SB_issue56_digital

smorgasboarder
2023
#56
SURFmagazine
COLD AS ICE
KAMCHATKA
SNOW GOOD
Silver star
CHUFFED
GREAT BRITAIN

Celebrating
48 YEARS
Celebrating
45 YEARS
Gerringong | 90mins south of Sydney
Online
+
In-store
Australia’s Largest Independent Surf Shop.
Proudly Family Owned & Run.
w w w . n a t u r a l n e c e s s i t y . c o m . a u
S H O P O N L I N E
1,000+ surfboardS swiMwear heaven IN-STORE VEGO CAFE

28
52
CONTENTS
#56
2023
82
56
8 News
12 Controversy
16 Competition
18 Winter Stuff
22 Across the Ditch
28 Corners of the Earth
50 Roam
56 SilverStar
82 Wuux SURFBOARDS
86 A British Surf Trip
92 Gear
98 Aloha Barry
smorgasboarders
Editorial | Dave Swan
dave@smorgasboarder.com.au
0401 345 201
Editorial | Amber O’Dell
amber@smorgasboarder.com.au
0420 615 107
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, val, helen, taylah, sarah
mark@horseandwater.com.au
Accounts | Louise Gough
louise@smorgasboarder.com.au
smorgasboarder
SURFmagazine
COLD AS ICE
KAMCHATKA
SNOW GOOD
Silver star
2023
#56
CHUFFED
GREAT BRITAIN
our cover
Corners of the Earth - Kamchatka
Photo: Guy Williment
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.com.au
Smorgasboarder is published by Huge C Media PTY LTD ABN 30944673055. All information is correct at time of going to press. The publication cannot
accept responsibility for errors in articles or advertisements, or unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or illustrations. The opinions and words of the authors
do not necessarily represent those of the publishers. All rights reserved. Reproduction in part or whole is strictly prohibited without prior permission.

Photo: Guy Williment

This edition is dedicated to those with ice in their
veins. People who say weird things like, ‘the colder, the
better’. Those who yearn for frigid waves, snow-covered
beaches and steep slopes deeply coated with powder.
I must confess, I am one of those weirdos. While
some may wish for warm weather and waves, I seek
something a little different from the norm. Born and
raised in Queensland, I am over the heat. I guess it is
true what they say, ‘the grass is always greener on the
other side’. I like things on the chilly side and the road
less travelled for me is by far the most interesting.
In this edition, we most certainly seek out the road less
travelled. We follow four intrepid Australians on a very
different surf trip to Siberia of all places, widely known
as one of the coldest places on earth. The story and
photos are truly out of this world, and we feel incredibly
privileged to publish them.
From Siberia we then travel across to one of the most
dreamlike destinations on earth, a town that resembles a
miniature Disneyland in the snow. Simply put, SilverStar
is special. Anyone who has ever been describes the
place as magical. The village is quaint and cosy, yet the
scale and variety of mountain terrain is vast. Of all the
surf and snow destinations combined, believe it or not,
this quite possibly could be my number one. I dream of
the day I can soon return.
Following these two feature stories, we then make
a quick dash across to the British Isles. Here James
Sledmere takes us on a completely foreign English surf
trip made up of artificial waves and Australianesque
temps.
We talk with artisan board builder Wilhelm Margreiter
from Salzburg, Austria of all places. We did say this
edition was going to be a focus on all things cold and
lovely. Wilhelm is crafting some incredible boards
specifically designed for the waves in his corner of the
world – river waves. He also happens to build some very
nice ones for the ocean as well.
If that wasn’t enough, we also visit one of the ‘coolest’
purveyors of longboards in Australia. We are talking
about none other than one of the forefathers of the
Australian surf industry, Bennett Surfboards. Here
we discuss how his his son and grandson, Greg and
Tom Bennett, are carrying forth the flame of legendary
founder Barry Bennett. Stocking some of our favourite
shapers such as Mark Rabbidge and Sam Egan, this
is a store you must visit on any surfing road trip down
Australia’s east coast.
There’s also more reader comps to win free stuff, plenty
of surfboards to drool over, irreverent humour from our
mate Curl, more incredible escapes from Unyoked,
cranky rants in our Controversy column and heaps
of the latest and greatest surf and snow gear. It is an
incredibly ‘cool’ edition we reckon. Enjoy.
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

NEWS
Big win for surfers
# 56 // smorgasboarder //
8
For anyone wondering why
we don’t see many surf
clubhouses around, look no
further than the unyielding
effort of the WindanSea
Boardriders, who finally
have their clubhouse after
a decade-long battle.
The club has been surfing at the Currimundi break
for over 50 years, and was finally given the green
light to build a clubhouse in the Sunshine Coast in
2019 despite opposition from a pair of businessmen
who argued the club would end up hosting boozy
late-night functions… I mean honestly.
Everyone is welcome to celebrate the grand opening
of the WindanSea Boardriders Community Club on 1
July, where a free barbeque will be held to thank the
community who advocated for the club when they
needed it most.
We were lucky enough to sit down and have a chat
with Cr Terry Landsberg, a member of the club for
35 years and an avid surfer himself, who said it was
an amazing opportunity to build a home for the
surfing club in Caloundra.
“I’ve been president of the club for nearly 15 years. I
was always wanting it to evolve and knew it was time
to get serious about having a supportive base for
members and building a club where we can promote
surfing, as it has become such an important part of
our lifestyle here on the coast.
“Obviously it's all new to us. It's not like a surf
lifesaving club. There's no pokies or alcohol licence.
It’s really a clubhouse committed to promoting the
benefits of surfing in Caloundra."
The construction of the clubhouse was driven
by some extremely passionate members and
supporters of the club. Terry said it's been a long
road, from going through development applications
to the funding process and finally getting approval
from council.
"We were just extremely lucky that the right people
came along at the right time and offered their
support, because otherwise it would have never
been achieved. It's an amazing story.
“We're really fortunate. There's a lot of different
waves available down this end of the coast and
heaps of alternative breaks. That’s probably a good
reason why so many great surfers come from our
region. Surfing promotes such a healthy lifestyle in
our community.”
By fighting for their clubhouse, the WindanSea
Boardriders have done the hard part of laying down
the legal foundation for other surfing clubs to follow
in their lead, meaning that we may be seeing a whole
new world for surfing clubs in the years to come.

NEWS
Shane and Keilani in 2013
They grow
up so fast
Smorgasboarder veterans from back
in 2013 will remember Shane and his
beautiful little girl, Keilani, who was three and
a half when she went piggybacking on her dad’s back –
while on a surfboard of course.
Shane Clark is still living the dream in one of the most
remote regions in Papua New Guinea with his lovely
family, although Keilani is now ten years older, and
his family has gotten a lot bigger. When we finally had
the chance to catch up with him, Shane said there is
a healthy three-pronged surfing rivalry between them
all.
“Keilani, my oldest, rides mals. She has been riding a
9’0” that I shaped for her but has recently discovered
my TJ Pro – I don’t think I am getting it back.
“Mahea, the middle child, has more boards than me I
think. She mostly rides a 5’6” Dylan Longbottom and
is always chasing the barrel.
“Zuzu, the youngest, rides Keilani’s old 5’10” quad
that a friend of mine shaped. She has only just
started surfing on her own in the last two months –
she is four.”
newirelandsurf.com
Shane continues to run Rubio Plantation Retreat
in the mostly uncharted, surf-rich coast of New
Ireland Province in Papua New Guinea. Despite the
difficulties that came with his business being shut
down for the past three years due to Covid, Shane
said his family have had some great waves all to
themselves nonetheless.
“Other than the restriction of travel and loss
of income, life was pretty normal – no social
distancing, no masks, no problem.
“Life here is good. Tourism was close to being back
to normal this past season and bookings are decent
for the upcoming season, so we should be okay.
“We still mostly just surf out front, it’s hard to go
anywhere else when it is this good.”
It would be obvious to say Shane remains the most
stoked surfer in the whole country. For a chance to
see the marvellous waves in his corner of the world,
visit newirelandsurf.com.
# 56 // smorgasboarder //
9

NEWS
Letter
We’re constantly reviewing what we
should do in the future and revisiting
what we have done in the past to
continue building Smorgasboarder
as the magazine for the grassroots
surf community. What we did in the
early years was to feature plenty
of you, photos of you surfing and
letters to us about the mag. So,
with that in mind, we thought
we would publish a bit of your
recent feedback, which we greatly
appreciate because it lets us know
what you would like to see more or
less of. On the photo side of things,
let’s get this happening again and
get ‘you’ in our mag. Send them in.
phoebe@smorgasboarder.com.au
# 56 // smorgasboarder //
10
Liveaboard
surfing
charters
to suit all budgets
Groups from 6 - 12 pax catered for.
Wide variety of activities available.
endlessseaadventures.com
info@endlessseaadventures.com
MALDIVES SURF CHARTERS
Hi Dave,
You probably won't remember me, I'm the old bloke who
picked up a stack of old Australian Longboarding and Pacific
Longboarder magazines from you about 6 to 8 years ago.
Whenever I see your magazine in a surf shop I always take
one to read and really enjoy the content, well done to you!
I wish to comment on Edition #55 of your Smorgasboarder
magazine.
I was touched by the moving story about your father,
particularly his succinct comments, obviously a giant of a
man in many ways, gone too soon. Mine too introduced me
to surfing (at Portsea, Vic) as a 10-year-old.
We all only ever have one Dad.
Keep up the good work,
Regards, Trevor Gill
Thanks Trevor. As always, we appreciate all
feedback on the mag and thanks for your kind
words about dad. As for Portsea, love that
place. So many good spots in Vic.

s
On
a personal note, I would sincerely like to thank so many of our readers
that reached out to me following the death of my dad with their well wishes
and condolences. I was really taken aback by the number of emails, social
media messages and texts received.
Hi Dave,
Firstly, let me say how much I enjoy your Mag -
Smorgasboarder.
Good editorial about the term 'KOOK'. I'm an
old school surfer, 65 now and been surfing since
12, albeit I can’t get up anymore so I ride a 'Gut
Slider'. The term KOOK to me was something I
didn't know and hadn't heard before until quite
recently. I don't think we (old blokes) had a term
for beginners in the water other than 'L Platers’,
but it wasn't used in a derogatory nature, it was
more of an observation of a certain person's skill set and
understanding in the water.
I've seen it and done it quite a few times, given a beginner
a couple 'hints and tips' out in the water especially if they
have paddled out into a reasonable size swell and may
be sitting in the wrong spot and could possibly get hurt
by accident. Sadly, surf etiquette seems to be a thing of
the past. Do the young crew not know to look inside when
paddling onto a wave or do they just drop in deliberately?
I'd like to think they just don't know how the 'right of way'
on a wave works.
As above, I surf on my guts now due to a crook knee and
my 21st birthday being way too long ago.

Rich people
I could not count the number of times we have discussed advertising
campaigns with the marketing managers of national firms only to be told
surfers weren’t really their market, or that surfing was too niche, or that they
are appealing to a more well-heeled clientele. I have always found it to be an
interesting observation by these marketing gurus given that:
1. Firstly, they were using surfers to promote their product or service and
yet surfers aren’t really their market. It is kind of like using an image of a
butcher to advertise a new line of vegan cupcakes.
2. Surfing is too niche? Well, by all reports there is conservatively over 2.5
million recreational surfers in Australia. That’s just shy of 10% of the
population. To put that in perspective, that is more than the number of
people who play golf, tennis, netball, cricket, soccer and even cycling
(thank goodness). Only swimming surpasses the number of surfers.
Surfing nowadays is practically a way of life for most Australians (Kiwis
too! There’s 315,000 of them in the Land of the Long White Cloud).
3. Surfers aren’t well-heeled? Basically, this means the perception that
surfers are bums with no jobs, who live out of their car and surf all day
is alive and well. This being the case, over 10% of our population live
out of their car (the way things are going, this could scarily come true
but hopefully not) and our unemployment figures are completely out
of whack. Strange how an estimated $91 billion USD a year is spent
globally on surf tourism to a demographic that apparently has no
money.
These little misconceptions from our marketeers led me down the rabbit
hole of whether all surfers are poor and if there are indeed any wealthy ones
among us. Surely, given that approximately 10% of our population surf,
there must be an even spread of various economic groups and all surfers
can't be destitute. My little bit of research into the matter lead to some pretty
interesting findings that prove the Vice President of Marketing for Bud Light
Blue, Alissa Gordon Heinerscheid, isn’t alone in her understanding of what
appeals to her target audience. I confess, I am being facetious here (just
google Alissa to find out what she is now famous for). Here’s a little roll call
of some folk who have a coin or two to their name, who also happen to like
surfing and presumably do not live out of their car.
I guess one place to start is Forbes Magazine’s top 40 Richest People in
Australia. Coming in at number 3 and 4 is Mike Cannon-Brookes and Scott
Farquhar, founders of software company Atlassian, whose net worth is $14.2
billion AUD and $14 billion AUD respectively, who both appear to like surfing.
In the past they have even stationed their graduates to work in a beach
house in Narrabeen to spend weeks combining “surfing fun and hard work”
to develop new products.
But, maybe that’s just the new-world-order tech moguls? How about the
legal or banking fraternity? Well, it just so happens former lawyer and
investment banker, Andrew Ross, loved surfing so much he embarked on
building Australia’s first wave park, URBNSURF in Tullamarine utilising the
world renowned Wavegarden artificial wave technology. The development
reportedly took 7 years and cost around $40 million to build. Surely that
amount of cash wouldn’t be spent on no-hopers with no-money.
Then there’s serial entrepreneur David Trewern, the founder of Fliteboard,
an electric-powered foil surfboard. He sells his boards for around $16k, far
from small change, which have appealed to the likes of aforementioned Mike
Cannon-Brookes and the German billionaire founder of Shopify, Tobias Lutke
– another surfer of sorts that happens to have a little cash.
Then there’s the world of acting and Chris Hemsworth whose net worth is
rumoured to be around $162 million. He likes to surf. Simon Baker recently
sold his $17 million house in Bronte for a humble, fibro beach shack in
Lennox Head, one of Northern New South Wales most famed surf breaks,
presumedly to surf a little more.
Even if we go to the world of surfing itself, ex world champ Mick Fanning has
built himself a cool little $20 million empire, and I can confidently state that
he likes to surf.
So, there you go, in summation, it appears that surfers are representative of
the general population: some have cash, some have lots of it and some do
sleep in cars. Surfers are basically everyday people who live, breath and earn
a wage like everyone else, albeit with the hope of enjoying some healthy,
meaningful downtime at their local break.
#56 // smorgasboarder //
12

THE TREE OF KNOWLEDGE BEARS FRUIT ALL YEAR AROUND
okesurfboards.com
1/1-7 Canterbury Rd, Braeside, VIC
P: 03 9587 3553
E: rory@okesurfboards.com

ove board
Leg ropes in the line-up
are we looking after one another?
Earlier this year the coastlines along South-
East Queensland and Northern New South
Wales experienced their best summer swell
event. The source of this was Tropical
Cyclone Gabrielle which developed in
the Coral Sea and tracked offshore from
Queensland, eventually wreaking havoc as
an ex-tropical cyclone in New Zealand. As
is usually the case with these types of swellproducing
events, the most manageable
breaks were limited to the points. Naturally,
crowds tend to become very concentrated in
these areas during these swells.
During this recent swell Matthew Cassidy
was surfing at Wategos Beach in Byron Bay
when he was struck by a stray surfboard. He
suffered life-threatening injuries. As the ABC
reported, a leg rope was used as a tourniquet
to stem significant blood loss before he was
flown to Gold Coast Hospital. 1
This incident renewed an ongoing argument
about the use of leg ropes while surfing.
This debate has waxed and waned over the
years in response to incidents like this, which
appear to be happening more frequently.
The apparent increase in the number
of surfing-related incidents is perhaps
unsurprising. According to recent data from
the Australian Sports Commission, surfing
was one of the fastest growing activities
during the pandemic with 196,000 people
over age 15 learning to surf. 2
With swathes of the population moving
into the coastal paradise, a boom in surfing
numbers was inevitable. Increased crowds
during peak swell events, naturally increases
the risk of injury to those out there who are
simply trying to enjoy the best of it. Several
recent studies have analysed the nature and
frequency of surfing related injuries. A 2021
study analysed 8,066 acute surfing injuries,
among 8,393 surfers. Of these injuries,
lacerations were the most common surfing
injuries occurring about 39.1% of the time.
The most common cause of an acute surfing
injury was being struck by a surfboard (either
the person’s own board, or someone else’s) –
this was the cause of nearly half of all surfingrelated
injuries according to that study. 3
The most obvious way to reduce the risk
of these injuries occurring, is by using a leg
rope. The primary purpose of a leg rope is to
avoid a surfboard from being washed away
when you fall off. It clearly guards against
(but doesn’t entirely avoid) the exact types
of injury mentioned above, caused by stray
surfboards dancing around in the waves.
Ironically, some studies have shown relatively
high incidence of hand and finger injuries
associated with the leg rope recoiling. 4
Ultimately though, what we have is a relatively
cheap, easy and almost universally adopted
piece of equipment that significantly reduces
the risk of another person in the ocean being
struck by a stray surfboard. While leg ropes
obviously do not avoid the risk entirely, they
do significantly reduce the risk of incidents
like this happening.
When surfing in crowded breaks or where
there are swimmers and children playing in
the shore break, it is difficult to understand
why you would not take one small step to
protect them from possibly significant injury in
the event you fall. Even the most experienced
surfers regularly fall. The ocean is inherently
unpredictable. The unpredictability is part
of the beauty of surfing. Perhaps this is why
competitions held in wave pools like the Surf
Ranch are so bland in comparison (that is a
topic for another time).
From a legal perspective, a surfer could
potentially be held liable if they are not
wearing a leg rope and their stray board
strikes and injures another. There are
numerous practical challenges with such a
claim, applying to both the injured person
(due to potential defences that might
arise and the likelihood of recovering any
compensation from an individual in the
absence of an insurer) and any respondent to
the claim (in explaining why they do not take
a simple measure to protect others from what
is a reasonably foreseeable risk).
I am not arguing for some sort of rule or law
about the mandatory use of leg ropes, like
that recently adopted by Byron Shire Council.
Time will tell whether the Council enforces
this or whether it is simply all bark and no bite
(I expect the latter). However, common sense
to me comes down to a simple risk-reward
analysis. Not wearing a leg rope in crowded
breaks has little reward or benefit but comes
with potentially great risk to others.
I am also not suggesting this applies to every
session. If you head out at a beach break and
there is no-one around, go for it. But if you
are heading out amongst a crowd, why not?
It’s common sense, isn’t it?
1
B MacKenzie, ‘Byron Bay surfer Matthew Cassidy’s injury sparks call for legropes to be made mandatory’, abc.net.au,
10 February 2023, accessed 15 March 2023.
2
Australian Sports Commission, National Sport and Physical Activity Participation Report, November 2022.
3
Biskley, R, Belyea, C, Harpstrite, K and Min, K, Surfing Injuries; A review for the orthopaedic surgeon, April 2021 9(4).
4
Ruijs AC, Langenberg LC, Rezzouk J, Finger trauma due to surfing; a case series and analysis of fracture patterns.
J Hand Surg Asian Pac Vol. 2017 Mar;22(1):10-3.
schultzlaw.com.au
i

# 56 // smorgasboarder //
15

Surf
Competitions
Winners!
IS FREE
A big congratulations to lucky readers
Benjamin Hall and Ryan Huthnance, the proud
new owners of a quiver of boards from
Shapes by Steve O and a set of Ghost Racks.
Here at Smorgasboarder,
we don’t do things in
halves, which is why in
our last edition as part
of our WIN A QUIVER
COMP, we gave readers
the chance to score three
boards from Stephen
Halpin’s HempTec range.
This competition was a
big one, and we were
thrilled with just how many
entries everyone sent in.
Unfortunately, there could
only be one winner, so by
random draw, Benjamin
was chosen to take home
the fish, shortboard and
gun. When we reached out
to Ben to see how he was
enjoying his new boards, he was stoked.
“The call of soulful surfing left me searching for a retro swallowtail
fish to cover the commonplace winter mushy days, and with the
thanks of Smorgasboarder and Shapes by Steve O, the search is
now over. The pre-dawn peaky waist-high surf provided the perfect
time to test out one of the wins from the competition, the 5’10
HempTech Surfboard fish.
“This stocky board wrapped in hemp skin makes the stick feel
bulletproof and yet is still very light. The fish provided plenty of float
to get into the waves early, gliding down the face and along the
line with ease, while the tail and rocker allowed for easy rail-to-rail
control. This loose and flowy ride left me with an ear-to-ear grin."
Congratulations mate! That’s great to hear. We hope you’ve already
had a chance to surf on every one of them.
Of course, we hardly ever stop at just one measly competition. Last
edition we also gave our readers the opportunity to win a wall rack
from our brilliant friends at Ghost Racks. After another random draw,
it was Ryan who scored the prize for his coffee shop, Uncle Espresso
Bar, in Ahuriri/Napier New Zealand. Congratulations! We know
there’s a snail-mail situation across the ditch, but we hope you can
show off your boards in style with your new Ghost Racks very soon.
A massive thank you to everyone who entered, signed up to our
newsletter and visited our socials.
And now, onto our next competitions…
winner Benjamin Hall
A THANK YOU AND A GIFT
Speaking of competitions, Steve O was blown away by
the number of entrants to the WIN A QUIVER COMP,
so as a special note of thanks he wants to send all
entrants a gift – a bock of wax, some surf stickers and
a gift voucher.
All you have to do
is email him at
steveosuperior1@gmail.com

Competitions
Like to win
this board?
Wooden I?
Here’s your chance to be
the proud-owner of this
beautiful 7’2” hand-crafted
hollow wooden surfboard
by Stephen Halpin.
Board
The board you are in the running
to win is Stephen’s mid-length
7'2" x 21 1/2 " x 2 1/2” paulownia
wooden board, glassed in bio
epoxy resin and featuring a handdrawn,
burnt-in turtle design with
Pāua shell inlays for eyes.
When shaping the board over a
40-hour period, Stephen found
himself being inspired by turtles,
which are often an uplifting
sight to surfers and a unique
experience that connects many
surfers together.
Things you need to
know...
We’ll pick a winner on Monday
31st July 2023, so you have
plenty of time to enter. We will
announce the winner in our
September 2023 Spring edition.
This competition is open to
all Smorgasboarder readers
throughout Australia and New
Zealand.
Please note: It will be the
winner’s responsibility to collect
their prize. This is a competition
of skill – the better you (comp) the
greater your chance of winning this
beautiful wooden board.
Shapes by Steve O
As someone who has been tinkering,
shaping and creating with timber
since he was young, no doubt some
of Stephen Halpin’s best work is seen
in his beautiful and unique collection
of wooden boards. Based in Coolum
Beach on the Sunshine Coast, Stephen
likes to use recycled wood or sustainable
plantation-grown timber wherever
possible, as he strongly believes we all
have to look after the environment however
we can.
GHOST
RACKS
COMP
Beautiful boards require racks that don’t detract from
the presentation. You want to see the boards not what’s
supporting them and that is why Ghost Racks created their
near transparent, super strong acrylic rack system. The
appeal is undeniable and the reason why the racks have
taken the world by storm.
The good folks at Ghost Racks now make every kind of
rack imaginable from surfboard racks to skateboard racks,
corner racks, horizontal, vertical, multi-angle, free standing
and overhead options … you name it they have it. Better yet,
Ghost Racks cater for a diverse array of board shapes and
fin setups too, so your board doesn't get jeopardised. We
love them so much at Smorgasboarder we are offering up a
set of Ghost Racks for one lucky reader in every edition.
how to enter
This is a game of chance.
Go to our Smorgasboarder
Instagram page:
a. Follow our Smorgasboarder Instagram page
b. Like the GHOST RACKS COMP post
c. Share it on your Instagram page
d. Tag Smorgasboarder and Ghost Racks on your
shared post
It’s that simple.
Things you need to know…
We’ll pick a winner on Monday 31st July 2023, so you
have plenty of time to enter.
We will announce the winner on our Instagram via an
update to our GHOST RACKS COMP post.
This competition is open to Smorgasboarder readers
worldwide. The prize will be your choice of either a
vertical or horizontal wall rack from the Ghost Racks
surf range. We will even post the racks to you at their
expense! This is a game of chance.
# 56 // smorgasboarder //
17

stuff
inter stuff
Here
is a rundown on a bit of gear we got for our
recent trip to Canada that we absolutely loved.
Unisex Khusi Beanie
Each beanie is hand-knitted in
Nepal and helps to improve the
lives of the knitters who value
their independence and the
chance to use their traditional
craft. Made from lambswool
with fleece lining, its super
warm and comfy and available
at Kathmandu.
$49.98
Kathmandu
Epiq 600 Fill
Down Jacket
Oboz Bridger
B-DRY Waterproof Hiking Boot
# 56 // smorgasboarder //
18
Kathmandu Epiq 600 Fill Down Jacket
Wrap yourself in a blanket with this classic puffer just perfect for around
town. Made of a recycled outer fabric, it allows the insulation to fully
loft, which traps air and keeps you toasty without weighing you down.
It also features internal stretch cuffs to comfortably seal around your
wrists and an adjustable hem for extra weather protection.
Includes:
600-fill power duck down
(80% duck down, 20% duck
feather)
Duck down is Responsible
Down Standard certified,
which means it independently
certifies animal welfare
practices in down and feather
production
$349.96
The Recycled Pertex
Quantum Eco outer fabric has
a Durable Water Repellent
(DWR) finish on the outer
fabric which encourages water
to bead off the fabric’s surface
Two front zip pockets with
soft, brushed lining, plus an
inner stash pocket and inner
zip pocket with a cord port for
headphones
The reasons why we bought
these for our Canada trip
were several: they come
highly recommended by
the Kathmandu crew, who
were extremely helpful when
helping us select the right
gear for our trip; they are the
boot of choice for the team
at Australia Zoo, who are on
their feet all day and challenge
the boot with all sorts of wear and tear; and it is a boot that is not
only warm enough for the substantial negative climes in Canada, but
also breathes so well you can still wear it back home on the Sunshine
Coast. Let’s face it, you don’t want to spend this kind of money and
only get to wear them on holidays.
Being warm and waterproof, you can march through the snow in these
babies without a care, and if it is icy, they have good traction to avoid
you going ass-over. Best of all, the boots look smart, so you can wear
them around town without looking like you’re on a never-ending safari,
AND they’re durable and super comfy.
Includes:
B-DRY waterproof,
breathable membranes -
your sweat escapes while
moisture’s kept out
O Fit Insoles - provide
support and improve natural
cushioning to your feet
High friction outsoles - you’ll
enjoy grip on both wet and
dry surfaces
BFit deluxe quality footbeds
- supporting the arches of
your feet
Nubuck leather uppers -
helping to keep your feet dry
on long hikes
Rubber toe caps - protecting
your toes from roots, rocks
and trail debris
Supportive heel counters
Deep trail gripping lugs -
provide reliable traction and
shed mud
$299.98

stuff
XTM Merino Balaclava
Why wear a balaclava? Simply, to protect your
face from going numb when snowboarding
in places like Canada where temps can drop
down to -30 degrees, particularly when the
wind blows. I swore I wouldn’t need one and
didn’t want one but wore it more than few
times. Our preference was for this one, made
from 100%, 230gm Australian Merino Wool and
pretty reasonably priced.
When it comes to natural fibres v synthetic, it
is a matter of personal preference. Personally,
I like merino wool because of its warmth to
weight ratio, it isn’t itchy and doesn’t get stinky
like some synthetics can.
$31.49
Unisex, one size fits most.
Kathmandu Alpine
Trek Unisex Socks
Our bit of strong advice based on previous
mistakes - don’t go cheap on socks. These
were the bomb. Some socks simply don’t
cut it for warmth when you’re dealing with
-15 temps and below. Some make you
sweat, some make you itch and some just
plain stink. These were superb and worthy
of a double thumbs up. They contain
Merino wool, have high stretch tops for
minimal compression, arch support and
are reinforced in high wear areas and
cushioned for impact protection.
$54.98
POW Tallac Mit
The jury is out in our opinion.
Mittens are superior to gloves.
And ones with the separate
lobster claw inners are best.
Why? They’re warmer, comfier,
easier to get on and off, and… ‘the
claw’ overcomes the setbacks of
standard mittens by enabling you to
still grip your snowboard bindings.
Inners are best to dry your gloves
and to simply put them on, and we
recommend a little bit of extra length
to stop the snow coming up your
sleeve when you drawing those
big powder turns. These ones
by POW were crackers (pardon
the pun... lobster claw. Sorry).
Featuring a premium Grade A
water repellant goatskin leather
palm, HIPORA® waterproof
insert, premium anti-pill microfleece
lining, PrimaLoft® Gold
insulation and a removable fleece
and quilted Softshell® trigger
liner that allows this mitt to be
used in full winter or spring
conditions.
$99.99

stuff
TOUGH STUFF
AS AN AUSSIE ICON, HARD YAKKA HAS ALWAYS
BEEN A BRAND SYNONYMOUS WITH QUALITY,
TOUGHNESS AND DURABILITY – BUT DOES ANYONE
KNOW HOW INCREDIBLY STYLISH THEIR WORKWEAR
HAS BECOME?
Stroll onto any worksite and you’ll be hard pressed
not to find most people wearing gear featuring that
iconic red ‘Hard Yakka’ label.
There’s a reason why Hard Yakka has stuck around
for so long as one of the most recognised workwear
brands in the country, and it’s simply because their
clothing is just so bloody durable.
Even better, after taking a closer look at their winter
collection and their recent collaboration with the
beachy lifestyle brand, Thrills Co, we noticed just how
cool their stuff really is.
While it’s one thing to make quality, tough-as-nails
gear feel comfortable, it’s another thing altogether for
a workwear brand to create clothing so stylish that
you find yourself shopping for gear despite the fact
that you’re not visiting a worksite anytime soon.
Both their men’s and women’s collections are
chockers with everything from hooded flannels and
boots to camo joggers and sherpa jackets — each
designed with harsh conditions and Australia’s hectic
climate in mind.
Who would have thought some of the most tough and
reliable clothing in Australia suited everything from
long workdays to weekend surfing trips?
The evolution of Hard Yakka’s gear and storytelling
has been noticeable over the past couple of years, but
honestly, the brand’s ethos has always been rooted in
the passion and work ethic of everyday Aussies since
it was founded all the way back in the 1930’s.
It was David K. Laidlaw who started the brand off
as a humble clothing company in his parent’s house
in Brunswick Victoria and had high hopes for its
success.
After consulting with Jim Cushen, an independent
advertising agent, he named the company Yakka, a
word derived from the Aboriginal word for work. It’s
a word that David obviously took to heart, as hard
work has echoed through every aspect of the brand’s
legacy ever since.
Lately, Hard Yakka has garnered a lot of attention for
their ‘Meet The Legends’ collaborations, where they
feature everyday heroes that embody the spirit of the
brand.
Most recently they teamed up with fast bowling
legend and Australian international cricketer, Scott
Boland, who discusses his passion for cricket and his
efforts to make the sport more popular and accessible
within Aboriginal communities.
Before that, they also caught up with photographer,
surfer and zookeeper at Australia Zoo, Robert Irwin.
As someone who has been wearing Hard Yakka’s
workwear since he was little, Robert and his family’s
longstanding history with the brand resonated with
a lot of people, as well as his passion for animal
conservation.
They’re great stories, and encompass everything
awesome about the craftsmanship and inspirational
journeys associated with the brand and the kind of
exceptional humans that Hard Yakka gets behind
every day.
We seriously recommend checking out their cool
gear. I mean who doesn’t find themselves battling
the toughest conditions and want to feel comfortable,
protected and, of course, look bloody good while
doing so?
hardyakka.com.au

stuff
Clandestine
[klan-des-tin] adjective
Planned or done in secret,
especially describing
something that is not
officially allowed.
Clandestino Coffee has always strongly
resonated with this word, with clandestine
flying missions in Papua New Guinea
marking the beginning of their story. The
brand’s obvious enthusiasm for aviation
and flying is a homage to their origins and
free-spirited nature, with even their flagship
café in Noosa having an actual plane hanging
from the ceiling.
It’s been eight years since we had the
pleasure of vouching for Clandestino’s
heavenly Papua New Guinea coffee blends
— can you believe it? When we finally caught
up with marketing coordinator Barbora
Tomikova, she said the brand has evolved
out of a desire to be in their own niche while
still being true to their brand story.
“The freedom of flying inspires passion,
taste and flavour, and so the evolution of
Clandestino expands this vision. We have
become more colourful, playful, bolder and
definitely more rebellious, as we’re not afraid
to try new avenues and don’t take ourselves
too seriously.
“Our new colours and packaging are inspired
by coastal life and nature and fits in with our
relaxed tone and our ethos of working to live,
not living to work. The designs feature icons
that further delve into our brand story
– lightning bolts, sparks in plane engines,
a plane propellor and the little beaten-up
mug that one carries on adventures to brew
cuppas.”
Coffee is a surfers best friend, and so
Clandestino has always been intwined
with the ocean life, especially since it was
founded in one of Australia’s most iconic surf
destinations in 2011. Barbora said the brand
has a strong affinity for the water, which is
embedded in everyone who works for them
in one way or another.
“We love to surf, kitesurf, climb, travel
and cook, and if there is good swell, we’re
encouraged to start later and fill our cup.
Work-life balance is a big thing at Clando.
in addition to leading a rebellion against
mediocre coffee.
“Through our commitment to ethically
sourced beans, personal craftsmanship and
a passion for education and community, we
want to positively influence the experience
people have with coffee. Brew it as you like
it, and we provide the goods & gear.”
Simply, Clandestino not only knows good
coffee, but they also know Noosa, and is as
free-flying as the seaside community that
is comforted by their warm cuppas every
morning.
“As a coffee, Noosa would taste as an earthy,
slightly nutty blend that is well balanced and
has a clean red berry sweetness and finishes
off with sparkling acidity,” Barbora said.
Magneto Organic
Blend Review
Dried red berry fruitiness with a cocoa nib
backbone and a rich smooth character.
Aptly named as it keeps me coming back for
more with its magnetic personality!
clandestino.com.au
# 56 // smorgasboarder //
21

# 56 // smorgasboarder //
22

Across the ditch
Sing it— snow glorious snow... or was that food? Anyhow, winter is upon us and that means
it is the perfect time to head over to our cousins in the east. New Zealand is the most magical
of places and winter is the time to enjoy it to the fullest — a few chilly surfs around Dunedin, a
couple of powder runs in the Remarkables and a few frothies in Queenstown… and you might as
well bungee jump off the Kawarau Bridge as well to top things off. We love this place, as we tell
you again and again. When there, make sure to support these fine Kiwi businesses who keep us
going and are sure to kit you out for a superb holiday in the Shaky Isles.
# 56 // smorgasboarder //
23

Across the ditch
Your Next
Snow Step…
When you’ve done a few winter seasons,
When you’ve been on a few snow trips,
When you’ve given freestyle and the Park a go,
When you’ve even entertained the idea of trying skiing!!!
Hang on, let’s be serious…
For many boarders, there comes a time when you feel you’ve
mastered the art that is snowboarding, or at the very least
achieved a level of competency that encourages you towards
wanting to do more. For some, this is throwing cash at a day
of heli boarding on your next winter snow holiday. For others,
it’s collecting your thoughts and booking that trip to the
States, Canada or the powder mecca of Japan.
There is also a new thing in town. Stepping outside of your
comfort zone and stepping outside of the boundaries, literally!
Slack and backcountry riding have been a growing part of the
sport of snowboarding for a number of years now. In the early
days, pioneering from brands like Voile developed the riding
digression of splitboarding. Crude in its infancy, boards were
literally sawn in half and bindings were elevated on heavy and
cumbersome metal plates so as to be hinged forwards for the
uphill ascent, then sideways for the traditional downhill riding.
Jump forward almost 40 years, and technology and apparatus
have progressed through commercialism and the gross
numbers of snowboarders wanting to take that ‘next step’.
words: jase john
# 56 // smorgasboarder //
24

Across the ditch
Splitboarding kit is now highly refined, with very specific product
showing design implementations to reduce weight, provide rider
comfort and allow for easy and seamless transitions. It’s not all
what you see in the movies. Products now effectively service rider
needs to just get them ‘to that little section over there’.
So, what do you need to take that ‘next step’? Well, outside of a
desire, you will need a range of dedicated kit which service both the
requirements for performance and safety. Most snowboard brands
these days produce splitboards in their range. At NZSHRED, we
carry New Zealand’s most extensive offerings, from Burton, Nitro,
Nidecker, Arbor, Season and of course the industry leaders, Jones.
While Voile and Karakoram both produce great binding options,
which also allow for cross over to your solid board. Spark RnD
are the most prolific in this department, even allowing their base
framework to be used by brands such as Burton and Nitro.
Another crucial piece of equipment is skins. G3 produce the most
cost-effective varieties, which fit most traditional shaped boards.
Jones have a pre-cut series that are specific to the individuals
within their full men’s and women’s ranges, while brands such as
Nitro take the guess-work away by retailing their boards with skins
included. Once you have added the last pieces of a kit (backpack
and poles), you’re pretty much ready to go.
However, there is one final component that is critical to your
experience - being smart. Once you go through that gate, past the
fence or under the rope, you are ‘out of bounds’. This is significant,
because not only are you outside of ski area responsibility, you are
also loading this all on your own skills and knowledge. Having the
basic additions of a transceiver, probe and shovel means you are
set up with the minimum tools to help in a rescue or indeed help
to be rescued. There are also a plethora of slack and backcountry
courses that you can undertake, from a simple introductory snow
awareness, through to full avalanche level courses (a pre-request
for working in ski patrol).
Understanding the factors involved in getting beyond the boundary
is important for your own safety, as well as those around you.
Australia and New Zealand have some very good online resources
for pre-trip education. The Mountain Safety Collective
(www.mountainsafetycollective.org) and Snow Safety, Australia
(www.snowsafety.com.au) provide a mass of information on the
backcountry in the Australian snow regions, while Avalanche NZ
(www.avalanche.org.nz) and New Zealand Avalanche Advisory
(www.avalanche.net.nz) offer the same for us here ‘over the
ditch’. Regionally, we have set up a social media group called
‘Splitboarding Queenstown & Wanaka’, which not only allows
members to trade kit, however also provide information and opinion
on conditions, routes and safety in our local backcountry areas. A
good saying I’ve heard used is, “Don’t buy the kit, without doing
the course”, and this seems like a pretty good way to move safely
into taking ‘your next step’.
NZ SHRED
www.nzshred.co.nz
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 ins, 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
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
# 56 // smorgasboarder //
25

DUKEY TEES
Two years ago Sumner local, legend and all round nice
guy Mark “KIP” Calcutt, started printing T-shirts for fun
and himself. Soon enough, everybody wanted one, so
he took it a step further and created Dukey Tees and a
website to sell them.
More than 17 designs later Dukey Tees are going strong.
After losing a few mates to un-talked about health and
subsequent depression issues, Mark designed the
“Check on your mates” range which shines a light on
such issues and beyond. They have been quite a hit.
The title says it all.
CHECK ON DUKEY TEES
AND YOUR MATES
dukeytees.nz

Across the ditch
EXITSURF THE HOME OF
XCEL WETSUITS IN NZ
Born and bred on Oahu’s North Shore, Xcel is a
core wetsuit brand delivering premium wetsuit
technology, accessories, sun protection and more
since 1982. Xcel’s reputation for exceptional
product quality is a clear result of an unwavering
dedication to research, development and design
innovation and has been acknowledged by being
awarded as a 3-time SIMA Wetsuit of the Year.
New Zealand Winters throw all kinds of brutal
conditions at our surfers, from harsh winds to
nail-biting temperatures. With Xcel Wetsuits, you
can dive into the waves with confidence, knowing
that our industry-leading products will keep you
warm and comfortable. Experience the difference
and join the countless surfers who trust Xcel to
protect them in the most challenging conditions.
SURFER: MAZ | PHOTO: DEREK FRYER
What sets Xcel Wetsuits apart is our relentless
pursuit of perfection. Our team of passionate
designers and engineers combine cutting-edge
technologies with premium materials to deliver
unmatched performance and durability. Each
suit is crafted with meticulous attention to detail,
ensuring a tailored fit that allows for maximum
mobility and an unrestricted range of motion.
Whether you’re a seasoned pro or a beginner
eager to catch your first wave, Xcel Wetsuits
has the perfect suit to suit your needs. Discover
why surfers around the world have relied on Xcel
for over 40 years. Unleash your potential and
conquer the surf with Xcel Wetsuits – your ticket
to unmatched warmth, performance, and the
ultimate surfing experience!
exitsurf.co.nz
Available at:
Hydro Surf - Dunedin
Exitsurf - Christchurch
Coastal Sports - Kaikoura
Real Surf - Wellington
Vertigo - New Plymouth
Blitz Surf - Gisbourne
Saltwater - Whangamata
The Boardshop - Auckland
Hyper Ride - Auckland
Tutukaka Surf - Tutukaka
# 56 // smorgasboarder //
27

ерф
photos: guy williment
Corners of the Earth
амч
words: amber o’dell
#56 // smorgasboarder //
28

There’s something soul-stirring
about following your curiosity to
somewhere unknown and setting
foot where few people have before.
It’s one thing to surf an uncrowded, or even undiscovered
break, but it’s another matter altogether to literally travel to
the ends of the earth to one of the most remote, wild and
frigid landscapes in Siberia, Kamchatka specifically, on the
far northeast coast. We love the cold, but this is friggin’ crazy!
атка
еры
#56 // smorgasboarder //
29

Guy (a fantastic photographer and a strong
believer that if it can be written or thought, it can
be filmed) said their trip to Iceland was their first
attempt at taking a punt into cold water surf.
“Growing up, Spenny and I always filmed each
other doing these little trips down to the coast.
So, we got pretty excited to go to Iceland and try
to find some good shots and awesome waves in
a cold, unexplored landscape. We kind of didn’t
know what we were doing when we got there. We
just had a camera each and brought one of our
mates, Fraser, who was a semi-pro surfer at the
time. We ended up having the most amazing time
and caught some wild waves. In 2019 we made
a little 40-minute doco from that trip and toured
a few surf film festivals. It did quite well, people
really enjoyed it.
#56 // smorgasboarder //
30
Corners of the Earth - Kamchatka chases this
feeling, which some may refer to as insanity, to the
other side of the world. It also takes the search for
new waves to the extreme – picture mountains,
ice, blizzards, torrential surf and a war between
two countries.
The awe-inspiring film is the passion project of a
group of legends from Avalon Beach in Sydney,
and follows surfers Fraser Dovell and Letty
Moretensen as well as filmmakers Spencer Frost
and Guy Williment as they set out to search for
new waves in one of the coldest, most remote and
unexplored coastlines on the planet.
After experiencing the film and following the
four Aussies on their two-month journey through
unpredictable waves and pure white expanses – it
was impossible for us not to share in the spectacle
that is Corners of the Earth - Kamchatka.
Nestled by The Pacific Ocean and Okhotsk Sea
and packed with more than 150 volcanos (29 of
which are active) the gang thought the Kamchatka
Peninsula in the far east of Russia would be a
perfect place for their next surfing adventure.
Which sounds crazy, granted, but less so when
you find out their previous surfing adventure was
in Iceland.
“We were really keen to start planning the next
one, but then obviously Covid hit, and we couldn’t
do much. During those two years we were thinking
about where we could go next that was cold,
mountainous and had kinda never been explored.
We saw this snowboard movie called The Fourth
Phase, and in it these people were flying over the
coast in Kamchatka, and we could see there was
so much potential there. So we got in contact with
the local surfer, and he said there’s waves, but no
one’s really ever been there to explore them.
“When we started looking at weather maps, we
saw that during winter Kamchatka gets one or two
big swells with offshore winds. We thought if we
could access the coastline and catch one of these
swells, we might be able to capture something
really amazing. We started talking to helicopter
pilots and seeing how to get to these parts of the
coastline, because there is no roads there in winter
– everything is covered in metres of snow.

#56 // smorgasboarder //
31

SHORTLY BEFORE
THE GROUP
HAD BOARDED
THEIR FLIGHT TO
MOSCOW, RUSSIA
INVADED UKRAINE.
“Things just started falling into place. We all got
really excited and started looking into the visa
situation. That was a bit of a shit show, but we
finally got a humanitarian visa after two years’
worth of planning. Unlike Iceland, Letty could
come this time, and I think it was nice for Fraser
to have his best mate and not be surfing by
himself. It was really epic having him on.”
After years of meticulous planning however, the trip
was almost over before it started. Shortly before the
group had boarded their flight to Moscow, Russia
invaded Ukraine. At a time when the world was
seeing the worst of human nature, the boys found
themselves stuck, with no clue on where to turn next
and no idea what they could be getting themselves
into.
When asked about how everyone had felt in that
moment, as they watched the news unfold on the
small TV in the Abu Dhabi airport, Guy simply said
waiting in transit was extremely hectic.
“We were constantly worried about whether we
wanted to push on with the trip or not. In the end,
we thought to just keep going until we couldn’t
anymore. Our producer, Luke, was behind the
scenes doing a lot of hard work. He was absolutely
incredible on the ground back in Australia dealing
with our shenanigans and making sure we were
getting through Russia safely. He had the worst
job, because that day in transit I think most of our
parents were freaking out and wanting us to get the
hell out of there. From the outside, I can totally see
it, but we had all spent so much time, effort and
money planning this trip.
#56 // smorgasboarder //
32

Kamchatka Peninsula
“At the time, we didn’t really know
how serious the situation was with
the war, so we were just taking it step
by step. Eventually we made it into
Kamchatka and just had, you know,
the craziest, most amazing time
ever. Everyone we met over there
was so nice to us and just wanted
to showcase the best of Kamchatka.
Going in, we didn’t really know what
to expect, but the people understood
we were pretty uncomfortable and
fearful with the situation, so they
made us feel so safe and welcomed
while we were there.
“Fraser’s board had all these Russian
icons on them, and one of them was
this little animated bear, and all of
the Kamchatka locals just thought
that it was the funniest thing. They
were constantly telling us ‘How the
hell do you know this Cheburashka
character?’. They called us the
Cheburashka gang, which is why
we ended up naming our left
break after it.
#56 // smorgasboarder //
33

“The water was always
around one degree, and
then the air was always
from -10 to -15 degrees,
so yeah... fairly cool.”
“Our experience with these people was so different to what
everyone was seeing on TV, and we really wanted to show
that. Everyone in that small part of the world was so amazing
and friendly. They loved nature and snowboarding and adored
being amidst the water and mountains. Legends.”
The boys captured many intense moments during the long
and nerve-wracking journey to Kamchatka, but there would
be nothing but wholesome greetings and a stunning view of
a town overshadowed by a snowy mountain range when they
finally arrived in the welcoming embrace of Petropavlovsk, the
peninsula’s city centre.
After witnessing the group messily meander through customs
with enough equipment and gear to warrant two months’
worth of filming, surfing, camping and everything in between,
it was only natural to ask how on earth they did it. They had
a total of 12 surfboards for crying out loud, not to mention an
abundance of hefty gear. Guy confirmed that the camera gear
itself was around 180 kilograms, and that Spenny and himself
had the pleasure of carrying the brunt of it.
“We brought three RED digital cameras, and I had two Canon
R5 cameras. We also had about three or four drones. Next time
we need an assistant or something, because it was definitely
a wrangle. One of us would always be shooting in the water,
then the other would be on land. I was doing stills mostly when
it was action, and then doing a lot of B-roll (alternative footage)
when we were moving and on the run. Spenny is just so good
with the drone and the RED, but we’d mix it up.
#56 // smorgasboarder //
34

“Nothing got damaged, but we did get caught
in a blizzard on the snowmobiles one day and a
lens froze up and got scratched up from all the
ice particles on it. That was a stitch up – it was a
$5,000 lens! But it’s all bound to happen over there,
and we weren’t losing or breaking too much gear.
“Our biggest problem, with both the cameras
and us, was the cold. Definitely. It kills batteries.
We’d learnt a lot about managing cameras in the
cold from our Iceland trip, so we had heat packs.
If we were shooting in the water we’d also wear
these adhesive heat packs on our kidneys to keep
us warmer. The water was always around one
degree, and then the air was always from -10 to -15
degrees, so yeah… fairly cool.”
The cold was clearly half the fun for the group, as
they chose to go in the long and brutally freezing
winter of the region – which is frankly just an insane
idea, especially considering they would surf and film
in water that is one degree above freezing.
#56 // smorgasboarder //
35

“It just made
it so much
sweeter
when you
do score in
environments
like that,
because
it’s just so
challenging.
When you do
get a shot of
a wave that
everyone’s
happy with,
you’re just so
stoked.”
You can’t fault them though, as the wintery landscape
of Kamchatka is as remote as it is unique – and when
combined with some talented and gutsy people,
makes for some breathtaking, out-of-this-world
footage. Guy said the group always had a camera on
them, because they knew there would always be those
fleeting moments when you are in a place as beautiful
and unpredictable as Kamchatka.
“The landscape there was just so incredible and it was
an amazing trip, but it was no holiday, that’s for sure.
I think nature was in control every step of the way. We
only had these small weather windows where we’d see
the swell would be good, the helicopters would drop
us to the coast and we’d camp out for a few days to
search for waves.
“It was definitely hard. There was this one particular
trip where we’d spent a lot of money, because the
choppers aren’t cheap, getting to the coastline and
staying the night, and then we woke up the next
morning and got a satellite call from one of the pilots
saying the storm has gotten worse and they need to
come pick us up. We hadn’t even surfed – we could’ve
just spent a month in Indo for that amount of money!
“Then again, it just made it so much sweeter when you
do score in environments like that, because it’s just
so challenging. When you do get a shot of a wave that
everyone’s happy with, you’re just so stoked.
#56 // smorgasboarder //
36

“Project Blank were our main
sponsor. They custom made us
wetsuits to bring over and they were
great. Helly Hansen also gave us a heap
of gear and hooked us up big time...
#56 // smorgasboarder //
37

#56 // smorgasboarder //
38

“It was always pretty
run and gun, but that’s
just the nature of
the beast when you’re
doing these kinds of
docos. The shots are
so hard to get, but
when you do, it’s epic.”
“Before we went, we had these pages of dream shots,
like the boys running into the chopper and running
into the surf, but then when you’re there it’s just so
chaotic, and you’ve got this five-minute window to
land the chopper before the weather comes in. It was
always pretty run and gun, but that’s just the nature of
the beast when you’re doing these kinds of docos. The
shots are so hard to get, but when you do, it’s epic.”
It’s one thing to prepare for hectic filming conditions,
but then there was the surfing, and the fact that four
people from the sun-drenched beaches of Avalon
would have to adjust to being enveloped by some of
the coldest and most intense waves on earth.
#56 // smorgasboarder //
39

Not knowing what the Kamchatka coastline
could possibly throw at them, Letty and
Spencer covered all of their bases by bringing
over six boards each, including twins, thrusters
and a mix of both fun and high-performance
boards. Guy said it was thanks to their many
sponsors that they were as prepared as they
possibly could have been.
“Project Blank were our main sponsor. They
custom made us wetsuits to bring over and
they were great. Helly Hansen also gave us a
heap of gear and hooked us up big time, so
we were definitely as ready as we could be for
the cold. There are some days in Kamchatka
where it gets to -25 degrees, so we needed to
have legit gear, and we did, thankfully.
“To prepare for the trip we were doing heaps of
ice baths, but we all joke they didn’t really help
much. Once you get in the water over there, it’s
just so, so cold. I think for the surfer boys they
did really well because they’re moving. But if
Spencer and I were shooting in the water, it’s
really, really hard to keep warm. You probably
get 30 minutes to an hour before you’re just
done and need to get out and get warm.
“On our Iceland trip, we kind of took a punt
and we were very lucky. When you’re young,
there’s such a fine line between having a good
time and being pretty reckless, so I think we
were right on that line for the last two trips.”
While the group was introduced to many of
Kamchatka’s known surfing spots, including
a black volcanic coastline littered with giant
slabs of ice, they never stopped chasing their
true purpose for travelling to the far east of
Siberia – to discover a perfect swell all on their
own and surf its untouched waves.
After many exploratory helicopter rides through
mountain ranges and volcano smoke, the boys
found their very own left break and proudly
named it Cheburashka. Despite being the only
member of the group to endure a near death
experience at the hands of the left, Guy said
discovering and battling their very own surf
break was still pretty special.
#56 // smorgasboarder //
40
“That left hander was always a dream of ours –
just to find a wave that has never been surfed
before and document the boys surfing that. It
was pretty incredible. Obviously, I had a bit of
a shocker that day, I nearly drowned. I’ll tell
you it was very uncomfortable watching that
back.

#56 // smorgasboarder //
41

#56 // smorgasboarder //
42
“That left hander was always a
dream of ours – just to find a wave
that has never been surfed before
and document the boys surfing
that. It was pretty incredible.”

#56 // smorgasboarder //
43

WORLD CLASS
AUSTRALIAN MADE
SURFBOARDS AT
AFFORDABLE PRICES
surfer_Mathew Mcleod
photo_@lesterlenny
Custom Shortboards, Hybrid, Fishes, Mals and Logs
Factory 3/6 Kerta Rd, Kincumber NSW 2251 | m: 0415 577 085
WE BUY AND SELL SECOND HAND BOARDS
“At the time it was really hectic, it was definitely the
gnarliest ocean experience I’ve ever had for sure.
It’s like being in an ice bath – your body’s kind of
panicking and wanting to get out, but your head
knows that you’re in a situation and you can’t get
out. My body was shutting down and I knew I still
had like another hour in the cold ahead of me to get
back to the chopper. So I just collapsed and cried.
“It’s pretty funny to look back on now, but yeah
at the time it was pretty hectic. It’s just one of
those places where, if stuff goes wrong, your just
completely isolated. Thankfully, none of us got hurt,
and we are all safe and back home now.”
Speaking of danger, if you’ve never heard of the
Kamchatka Peninsula and feel the need to look up
what its known for, you’ll see ‘the abundance and
size of its brown bear population’ and ‘the highest
recorded density of brown bears on earth’. Guy said
while they had been told there weren’t many bears
or sharks there in winter, it didn’t stop them from
looking over their shoulder when they were trekking
through desolate mountain peaks and paddling in
isolated oceans.
angleseasurfcentre.com.au
Ph: 0352631530 @anglesea_surf_centre
111 Great Ocean Road, Anglesea VIC 3230
#56 // smorgasboarder //
44

“Ignorance is bliss sometimes – we’d swim out
and just hope that it’s too cold for any of these
scary creatures. But there was lots of sea otters,
which were pretty cute, and lots of seals.
“In summer they get so many bears. We didn’t
see any, but on the last week of the trip, the
guides were telling us that they had spotted them
waking up. Thankfully, they were still sleeping
while we were camping and snowboarding in the
mountains.
“We made sure to snowboard heaps. Fraser had
never done it before, but the rest of us had and
we were super keen to. We didn’t know if we’d get
the chance, but after being in Anton’s cabin for a
few days, a crew from Moscow had invited us to
all go snowboarding with them.”
Anton Morozov – how could we have gone on this
long without mentioning him? If the landscapes,
shenanigans, dangers and swells of Corners of the
Earth - Kamchatka haven’t yet convinced everyone
just how much fun the film is, Anton certainly will.
“Ignorance is
bliss sometimes
– we’d swim out
and just hope
that it’s too
cold for any
of these scary
creatures. But
there was lots
of sea otters,
which were
pretty cute, and
lots of seals.
As the legend who pioneered surfing in one of the
coldest, most remote and unexplored coastlines
on the planet, Anton has an incredible story. After
growing up snowboarding in Kamchatka and
watching a surf movie called In God’s Hands when
he was 14, Anton never stopped wanting to be
a surfer. When he did finally get his hands on a
surfboard ten years later, he taught himself how to
carve waves after failing to convince his friends to
try it with him. He was hooked, but often faced a lot
of isolation in a community that thought surfing was
a crazy and alien thing to do.
After lighting up at the very mention of Anton (he
has that effect on people), Guy said they first met
the Russian surfer when they reached out to the
locals in Kamchatka.
“He’s a bit of a rockstar in the country and is
generally known as the surfer from Kamchatka,
so he was really excited that we were coming. He
often said that it’s his dream to come to Australia
and surf, so to have us reach out to him must have
been so special.
#56 // smorgasboarder //
45

“He said he knew
surfing was his
purpose, which
was really
sweet. I remember
him telling us his
heart was on fire
for surfing. Now
he’s got a surf
camp and people
come from all
over Russia to
surf with him,
and it’s pretty
incredible. He
gets emotional
talking about
it because it’s
been such a hard
journey for him.
“He helped us with our visas, and when we made it
over there he picked us up from the airport. Straight
away you could tell he was the most amazing dude.
He just felt like one of the boys, one of the brothers.
Within the first five minutes of meeting him we were
all hugging him, telling him we love him and singing
with him in the car. We just knew in that moment
the trip was going to be fun.
“He said he knew surfing was his purpose, which
was really sweet. I remember him telling us his
heart was on fire for surfing. Now he’s got a surf
camp and people come from all over Russia to
surf with him, and it’s pretty incredible. He gets
emotional talking about it because it’s been such a
hard journey for him.
“Its super cool to hear someone just be so sure of
their purpose in life and see what he has created.
It’s really special. He’s in the midst of applying to
visit Australia at the moment. We really want to
get him here because he’s just an absolute legend
and welcomed us with open arms, so we’d love to
return the favour, get him to some Aussie beaches
and get him in some boardies.”
After almost a year of artfully squeezing their entire
Kamchatka trip into a 90-minute film, the boys
introduced Anton and the awe-inspiring Kamchatka
peninsula to the rest of the world through a 13-
stop Australian tour, with each showing quickly
selling out. After taking the hint on just how well
received the film was, the boys had another round
of unplanned encore screenings. Guy said the
support for the film all over Australia and even
internationally has been unreal.
#56 // smorgasboarder //
46

For over 30 years we’ve been the leading distributors of
jet powered motorised surfboards throughout Australia
and New Zealand and we’re looking for more stockists.
For enquiries contact: 0411 261 178
jetboardaus.com.au
#56 // smorgasboarder //
47

“When you’re doing these big projects, or even
when you are taking a singular photo, there’s
always a bit of self-doubt whether people are
going to enjoy it. We spent years planning,
two months on the trip and then about ten
months in post-production, so you start to kind
of question your own eyes. We were all pretty
nervous showing it on that first tour – but it just
got received so well and we’ve been blown
away by the support we’ve had.
“I think we were definitely concerned that doing
the trip at a time in Russia might make people
kind of boycott it, but they haven’t at all. It’s
been amazing and everyone’s loved Anton and
everyone else over there. The feedback’s been
unreal and we’re so stoked and grateful with
how it’s been received by everyone.
“There’s been so many speed bumps and it’s
been such a team effort pulling it all together.
The editor of the film, Lucas Vazquez, also did
an absolutely incredible job weaving a story
out of all of our shots. The collaboration with
this project has just been so good. Everyone
in Australia and Russia and everywhere in
between has just been amazing.
“We’re actually going to Bali to show off the
film, which will be a fun little warm water
adventure for us. I think we’re all pretty
exhausted to be honest. We’ll probably have
another year off from a big project and then
start planning the next one. Another cold-water
adventure of course – because people seem to
enjoy us suffering.”
For those wanting to contain Kamchatka’s
stunning peninsula and coastline and place it
on a coffee table at home, Guy has created
an accompanying hardcover book filled to the
brim with the incredible imagery and stories
from the group’s wild surf adventure to the far
east of Russia.
For those that missed the showings, the film is
scheduled to appear online in the next couple
of months. In the meantime, we will be waiting
with bated breath for the groups next ultimate
surfing trip, where they will inevitably seek out
that feeling of finding new waves in some other
perilous place in the corner of the earth.
амчатка
ерферы
#56 // smorgasboarder //
48
IN THE POETIC WORDS OF
ANTON, SHRED OR DIE.

#56 // smorgasboarder //
49

oam
be free
ben buckler bikes Review
Getting tech to do half of the leg work has
opened up a whole new world for many. Now,
Ben Buckler Boards are offering a premium
selection of electric bikes, which combine the
very best qualities of a bicycle and motorbike
into one dreamy machine.
# 56 // smorgasboarder //
50
I know you’re thinking, “Why not just get
a motorcycle?”. Well, unlike motorcycles,
the Super73 S2-E is natively classified as a
bicycle and street legal, meaning it requires
no expensive licence or registration. Not only
that, but the bike is specifically designed for
urban adventurers, with its recognisable and
sleek silhouette being perfect for city rides
and exploration.
Besides its convenient adherence to bicycle
laws, one of the most attractive things about
the bike is simply how it feels to ride it. Not
only does it look super cool and stands out
from your standard electric bikes, but it also
makes for an incredibly freeing, comfortable
and smooth ride.
Super73 is a well-known brand in the
electric bicycle market, and is renowned for
producing high-quality and reliable products,
which is especially important, seeing as it will
be one of the only ways you’ll travel as soon
as you get your hands on one.
The bike’s stable and powerful build will
reportedly last for a long time and not require
frequent repairs or maintenance. However,
If you do run into trouble, both Super73 and
Ben Buckler have an amazing track record
for customer service and support. Have
any questions or issues with your bike? No
worries, they’ll be sure to talk you through it
and be there for every step of the process.
The Super73 S2-E is really the best of
both worlds, and with fully customisable
accessories like a surfboard rack and foot
pegs for passengers, it’s certainly a winner in
our books.
benbucklerboards.com.au

oam
Specialising in all
fibreglass supplies
and accessories..
RESINS · CLOTH · BLANKS
FIN BOXES · EPOXY · FCS · FUTURE
FUSION · LEASH PUGS · REPAIR KITS
Sunshine Coast, QLD
P 07 5493 9974
E sales@acefibreglass.com.au
WWW.ACEFIBREGLASS.COM.AU
PLENTY OF NEW
SURFBOARDS, SUPS, BODYBOARDS, WETSUITS,
CLOTHING AND ACCESSORIES.
OPEN
7 DAYS
Hub motor: The bike is restricted to 250W by
default but has outputs of 2000W achieved in Unlimited
Mode. It can zoom up to 25km/h in road legal mode, and
more than 45km/h when using the throttle.
Frame: Sports an aircraft-grade aluminium alloy frame
and a fully adjustable air spring suspension fork.
Battery: The S2-E provides an estimated 64-120+
km of range depending on the pedal-assist mode and
environmental conditions. Charging on the go is also
made easy with a removable battery.
Pedal-assist and throttle modes: Each
bike comes with four Pedal Assist Modes, so you can
customise your riding mode to your terrain. You can even
switch between ride modes to access off-road mode and
unlock the throttle to reach 45km+ when riding on private
property.
Connectivity: By downloading the app, you can
unlock all of Super73’s e-bike features and receive
over-the-air updates. It also provides a neat turn-by-turn
navigation on both the smart display and on your mobile
device. The display is super helpful for changing between
pedal and assist modes and viewing your current speed,
remaining battery range and other information.
Tyres: The Super73 S2-E includes the all-new BDGR
tire – the first tire that blends motorcycle and bicycle tire
construction methods. At 5” wide, it is the widest and
most aggressive 20” all-terrain fat tire in its class.
Price: Not including any add-ons or throttle, the
Super73 S2-E is $5690.00.
Where to buy: Ben Buckler Boards has the
Australian and EU model available right here in Australia,
so you can get cruisin’ right away with no international
wait times.
159 ESPLANADE, PORT NOARLUNGA SOUTH, SA 5167
PH: (08) 8386 0404
BE OUR
FRIEND ON

featured retreat: Ashi, Northern Rivers, NSW
photos supplied courtsey of Ashi @ttylanistokes
roam

oam
Calm, Clarity,
Creativity
words: dave swan
How nature
nurtures your
creativity
Most would be aware of what it feels
like to be ‘stale’. After slogging it
out day upon day, weekends too,
our ability to think clearly suffers.
Our judgement becomes clouded,
our creativity stifled – these are the
classic signs of mental fatigue –
‘burnout’.
As difficult as it is to step off the
hamster wheel we put ourselves on,
we have to, not only for our own
sanity, but also to aid our ability to
move forward with purpose. To have
clearly defined objectives and goals,
and most importantly how these can
be realised, we need to have clarity
of mind. This can’t be achieved while
we have mental lethargy.
Company spokesman and Head
of Operations for the off-grid cabin
operation Unyoked, Julian Rapattoni,
explains how addressing ‘burnout’
became their core purpose.
# 56 // smorgasboarder //
53

oam
Ashi Given that this is our Winter edition, there is nothing that
conjures up the image of warm and cosy more than a woodfired
bathtub and this little escape in the Northern Rivers of New South
Wales, just an hour inland from Byron, has one. Hidden at the
end of a valley among lush Byron hinterland, it’s the ideal place
to regain a sense of space, peace and tranquility.
$283 weeknights
$363 weekends
Price per night in AUD. 2 night minimum,
everyday. Check in 3pm. Late check out at 11am
What’s Provided?
Bedding
Solar Power
Fire Pit
Kitchen supplies
Wood fired bath
Bar Fridge
Composting Toilet
Aircon
Towels
Plates
Fan
Toilet
Gas Stove
Hot shower
And, TP
# 56 // smorgasboarder //
54
Expedition
Packing List
Shoes
Mosquito
repellent
Water bottle
Sunscreen
Flanno
Spreadsheets
Anxiety
Busyness
unyoked.co

oam
Many of the world’s great
business leaders have been
doing Think Weeks for years,
recognising the benefits that
being off-grid has on basically
getting sh*t done...
“It’s commonly known that modern day living comes
hand-in hand with mental fatigue and low productivity.
We believe spending an extended period of time in nature
is the perfect antidote, and that thinking is backed by
numerous scientific studies.
“Many of the world’s great business leaders have been
doing Think Weeks for years, recognising the benefits
that being off-grid has on basically getting sh*t done.
Visionaries throughout history have used frequent nature
immersion to help them dream up game-changing ideas.”
There’s no denying the claims. I believe all of us would
be aware of what it is like to claim some ‘quiet, alone
time’. That’s what surfing presents to many of us. I know
that is primarily what surfing is to me, an opportunity to
switch off, relax and simply immerse myself in nature.
Perhaps if you’re surfing Snapper Rocks it’s an altogether
different experience, you’re only alone time is perhaps
when you’re returning to your car. Needless to say,
we all need that alone time to reset and recalibrate our
minds. Unyoked retreats are another means that not
only facilitate the chance to rest but, with an extended
period in nature, get your creativity flowing again. New
business ideas, new ways of doing things, solutions to a
problem/s, Unyoked presents you with the key to unlock
the answers. Jordan expanded on this way of thinking by
way of their Calm, Clarity, Creativity philosophy.
“In terms of our reference to ‘Calm’, out in nature,
there’s no interruptions. We present an opportunity to
unplug from you’re busy, noisy, always-on life in the city.
Reconnecting with nature is scientifically proven to lower
your cortisol levels, so you can stress less.
“With regards to ‘Clarity’, it’s often hard to see the smoke
from the trees when you can’t see any trees. We facilitate
a reset of your expectations to get some perspective
thanks to the vastness of the outdoors.
“And finally with regards to ‘Creativity’, let’s just say that
nobody ever comes up with great ideas staring at the
same four walls on a deadline. The reason why creatives
and visionaries regularly venture to the outdoors is that it
is proven to boost creative thinking by up to 50%.”
Julian is certainly not alone in his thinking, pardon the
pun. There is no denying the power of nature on lateral
thinking. Showcased amidst these few pages is further
inspiration to undertake an Unyoked retreat and get your
creative juices flowing.
# 56 // smorgasboarder //
55

ILV
The expression “every cloud has a silver lining”
is usually said as an encouragement to a person
who is overcome by some difficulty or grief. Unable
to see any positive way forward, it’s intended to
motivate you to keep forging ahead because for
every sad or unpleasant situation, something
positive must come out of it. Back in January this
year, Silver Star was our “silver lining”.
#56 // smorgasboarder //
56
words : dave swan

ER
SILVER
LINING
Mountain photos : courtesy of
SilverStar Mountain Resort
#56 // smorgasboarder //
57

#56 // smorgasboarder //
58
This saying “every cloud has a silver lining” I have
at times questioned. In my lifetime, and through
what I have experienced, I am not so sure it
rings true. Does something bad always have to
proceed something good? Why can’t there just
be good times followed by more good times. I’ve
experienced my fair share of trials and tribulations,
and not always has something good come out of
it, indeed, rarely has this occurred. Anyhow, all I
knew, considering the year we had last year, with
dad battling prostate cancer that eventually spread
throughout his body getting the better of him at
Christmas, was that my family and I were in need of
something uplifting, some change of scenery. Well,
there’s no polar opposite to January in Queensland
than British Columbia in Canada to deliver such a
“change of scenery”.
And so it was, rather than proceeding with the muchneeded
home renovations we had been saving up
for quite some time, we instead used that money
to go on a family holiday. With the kids all in their
early twenties and late teens, we figured this could
be one of our last holidays all together. Time spent
together is far more valuable than material things.
ini
The destination we had our heart set on was Canada
– the northern hemisphere Australia. The question
that remained though was, where in particular should
we go? My wife Katie and I had travelled through
Canada in 1996, visiting Toronto, Quebec City, Banff,
Lake Louise, Jasper and Whistler. Indeed, it was in
Banff where Katie and I got engaged. Getting married
the following year, it seemed surreal that 25 years
on, we would return to the place where it all began.
What better place to celebrate your Silver Wedding
Anniversary than SilverStar?

You see Katie has never been one for fancy gifts or
jewellery. What we do value however above all else
is our family. We have all longed to go to Canada
for some time now, the kids having never been and
Katie and I not venturing back there since we got
engaged.
I visited my good friend Craig Russell at Helloworld
Kawana to see what magic he could swing this time,
considering the miracle he conjured up for us last
time back in 2019, before the world went crazy.
ng
He didn’t disappoint. Maybe there is a silver lining
after every dark cloud after all. The time we got to
spend as a family over in Canada will be forever
etched in my memory and I know dad would have
been so happy that something so joyous came out
of the pain and suffering he endured. Family meant
everything to him too. Dad would have sacrificed
anything to see us happy, healthy and well.
#56 // smorgasboarder //
59

LAY OF
THE
LAND
Simply put, the mountain is vast and the village
is small. If you lose your friends or family on the
mountain, you are bound to catch up with them in
the village.
SilverStar just has this incredible charm about it. The
colourful buildings with their sparkling fairy lights
make it appear like a mini-Disneyland in the snow.
This appeal combined with lots of child friendly
amenities and activities, leaves you with no doubt as
to why it is so popular with families.
It is unassuming and casual. There are little show
ponies to speak of and no tearaways screaming and
yahooing at the top of their voices. I must say, this is
what we loved about the place.
That and the fact that it is ski-in and ski-out from
virtually everywhere in the village, which is what
appealed most of all.
It is quaint and compact. The village is centrally located
(and completely car free). There’s a convenience
store (stocking some incredible Canadian craft beer
I might add), a few bars, restaurants and shops, just
enough to give you a variety of options for a week or
two’s stay. The nightlife is perhaps a little sedate but
again, that is what we wanted. We wanted to have
some quality time with the family and not be visiting
party central. The reality of the matter is you’re there
to snowboard and to be up early and hitting the
slopes, not nursing a hangover.
Apart from snowboarding and skiing, there’s iceskating,
tubing, snowshoeing, cross country skiing,
fat biking and snowmobile tours.
If I were to give SilverStar a rating out of 10 it would
be a 10. The whole family loved it and we have most
certainly promised to return. I just hope the kids are
shouting next time.
#56 // smorgasboarder //
60

canada
BC SKI RESORTS
left to right
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Mt Washington Alpine Resort
Whistler Blackcomb
Sun Peaks
Apex Mountain Resort
SilverStar Mountain Resort
Big White
Revelstoke Mountain Resort
Red Mountain
Whitewater Ski Resort
Kicking Horse Mountain Resort
Panorama Mountain Village
Kimberley Alpine Resort
british
columbia
13 Fernie Alpine Resort
alberta RESORTS
14 Lake Louise Ski Resort
alberta
15
16
Mt Norquay Ski Resort
Sunshine Village Ski Resort
3
7
14
10
16
15
2
5
11
1
vancouver
4
6
8
9
12
13
WHERE
IS IT
EXACTLY?
SilverStar ski resort is located in the Okanagan
Valley, 22 km northeast of Vernon in British Columbia,
Canada. The resort is basically smack bang between
Vancouver and Calgary, being 464km northwest of
Vancouver and 574km west of Calgary.
The best way to get there, particularly in the winter
months, is by plane from Vancouver flying into
Kelowna International Airport. From there it is about
an hour’s shuttle bus trip northeast to SilverStar
Resort, which is 75km away.
Other renown ski resorts are also nearby if you’re
considering mixing up your snow terrain over a couple
of weeks. Big White ski resort is 56 km southeast of
Kelowna (less than an hour). Sun Peaks ski resort is
just under 3 hours northwest and Revelstoke 2 ½
hours northeast. Basically, you have four renown ski
resorts all within a couple of hours of one another. A
few more hours down the road and you have more
resorts again on offer such as Apex Mountain Resort
in the southwest and Kicking Horse Mountain Resort
in the northeast.
#56 // smorgasboarder //
61

Around 1921, Bert Thorburn and Tini Ryan
road their bicycles up Silver Star Road with
skis strapped to the frames of their bike.
They continued to trek by foot and by ski for
a further 17 kilometres. After many hours,
they reached the open slopes and became
the first to ski the slope.
A BIT OF HISTORY
#56 // smorgasboarder //
62
During the warmer months, the Syilx People of
the Okanagan Nation frequented the area for the
mountain’s rich hunting and foraging grounds. When
white settlers arrived in the region, the peak became
known as Aberdeen Mountain after Lord Aberdeen,
Canada’s Governor-General from 1893 to 1898.
In the late 1800s the mountain became the site of
a promising but ultimately unsuccessful mining
operation with the earliest claim staked in 1896 by the
Silver Star Mining Company. Trace amounts of metal
such as silver, lead, zinc and copper were found in
the ore leading miners to believe they had found a
treasure mine. Unfortunately for these prospectors
however, they soon realised that the ores were too
low grade to be worked at a profit. The mountain’s
mining era ended in disappointment around 1926.
Around this time, 1921 in fact, two gentlemen by
the names of Bert Thorburn and Tini Ryan road their
bicycles up Silver Star Road with skis strapped to the
frames of their bike. Ditching their bikes they then
continued to trek by foot and by ski for a further 17
kms up to the mountain’s summit. After many hours,
they reached the open slopes and became the first
to ski the slope. Indeed, Bert was credited with being
the first.
In December of 1938, the hill’s first downhill race was
held, with competitors coming from the nearby towns
of Vernon, Kelowna, Penticton and Summerland. In
the ensuing 20 years, SilverStar gained a reputation
as a skiing mecca across the Okanagan Valley.
Although SilverStar was originally part of a Class A
provincial park with no development allowed, Silver
Star Sports gained approval from the Province to
build a ski hill in the Class A park in the summer of
1957. In 1958 the final three kilometres of the Silver
Star Road was pushed through to the current day
village area.
Construction of two rope-tow lifts and an A-frame
day lodge were built in 1958. Fast forward to 1984
and between that year and 1990 many new hotels
and amenities were built on the mountain. Desmond
Schumann, an Australian, who earlier had bought Big
White Ski Resort in 1995, then reached an agreement
with Judd Buchanan, the majority shareholder of
SilverStar Mountain Resort, to purchase the majority
of SilverStar Mountain Resort assets in 2001.
The two resorts remained a joint venture, but then
in 2012 Desmond died at the age of 94, leaving his
son Peter Schumann with Big White and his daughter
Jane Cann with SilverStar. The two resorts soon
became separate entities.
In December 2019 it was announced SilverStar had
been sold to the Powdr Corporation, a Utah-based
owner of 10 other ski resorts in Colorado, Utah,
Vermont, California, Oregon and Nevada.
Reportedly POWDR tends not to invest in residential
real estate and hotels at ski resorts, and this saw Jane
Cann retain Schumann Resorts Ltd., which holds 12
hectares of SilverStar real estate development land.
POWDR is said to embrace SilverStar’s master
development agreement, which includes the
development of more ski terrain and restaurants.
As to the famed 19th century saloon-style architecture
of the town which resembles an old British Columbian
mining town with its pillbox red, sunflower yellow and
royal blue colour scheme, you now know it’s a nod
to its history.

Team Rider : Tim Humphreys
CARVE
IT UP
“These goggles
are absolute game
changers. Change
lenses in seconds.
Double thumbs up.”
be…
THE BOSS
or reach for the
SUMMIT
MAGNETIC
interchangeable
LENS SYSTEM
magnetic
interchangeable
lens system
63 / #52 / SB
two interchangeable
lenses takes you from
high to low light
Italian anti
fog lenses
100% UV
protection
triple layer
custom fit foam
vented flow
through system
silicone
wave straps
carve.com.au
#56 // smorgasboarder //
T: (02) 8708 133063
E: customerservice@carve.com.au

the
mou
Silver Star
Mountain, BC,
Canada
6,283’ Summit
3,789’ Base
Est. 1958
132 Runs
1328 hectares of
skiiable terrain
#56 // smorgasboarder //
64

ntain
As
Phoebe black run days
Dave, Katie, Phoebe and Sam (Mikaela resting)
I previously mentioned, the resort is compact,
but don’t let that mislead you as to the variety and
amount of terrain. There is 3,282 acres of skiable
terrain and 132 marked runs. The amount of skiable
terrain is enormous in comparison to so many other
resorts, and yet it still appears so compact thanks to
the way it has been set out.
The trail statistics are 15% beginner, 40%
intermediate, 35% advanced and 10% expert,
which aptly describes the spread of terrain. Strong
intermediate riders will love SilverStar Mountain
Resort for the many blue runs as well as some of
the black runs, and the resort also caters very well
to beginners, which is what appealed to us so much.
We enjoy pushing ourselves but not to death-defying
levels. Katie and Mikaela are on skis and are firmly
in the green run (beginner) and occasional blue run
(intermediate) camp. Phoebe, Sam and I snowboard
and are comfortable in the blue (intermediate) to black
(advanced) range. Sam, who clearly has no fear, is
pushing more towards the double black diamond
terrain and I, in my growing years, am coming back
from those kinds of slopes to more cruisy runs. As
Sam kept reminding me, “Dad, you’re getting soft.
You’re not pushing as hard as you used to.” In my
defence, I reminded him I had just broken six ribs,
near lopped of my ear and split my head open only
six weeks prior to our trip thanks to a three-metre fall
from a ladder onto a frameless glass pool fence. Yes,
2022 was quite the year!
The mountain has 7 lifts, which includes 2 high
speed quad chair lifts and a gondola. Vance Creek
on the front side of the mountain was definitely
our favourite: a good cross section of beginner,
intermediate and advanced terrain with plenty of
treed runs. Plus, there was the added bonus of some
night time skiing to add to the experience.
Putnam Creek on the backside of the mountain has
lots of terrain for advanced riders, although when we
were there, it was a little icey, which, as everyone
kept telling us, was very unusal. The area has
numerous black diamond runs but quite a few cat
tracks too, which if you are not aware, are the bane
of all snowboarders.
#56 // smorgasboarder //
65

#56 // smorgasboarder //
66

15%
40%
35%
10%
BEGINNER
INTERMEDIATE
ADVANCED
EXPERT
#56 // smorgasboarder //
67

FAVOURED RUNS
For mine it was all the treed runs. On The Front Side it was
Peanut Trail, Spruce Meadows, Deer Park, Silver Meadows
and Trinity Trees. On The Back Side it was Canntastic, Russty
Whistle and the various runs either side.
There is something so special about carving through deep
snow amidst the trees. It is taxing on the legs but so forgiving
and a totally different sensation to groomed runs. It is also has
the added bonus that if you stack, it is like falling into a pile of
pillows, which did give me some comfort knowing I was still
nursing some broken ribs.
#56 // smorgasboarder //
68
Speaking to a many
locals, they said they keep
coming back to SilverStar
because of the ski
conditions – not too cold,
a good powdery base and
lots of blue sky days.

On average the ski resort receives 7 metres of
snowfall, which is 100% all-natural. This is less
than their west coast counterparts such as Whistler
Blackcomb that gets on average 11-12 metres of
snow per year, but the cooler temperatures inland
mean the snow is drier and the snow quality can be
maintained thanks to the colder temperatures.
Speaking of temperatures, SilverStar for mine is ideal
- not too cold so you’re absolutely freezing your ass
off and not too hot that you have to strip off layers
when exerting yourself. When we were there the
temperature generally hovered between -5 degrees
and -15 degrees. On average the Winter temps are
-4 degrees to -11 degrees. Whistler is usually a few
degrees warmer and somewhere further inland like
Banff is usually a few degrees or more colder.
I generally find it quite comfortable up to about -20
degrees, from there it starts getting a little chilly on
the lifts when you’re not moving or when there is no
sun about. Visibility on the slopes is also generally
quite good. Speaking to a many locals who have
been visiting the mountain for 30 to 40 years or
so, they said they keep coming back to SilverStar
because of the ski conditions – not too cold, a good
powdery base and lots of blue sky days as opposed
to perhaps nearby Big White ski resort which has
earnt the unfortunate nickname of Big White Out due
to the reported number of days with low visibility.
For those unaware, a whiteout typically occurs when
there is a dense, even layer of cloud over a snow
field. The sun light is diffused through the cloud, and
then further scattered while reflecting between the
snow surface and the cloud layer.
The lack of a single light source results
in a lack of definition thus affecting
one’s ability to judge depth, distance
and space. It is hard to determine where
the horizon is let alone an undulating
landscape. Everything blends together
and can’t be defined unless it is really
dark like a tree, which are always good
to avoid.
During our week and a bit in SilverStar
we experienced the perfect weather
combo: a few blue-sky days, a few days
with it snowing heavily (my most favoured
condition), a few overcast chilly days and
a couple of warmer ones.
SNOW & WEATHER
Sam and Phoebe ready to roll (waiting for Dad to strap his bindings on)
#56 // smorgasboarder //
69

Country
COMPARISONS
Canada
To gain some perspective on various
snow destinations, I have always found it
fascinating to view comparative statistics
measuring things like the average season
snowfall, elevation and skiable terrain.
The following table compares a few of
the various destinations from around the
world, some of which I have been fortunate
enough to have visited and some yet to be
explored.
It is interesting when you are on deadline
with a magazine. When you can ill afford
the time to go down these rabbitholes but
can’t help yourself because it is just so
intriguing. I thought it was just me but then
all the team got in on the conversation
so we decided to include my litlle ready
reckoner. It may not be entirely 100%
accurate but serves as a guide and was
compiled thanks to various snow websites
like snowstash.com and powderhounds.
com.au, which is an absolute cracker.
United States
Switzerland
Austria
Japan
New Zealand
#56 // smorgasboarder //
70
Please note, as I have been told many times
before, it is not just the amount of snow, but
the quality of the snow. Dry and powdery
is generally considered to be best. The
closer you move to the ocean, the wetter
the snow.
Australia

Resort
Average Season
Snowfall (m)
Vertical Rise
Skiable Terrain
(hectares)
No. of Trails
Silver Star 7 760 1328 132
Sun Peaks 6 882 1728 137
Big White 7.5 811 1147 119
Lake Louise 3.6 1300 1204 133
Revelstoke 10.5 1713 1263 75
Whistler Blackcomb 11.9 1609 3307 200
Vail 9.4 1050 5317 195
Mammoth Lakes 10.2 945 1420 175
Palisades Tahoe 10.1 870 3600 170+
Titliss 10 1978 81 25
St Anton 11 1507 2000 141
Nozawa Onsen 10 1085 297 36
Myoko Onsen 15 1124 200+ 60
Hakuba 12 1071 960+ 125
Niseko 17 940 870 79
Mt Hutt 4 683 365 26
Cardrona 2.9 600 400 38
Treble Cone 5.5 700 550 40
Falls Creek 1.4 380 450 92
Mt Buller 1.2 415 300 81
Mt Hotham 1.5 395 245 72
Perisher 2.0 355 1245 110
Thredbo 2.1 672 480 53
#56 // smorgasboarder //
71

Snowbird Lodge
Top three: Snowbird Lodge
Bottom three and far right: Firelight Lodge
#56 // smorgasboarder //
72

where to
stay?
I mentioned earlier how my mate Craig Russell at Helloworld Kawana has
worked his magic for us in the past. Well, this time around he absolutely
excelled himself.
With the resort near fully booked for the tail end of January (by the time I
came around to making our decision to take a break) we could not secure
accommodation for the full 8 days we intended to be there. The decision was
made to try two alternate accommodation offerings for 4 days a piece with
our luggage conveniently taken across from one to the other while we were
on the slopes. Even though each property was at either end of the resort,
given the village is quite small, there was less than a 5-minute walk between
the two.
The first property we stayed at was the Firelight Lodge, one of SilverStar
Mountain’s newest properties located right by the skating pond and Tube
Town. It was so modern, spacious and beautifully furnished. I could quite
honesty easily live there with our family of 5. It was incredible. You could
snowboard virtually to your door (well maybe 40-50 metres from your door).
It had a beautiful big fireplace and private outdoor spa bath. It was the
absolute lap of luxury by our standards and truly magnificent and massive.
All the facilities you would want were there including a drying room for your
gear downstairs. Shops, restaurants, bars and the convenience store was a
leisurely 3-minute stroll away.
The second property we stayed at was Snowbird Lodge right in the heart
of the village. Our room was literally 20 metres from the main street/village
square/rectangle. But don’t worry, because there is no late-night yahooing,
there is no noise to speak of. The main Comet Express gondola was the
same distance away – 30 seconds on a snowboard. You could snowboard
right to our private jacuzzi and night skiing was directly in front.
You get it by now, the proximity to everything was incredible. The apartment
itself was older than Firelight Lodge and 2/3 the size but it was comfortable
nonetheless and way fancier than any place we usually stay. Again, it had its
own fireplace and private hot tub too with the added bonus that when you
soaked in it, whilst enjoying a beer of course, you could watch the snow fall
on the main run, getting you psyched for the next day’s play.
Which one was better? That is an incredibly tough call. I sincerely loved both,
and both had their own advantages (there were no disadvantages, we were
in SilverStar for goodness sake). What I will say is that given they were fully
equipped apartments, we could wash and dry our own clothes and cook our
own meals when we felt like it and that for mine was better than staying at a
hotel and far gentler on the wallet.
Contact Peter 0417 727 857 peter@kpsgroup.com.au
1/12 The Terrace,
Brunswick Heads NSW
p: 02 6685 1283
BUSINESS FOR SALE
#56 // smorgasboarder //
73

OTHER THINGS TO DO
#56 // smorgasboarder //
74
At the end
of each
day, we still
managed to
have enough
energy to
get in a raft
of other
activities like
ice skating.
Well, you can’t snowboard all the time. Believe me,
I tried. I pushed myself from start to finish for 3 days
straight but eventually had to have a half day on the
4th just to give my 52-year-old body a break. At the
end of each day, we still managed to have enough
energy to get in a raft of other activities like ice
skating. The setting at SilverStar is just so beautiful.
Give me a natural, outdoor skating pond any day
over an ice-skating rink.
Right beside the pond was Tube Town where we
went tubing more than a couple of times. It is so
much fun with the family and even after a tiring day
on the slopes is well worth it because it is not taxing
on the body and just so serene looking out over the
landscape as you spin down the big dipper-esque
slope.
There’s also snowshoeing in town, with the trails
equally incredible, as well as cross country skiing
and fat biking. We had no more energy left for the
last two – possibly next time we visit I hope.
Other than that, the Lord Aberdeen Convenience
store is a ripper and has all you need at reasonable
prices with a cracking selection of Canadian craft
beers, as I earlier mentioned. Trash Can Panda by
Parallel 49 Brewing Company (such a great name)
was for mine the best, but there we so many good
brews to choose from. Believe me, I tried a different
4-pack every second day or so.
For a breakfast/brunch coffee and snack Bugaboos
Bakery Cafe was incredible. Great little pastries,
coffee and hot chocolate.
Our lunch ritual was the Red Antler. Great ‘pub grub’,
pardon the pun, friendly service and a superb spot
to down a few nice IPAs to dull the muscle aches
before hitting the slopes again.
For dinner the winner was The Bulldog. At first I
couldn’t believe how this place in this tiny little village
of SilverStar had ripped off one of the most iconic
coffee shops in Amsterdam which I visited in my
youth. I was later to find out the owner was one and
the same. He loved coming to SilverStar so much
he opened his own bar/restaurant/accommodation
there. The décor is very appealing - all rustic, wood
and stone with my new favourite sport of ice hockey
playing on the big screen.
Other things to do in SilverStar, if that wasn’t enough,
is relax and unwind. You’re on holiday. Jokes aside,
that was possibly one of the most appealing aspects
about the resort – it is not too full on. Simply read
a book in front of the fireplace, watch a movie,
occasionally pinch yourself to make sure you’re
really there or share a laugh and a chat with your
family in the hot tub as they tell you how you’re not
as good as you once were. Speaking of which, my
theme song for the trip written by American country
music star Toby Keith was, “I ain’t as good as I once
was.” Sums me up perfectly nowadays and I am
100% fine with that estimation.

#56 // smorgasboarder //
75

WHERE TO VISI
Last time we ventured to Canada, Katie and I didn’t
leave enough time to explore Vancouver. It is something
we always regretted and hoped to rectify one day. We
weren’t going to make the same mistake this time around
and allowed 4 days to explore this most stunning city,
which was the perfect amount of time in our opinion.
On our “must see and do list”, in no particular order,
were: Granville Island, Gastown, Stanley Park, Grouse
Mountain, the Capilano Suspension Bridge, an ice hockey
game and a number of Vancouver’s galleries given our
eldest, Mikaela, is obsessed with art and music – Phoebe
and Sam are less culturally enamoured shall we say.
Stanley Park
Definitely don’t walk it, the park is huge. To put it is
context, at 1001 acres it is 1/5 larger than New York’s
Central Park. We started walking it and promptly grabbed
some bikes, which is the ideal way to explore this urban
forest.
Located in the north-western half of Vancouver’s
Downtown Peninsula, Stanley Park is surrounded by the
waters of Burrard Inlet and English Bay. The land was
originally used by Indigenous peoples for thousands of
years before British Columbia was colonised by the British
(of course) during the 1858 Fraser Canyon Gold Rush.
Much of the park today remains as densely forested as
it was in the late 1800s with about a half million
trees. Some of these trees stand as tall as 76
metres and are hundreds of years old.
The historic lighthouse on Brockton Point
marks the park’s easternmost point. It is here
where the park’s famed totem poles stand.
Reportedly first introduced in the 1920’s, the
Vancouver Parks Board started buying them
thinking that they would eventually build a
replica First Nations village in Stanley Park.
Some of the original totem poles are said to have been
carved as early as the 1880s. They were originally located
at Lumbermens’ Arch and at Prospect Point. In 1962, they
were moved to Brockton Point where they now reside. By
the mid-1980s, many of the totem poles in Stanley Park
were damaged and rotting and consequently many were
moved into museums with replicas carved.
The Totem was the British Columbia Indians’ coat of
arms and are unique to the northwest coast and lower
Alaska. They were carved from western red cedar with
each carving telling a story of a mythical event. Each
carving on each pole has a meaning: the eagle represents
the kingdom of the air, the whale the lordship of the sea,
the wolf, the genius of the land and the frog being the
transitional link between land and sea.
Anyhow, Stanley Park presents a good opportunity for
some exercise to get the jet lag out of your system after a
long flight and some great vistas and photo opportunities
of the city surrounds.
Ice Hockey
The last time we visited Canada we didn’t catch an ice
hockey game. I wasn’t going to make the same mistake
again. We saw a game between the Vancouver Canucks
and Edmonton Oilers.
Let me say, even tickets right up in the rafters (where we
sat) will set you back a couple of hundred bucks each
(yep). But, you don’t travel half way around the world to
miss a spectacle like this. Even though there wasn’t a biff,
it was electric. The speed, the skill, the toughness, the
show – it even had Mikaela who isn’t generally a sports
fan wanting to see another game. So we caught another
local fixture while in SilverStar between the Vernon Vipers
and Penticton Vees, which was equally as engaging –
smaller stadium, closer to the action. My only challenge
now is how to watch games back home.
Yes, we loved
absolutely
everything
about
Vancouver,
but this
was just the
cherry on top.
#56 // smorgasboarder //
76
photo: alex shapovalov

T ON THE WAY
swan’s cycling no lycra
photo: esteban arango
#56 // smorgasboarder //
77

WHERE TO VISI
#56 // smorgasboarder //
78

T ON THE WAY
Capilano Suspension
Bridge
The bridge is undeniably impressive suspended some
70 metres above the rapids below, but the gardens
are equally impressive resembling a set out of Lord
of the Rings. I went there interested to see if it was
worth all the hype and left absolutely gobsmacked at
how awe-inspiring it was. It truly was magical and well
worth the visit.
When you cross the bridge it certainly does sway,
not just a little, but a lot, and the more people who
walk on it at the one time, the more it sways. Looking
over the edge does give you a kick of adrenaline, even
more when someone walks hurriedly past. Little kids
understandably freak out when crossing. It is 100%
safe but not for the fainthearted.
Grouse Mountain
We knew we were heading to the snow, but it couldn’t
come soon enough and considering Grouse Mountain
was just up the road from the Capilano Suspension
Bridge, we thought we might as well check it out. As
we only had a few hours we decided to hire some
snowshoes and absolutely loved it. Yes, we loved
absolutely everything about Vancouver, but this was
just the cherry on top. If we ever had an extended stay
in Vancouver in the future we might book a couple of
days skiing here. The slopes looked like fun and there
is even night skiing.
Art Galleries
While the remainder of the family went shopping,
Mikaela and I took in some culture visiting the likes of
the Vancouver Art Gallery and Coastal Peoples Fine
Arts Gallery but by far our favourite was indigenous
artist Bill Reid’s art gallery. An acclaimed master
goldsmith, carver, sculptor, writer, broadcaster,
mentor and community activist, Bill Reid was born
in Victoria, British Columbia, to a Haida mother (an
indigenous group who have traditionally occupied an
archipelago just off the coast of British Columbia) and
an American father with Scottish German roots. The
Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art was created
in 2008 to honour his legacy and celebrate the diverse
indigenous cultures of the Northwest Coast.
#56 // smorgasboarder //
79
Guud san glans Robert Davidson - Oliver Adams
Potlatch Gift (Eagle) 1976

WHERE TO VISI
Gastown
Gastown is the original settlement that became the
core of the city of Vancouver. Its name funnily enough
originates from a publican. As legend has it, “Gassy”
Jack Deighton, a Yorkshire seaman, steamboat
captain and bartender arrived in 1867 to open the
area’s first saloon. He was famous for talking a lot
(“or gassing”) and so his saloon soon became known
as Gassy’s town. The name evolved into Gastown
and the area is now regarded as Vancouver’s first
neighbourhood.
Gastown quickly became a general centre of trade and
commerce thanks to it being the site of the seaport
and the Hastings Mill sawmill. In the 60’s however,
the area was earmarked to be demolished to make
way for a major freeway into the city’s downtown.
Citizens became concerned with preserving
Gastown’s distinctive and historic architecture. A
campaign led by local businesspeople and property
owners thankfully put an end to its destruction and
Gastown lived on.
Today Gastown is a mix of hip contemporary fashion
and interior furnishing boutiques, restaurants,
brewpubs, bars, internet businesses and professional
offices, along with art galleries, music and art studios,
film and acting schools. Its heritage listed buildings
and cobblestone streets add to its eclectic appeal.
It’s most famous, though nowhere near its oldest
landmark is the steam-powered clock on the corner
of Cambie and Water Street. It was built in 1977 to
cover a steam grate, part of Vancouver’s distributed
steamheating system. It was a way to harness the
steam and to prevent street people from sleeping
on the spot in cold weather. Apparently the original
design was faulty though and it had to be powered by
electricity after a breakdown. The steam mechanism
was then completely restored with the financial
support of local businesses (as it had become a
major tourist attraction) and is now promoted as a
heritage feature although it is of modern invention.
Gastown also happens to be home to many
microbreweries and watering holes specialising in
local craft beers. You can perhaps see where my
interest lay with regards to checking out this area.
Three establishments you must visit are Steamworks
Brewing Co, The Lamplighter Public House and Six
Acres.
#56 // smorgasboarder //
80

T ON THE WAY
Granville Island
Granville Island is a small cultural, dining and retail
precinct located across False Creek from Downtown
Vancouver under the southern end of the Granville
Street Bridge.
The peninsula was originally a sandbar that was used
by the Musqueam Indian Band and the Squamish
people as a fishing area. Interestingly, the city of
Vancouver back then was called Granville until it
was renamed in 1886, but the former name was kept
and given to Granville Street and the rickety wooden
Granville Street bridge that spanned the small inlet
known as False Creek.
This sandbar would eventually become Granville
Island following a reclamation project in 1915 to
create a 14-hectare industrial area. It was originally
called Industrial Island, but Granville Island, named
after the bridge that ran directly overhead, was the
name that stuck. In the 1970’s, Granville Island began
a transformation from an industrial precinct to now
one of the most popular public spaces in Vancouver.
Today it is home to more than 50 independent food
purveyors and contributes to the island’s appeal
as a renowned culinary destination. It’s here where
customers can purchase the freshest of fresh
produce, meat, fish, seafood, cheeses and other
products, many of which are locally sourced.
The area has also become Vancouver’s premier
artistic and cultural hub and is home to numerous
performing arts theatres, artisanal jewellers, art
galleries and designers, further adding to the island’s
charm.
A visit to Granville Island is not complete without
dropping by Canada’s first microbrewery, the famed
Granville Island Brewing.
I was only given a set amount of time to sample
their wares by the family, but I was determined to
make my way through all eight available varieties (no
tasting paddles here thank you). I only managed four
in my allotted time slot, but it was fun all the same.
With another item on my Vancouver visitation bucket
list ticked, I happily sauntered out of there with a belly
full of beer and in search of a BeaverTail (a Canadian
delicacy made up of fried dough pastry with helpings
of maple syrup in case you were wondering).

Wuux
uux going on
Being our Winter edition
and in the pursuit of all
things alpine, you sometimes
come across some weird and
wonderful things. This is most
definitely on the wonderful side
of things. May we introduce
our readers to qualified
architect and third generation
woodworking artisan, Wilhelm
Margreiter, from where “the
hills are alive with the sound
of music” (couldn’t resist
sorry). Yes, Wilhelm is from
Salzburg, Austria and this is
the story of Wuux Surfboards.
Wilhelm’s wooden joinery business itself was
originally founded by his grandfather in the 1950s
and later passed on to his dad. They were famed for
building snow skis, sledges (commonly known as
sleds or sleighs to us) and furniture – the kind of craft
you would expect to emanate from a land-locked
country like Austria with no sea in sight. Anyhow, the
spirit and enthusiasm of building sports equipment
was well and truly there.
When Wilhelm later took over the business from his
father he was approached by some crew to make
surfboards for local river waves like the Eisbach in
Munich (which is a man-made wave on the 2kmlong
river of the same name in Munich) he readily
accepted the challenge with vigour.
Wuux Surfboards feature a multilayer foam core
Wilhelm and his crew make themselves with a ‘full
wooden jacket’. The nose and tail are additionally
reinforced. Said Wilhelm, “All our products are
handmade in our workshop in Grödig, Austria. Every
step, from the construction of the core to the final
sanding is done on-site. Also, unlike conventional
glassing, the exact amount of resin is calculated for
every Wuux surfboard – saving more waste. We are
very environmentally conscious.
“We use high quality materials and a sophisticated
construction to get long-lasting surfboards with
less maintenance. We buy all our materials from
local partners - reducing long transportation times
to our workshop. We produce the core ourselves in
the workshop. The left-over materials are used by
a partner company as insulating materials. And as I
said earlier, we use the exact calculated amount of
epoxy resin – no resin on the floor, no waste.
words: dave swan
images: supplied courtsey of wuux surfboards

# 56 // smorgasboarder //
83

# 56 // smorgasboarder //
84

“We try to improve our processes constantly to be more
sustainable and environmentally friendly. We love upcycling.
No matter if it is the fins, which consist of upcycled materials
from the surfboard production, we try to give every piece
of unused material another purpose. We even undertake
consistent waste separation and use as little packaging as
possible – no packaging if you buy at our shop.”
Reportedly, due to the unique construction, the Wuux
surfboards are easy to repair and in keeping with their
environmental ethos the residual material from surfboard
production gets upcycled into Wuux Fins.
“In 2019 we invented a special technique for floating fins to
reduce our waste and give the left-over materials a renewed
purpose. This project was given financial support for
prototyping by the Austrian Wirtschaftsservice – AWS.
“If you lose a fin, it is easy to collect it again because they
swim – this is an advantage for surfers and nature! Our fin
base is made of carbon and gives the fin stiffness and extra
pop. The wood look and feel makes the fins not only perform
but also look good, like unique little design pieces!”
Thanks to the foam core, Wuux Surfboards are very light
compared to your standard wooden surfboards and
approximately as light as a PU Surfboard. For example, their
9’4“ Wuux Wahoo (Longboard) is about 6.2 - 6.5 kg.
Each custom board takes around 6-8 weeks to build from
scratch and retails from about $950 Euro ($1540 AUD). In
terms of the wood used in all Wuux Surfboards, well, there
are over 30 different varieties to choose from.
Wilhelm ships his boards and fins all around the world but if
you happen to be in Austria, you might like to check out his
showroom in Salzberg at Schützenstraße 12 5082 Grödig.
There, Wilhelm has a range of boards on display as well
rentals/test boards, 12 different types of centre trailers (a
centre fin in a thruster setup specially designed for river
surfing), pads, leashes, boardbags, surfboard tools, board
racks and accessories. Indeed, the boardbags are made
in a community project Wilhelm started with a local surfer,
who makes each of them by hand right there in Salzburg
and another local surfer is producing the patches, which
Wilhelm designed, made of vegan leather. Wilhelm even has
a surfboard repair service.
wuux-surfboards.com
# 56 // smorgasboarder //
85

A
VERY
BRITISH
SURF
TRIP.
Melting Road
Falling Birds
and Wave Pools.
# 56 // smorgasboarder //
86

words and photos: james sledmere
Sitting in an ancient pub with views
overlooking a slice of the North Atlantic that
had decided to do its best impersonation of
a Caribbean lagoon, on one of the warmest
days recorded in this part of England since
records began, with a pint of Cornish bitter
and a plate of fish and chips, having just
surfed slightly chilly, slightly good Fistral
Beach was, well… bloody lovely!
He was right of course, my brother, it is a
different kind of heat. I have called Sydney,
Australia home for the past 15 years and
have somehow acclimatised to her extremes
of baking heat, bushfires and brain numbing
humidity then month-long rain events and
catastrophic flooding.
Leaving the climate change debate at the
door, the UK summer of 2022 definitely hit
different. It was as if this ancient peninsula
had upped her anchor and drifted on down
to the Mediterranean for a few weeks. Our
rental car radio informed us of emergency
“But it’s a
different
kinda heat,
innit!?”
government Cobra meetings warning us
NOT to throw birds (birds that might have
fallen from the sky that is) back into the
sky! Oh, and of course, there was the odd
melting road.
So not then, the sort of backdrop you’d
really expect to find a building southwest
ground swell beginning to trickle in,
especially one that was going to be kissed
each day by ENE offshore winds, but that
was exactly what happened!
# 56 // smorgasboarder //
87

# 56 // smorgasboarder //
88
The Wave.
But that was all to come and luckily, Huey of the North held
the swell back just long enough for a quick one-day road trip
up to Bristol and the chance to tick ‘surf a wave pool’ off my
list. The Wave by Wavegarden was finally completed in 2019
after 9 years of planning and building. There are plenty of
opinions on the location of the pool itself, this is in-part due
to the literal one-mile walk from the carpark to the reception,
but we were up for a stroll/hike/adventure and having not
brought skateboards like everyone else, we walked… and
got sunburnt!
But oh my was it worth it! I would have walked three miles
because, for me personally, it had everything a surfer wants
after a long drive and walk. A surf shop that smells like
coconut scented wax full of great things you never knew you
needed, a coffee shop that smells like coffee (and sells beer),
good food, good Wi-Fi, and then, out the front, a perfect
peeling left and a perfect peeling right.
“You won’t need those,” said the guy who checked us in and
who’d just spotted our wetsuits, “The water was 25 degrees
the last time we checked!” This sounded like crazy talk but
made perfect sense, the pools had been basking in the same
summer sun that we had and as we strolled out into the bay,
it began to feel more like a quick trip to Indo than Bristol!
As you would expect in this surfer’s candy store, you can select the
type of waves you want to surf, ranging from a little splash in the
shore break on your foamie to the coveted Advanced Barrels setting.
We chose Advanced Lefts.
One of the nicest surprises for me was the new type of line-up that a
wave pool creates. Everybody is pretty much guaranteed around 25
waves each, so the competitive jostling is taken away and in its place
is chatting and banter, comrades marching out for a common cause.
While queuing in the channel, gradually paddling up as the line got
shorter, we met a salesman and Bristol local riding a boogie board,
who blocks out a day in his calendar each week for a quick slide. Two
Dutch students that seemed to be even more surprised

# 56 // smorgasboarder //
89

about the current weather situation than parliament
was, and the Wave’s very own window cleaner
who chooses to be paid in part, in waves. Cue the
banter – “Good job you’re here mate, someone’s
got to clean the spray off those windows after we’ve
finished shredding!”
Taking off by a painted marker, next to a concrete
wall with a lifeguard looking down on you is strange,
but after a few goes it becomes easier and easier to
wait for the mechanical clunk of the wave generator,
paddle and take off on a wave that offers a quick,
turn-friendly section, fattens slightly for a little cutty
and then reforms into a really fun inside section.
Once you kick off, you join your brothers and sisters
in the queue along the central jetty and deep-water
area, smiling strangely to do it all again.
Yes the ocean waves were fun that trip, staying
opposite Fistral Beach and checking them from
the window at dawn each day was a treat that I am
very thankful for. But there was something magical
about that dang wave pool. The usual images and
flashback recordings from a decent session that all
surfers carry with them seemed to be filed away in
a different brain compartment for that day, marked
‘artificial’, they seem to have slightly altered the
way I look at waves, especially smaller waves, in
the actual ocean. Seeing potential where maybe I
didn’t before. Some kind of new sight. Maybe I’m
not alone in this?
That one fun, memorable session has really helped
this average, improving surfer. A surfer who dodged
those falling birds, didn’t get stuck in tarmac and
who will always remember that crazy summer of
2022, the smell of artificial coconut and that clunk
of the mechanism!
# 56 // smorgasboarder //
90

# 56 // smorgasboarder //
91

gear
A surf
revolution
After three generations of supplying
quality surf craft products and services,
Barry Bennett’s passion, legacy and business
lives on through Bennett Surfboards.
# 56 // smorgasboarder //
92

Circa 1969 – Phil Jacques (glasser), Nipper Williams (shaper/
glasser), Warren ‘Wagga’ Holmes (blank blower), Barry Bennett
(president/shaper/blower), Wayne Burton (shaper) and Tony Dunn
(assistant/pourer/bucket boy).
Founded in 1956, Bennett Surfboards has
been a part of the Australian surf industry for
longer than any other manufacturer. Hailing
from Brookvale, the birthplace of surfing
in Australia as we know it, Barry started
building plywood and balsa surfboards when
he was 25.
Bennett Surfboards opened its doors
as a dedicated surfboard and blanks
manufacturer back in 1960. Since then,
Barry has been involved in every aspect of
Australian surfing, from the surf lifesaving
hollow wooden board days to the ultra-light
blanks and longboard revolution. Dozens of
iconic surfboard shapers have worked under
the Bennett Surf label, such as Gary Lopez,
Ron Grant, Bill Cilia, Greg Clough, Russell
Head, Mickey Mack, Frank Williamr, Nat
Young, Doug Bell, Ben Aipa, Neil Purchase,
Bob McTavish, Geoff McCoy, Wayne Burton
and Peter Cornish – just to name a few.
You could say Barry was one of the original
entrepreneurs of surfboard shaping in the
country, as he guided many leading surfers
and shapers and helped launch surfing as
a mainstream culture in Australia. Purely
because he loved it so much, Barry worked
full time in his beloved surfboard factory until
he was 90 years old.
When he passed away in August 2022, his
son and grandson, Greg and Tom Bennett,
formally took over the business with a
passionate focus on continuing to supply
quality surf craft to their customers. Due to
the family’s strong links to the surf lifesaving
movement, they continue to supply paddle
boards and rescue boards to local and
overseas clubs.
To this day, they still trade out of 180
Harbord Road in Brookvale, and maintain
their reputation for expertly crafted boards
through renowned surfboard shapers such
as Billy Tolhurst, Mark Rabbidge, Steele
Lewis and Sam Tehan.
The company remains as Sydney’s premier
longboard outlet with a showroom full
of their range along with an impressive
showcase of vintage surf craft. Most
importantly, Bennett Surf Co. continues to
keep Barry’s great legacy alive and keep
their customers stoked with every ‘BB’
board, as they have done since the 1950’s.
bennettsurf.com
# 56 // smorgasboarder //
93

gear
Another ripper
slider from
the master
Peter Sheely.
Super light (only weighs
7.2kgs amazingly) and
will have you gliding all
the way from Newcastle
to New Zealand.
6’10” x 22” x 2 7/8”
Slot Channel Swallow model made
for the bigger/older guy looking for
more volume without compromising
performance.
12’plus x 23 ½” x 3 ¼“
16 ½“ nose and 14 ½“ tail
HARVEST SURFBOARDS
2/24 Christine Ave, Miami, QLD
P: (07) 5576 5914
E: hello@harvestsurfboards.com
M: harvestsurfboards.com
SHEELY
CUSTOM MADE
SURFBOARDS
M: 0417 264 739
# 56 // smorgasboarder //
94
Go
Wild!
RABBIDGE
SURF
DESIGNS
different to the rest.
PHONE: 02 4456 4038
MOBILE: 0427 767 176
EMAIL: markrab88@gmail.com
mark_rabbidge_surf_design

gear
SURFING
TAKES GUTS
(family support helps too)
Robbo (Keith Robinson) has some quality
talent in the wings as back up for his Gut
Slider orders.
Not only is his daughter Karley a keen surfer and
good for a test ride or two, but little Atlas, now 8,
has been asking to get on the tools for 3 years. He
finally got his chance to recently and really is a chip
off the old block, even with a gap of 2 generations.
robbo
atlas
Isla
Karley
CUSTOM ORDERS AVAILABLE
OCEANFOIL SURFBOARDS, Urunga, NSW.
M: 0434 211 779
As the boards remain in high demand,
Oceanfoils is enlisting the help of the expert
shapers at Oke Surfboards in Victoria.
M: 03 9587 3553 | E: roryoke@hotmail.com
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

gear
THIS WAS COOL.
Copy of a 70’s Greg Webb
(Noddy) single fin for Simon
McLean. It came out great. Might
make a few more sometime.
6’4” – 20 ½ “ – 2 5/8” can’t
remember the volume but who
cared about volume in the 70’s.
6x6x6oz glassing so she should
be around in another 40 years!!
You were lucky if the length was
ever written on it!! What size
would you ride?
THE DING KING /
CLARK SURFBOARDS
Units 7 & 8, 9 Chapman Road,
Hackham, SA
E: leightonclark01@yahoo.com.au
M: 0422 443 789
Established Surfboard
Factory retail
Showroom
For Sale
Expressions of Interest are invited for
the purchase of an established surfboard
factory and Retail Showroom in the
Byron Bay Arts & Industrial Estate.
It is a going concern with established
clientele.
CONTACT BRETT:
02-66856211 or
Email bm2481@hotmail.com
smorgasboarder
IT’S A STICK UP
# 56 // smorgasboarder //
96
smorgasboarder.com.au
Sticker packs available
at the Smorgastore

HOLLOW WOODEN
SURFBOARDS
Paulownia, cedar, balsa combinations.
Recycled or plantation wood used
wherever possible!
FISHES, GUNS, MALIBUS AND
STAND UP PADDLE BOARDS.
All models can be made in any style be it HempTech
(hemp cloth), Kaizen (foam/fibreglass) or Wood.
gear
CUSTOM ORDERS WELCOMED!
WORKSHOP AVAILABLE ON REQUEST.
WOODENSURFBOARDSSHAPESBYSTEVEO
SHED 30 / 133 QUANDA ROAD
COOLUM BEACH QLD 4561
0421 522 503 | STEVEOSUPERIOR1@GMAIL.COM
shapesbysteveo.com
# 56 // smorgasboarder //
97

SMORGASBOARDER.COM.AU
SURF is
FREE EVERY
in
order online at
LANGUAGE
ORDER
NOW!
T-SHIRT $39
T-SHIRT + ANNUAL
SUBSCRIPTION $55

Fresh Fish L
email: outereye@gmail.com | phone: 02 6655 7007
outerislandsurfboards.com