SB-issue59_digital

interview
Jake Killen is one of those people, and instantly
drew our attention when some rather insane surfing
shots from Norway surfaced on our social media.
After a little digging, we stumbled across more of
his killer photography, which captures everything
from board shaping and global surf adventures to
miscellaneous building projects.
The more we investigated, the more we realised that
Jake was a pretty interesting dude. So, when we
came across a photograph of his colourful collection
of surfboards, each propped up next to a shed that
he converted into a shaping bay with his dad, we
couldn’t help but reach out to him with the need to
share his story.
When we were somehow lucky enough to catch up
with Jake in between his many surfing trips, he told
us that he grew up in Sydney’s Northern Beaches
with his cousins.
“We lived only a street back from Dee Why Point,
which greatly enabled my froth for the ocean. We
moved around a lot in my early teens, away from
the waves, where I almost forgot about surfing
altogether until my dad moved us to the Sunshine
Coast when I was 11.
“I really owe my insatiable love of surfing to my dad,
Dave. He’s surfed his whole life and still does to this
day. Even more so now that I’ve started working for
him as a carpenter. Daily surfs, or site meetings, are
a ritual.”
Of course, there are those who surf, and those who
become a little too captivated by the shape of the
thing they are surfing on.
From Jake’s fascination with board design came
InSync Surfboards – a homegrown shaping business
where he and his dad create sleek and colourful
boards while restoring old gems and repairing the
odd ding.
Jake said this humble operation began with the
transformation of an old shed and took off from
there.
“I always wanted to make my own surfboards.
With the number of different ones I was riding, I got
inspired to shape boards from about 4’8” to 11’.
“It’s just a personal bay really. My dad runs the
show in there now – he’s obsessed! He’s also
become a master glasser, which has helped a lot.
We’ve got two mid twinnies ready to glass as we
speak.”
After giving shaping a whirl, not only did Jake’s
respect for surfboard design grow, but also his
enthusiasm for boards of all kinds.
In true Smorgasboarder fashion, Jake told us that he
loves wiping out and stacking it on everything – from
surfboards to skateboards to snowboards.
“I’m average at best on the last two, but I still do
them, especially when I am skating around home.
It’s also a must when I’m up in the snow, because
I don’t really have the chance to do that a lot. The
thing is, I feel like I slowly start to become pretty
good at snowboarding, and then I’m packing my
bags already!
“My go-to surfboards and ideal shapes would have
to be any twin fin from a fun 5’4” fish to a big 7’4”. I
have a love-hate relationship with logs, but I’m really
loving them again, besides the fact that they’re a
pain to travel with. The right board for the right wave
is always the way to go.”
From Jake’s fascination with board
design came InSync Surfboards – a
homegrown shaping business where
he and his dad create sleek and
colourful boards while restoring old
gems and repairing the odd ding.
# 58 // smorgasboarder //
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