Smorgasboarder_16_March-2013

“I used to shape my own boards till I moved to Tonga then just
had Neal Purchase Snr. make them to my design. He went into
retirement about the time I wanted my ‘Cropped Compact’
shaped so I e-mailed Neil Oke the details and picked up the
board on the way through to King Island - he did a great job!
“I had been invited down to the KI finless gig with Derek Hynd,
my brother Dale, violinist Richard Tognetti, Tom Carroll, Tom
Wegener and a crew of luminaries for the Musica Surfica
documentary in 2007. Quite a few people must have seen
the documentary, as it won awards, and there are now some
replicas and similar boards to my design popping up about
the place. There’s a guy from Lennox who won design awards
in the US with a very close version and even Tom Curren has
been riding a square one. Some young guy from the States is
making an asymmetrical version.”
LIVING IN UTOPIA
Finally, with Shane’s unique perspective and intimate
knowledge of how surfing has changed over the last few
decades, we wanted to know if, looking back, the ‘Utopian
Dream of the ‘70s’ was ever a reality, and if he sees the
possibility for ever achieving it in the future?
“Sure, a lot of people lost the plot shortcutting with drugs
but for me the ‘Utopian Dream of the ‘70s’ was a reality, and
for the most part still is. Mind you, it is like living in the past,
so you have to find somewhere you can do that... And those
places are running out. That is to say, the future is eventually
catching up to the remotest locations, and there is always
someone wanting to sell it out from under your feet.
“It definitely doesn’t go hand in hand with a growing
population. This is where wave pools come into the equation
to take some of the pressure off otherwise pristine locations -
Go Greg (Webber)!”
What a priviledge to share such great insight. Let’s hope we
can also all keep the dream alive for as long as we live.
0407 218 591
WWW.SURFNRAK.C0M.AU
Sutherland Shire, NSW, 2230, Australia
For more on Shane and his work, see his website,
www.bluebananastudios.com which he says is another one of
those “yet-to-be-completed projects.”
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| MAR/APR 2013
SMORGASBOARDER