feel like I’ve sort of unintentionally 

carved out this niche of being the cold water surf 

photographer guy. 

“I always sort of pictured that if you wanted to be a 

famous international surf photographer, you had to 

go all over the world. But I don’t know, I really enjoy 

my home and I’m very grateful to be here.” 

As for how harsh conditions can sometimes be 

shooting in these parts, Marcus recalled a particular 

moment early on in his surf photography career. 



“I have definitely pushed it and been 

out too long... I was out for about 

three to four hours mid-winter and 

yeah, at one point I had to go in because 

I couldn’t move my hands to even push 

the trigger to take a picture.” 



“I have definitely pushed it and been out too long. 

My best story of that is blacking out from the cold. 

“I was out for about three to four hours mid-winter 

and yeah, at one point I had to go in because I 

couldn’t move my hands to even push the trigger 

to take a picture. My teeth were chattering so hard. 

I got to the beach and then I don’t really remember 

what happened after that. I was just sitting there, 

and I had all my stuff around me. I had a big dry 

bag of food and water and it was just splayed out 

along the beach as if I was throwing it. But I don’t 

remember, it was definitely a trip. 

“I haven’t done that since. I am definitely a bit more 

conscious. I think that was probably my second 

winter shooting here full time and I was a bit more 

like, I have to get the shot, I have to do this because 

if I don’t get the shot, someone else might. So, I 

was a bit more gung-ho then, whereas now I’m a bit 

more strategic.” 

When you hear stories like this it is unbelievable to 

consider that Marcus’s home breaks aren’t even the 

coldest conditions he has encountered. 

“It’s not so bad here. It’s obviously cold on the face, 

but the coldest place I ever felt was in Nova Scotia, 

which is on the east coast of Canada. We did a trip 

out there and every single time I went under a wave, 

it felt like I was getting tattoos on my face, it was so 

cold. That was probably the coldest water I’ve ever 

swum in.” 

With that kind of commitment, Marcus’s unofficial 

moniker as “the cold water surf photographer 

guy” is well earnt and it is this kind of dedication 

to his craft that has seen his work published the 

world over in everything from surf magazines to 

outdoor / adventure and geographic publications to 

advertising campaigns for surf clothing and wetsuit 

companies. He’s also shot promotional campaigns 

for various Canadian tourism bodies as well as CBC 

Sports and Netflix to name but a few of his myriad 

of clients. 


Marcus’s unofficial moniker 

as “the cold water surf 

photographer guy” is well 

earnt and it is this kind of 

dedication to his craft that 

has seen his work published the 

world over in everything... 



“Thankfully I have established a sort of brand and 

these companies know who I am. So I am definitely 

getting more people reaching out to me for things, 

which is amazing. But I do feel like I’m still sort of 

on that grind where I know I’m shooting a lot, so I 

just want to make sure I can get my work out there. 

That’s the biggest thing. I just want to get my work 

out there, whether it’s for an ad or a magazine. I 

try not to throw everything on Instagram right away 

because I would rather have it seen somewhere 

else first.” 

I was interested to know whether Marcus focused 

on a particular aspect of the surfer on the wave 

when he is shooting. I absolutely love the way he 

captures a moment in time, with not only the surfer 

on a wave, but the wild wilderness surrounds. 

His photography takes you on an adventure, it is 

absolutely breathtaking. 

With that said, when reading up on Marcus for 

this interview, I was interested to come across an 

article about him in Wavelength magazine. I was 

quite surprised by the journalist’s perspective on 

cold water photography. It went as follows, “too 

often with cold water destinations, photos need to 

depend on the mountains, snow and wildlife as a 

backdrop to make them work.” 

Everyone is certainly entitled to their opinion, but I 

was just so blown away by the statement because 

to me, that is what makes many of Marcus’s photos 

so stunning. Hence, I was keen to hear his opinion 

on the topic. 

“That’s a really good question. I don’t know. I try 

not to think too much when I’m shooting. For me, 

I’m a really big surf fan and my first gravitation is, I 

want to shoot really tight, I want to see the spray, I 

want to see the body positioning. But then as soon 

as I start doing that and I get a shot or two, I realise, 



ok, maybe I need to pull back now and see what the 

lighting is doing? 

“What’s the angle for the backdrop? And then I start 

pulling back a bit more and then as soon as I’ve 

got my tight shots, got my pulled back shots, that’s 

when I feel a bit more like I’ve covered my bases 

and that now I can get creative, and I’ll start mixing 

it up and trying weird angles. And when you do that, 

you sort of like end up missing shots. But if you can 

nail one, it’s just so gratifying. 

“You can become a bit numbed by this place, by its 

beauty in that way. Like I see the same backdrops 

and I see the same trees. I think when I’m shooting, 

I sometimes just sort of catch myself and be like, 

wait, this is an interesting shot. You know, even to 

me it’s interesting, but to other people, it’s mind 

blowing in a way which is cool.” 

Given his desired approach to surf photography and 

his penchant for shooting from the water, I asked 

“when I feel a bit more like I’ve covered my bases 

and that now I can get creative, and I’ll start 

mixing it up and trying weird angles. And when 

you do that, you sort of like end up missing shots. 

But if you can nail one, it’s just so gratifying.” 

Marcus what his preferred bit of kit was. 

“So, I’ve got the Canon 1D Mark II and I have a 

bunch of lenses. I have a fisheye lens, 100mm, 

400mm, a 70-200mm, a 24-70mm, a 50mm macro 

lens. I’ve got a Pelican case full of lenses that I’ve 

sort of acquired over the years. I feel like when I 

started, I had one lens and then I’ve sort of started 

tacking them on. 

“For my housing I recently switched to CMT Water 

Housings just because it seemed like a lot of the 

photographers that I admire were all shooting with 

it. I previously was shooting with Aquatech, and 

I found the housing, though super convenient, 

was really heavy. I think now they’ve made newer 

models that are lighter. But I was starting to get 

shoulder problems and the CMT housing is all 

carbon fibre and light as a feather. And since I’ve 

switched to that, my shoulder has been feeling so 

much better. So yeah, it was kind of a no brainer for 

me to switch them.” 

Camera gear aside an essential bit of kit is no doubt 

some quality, super thick rubber. 

“You need a great wetsuit, gloves, hood and 

booties for sure. I prefer a 6mm wetsuit and 

sometimes I will wear a 1mm thermal top 

underneath that. So, in the really cold days when 

we’re out at a slab and I know I’m going to be 

sitting for 40 minutes waiting for sets, I’ll put on the 

1mm thermal plus the 6mm wetsuit, and then I’ve 

got usually 5mm gloves. 

“It may sound funny but I only wear really beat-up 

5mm booties even though if I was surfing I’d be 


“I’ve got the Canon 1D Mark II and I have 

a bunch of lenses. I have a fisheye lens, 

100mm, 400mm, a 70-200mm, a 24-70mm, a 

50mm macro lens. I’ve got a Pelican case 

full of lenses that I’ve sort of acquired 

over the years.” 


shoot, 

surf, 

shoot, 

edit, 

surf, 

shoot. 


wearing like 7 or 8mm. So, my feet are usually the 

first thing to get cold, but I wear them because 

those specific booties fit perfectly into my fins. 

“And it took years to figure out what combination 

of fins and booties fit best because otherwise I 

get these crazy foot cramps. So yeah, I found 

specifically, I’ll namedrop, the Rip Curl patrol 

5mm are the perfect bootie to slip into my DaFIN 

swimfins.” 

Hearing of Marcus bobbing around in the turbulent, 

black, cold water for hours on end saw my mind 

drifting to what else he may have to contend with - 

strong tides, logs, orcas, white pointers? I couldn’t 

help but ask the question – regular readers know of 

my obsession. 

“What’s interesting is Oregon is pretty close to the 

island and they have a lot of white shark action 

going on but we’ve never had any sort of shark 

sightings or shark attacks or anything like that. I’m 

not sure if it’s because the water is too cold, or they 

don’t have anything to eat. I have heard that the 

orcas keep them at bay. 

“That’s something I’m super grateful for. I never 

have to think about it surfing or shooting around 

here. I have been to Oregon and I’ve been to 

California and I couldn’t help but think there could 

be some sharks here. You never know.” 

It was interesting to hear Marcus’s comments 

because I had read several articles relating to Orcas 

hunting white sharks for their liver. And as for the 

orcas, from the many videos and stories I have read 

about human interactions with them, they do not 

appear too interested in us. With that said, I am 

sure if I came across one whilst surfing, I wouldn’t 

be so nonchalant. I remember a friend who surfed 

the region telling me about one spot he surfed 

where he could hear the orcas talking underwater 

nearby each time he duck-dived. I can’t lie, that 

would freak me out. 

“I think in March or April, you might see some 

orcas but not in the line-up, rather just outside of it, 

because that’s when they’re all migrating. So yeah, 

you’ll see orcas around then. They don’t really do 

anything. They’re just on their own programme. 

“There was one time though, that orcas were killing 

a bunch of sea lions just next to a surf spot, and 

that was pretty hectic. Everyone just came in. I think 

there’s a video on YouTube somewhere - that was 

pretty crazy. Just so much blood in the water. 

“I have seen a grey whale, not in the line-up, in 

fact, just on the inside. I was paddling back out at 

a beach break and I looked over and thought it was 

a giant log and then this grey whale appeared 20 

meters away from me. It was crazy.” 

It all sounds pretty incredible and would just add 

to experience of surfing these parts. I also confess 

I was comforted to hear I could venture over to 

Tofino to enjoy some frigid waves without fear of 

having my ass chomped whilst surfing. I know, I 

know, the peanut brigade will be telling me that 

being taken by a white shark is a freak occurrence 

less likely than being struck by lightning but it still 

wouldn’t be a nice way to go. 

Marcus was clearly amused by my Chicken Little 

obsession with being bitten by a shark. 

“Well, I had a sea lion bite my fins once, and that 

was pretty scary.

“The swell was huge and was way too big for this 

slab and there was a lot of wash from each set. I 

was trying to stay in position and keep calm but 

meanwhile these sea lions are just barking at me 

and I’m like, okay, I had a lot going on. 

“All of a sudden I felt myself sort of touching 

one and then I felt a pull on my fin and I was just 

screaming and kicking my feet. It was hectic but 

generally they don’t do anything. They just sit there 

in the line-up and bark at you and sometimes surf 

through a wave at you.” 

Having travelled around the more southern parts 

of the West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island 

where I witnessed so much debris, namely large 

logs in the line-up, I was interested to know if this 

posed any concerns. I mean, if you’re surfing solo 

and encounter a large log paddling out, it’s good 

night. 

“If there was a really big like storm, it’ll push in a 

lot of logs in and they will be in the line-up. That 

doesn’t happen too often though, maybe a couple 

of times a year. But yeah, it’s a bit sketchy because 

we have to wait for the logs to push themselves into 

the shore but some guys will just go out and try to 

avoid them. It’s psycho.” 

Sensing my fixation with all things which may maim 

or kill you, Marcus quickly allayed any fears I may 

have in relation to bears, wolves and the like. 

“I think that sort of aspect of surfing in Canada with 

bears on the beach is a bit blown out of proportion. 

“If you’re surfing in town, it’s pretty rare that you’d 

see a bear wandering on the beach. It’s more like if 

we go up the coast and we’re really remote, that’s 

when you’re going to see bears on the beach and 

wolves too.” 

With all this nature going on I figured the benefit 

of surfing this region would be that you at least 

wouldn’t have to contend with large crowds in the 

water. I was misinformed. 

“Well, you’d actually be really surprised. Surfing 

is so popular in Canada right now. I think with 

surfing being in the Olympics and stuff and COVID 

as well, just in Tofino alone there would be 50 

people on one peak on some days if it’s good, and 

that’s excluding the crowd of surf schools in the 

whitewash. 

“Even in the winter, if it’s really good, there could 

be like 20 or 30 people on it. That being said, you 

can still get a wave to yourself because there’s so 

many like little nooks and crannies that if you don’t 

want to surf the popular spots, you can go on a 

little mission, go for a drive, go for a hike, and you 

can surf by yourself any day of the week. It’s just a 

matter if you want to put in that effort. 

“If you’re surfing in town, 

it’s pretty rare that you’d 

see a bear wandering on the 

beach. It’s more like if we 

go up the coast and we’re 

really remote, that’s when 

you’re going to see bears on 

the beach and wolves too.” 


LOCATION - TOFINO 

ILDCANADIAN 

365 DAYS OF SURF 


WILDCANADIAN 



“I didn’t start surfing until I was about 20. 

That’s when I moved to Tofino. I’m originally 

from Nanaimo, which is on the complete 

opposite side of Vancouver Island. I never 

came out to Tofino until I was 18 years old. And 

then, yeah, i was just kind of mind blown.” 

“A good example is Josh McCoy. 

He lives in town now. He’s kind of 

migrated from his home in Santa Cruz 

and he lives in Tofino - married a 

Tofino lady. He surfs every single day 

but you’d never know it because you 

never see him. He literally is in the 

water before the crack of dawn, far 

away from town and as soon as the 

sun comes up, he comes in because 

he doesn’t want to surf with anyone. 

And I just admire that so much – the 

dedication – to surf a wave solo 

rather than with a crowd of people.” 

Speaking of the town, I was keen to 

hear more about Tofino and whether 

Marcus had ever lived anywhere else. 

I’m actually half-Italian and half 

Canadian. My dad is from Italy and 

my mom is from Vancouver just 

across from the island. When they 

met they were trying to figure out 

whether they wanted to raise their 

kids in Italy or in Canada. And yeah, 

sure enough, I ended up being here. 

Worked out for me.” 

Surfing however came much later on 

in life for Marcus. 

“I didn’t start surfing until I was about 

20. That’s when I moved to Tofino. 

I’m originally from Nanaimo, which 

is on the complete opposite side of 

Vancouver Island. I never came out 

to Tofino until I was 18 years old. And 

then, yeah, I was just kind of mind 

blown. 

“It’s only 3 hours across to the 

other side of the island but for some 

reason I had never gone over there. 

I remember being 18 and waking up 

one morning and I’d been like, whoa, 

I’ve never been to Tofino and so I 

borrowed my mom’s car and drove 

out, slept in the car and hung out for 

the weekend. 

“It’s just a really cool town. And yeah, 

I moved out here with no intention of 

becoming a surf photographer. I was 

actually adamant on trying to be a 

snowboard photographer. 

“Obviously in summer there’s 

nothing because you can’t really go 

snowboarding unless you’re on the 

glacier of Whistler. 

“So, I moved out here to have a fun 

during summer and basically kill time 

until the next snowboard season. 

But then I fell in love with surfing and 

I fell in love with the town and the 

photography came out of that. I was 

such an avid surfer and such an avid 

photographer that the two just sort 

of went hand in hand. So I started 

shooting my friends surfing and stuff 

and the end of summer came, and I 

never left.” 

The relaxed seaside town of Tofino 

is home to around 2000 to 2500 

residents with the population doubling 

in the warmer months. 

The town lies 200km north-west of the 

island’s largest city, Victoria, which 

incidentally is the capital of British 

Columbia. By road it is around 316 

kms and a 5 hour drive from Victoria 

non-stop, but with so many interesting 

places to see and scenery to take in 

along the way, you will want to make 

this a multiday trip. 

On the surfing side of things, as we 

mentioned previously, the water is on 

the chilly side and as Marcus informed 

us, everyone is pretty stoked in the 

summer months when they get to surf 

without gloves. 

There are fun waves at the beach 

breaks during these months but the 

swell can tend be wind affected. 

September through to February are 

the prime months for surfing if you 

can handle the cold and own a quality 

wetsuit. 

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CANADA - VANCOUVER ISLAND 


CANADA - VANCOUVER ISLAND 

49 / #53 / SB 

a s t 

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SURF 

IS T 

LOCATION - TOFINO 

SOUR 

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“It’s such a unique place, considering most of 

Canada’s coastline is quite rocky and abrasive and 

uninhabitable, whereas Tofino is situated so perfectly, 

and we have these perfect sand bottom beaches. It’s 

a really unique area.” 

Now that travel has opened up again, I enquired 

whether Marcus had plans to venture further afield 

now that he could. 

“Not at the moment. I definitely have a few ideas 

I want to do. I was thinking about maybe going to 

Scotland in the fall and New Zealand next summer but 

for now those are all just ideas. 

“I have a non-surf related trip to northern British 

Columbia next. I’m filming for a tourism campaign. 

There’ll be lots of fly fishing and mountain biking, 

hiking, stand up, paddleboarding and things like that. 

“My main income continues to be surf based but in the 

last couple of years, I’ve been getting job opportunities 

to do things like this outside of the realm of surfing, 

and it’s been pretty cool just to shoot something 

different. But I do try and coordinate those strategically 

so that I’m not getting those jobs in the winter.” 

For those interested, Marcus recently published a 

320-page portfolio of some of his greatest work. The 

hardcover titled ‘Cold Comfort’ is nothing short of 

complete wonderment. I naturally asked whether he had 

plans for another. 

“Right now, I’m still riding the high from this one. It’s 

been a great success and it’s been really cool to hear all 

the feedback. People really seem to enjoy it. But yeah, 

that’s the number one question. Everyone’s asking when 

are you going to make another book? And I’m like, well, 

this one was hard enough to make. It took a long time. 

But yeah, I definitely want to make another book one 

day. But for now, that’s just kind of an idea I have. I’ll 

approach the publishing company again in a few years 

and see if they want to do something else. But for now, I 

think I’m just riding the high of my first published book.” 

ANADA’S WEST COAST 


ING 

HE 

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P: 03 9587 3553 

E: rory@okesurfboards.com 

OKESURFBOARDS.COM 

1/1-7 Canterbury Rd, Braeside, VIC 


mus ic in paradise 


words by geoff crockett 

Photos by. Andy Potts 

When it comes to being quick, 

nimble and creative in the 

face of constantly changing 

conditions, surfers are 

conditioned to react. 

Those surfing skills came to the fore at Perfect Wave 

Travel in recent times as the team was forced to find 

new ways to capture the demand of its music and 

surf loving customers who were unable to travel to the 

Maldives or Bali to attend their popular Surf, Music 

and Paradise events. 

Since launching in 2014 Perfect Travel Group’s Surf 

Music In Paradise events have seen thousands of 

guests fly to the Maldives or Bali to experience a 

week of resort accommodation, surfing and intimate 

concerts featuring the likes of Jimmy Barnes, Bernard 

Fanning, Hoodoo Gurus, Ocean 

Alley, Pete Murray, Tex Perkins and 

Donovan Frankenreiter. 

Picture an idyllic small roof top bar, 

sun setting over the ocean, Barnesy 

on stage belting out one of his 

many hits and a deliberately capped 

audience of 200 guests relaxing on 

bean bags, cocktails in hand, singing 

along. 

Everyone’s staying in the same resort, so chances are 

high the next morning you’ll bump into Barnesy at the 

breakfast buffet or having a crack at the waves with 

his family – after all, part of the attraction for the artists 

to attend, is the location. 

Perfect Wave Travel’s marketing manager Ben 

Horvath, the curator of the unique concert series, said 

that all changed with the arrival of COVID. 

As local and international borders closed, international 

travel became a dream and as State Premiers played 

games with mandates, the travel industry was taking 

a beating. 

Tours were cancelled, tickets refunded, credits were 

held over in the hope of rescheduling. 

The big question on everyone’s lips - how do we make 

money and pay the bills at a travel company - when 

it’s almost impossible for people to travel. 

With Aussie travellers, and performers, restricted in 

their movements, Ben and his hands-on CEO Jamie 

Gray turned their attention closer to home and started 

to work on ideas for an intimate music experience 

somewhere in Australia. 

Working within the parameters of their existing format, 

they went searching for a location with the potential 

for great waves and a similar vibe to the laidback 

luxury of Kandooma Resort in the Maldives. 

“Initially we were thinking Stradbroke Island, it had 

the potential for surf, but there isn’t one resort quite 

big enough to cater for a coupla hundred guests and 

bands,” Ben said. 

Finding the right sort of experience to attract guests 

and artists led the team to Daydream Island in the 

Whitsundays. Beautiful location – no waves. 

“So, we took `surf’ out of the title and evolved the 

concept to become Music in Paradise instead,” Ben 

said. 

With a venue sorted, and a new concept to test, Ben 

said they started talking to Jimmy Barnes and his 

family about the chances of playing a few shows in 

the Whitsundays on the long weekend in June 2021. 

“The Barnes family and their entire management 

team have been unwavering friends to the business. 

They came on board and have helped us through the 

pandemic,” Ben said. 

“The popularity of Jimmy Barnes is amazing. His fans 

will travel thousands of kilometres to see him play.” 

And travel they did. With Jimmy and Mahalia Barnes 

confirmed for performances over three nights, the 


the re-opening of 

borders, the boost of 

vaccination numbers 

& the return of 

international flights 

has put the Maldives 

back on the agenda 

for late 2022. 


marketing for the Long Weekend in the Whitsundays 

went out, and sold out, in a flash. 

With the concept proven and more great Australian 

musos keen to get involved, dates were set for August 

2021 concerts featuring three nights of music by The 

Living End and Grinspoon front man Phil Jamieson – 

and another line up of Darryl Braithwaite and Richard 

Clapton. 

Another wave of COVID, another wave of date 

changes. The August shows were pushed back to 

November and December 2021 and then, finally, 

performed in May this year. 

While June 2021 will go down as the beginning of the 

Music in Paradise era, 2022 is likely to mark the time 

its foundation was most firmly laid – even if with the 

pesky bug continuing to have an impact. 

In May, Music in Paradise presented three events. 

Stranded in the Whitsundays, from May 16 to 20, was 

scheduled to feature Jimmy Barnes, Daryll Braithwaite 

and Richard Clapton. The show went ahead with 

Diesel and The Black Sorrows coming in as last 

minute replacements after Jimmy contracted COVID 

the night before he was due to fly to the Whitsundays 

and had to stay home and isolate. 

The Living End and Phill Jamieson finally got to play 

from May 21 and Ian Moss and Troy Cassar-Daley 

turned out from May 26 to top off three weeks of top 

Australian music in paradise. 

In even better news, the re-opening of borders, 

the boost of vaccination numbers and the return of 

international flights has put the Maldives back on the 

agenda for late 2022, with Bali and Thailand on the 

horizon and plans already in place for Stranded 2 next 

winter in the Whitsundays. 

For Ben, the key to the attractiveness and success of 

the events is creating a mini festival-like atmosphere 

for an audience of mainly 40+ music lovers, with more 

intimacy, more comforts, socialising with like-minded 

people and minus the drawbacks of a big festival in 

terms of weather, crowds of teenagers, police and 

party drugs. 

He said for the artists, the Music in Paradise gigs 

offered a chance for them to have a bit of a holiday, 

often with their families along for the ride, and to 


meet fans who have been willing to travel thousands of 

kilometres across the world to be part of the experience. 

Ben said the change in title for the events, and the 

addition of the Whitsundays, Thailand and Fiji to the 

line-up of future venues presented an opportunity for the 

business to grow and reach out into new markets. 

“The thing we’ve learnt from getting to the shows – is 

that fans will travel,” he said. 

“Jimmy’s fans are so ironed on and loyal. They’ll travel 

to the Maldives to see him. People travelled from the UK, 

Europe, NZ, Australia to see the Hoodoo Gurus and we 

have plenty of Germans, Israelis and Americans coming 

to see Xavier Rudd.” 

Music in Paradise 

offered a chance for 

artists to have a bit of 

a holiday & to meet fans 

who have been willing 

to travel thousands of 

kilometres. 

Still to come in 2022 is the much-anticipated return to 

the Maldives featuring Xavier Rudd from August 27 to 3 

September and then Jimmy Barnes and Ian Moss from 

September 4 to 11 at Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma 

Maldives. 

The line-up for 2023 is shaping up nicely already too 

with Chill Festival featuring Xavier Rudd, Pete Murray 

and Ash Grunwald happening in the Whitsundays from 

May 24-28, Jimmy Barnes, Kate Ceberano, The Black 

Sorrows, and Mahalia Barnes And The Soul Mates 

already locked in for Stranded 2 in the Whitsundays 

May 31 to June 4, then Delta Goodrem Up Close And 

Personal playing a Mother’s Day Week in the Maldives 

and the This Is Living Festival featuring The Living End, 

Tex Perkins and Matt Walker lining up in the Maldives. 


Contact your Coopers Area Manager for more information 

and to secure your order. 

1300 555 166 (SA/NT: 08 8440 1800) 

coopers@coopers.com.au www.coopers.com.au 


Photos supplied by Hewysurf Photography 


Oceanfoil Surfboards 

Surfing 

with 

Guts 

The years tick by. The 

body starts to struggle 

and the mind drifts 

towards retiring from 

the ocean for good. 

For surfer of a certain vintage where aging knees, 

ankles and legs makes jumping up to catch a 

wave both challenging and painful, there is now an 

alternative to giving up. 

Nambucca Valley based surfer and veteran surfboard 

shaper Keith “Atlas” Robinson, who is now in his 74th 

year, has applied his extensive shaping experience to 

produce a Gut Slider board for himself and his mates 

to ensure their time in the water is as extended as 

possible. 

“A guy who I made boards for 40 years, had hip pain 

and couldn’t get up fast enough” Keith said. 

With his mate in mind Keith said he set about 

experimenting with shapes, sizes and fin placement 

to develop a board that would allow riders to paddle 

on to waves easily, manoeuvre just under the lip and 

perform cutbacks just like you can on a surfboard, all 

without using flippers. 

Keith said the Gut Slider was built on a tri-plane hull 

where the rail curve is different to the bottom curve 

through the board. 

The boards range from 5’5” to 5’10” in length and 23 

inches wide-although Keith said the rail to rail turning 

points are about 19 inches to get a fast rail transition. 

“It’s designed to get up and go as fast as you can 

on a rail so you can do little reos and amazing cutbacks 

- they’re quite a thing” Keith said. 

“Once you get the hang of surfing these things it put 

a big capital F.U.N. back in your day. 

“As a family group they’re a great one-off board that 

you can add to your quiver. 

“They’re an incredible entry-level board for kids. 

They can catch waves and get to their feet without a 

struggle. 

“If you give them a high-performance board, it’s too 

twitchy for them as a start-up board and they fall.” 

After nearly six years on the Gut Slider Valla-based 

surfer Antoni Jovancay said the board had given him 

the confidence to stay in the line-up at some of the 

best breaks on the coast and catch more waves than 

he did standing up. 

Just back from a month in Indonesia where he said 

the board gave him days of fun, Toni, 67, said he was 

able to go for waves 6ft+ knowing he would get onto 

them and on the small 2ft waves the board just flew. 

“It’s wider and thicker than a normal surfboard, and 

it’s so quick. It has changed my surfing life” he said. 

It’s that same love for the surfing “high” that has kept 

Keith in the water every day he can. 

For Keith, who said he was going to retire from 

board making when he was 65, but lasted about two 

weeks, the call of the ocean and the creativity of 

board making is what keeps him going. Although he 

reckons that if he wasn’t catching waves, he’s not so 

sure he’d be as keen to make boards. 

The Gut Sliders are the latest style of board crafted 

by Keith’s hands in a career that has spanned nearly 

60 years. 

His love of surfing started as a young age, growing 

up in Avalon, north of Sydney, where his Dad owned 

the local barber shop. 

He remembers his first ride on a 16-foot plywood 

toothpick. 

“Our next door neighbour David (the Mexican) 

Sumpter took me out at Avalon,” Keith recalls. 

“I was just laying down on the front of this thing and 

today I can still remember the sound and smell of the 

plywood board. I can still remember that. I was nine 

years old at the time.” 


The bug had bitten and while he was 

supposed to be going to school on the bus, 

Keith said he barely made it, opting instead to 

go to the beach for a surf with his mates. 

He was booted out of school at 14 and started 

hanging around surfboard factories, helping to 

fix dings and gleaning knowledge from those 

in the trade in Brookvale at the time. 

When he was 16, Keith made the move to 

Victoria. 

He said that was when he really got a start in 

the surfboard design sphere, learning to glass 

at George Rice Surfboards - although try as he 

might, he couldn’t find a way into the shaping 

room. 

It was only after making a move to South 

Australia and taking a job working with John 

Arnold, and later with Don Burford, he learnt to 

shape surfboards. 

It was the start of a relationship that continues 

to this day with Keith still buying his blanks 

from Burford, and still calling on him for advice 

when he comes up against a challenge while 

building a board. 

Building boards, working and surfing his 

way through the Pacific and New Zealand, 

including a stint at Weaver Surfboards brought 

Keith back to Victoria where he opened one 

of the first surf shops on the Mornington 

Peninsula in 1971. 

“I bought my first six blanks off Burford and 

they were $15 each back then, and I had 

enough money and materials to make six 

boards and pay the rent for a month” he said 

“I thought to myself, I’ve got 30 days to get my 

shit together, and we pulled it off. 

“We ended up making about 80/100 boards a 

month and about 18 months later we owned 

the shop and the factory next door. 

“Eventually, we had a factory fire, and I moved 

up here and was putting out six to eight 

boards a week at Scotts Head. 

“When I got to 65, I thought I was going to 

retire, so I gutted the factory and sold off the 

equipment and I lasted two weeks.” 

Keith said he had a couple of hundred acres 

of bush that he owned, so he retired there, 

and set up a shed where he now makes a few 

boards a week for friends and clients who have 

found him by word of mouth. 

“These days I make boards because I want to, 

not because I have to.” he said. 

“I’ve got half a dozen wallabies sitting at my 

feet as I’m talking to you. We grow a lot of our 

own tucker. I’ve got a state-of-art solar system 

and we collect a lot of our own water too.” 

As for the nickname “Atlas” - Keith explained 

it came from his time in Victoria travelling to 

surf locations and around the world such as 

Morocco, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Andamans and 

even the South China Sea areas of Malaysia, 

Vietnam, Borneo and Burma. 

Keith and Oceanfoil 

Surfboards, can be reached by 

phone on 0434 211 779 

“It’s designed to get up and go as fast 

as you can on a rail so you can do little 

reos and amazing cut-backs - they’re 

quite a thing.” 



When it comes to surfboard construction there are primarily two options 

available to shapers: a polyurethane blank (PU) with polyester resin or expanded 

polystyrene (EPS) and epoxy resin. Many shapers use both types of blanks as 

there are points for and against both methods of construction. It all depends on 

the type of surfboard being shaped and for what conditions. 


Surfer: Jay Connell | Photos: Rodrigo Ximenes @friction_free 

Advocates of PU blanks speak of the precision 

performance of these boards on rail and the 

exceptional drive they deliver. Exponents of EPS 

swear by the buoyancy and lightweight nature 

of boards made with these blanks that enhance 

paddle power and manoeuvrability as well as 

aerial performance. 

Both blank manufacturers and surfboard shapers 

alike have worked to address and minimise the 

shortcomings of each type of blank. Those who 

swear by PU have glassed boards lighter to reduce 

weight and have even gone stringerless to lighten 

the blank further and assist with desired flex 

properties. The downside is boards of this nature 

snap more easily. On the other hand, shapers using 

EPS blanks have introduced rail stringers and more 

refined pinched rails in an effort to get these boards 

on rail more effectively. Boards using an EPS blank 

are said to have a tendency to ‘pop out’ through 

turns due to the buoyancy of the blank when you 

rather need the rail to hold through turns. 

As a consequence of the above, some surfboard 

shapers have sought to combine the best of both 

worlds by running an EPS core two-thirds of the 

way up the centre of a PU blank. Whilst this method 

enjoyed a degree of success, it was recognised that 

where the EPS section ended within the PU blank 

could produce a weak point in the board that when 

surfed in critical conditions could see it snap. 


I see the exploration of physics 

in relation to surfing as a 

massive untapped resource. 

A new method of construction however has now 

emerged thanks to the persistence of passionate 

surfboard shaper Michael Watkins. His development 

of the Core Duo blank which features an EPS 

centre panel, PU side panels and Ayous stringers 

designed to flex from nose to tail, could just be the 

breakthrough that effectively combines the benefits 

of both blanks. Michael provides an insight into 

what he has sought to achieve with his invention. 

“I want to make an impact. I want to improve 

surfboard construction and surfing itself. I want to 

leave my mark. I want to be able to change the surf 

industry and leave a legacy.” 

“I am fully into the physics of surfing. I see the 

exploration of physics in relation to surfing as a 

massive untapped resource. I’m not just a surfboard 

shaper. I have a thorough understanding of science 

thanks to my former professsion. I have chosen 

to explore surfboard building materials and their 

physical properties in relation to surfing. I believe 

this is how we can technically progress surfboard 

design and construction. 

“Until now shapers have been forced to work 

around the edges of the core technology of 

surfboard blanks, adjusting rail sizes, stringer 

placement, fin placement and the volume and 

style of resin to try to tune the board to suit a 

surfer’s needs but I always believed there was a 

more direct approach.” 

Michael has not only sought to balance the pros 

and cons of EPS and PU blanks but applied his 

knowledge of physics considering such things 

he refers to as ‘atmospheric reaction’, ‘laminar 

flow’, ‘fulcrum physics’ and ‘acoustic frequency’. 

It was certainly enough to pique our interest and 

hear more about the exploratory process he 

has undertaken. 

“A lot of guys opt for EPS because they need 

the buoyancy to get onto small waves but when 

the waves pick up and get more powerful, EPS 

is no good. Once the wave gets more critical and 

has lots of energy, EPS boards do not want to stay 

buried. It’s to do with the atmospheric reaction. This 

is a result of the amount of air and bouyancy in the 

rail causing resistance against the water density 

pushing it back. 

“The surfer feels it in the back foot – I call it Mr 

Squiggle - when they come off the bottom turn and 

there’s a wiggle in the back foot. They’re losing 

connection with the wave.” 

Michael goes on to describe that conversely, when 

you put a PU board on rail coupled with the density 

of the water, they like each other a whole lot more 

and as a consequence, a PU rail allows you to 

stay more connected to the wave. With that said, 

he believes one of the main shortcomings of a PU 

board is the stringer. 

“The traditional PU blank is reliable and strong 

and when it’s glassed with polyester it gives off a 


good acoustic frequency. However, if they have a 

standard stringer in them, they will twist under load. 

“The standard stringer in a surfboard is plywood 

and because it’s being bent on a knife-edge, it 

will continue to bend and will then eventually twist 

when the surfer loads it up such as in a bottom turn. 

At this point the stringer starts to flex and absorb 

energy and then will either twist left to right or vice 

versa depending on which way the surfer is headed 

as opposed to a desired equal flex from nose to tail. 

“I considered using a blank with a different stringer 

in it that doesn’t twist when it flexes, so you get 

controlled and stored release and energy flex out of 

a board, which in turn creates greater propulsion. 

That’s what I sought to do and have subsequently 

done with my Core Duo blank.” 

“I have used a type of 

wood called Ayous that 

equally stores the energy 

continuously from nose 

to tail.” 


“That’s what the 

ultimate goal is 

with surfboards, 

to tune the 

surfboard to 

the surfer and 

the wave.” 

Beyond the stringer material, Michael has also 

considered how the boards can be ‘tuned’ via the 

lamination of the blank to suit the surfer and the 

types of waves they wish to surf. 

“That’s what the ultimate goal is with surfboards, to 

tune the surfboard to the surfer and the wave. To 

work out the weight of the rider, the desired amount 

of flex, the regulated, required amount of density to 

achieve the flex and then the control group, which 

is the lamination. The lamination is the ultimate 

controller of how that volume or that membrane 

decides it’s going to react under stored energy 

and load – so that when we put it in the point of 

influence, which means the highest point of gravity, 

the highest point of G-force, which is the drop, the 

bottom turn, the highest point of acceleration, in 

that bend is when you’re going to get the highest 

result. I wanted to control ‘that’ and I believe I have 

achieved what I set out to do.” 

So, in essence, rather than compensate for the said 

shortcomings of PU and EPS blanks, Michael is 

of the opinion he has accentuated their strengths 

and simply removed any barriers to heightened 

performance. 

“Once a shaper makes themselves a couple of 

boards with this blank they will work out how best 

to tune the board to suit their customer. This is 

another feature and huge benefit of the blank, 

which is increasing opportunities of a better ride for 

the customer. How much you stiffen the blank will 

determine how the board rides. 

“On a recent R&D session the surfer noticed that 

one of the two boards he tested, the one with the 

carbon deck appeared faster for him, even though 

both boards were identical. This is because his 

body weight and the said board’s weight were 

better matched preventing more flex in the rocker, 

allowing him to keep the rocker in its flat design 

and hence the reason for the increase in speed.” 

Michael stated then when a shaper changed 

his customer’s material from PU to EPS, the 

same dimensions didn’t simply transfer across, 


You can acoustically tune the board 

to give it more or less flex... 

particularly in relation to volume and rail size. 

“Traditionally when a shaper is transferring a 

customer’s dimensions across from PU to EPS they 

have to be recalculated. It’s a challenge because 

the properties of the blanks are so different. 

“The main feature of this blank is that it allows a 

shaper to carry across the same dimensions of their 

PU board across to the Core Duo. The customer 

gets the exact same dimensions he is used to 

ordering but the EPS insert produces extra float. 

This elimates the vetting between shapers and 

customers who are new to EPS boards.” 

Michael said the glue lines of the EPS and PU 

blanks within the Core Duo can also be adjusted to 

further tailor the blank to the shaper’s requirements. 

“You can acoustically tune the board this way as 

well to give it more or less flex and still have the 

added flotation properties.” 

Marketed and distributed under the brand name 

Nervous Industries, Michael is in the process 

of bringing his range of Core Duo blanks to the 

market. Following the years of experimentation 

that have gone into the development of the Core 

Duo technology, he finally feels it is near ready to 

be made available to surfboard shapers around 

the country. 

“I honestly believe this has the potential to 

revolutionise the way surfers surf. Imagine what 

the surfer will do when we give them tools that will 

allow them to open up creative imagination in a 

totally different way. You’re going to see surfing 

that you’ve never even dreamed of seeing in your 

lifetime, but we have to give them the tools and 

that’s what we’re doing.” 

As surfing evolves, and surf pools become another 

option for wave hunters, Michael said the Core 

Duo technology was perfectly suited to waves of 

this kind. 

“The first problem with a wave pool is you get into 

a wave pool and you’re under-gunned. For the last 

two years I’ve been testing this board when I can 

at Surf Lakes (the wave pool test centre up near 

Yeppoon in Central Queensland). 

“A lot of the people I’ve surfed in a line-up with - 

they all said the wave was great, but their board felt 

completely different in those conditions. 

“I tested my PU boards at the pool and in the beach 

– it was a different ride. 

“Then I tested my Core Duo at the beach and the 

same size sort of wave at the (Surf Lakes) pool and 

there was no difference. I had great paddle power 

and screamed past those on PU.”

In terms of the new board’s strength, Michael said he’d had 

one run over by a car. It didn’t snap, simply flattened out 

and then bounced back to shape. 

“We knew the boards were strong, but once one was 

run over by a car we were convinced,” he said. 

As for how it feels under arm and paddling onto a 

wave Michael had this to say. 

“When you pick up an EPS board versus a PU 

board it feels different, well this feels different 

again and then when you ride it and paddle it, 

it’s different too. 

“It’s not until you ride it in good surf on a 

good wave, that you realise how good it is.” 

While still in the final stages of development, 

Michael said there will be customisations available 

of both the Core Duo blank itself and surfboards 

produced by his Nervous Industries label. 

“In terms of the Core Duo blank, I will be able to 

vary the width of the EPS to customise the blank to 

the shapers requirements. 

“In terms of the surboards I output under the 

Nervous Industries label using the Core Duo Blank, 

you will be able to buy it with a colour resin splash 

on the material. You can buy it with a carbon wrap 

and no stringer. 

“You can buy it with a carbon wrap and a stringer. 

“You can buy it with a carbon wrap and resin 

artwork on the carbon. 

“There’s going to be plenty of options but we’re 

going to be releasing one model at a time.” 

For now, all enquiries about Nervous 

Industries’ Core Duo Blanks can be directed to 

nervousind7@gmail.com 

“It’s not until 

you ride it in 

good surf on a 

good wave, that 

you realise how 

good it is.” 


CUSTOM DESIGNED FOR YOU. 

We specialize in custom hand-made storage and display 

solutions for surfboards, skateboards, fishing rods, kayaks, 

stand-up paddle boards, or any other difficult to store item. 

0478 718 565 

boatchannelboardracks.com.au 


Supplied courtesy of Webster Surfboards 

THERE’S NOTHING QUITE AS 

EXCITING AS BUYING A NEW BOARD

hand made 

20 22 



Some, when considering such a life-changing purchase will draw a blank on who to talk to about 

getting their next surfboard (you always need more than one!). So with this mind, we have put 

together some 30 pages of inspiration. Basically, we have compiled a who’s who of the most 

down-to-earth, talented shapers around Australia, broken down by state. These are people you 

can comfortably chat to about what board will best suit you, your skill level and the breaks you wish 

to surf. They can even custom design and make a shape for you specifically tailored to your needs. 

We suggest you find a quiet place, possibly don’t let your better half know where you are if you 

don’t control the household purse strings, and carefully study each page. Guaranteed, you will 

start imagining yourself paddling out and carving it up on one of these boards. Feel proud as well 

that by reading our Blank Pages and potentially buying your next board from one of these shapers, 

you are supporting Australian industry.

hand made 

20 22 



western australia

We can ship a board anywhere 

in Australia for $60. 

Yahoo 

Surfboards 

Yahoo Surfboards produces a wide variety of high 

quality surf craft. The model range covers all surf 

conditions and with boards suitable for riders of any 

experience level. 

With Mark Ogram designing our boards, his 44 years 

of shaping experience ensures people purchase 

a Yahoo confident it will work. Mark has a welldeserved 

reputation for innovative, yet functional 

surfboards. His vision for Yahoo revolves around 

premium boards finished to a level few others meet. 

Yahoos are built to last. 

08 9756 8336 

oggy@yahoosurfboards.com.au 

Kelvinator Moana Marilyn 

5’ – 7’ 6’10” – 9’ 7’6” – 10’ 

Have fun, go fast. 

Looks like a fridge door; 

feels like a magic carpet. 

The essence of the ocean. It’s not 

a longboard, it’s not a shortboard 

– it’s just a beautiful surfboard. 

A timeless classic. The 

combination of beautiful curves 

makes Marilyn unforgettable. 

@ yahoosurfboards 

YALLINGUP WESTERN AUSTRALIA 

73 / THE BLANK PAGES

hand made 

20 22 



south australia 

Surfer: Steve Muir 

Dolphin: Flipper 

Photo: Matt Secombe

LEIGHTON CLARK HAS BEEN BUILDING 

BOARDS IN BEAUTIFUL SA SINCE BACK 

WHEN OVERALLS WERE COOL. 

EST ’82 

Units 7 & 8, 9 Chapman Road, 

Hackham, SA 

E: leightonclark01@yahoo.com.au 

M: 0422 443 789 

DARK SIDE 

TWIN 

CUSTOM SURFBOARDS, 

RESTORATIONS & 

DING REPAIRS. 

44 HILL STREET, PORT ELLIOT SA 

MARK BENSON 0416 199 764 

@mrdamagesurfboards 


hand made 

20 22 



victoria

6’10 x 22 3/4 x 3 1/4 

TREE TO SEA AUSTRALIA ECO Board workshops are held 

over 2 days, we have 14 or so models to choose from 

ranging from performance shortboards, fishes, guns, 

longboards and our popular custom service. If you prefer 

TREE TO SEA AUSTRALIA can build an ECO Board for you. 

scan for more info 

99.9% of our boards are custom orders and 

we strive to have the best quality boards 

around. From the shaping to glassing by @ 

twinpeaksglassing and then the finishing 

we pride ourselves on our colour work 

and finished product and making sure 

our customers are always stoked to order 

boards no matter how weird these board 

designs might be. We love it. 

@dickosurf 

Shed 4, 10 Baines Cr. 

Torquay, Vic 

M: 0437 246 848 

E: dickosurf@gmail.com 

Vortex 

Surfboards 

The majority of boards we make are true customs 

and we pride ourselves on working through design 

features to suit the customers surfing style. 

We have a great team of junior riders at state level, 

plus Bass Coast local rippers. 

We build every type of board from Groms, 

Performance shorties and Grovellers to Retro fish, 

Mids and Longboards on the premises. 

Retro Fish 

5’6” x 20 ½” x 2 3/8” – 31L 

Day Tripper 

6’10” x 20 7/8” x 2 ¾” – 42.5L 

54 McBride Avenue, Wonthaggi, Vic 

03 56724112 

Info@vortexsurfskatesnow.com.au 

www.vortexsurfskatesnow.com.au 

@vortexsurfskatesnow 

Shaper: Steve Cousins (Cuz) 

THE BLANK PAGES / 78

More than 

200 years 

board building 

experience under 

one roof 

From performance shortboards through to 

fun boards, retro shapes, traditional mals and 

kneeboards, we have the team to shape anything 

you can possibly dream of - indeed you would be 

hard pressed to find a factory in the country with 

the same wealth of experience under one roof. 

CONTACT 

islandsurfboards.com.au 

+613 5952 2578 

COWES@ISLANDSURFBOARDS.COM.AU 

147 THOMPSON AVENUE, COWES

Family run since ’68 so 

we know a thing or two 

about making custom craft 

for our many customers. 

Anything and everything from shortboards 

to longboards to logs, fishes, midlengths, 

kneeboards and everything in between. All 

boards are lovingly 100% hand made from start 

to finish at our Braeside factory. 

1/1-7 Canterbury Rd, Braeside, VIC 

03 9587 3553 

rory@okesurfboards.com okesurfboards.com

NEW ERA GRIP 

WAXLESS TRACTION 

LOTS OF SIZES 

AVAILABLE 

NO MORE WAX 

Supadex Ambassador, 

Michael Williams at Jan Juc. 

Photo by Peter Solomon. 

ABOUT US 

The founder of SUPADEX SURF and 

marine is a professional mariner and 

surfer who has spent his life both in 

and on the waters of the ocean, this 

has led him to recognise the need for a 

waxless environment which led him to 

supply these quality products. 

SUPADEX has been tested in the cold 

waters of winter in Japan and tested 

in the wild conditions of Western 

Australia, designed for a safe and 

secure experience. 

AVAILABLE AT 

Cape Hideaway Exmouth. WA 

Exmouth Surf Centre – Exmouth. WA 

Norwest Surf Store – Carnarvon. WA 

Willocks Surf – Geraldton. WA 

Star Surf – Mandurah. WA 

Funs Back Surf – Yallingup. WA 

Rip Curl - Margaret River. WA 

Raging Bull Surf – Merimbula. NSW 

Zink Surf – Kiama. NSW 

Pines Surfing Academy – Shellharbour. NSW 

Avoca Beach Surf – Avoca Beach. NSW 

Ocean Haus – Terrigal. NSW 

Serpent Sleds Surfboards - Central Coast. NSW 

Boardwalk Surfboards – Newcastle. NSW 

Cabarita Surf – Cabarita Beach. NSW 

DS Shapes Surfboards – Tweed Coast. NSW 

Goodtime Surf and Skate – Brisbane. QLD 

POG Surfboards – Sunshine Coast. QLD 

Alpha Surf - Tokyo. Japan 

New Zealand - svmoonfish@gmail.com 

WORLDWIDE POSTAGE ON REQUEST 

0475 408 198 www.supadexsurf.com supadexsurf@gmail.com

hand made 

20 22 



new south wales

Having Shaped for all surfing levels, including 

WCT, WQS, Australian, State and Regional comp 

Shortboarders, World Longboarders, ISAAdaptive 

and Prone Surfers and not least Beginner Surfers. 

The dburge label has largely flown under the radar. 

You will not find them in Shops. 

Everyone’s welcome! 

All boards are custom made by dburge 

at his Central Coast Factory. 

3/6 Kerta Rd, Kincumber NSW 2251 / 0415577085 

I’ve surfed since I was 6 years old, always 

wanted to make my own boards. I had a bad 

accident at 26 and couldn’t work so I just started 

repairing surfboards that turned into making them! 

I put a lot of effort in my business and love every bit of it. 

I work by myself and make boards from start to finish, any 

type of boards. I restore old vintage boards too and never 

stop learning in this trade. 

If something goes wrong you have to know how to fix it, you 

have to learn to deal with the elements. So much goes into 

making a board that many would never know, but the more 

you make the more you learn. 

@buckos_surfboardrepairsrestos 

Bucko 

Unit 12 , 22 Arizona rd Charmhaven NSW | 0422304078 


WACKO 

5’11 

19 - 2 1/2 

31.0L 

The Wacko can 

be a one-board 

quiver. It’s good for 

wedging, slabbing 

waves and is also 

a great follow-on 

as a better wave 

step-up board for 

those who ride a 

wider, high-volume 

shortboard or fish 

design. I also ride 

mine as a lazy 

winter paddler in 

small waves. 

NAPALM 

6’4 

19 - 2 1/2 

32.5L 

The Napalm loves 

being surfed hard 

and fast and is my 

personal favourite 

for overhead waves. 

What surfers have 

enjoyed with this 

board is the free 

and forgiving feeling 

combined with the 

ability to really put 

the board on rail and 

push as hard as you 

want with no need 

to hold back. This 

board has no limits. 

DESERT 

STORM 

7’6 

19 3/4 - 3 1/8 

48.5L 

The Desert Storm is 

making a significant 

impact on big wave 

gun design as a 

proven performer 

in many locations. 

The Desert Storm is 

the next level gun 

where volume is 

the key between 

missing and 

catching the 

biggest wave of 

your life. 

Wayne ‘Webby’ Webster is a surfboard shaper living in Lennox 

Head on the NSW North Coast of Australia. He has been shaping 

and riding his own equipment for the last 30 years all around the 

world. Through personal experience and feedback from team 

riders, Webby has developed his board designs to excel in 1ft junk 

to 70ft heaving slabs. 

Webster surfboards are all about the performance and satisfaction 

of our customers, from total Hellman to an absolute beginner, the 

same amount of time and interest is offered in getting them the 

perfect board for their needs. All boards are made using world 

class quality materials and excellent workmanship. Webster 

surfboards offers future technologies and constantly progressing 

designs for the future direction of our sport. 

CONTACT 

0416 049 205 

INFO@WEBSTERSURFBOARDS.COM.AU 

1/13 CLARK ST, BALLINA NSW 2478 

webstersurfboards.com.au 


FOR ALL YOUR SURFBOARD 

MANUFACTURING SUPPLIES 

Distributing Manufacturing Products for: 

FCS. Futures, Modii, Gearbox, Hanalei, Newkem Resin, Keyline Composites, 

Surfset Resins, Colan Australia, Montana and More 

COME AND DROP IN AND CHECK 

OUT OUR HUGE RANGE INSTORE 

Shop 8, 190 - 192 The Entrance Road, 

Long Jetty NSW 2250 

02 4339 9580 

INFO@sanded.com.au 

sanded.com.au 

Blanks. 

Resins. 

Finboxes 

Fibreglass 

Eco Cloths. 

Tools and 

Accessories 


surfer: @reefdoig 

photo: @18secondsmagazine 

Shaping 50 years this year, I draw from a fair 

few different eras. While 50% of my work is still 

contemporary high performance boards, the rest 

is taken up by the ‘Mid’ type of board in almost 

all fin configurations, fishes, twin fins, ‘rhino 

chasers’ (my favourite) single fins and mals. We 

combine old with new design features, without 

the concepts that we learnt didn’t work. 

02 6686 9879 | grsurfboards.com @guntherrohnsurfboards 

photo: @ethdogsmith

RABBIDGE 

SURF 

DESIGNS 

PHONE: 02 4456 4038 

MOBILE: 0427 767 176 

EMAIL: markrab88@gmail.com 

mark_rabbidge_surf_design 

different to the rest. 


Quality build. Satisfaction guaranteed. 

REVOLUTIONARY TRI-PLANE DESIGN 

Keep surfing even if your knees are bung! 

Designed to keep the FUN going for as long as possible 

Tried and tested by veteran surfers 

SUPPLIERS 

Burford Blanks 

Shapers 

OCEANFOIL SURFBOARDS, Urunga, NSW. 

M: 0434 211 779 

02 6685 6211 2/7 Acacia St, Byron Bay 


IT’S A STICK UP 

6’ 0” x 

20 3/4 

wide 

2 5/8 

thick 

14 1/2 

nose 

15 1/2 

tail 

Peter makes some 

of the finest, 

handcrafted boards 

on the planet. 

50+ years plying his 

craft means he has a 

wealth of knowledge on 

what will work for your 

personal style of surfing. 

That’s why he only makes 

custom orders to suit the 

individual rider. 

This one is 6’ 0” x 20 3/4 

wide x 2 5/8 thick x 14 1/2 

nose x 15 1/2 tail single 

flyer twin fin swallow tail 

with set on fins. Based on 

his first twin fin template 

back in 1979. 


Sticker packs available 

at the Smorgastore 

2 Woodland Ave 

NEW LAMBTON 

NSW 2305 

0417 264 739 


Alchemy and 

Soul Surfing 

Outer Island is not a place. 

Outer Island is a philosophy. 

It is an uncompromising commitment to taking 

off deeper, surfing faster and turning harder. 

Outer Island is where 

physics meets feeling. 

Where science meets art and where speed 

meets control. 

email: outereye@gmail.com 

phone: 02 6655 7007 

outerislandsurfboards.com 


See the wood 

for the seas 

Mark Riley shapes solid balsa classics right through 

to a range of high-performance surfboards built with a 

recycled EPS foam core and a 2-3mm balsa outer skin. 

This makes the boards super light as well as super strong. 

Shortboards, longboards, fishes, funboards and paddle 

boards, Mark custom shapes them all with an 

eco-consciousness second to none. He also conducts 

board building courses for the surfboard enthusiast. 

MARK 

RILEY 

BALSA BOARD BUILDING COURSES 

Care 

for the 

planet 

whilst 

enjoying 

the waves. 

CONTACT 

balsawoodsurfboardsriley.com 

91 / THE BLANK PAGES 

0412 376 464 | mark@riley.com.au 

By Appointment: 156 President Ave, Miranda

hand made 

20 22 



queensland

CUSTOM BY 

APPOINTMENT 

SURF & SPORTSWEAR 

maximumsurfboards.com.au 

ALL BOARDS INCLUDE 

A ROLLED SPIRAL V 

& DOUBLE BARREL 

CONCAVE AND HAVE BEEN 

TESTED AND PROVED. 

A U S T R A L 

I A 

GOLD COAST, QUEENSLAND E: MAXIMUMSURF@BIGPOND.CO M: 0400 338 098 

Burford 

blanks 

Burford Blanks 

provides surfboard 

blanks and 

other surfboard 

materials to help 

you build your 

ultimate surfboard 

including: 

Foam surfboard blanks 

Polyester resin 

Fibreglass 

Fibreglass fins 

@ burfordblanks 

Located in Currumbin, we have 

been supplying to the surfboard 

industry since 1966, providing 

services Australia-wide and 

exporting internationally. Our 

goal is to get your project on 

the right track with the right 

surfboard blanks and materials 

for your needs. When you shop 

for surfboard blanks with us, 

you can rest assured your needs 

are in the hands of a dedicated 

family-run business. 

Whether you know exactly what 

you need for your surfboard 

requirements or you could 

benefit from some professional 

advice, we’re happy to help. 

Call us today! 

07 5534 3777 to speak 

to one of our surfboard 

blanks specialists! 

www.burfordblanksaustralia.com.au 


LOOK TO THE FUTURE AND SEE 

SURFING YOU NEVER IMAGINED 

“I honestly believe 

our Core Duo blank 

has the potential 

to revolutionise 

surfing.” 

- Mick Watkins 

CORE DUO BLANKS 

EPS centre panel & PU side 

panels with balsa stringer 

All the floatation of an EPS blank 

with greater hold & drive through 

turns you’ve come to expect from PU 

Glue lines can be adjusted to further 

tailor the blank to your needs 

Unique balsa/ayous stringer designed to 

eradicate twist & rather store & release 

energy under load flexing from nose to tail 

Core Duo Blanks distributed exclusively 

through Nervous Industries 

nervousind7@gmail.com

Southcoast foam is the most lively, high 

performance foam on the market. We have 

developed blank prototypes not only with the 

world’s best shapers, but directly with current 

leading WCT competitors for over 30 years. 

GOODTIME 

Handmade surfboards 

6’0 x 20 x 2 1/2 31 lts 

6’2 x 20 x 2 9/16 33.5 lts 

6’4 x 20 1/4 37.5 lts 

Model Hot Dog - a high performance platform 

with a bit more width and volume making 

them suitable for a wider range of abilities 

and paddling fitness. They provide the 

average punter with room to grow their skills 

while higher skilled surfers will enjoy the fun 

and performance of the underlying design. 

"Goodtime is not just a 

business, it's a way of life, 

and a good way of life. 

See you out there!” 

goodtime.com.au 

Everything you need for 

surfboard manufacture, 

shaping, glassing and 

finishing. 

Factory @ 15 greg chappell drive, andrews, qld 

07 5522 1600 reception@southcoastfoam.com.au 

(07) 3391 8588 

office@goodtime.com.au 

29 Ipswich Rd, 

Woolloongabba QLD 

carpark at rear Gibbon St 

GET THE BOARD YOU WANT! 

“I’M HAPPY TO CUSTOM MAKE ANYTHING 

FOR ANYONE, COME SHAPE IT WITH ME 

IF YOU LIKE!” 

DIVERSE SurFBOARDS 

0419 246 595 

dave.verrall@gmail.com 

www.diversesurf.com.au 


HaRvEsT SuRfBoArDs 

Harvest surfboards is a family-owned and operated 

business headed by master shaper Jack Knight who 

has over 50 years of shaping experience. 

We specialise in high-quality hand-made surfboards, 

individually designed to the customer’s needs. Every 

board is shaped, glassed, and finished at our workshop 

on the Gold Coast. 

Mon - Fri: 9am - 5pm | Sat: 9am - 12pm | Sun: Closed 

2/24 Christine Ave, Miami, QLD | P: (07) 5576 5914 

Bill Pin 

Evolved from the keeper model with the idea of being a 

little more agile and responsive. Coming with a touch more 

challenge in some moments but then allowing for a tighter 

turn and improved pocket agility. Narrow but blunt nose 

with a generous amount of blended concave fading into roll 

through the middle, going all the way to the back. The area 

pin tail gives me flashbacks to some of the first longboards 

I experimented with in the late 90’s. Turns like a treat, 

allowing for quick changes in direction as well as heaps of 

easily adjusted trim speed down the line. If I had to pick 

only one log to have this would be a hard one to beat. 

@thomassurfboards 

Shop | Thomas Surfboards 

shop@thomassurfboards.com 

4 project ave Noosaville. 

thomassurfboards.com 


ORDER NOW! 

T-shirt $39 

T-shirt + annual 

subscription $55 

2021 

#50 

Art: Mitche l Rae - Telo Islands 

smorgasboarder magazine 

th 

2021 

edition 

SURF 


magazine 

#51 

SMORGAS 

BOARDER 

SURF 


magazine 

2022 


#52 

2022 

#53 

SURFmagazine 

E_ outereye@gmail.com 

P_ 02 66557007 

Portugal, wave pools, wooden boards 

and what it feels like to be 50. 

We’ve got boards galore, getaway shacks, 

coastal art, photography and more. 

Surf travel is back. 

We can explore once more. 

cold snap 

Order online at 

cool tunes dynamic duo 

And warm waves New surf blank tech 

www.outerislandsurfboards.com 

blank pages 


Photographer 

Marcus Paladino

PHASA PROJECT 

Born of a collaboration 

between Mitchell Rae and 

Graeme Davey a.k.a. Gravy, 

this design takes aim at 

energy pocket surfing in 

all-round conditions, your 

everyday board. 

email: outereye@gmail.com | phone: 02 6655 7007 

outerislandsurfboards.com

SB_issue53_DIGITAL

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