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2022<br />
smorgasboarder<br />
#52<br />
SURF<br />
magazine<br />
Surf travel is back.<br />
We can explore once more.
CONTENTS<br />
#52<br />
2022<br />
24<br />
72<br />
34<br />
82<br />
10 comps + news<br />
14 controversy<br />
24 Out of the Ashes<br />
34 epic maldives Travel<br />
72 Wheels + waves<br />
82 Swiss bliss<br />
86 GEAR<br />
91 surfing with emus<br />
94 ART<br />
98 aloha barry<br />
smorgasboarders<br />
Editorial | Dave Swan<br />
dave@smorgasboarder.com.au<br />
0401 345 201<br />
Editorial | Geoff Crockett<br />
geoff@smorgasboarder.com.au<br />
0413 988 333<br />
Advertising | Simon Cross<br />
simon@smorgasboarder.com.au<br />
0413 698 630<br />
Social M<strong>ed</strong>ial | Phoebe Swan<br />
phoebe@smorgasboarder.com.au<br />
0459 705 404<br />
New Zealand | Jiff Morris<br />
jeff@smorgasboarder.co.nz<br />
0220 943 913<br />
South Australia | Jimmy Ellis<br />
james@smorgasboarder.com.au<br />
0410 175 552<br />
Design | Horse & Water Creative<br />
mark, kate, val, helen, taylah, sarah<br />
mark@horseandwater.com.au<br />
Accounts | Louise Gough<br />
louise@smorgasboarder.com.au<br />
2022<br />
SURF<br />
#52<br />
smorgasboarder<br />
Surf travel is back.<br />
We can explore once more.<br />
magazine<br />
our cover<br />
Photo: Chris Grundy<br />
Suppli<strong>ed</strong> by: Island Hop Maldives<br />
get involv<strong>ed</strong><br />
Stories, photos, ideas, new and<br />
interesting surf-relat<strong>ed</strong> stuff you<br />
want to share? drop us a line on<br />
<strong>ed</strong>itorial@smorgasboarder.com.au<br />
get your fix<br />
There’s three ways to<br />
score yourself a copy of<br />
smorgasboarder.<br />
1. Subscribe - the mag is still<br />
free - you just pay for delivery. 4<br />
<strong>ed</strong>itions per year - $25 annual<br />
subscription (Aus and NZ)<br />
2. Call in to one of the businesses<br />
featur<strong>ed</strong> in this mag - they’ll have<br />
some free copies.<br />
3. Download or read it online at<br />
smorgasboarder.com.au<br />
Smorgasboarder is publish<strong>ed</strong> by Huge C M<strong>ed</strong>ia PTY LTD ABN 30944673055. All information is correct at time of going to press. The publication cannot<br />
accept responsibility for errors in articles or advertisements, or unsolicit<strong>ed</strong> manuscripts, photographs or illustrations. The opinions and words of the authors<br />
do not necessarily represent those of the publishers. All rights reserv<strong>ed</strong>. Reproduction in part or whole is strictly prohibit<strong>ed</strong> without prior permission.
photo: lime light creative studios<br />
see the wood
for the seas<br />
Eco-conscious. Sustainable.<br />
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All Australian. Built to last.<br />
Boards. Kits. Fins. Blanks. Accessories.<br />
and BALSA BOARD BUILDING COURSES.<br />
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where: Ahtopol, Bulgaria<br />
photo: monodon<br />
...Ne<strong>ed</strong>less to say, there is so much to see, do and learn<br />
in this great big world we live in. Life is short, our<br />
time on the earth is fleeting, so go out and grab<br />
every opportunity with both hands and surf a wave<br />
you always dreamt of surfing, in a place you always<br />
want<strong>ed</strong> to go, or perhaps never even thought of.
Are we on the precipice of once again being allow<strong>ed</strong> to explore<br />
our world and the multitude of waves on offer? Our fre<strong>ed</strong>oms<br />
appear to have been restor<strong>ed</strong>.<br />
The last few years of lockdown after lockdown and travel<br />
restrictions have foster<strong>ed</strong> a new found appreciation for where<br />
we live but it has also develop<strong>ed</strong> a yearning to discover distant<br />
shores.<br />
Now that the craziness of the last few years is hopefully behind<br />
us, we can start to venture far and wide to warmer, cherish<strong>ed</strong><br />
climes like the wonderful waves on offer in the Maldives, which we<br />
explore in-depth in this <strong>ed</strong>ition, to snowboarding in Switzerland<br />
and even somewhere as far flung as where this photo was taken –<br />
Bulgaria. We bet you didn’t even know they had waves – we sure<br />
as hell didn’t. It looks super cool too – for a variety of reasons.<br />
Bulgaria is a small country situat<strong>ed</strong> in Southeastern Europe with<br />
diverse terrain – an interior full of mountain ranges and rivers<br />
and a 378 kilometre coastline along the Black Sea. It’s a cultural<br />
melting pot of Greek, Slavic, Ottoman, and Persian influences,<br />
and has a rich heritage of traditional dance, music, costumes, and<br />
crafts. Its capital city, Sofia, dates back to the 5th century B.C.<br />
You can see how excit<strong>ed</strong> we start to become when talking<br />
of travel, anyhow, the wave we see here is at a little fishing<br />
port call<strong>ed</strong> Ahtopol. The town is 20km away from border with<br />
Turkey. The wave only starts working after two to three days of<br />
good northeast to easterly wind with September and October<br />
consider<strong>ed</strong> the best months. November can get pretty good too<br />
but the water is a toasty 14 degrees Celsius and by December<br />
is down around 10 degrees. Report<strong>ed</strong>ly the Black Sea doesn’t<br />
get waves for months on end but when they do come, they really<br />
come fast and powerful – you just have to watch for the rocks.<br />
This fast, fun, lefthand point break starts working at 3ft-5ft but can<br />
hold up to 10ft+.<br />
Ne<strong>ed</strong>less to say, there is so much to see, do and learn in this great<br />
big world we live in. Life is short, our time on the earth is fleeting,<br />
so go out and grab every opportunity with both hands and surf a<br />
wave you always dreamt of surfing, in a place you always want<strong>ed</strong><br />
to go, or perhaps never even thought of.<br />
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and cap.<br />
angleseasurfcentre.com.au<br />
Ph: 0352631530 @anglesea_surf_centre<br />
111 Great Ocean Road, Anglesea VIC 3230<br />
Dm us on social m<strong>ed</strong>ia or shoot an email to<br />
competitions@smorgasboarder.com.au
Ghost Racks<br />
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P 07 5493 9974<br />
E sales@acefibreglass.com.au<br />
WWW.ACEFIBREGLASS.COM.AU<br />
Winner<br />
Congratulations to Billie Baxter who best answer<strong>ed</strong> why<br />
surfboards are living works of art and won herself an<br />
awesome surfboard rack from the good folks at Ghost<br />
Racks. Billy’s respect for the art of crafting surfboards is<br />
such, that even after they’re long past their use-by-date,<br />
she recycles them into wonderful pieces of art to be<br />
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Multi<br />
Rack<br />
As they say, the best<br />
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The same applies to<br />
engineering. These Ghost<br />
Racks are simple and<br />
stylish. They are super easy<br />
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You literally put it<br />
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news<br />
victorian<br />
surfboard show<br />
Lindsay Becker & The Ramada Phillip Island<br />
Vintage Surfboard Display<br />
words: darren marks<br />
It’s good to surround yourself with passionate people as often<br />
as possible, there’s an infectious energy that is good to be<br />
around. People that work humbly toward something they truly<br />
believe in quite often inspire likemind<strong>ed</strong> souls to do the same.<br />
To look critically at the surf industry now, it’s hard to believe<br />
how far it has come and the trajectory it has taken. While there<br />
has been plenty of money made and lost along the way, the fuel<br />
that fe<strong>ed</strong>s the juggernaut always is and always will be passion.<br />
Lindsay Becker is a man both passionate and humble. As with<br />
most people of this ilk, he finds the limelight an uncomfortable<br />
place to stand. We can all relate to these quiet, modest types<br />
that are more than happy to illuminate the achievements of<br />
others while existing within the shadow that is cast. Sometimes<br />
though it’s appropriate to show appreciation for their passion<br />
Lindsay, originally from Mallacoota where he grew up surfing<br />
in the nooks and crannies of Australia’s South East, learn<strong>ed</strong> his<br />
trade as a builder and over time, mov<strong>ed</strong> permanently to Phillip<br />
Island. He’s carv<strong>ed</strong> out a secondary career that has seen him<br />
regard<strong>ed</strong> as an incr<strong>ed</strong>ible tattoo artist.<br />
Lindsay Becker is a man both<br />
passionate and humble. As with<br />
most people of this ilk, he finds<br />
the limelight an uncomfortable<br />
place to stand.<br />
A hobby for restoring surfboards hiccupp<strong>ed</strong> when he lost four<br />
boards in a fire when his San Remo house went up in flames.<br />
Understandably, other priorities took over until the opportunity<br />
arose to assemble a permanent display of vintage Victorian<br />
watercraft at the Ramada Resort on Phillip Island. His wife Bec,<br />
who is Assistant Manager at Ramada, must be also applaud<strong>ed</strong><br />
for the sacrifices she made on the home front as Lindsay began<br />
filling their home with fiberglass and fins.<br />
Over 18 months Lindsay amass<strong>ed</strong> an impressive 55 classic<br />
boards that document the evolution of the Victorian surfboard<br />
manufacturing industry. Luminaries such as Tom Tyrrell, Rod<br />
Stock, Terry Klemm, Russell Francis, Greg Brown, Maurice Cole,<br />
Wayne Lynch and the Oke family are all represent<strong>ed</strong> among a<br />
distinguish<strong>ed</strong> list of others.<br />
All of Lindsay’s boards were acquir<strong>ed</strong> by buying, restoring,<br />
selling, turning over and buying more until he complet<strong>ed</strong> the<br />
collection that is now on display. A lot of the dirty grunt work<br />
was taken on by Lindsay as a way of saving money in the<br />
restoration process, with the high end finishing outsourc<strong>ed</strong> to<br />
Adsy at Island surfboards. Time, money and effort invest<strong>ed</strong> in<br />
the project is calculat<strong>ed</strong> with a shrug of the shoulders and a<br />
“Bugger<strong>ed</strong> if I know”.<br />
It must be not<strong>ed</strong> that this collection was not motivat<strong>ed</strong> by<br />
monetary gain or exploitation, but for a pure love and respect for<br />
the under-acknowl<strong>ed</strong>g<strong>ed</strong> surfboard manufacturing industry and<br />
the fun, innovation and passion they have provid<strong>ed</strong> in our lives.<br />
Saturday the 19th of March saw the great unveiling in the<br />
Ramada Conference Room with the adjacent lawn strewn with<br />
other private collections of wave riding wonders from up and<br />
down the coast. Lifelong shapers and fiber glassers walk<strong>ed</strong><br />
quietly among the crowd, unpretentious<br />
in their contribution to our pleasure.<br />
These living, floating sculptures elicit<br />
visceral memories, it’s amazing watching<br />
the evolution of such a unique lifestyle<br />
captur<strong>ed</strong> so eloquently in resin, fiberglass<br />
and foam.<br />
Live music, market stalls and a show and<br />
shine under early Autumn skies provid<strong>ed</strong><br />
the perfect opportunity to engage in<br />
conversation, libation and exaggeration<br />
well into the evening. We all walk<strong>ed</strong> down<br />
memory lane and indulg<strong>ed</strong> ourselves<br />
in long lost summers of sentimentality.<br />
But that’s the what happens when you<br />
surround yourself with passionate people,<br />
you feel happy to be alive.<br />
Lindsay Becker’s work on display on<br />
this page top left and bottom right.
news
ontroversy<br />
“Oh the price of surfboards are just so expensive.”<br />
I am amaz<strong>ed</strong> how many, of even my own friends,<br />
utter this statement.<br />
It is time to get some perspective.<br />
photo: oke surfboards<br />
decals: chris garrett<br />
words: dave swan<br />
So, surfboards are expensive ehh? Yeah, it is a decent chunk<br />
of money to outlay for a quality shortboard or longboard -<br />
$1000-$2000 thereabouts. But let’s compare it to a few other<br />
sports and other life essentials and consider the amount of<br />
time it takes to make a surfboard.<br />
On average, a hand-shap<strong>ed</strong> surfboard takes the better part of<br />
a week or more in terms of actual labour hours. That allows<br />
for shaping, laminating, filler coat, sanding, glassing and<br />
polishing/finishing. Sch<strong>ed</strong>uling that work and allowing for<br />
the necessary drying/curing time means the whole process<br />
will take close to 3 weeks. Now consider how much you earn<br />
for a few weeks work? Then take into account the cost of<br />
materials.Also, remember to not just evaluate something on<br />
the time it takes to craft but rather the time it takes to acquire<br />
the skill to craft it in that time frame. A skill<strong>ed</strong> tradesman could<br />
construct an outdoor deck in a couple of days but it would<br />
take me several months to complete the same because I do<br />
not possess the skill they do. A skill that has been hon<strong>ed</strong> over<br />
many, many years working with timber.<br />
Let’s then consider the longevity of surfboards. I am fortunate<br />
to have acquir<strong>ed</strong> quite a few through the years and thankfully,<br />
because I value well-craft<strong>ed</strong> Australian/New Zealand made<br />
surfboards, they have last<strong>ed</strong> and last<strong>ed</strong>. As I look around my<br />
‘boardroom’ I take in the surfboards – 19 years, 6 years, 10<br />
years, 12 years, 8 years, 11 years, 3 years… and so it goes.<br />
The average age of my surfboards is easily 10+ years. Now if<br />
I go to the higher end of the price scale and value the board<br />
at $2000, that equates to $200 a year for 10 years of fun. And<br />
believe me, I regularly ride all my boards.<br />
Now, let’s say you or your kids play football. For a decent<br />
set of boots you’re up for $200 a season. Yes, you can buy<br />
cheaper but in the long run that will even up with trips to the<br />
physiotherapist and/or podiatrist as a result of wearing cheap<br />
boots – been there, done that. And that $200 for your boots<br />
is before you have bought any other gear, strapping, pads etc<br />
and well before you have paid your yearly sign-on fee that can<br />
range anywhere from $200 to $2000+ dollars depending on<br />
what code and level you play.<br />
On average a footy season is going to probably cost you<br />
close to a grand at least once you add up all the bits and<br />
pieces – equivalent to the cost of a quality shortboard. If you<br />
play 22-23 rounds and maybe finals, taking into consideration<br />
training, you will probably wear your boots 100- 120 times. If<br />
you only surf weekends and a run of holidays, you may rack<br />
up 100 surfs on your board in a year or two, and a quality<br />
surfboard will easily last you that long. And yes, you may snap<br />
or damage the board, or find out it is not what you were after,<br />
which sucks, but that also happens with football boots. Some<br />
even fall apart after half a season – even the expensive ones!<br />
And no, sports stores don’t allow you to go play in those<br />
boots for a couple of games just as a shaper won’t make<br />
you a board to surf a few times and return it. However, some<br />
shapers do have ride and trial days, or demos to test. And as<br />
always it pays to do your research as to what is right for you –<br />
surfboards and football boots the same.<br />
How about golf? There’s a popular sport. The most basic club<br />
set and bag will set you back at least $600-700 and if you<br />
play like me you might as well easily add $50-100 worth of<br />
golf balls each year. Now, all of this is before you have even<br />
paid green fees – that’s anywhere from at least $30-$60+<br />
every time you play. So, you have easily clear<strong>ed</strong> a grand in<br />
one year and that’s before you have fork<strong>ed</strong> out anywhere from<br />
$200-$2000 for that special wood. And if you wish to become<br />
a member of your local club you’re up for more cash again.<br />
Interestingly too, some days I will hit the ball superbly and<br />
others I play like Happy Gilmore. I know it is me, not the clubs.<br />
The same goes for surfboards. It is too easy to think a board<br />
is sh*t when in reality, some days you surf well and others you<br />
don’t. Some days you ride the wrong board for the conditions<br />
just like trying to use a putter to drive off a par 5.<br />
What else? If you like cycling (heaven forbid), a road bike<br />
is going to set you back close to $1000 and that is before<br />
you commit yourself to covering your body in spandex and<br />
shaving your legs. Hell, some people even spend as much on<br />
a bike as you would a small car. Mountain bikes are the same<br />
again and that’s before you pay for all the corrective surgery<br />
from the serious injuries many often inflict upon themselves.<br />
If you swim at your local pool, thanks to our government<br />
ineptitude and ridiculous insurance premiums, you’re up for<br />
around $6 for adults and $5 for kids. A yearly pass will set you<br />
back close to $900 and do you also want googles, fins, pull<br />
buoy? There’s a grand!<br />
Sports aside, think of the cost of other things nowadays. If<br />
you had a skill<strong>ed</strong> tradesman come out to your house for the<br />
better part of a week or two, I think you would be amaz<strong>ed</strong> to<br />
escape with an invoice for under a couple of grand – and that<br />
is excluding materials!<br />
So Smorgasboarders, please respect and appreciate the<br />
innate skills our surfboard shapers possess and pay them<br />
what is only fitting for their craft<br />
and the enjoyment they ultimately<br />
bring to our lives through surfing.<br />
<strong>SB</strong> / #51 / 14
P: 03 9587 3553<br />
E: rory@okesurfboards.com<br />
OKESURFBOARDS.COM<br />
1/1-7 Canterbury Rd, Braeside, VIC
Snowboarding – shockingly I would consider it as good if<br />
not better than surfing. I absolutely, categorically love it.<br />
Unfortunately, given that I live in a perpetual summer town,<br />
we don’t see any snow and thus there is no snowboarding.<br />
I only get to indulge when I travel and thanks to that bloody<br />
coronavirus, none of us have being doing any of that for a few<br />
years. But soon, hopefully soon, I will once again get to glide<br />
down the face of a 100ft frozen wave.<br />
Thinking of snowboarding recently had me reminiscing about our<br />
family’s last visit to the snow before all the craziness began in<br />
2020. Those who read our keepsake 50th <strong>ed</strong>ition may recall my<br />
son got the chance to play football in Portugal in late 2019 with<br />
me his on-tour manager. At the end of his stint, the rest of the<br />
family join<strong>ed</strong> us to embark on a 20-day trip through Europe. High<br />
on our agenda was hitting the slopes, the only trouble being<br />
there’s not often a great deal of snow on offer in mid-December.<br />
Good mate Craig Russell, who owns Helloworld Travel in<br />
Kawana, recommend<strong>ed</strong> we try Engelberg, a little mountain resort<br />
in Central Switzerland.<br />
photo: Jonathan Smit<br />
suppli<strong>ed</strong> by: Seventhwave Wetsuits
Across the ditch<br />
It’s around this time of year we at Smorgasboarder pine for an NZ work trip. The chance to<br />
indulge in an ice-cold, Norsca-fresh surf, follow<strong>ed</strong> by a few frosties around a beach campfire<br />
and even a few cheeky snowboard runs nearby is something that so appeals to us. Long live<br />
the Land of the Long White Cloud we say. These next few pages pay homage to our mates,<br />
those wonderful people from across the ditch who call this magic place home.
seventh heaven<br />
photo: Jonathan Smit<br />
suppli<strong>ed</strong> by: Seventhwave Wetsuits<br />
Imagine a time before the internet, before mobile<br />
phones were smaller than a house brick, and before<br />
the first episode of The Simpsons land<strong>ed</strong> on TV.<br />
Picture two mates living in Christchurch, one<br />
making back packs for a living and the other selling<br />
clothes for Allan G Mitchell on New Zealand’s<br />
South Island. A time when wetsuits were a new<br />
thing, when Allan G Mitchell was importing them<br />
from America to sell in the shops. It was also a time<br />
when these two blokes start<strong>ed</strong> to become known<br />
as the New Zealanders that could make even better<br />
wetsuits and deliver the goods to local shops in a<br />
timely fashion.<br />
Those blokes, Paul Zarifeh and Geoff White,<br />
launch<strong>ed</strong> the Canterbury Wetsuit Company in June<br />
1987 – a date that mark<strong>ed</strong> the beginnings on a 35<br />
year journey into the surf industry that continues to<br />
this day in the form of Seventhwave Wetsuits Ltd<br />
bas<strong>ed</strong> in Ferrymead.<br />
The company’s journey is one of ups and downs,<br />
growing to have three shops at one stage, then<br />
shrinking as technology start<strong>ed</strong> to rule commerce,<br />
and the aftermaths of two earthquakes that forc<strong>ed</strong><br />
people out of the water in the Christchurch area for<br />
almost a year.<br />
Geoff left along the way to do his own thing, but<br />
Paul, and his trusty team kept on going, evolving<br />
the business to be driven by online orders and<br />
known throughout the southern hemisphere for their<br />
extra warm, custom-fitt<strong>ed</strong>, wetsuits.<br />
Sadly, on November 23, 2017, Paul lost his battle<br />
with cancer, but not before he had the interest of a<br />
crazy, passionate local surfer to buy his business<br />
and continue his legacy.<br />
Sarah “Puff” Armstrong, owner and managing<br />
director of Seventhwave, said Paul’s passion for<br />
quality, New Zealand-made, surf gear was at the<br />
heart of everything the brand and the business<br />
stood for.<br />
Puff (whose nickname came from a bad haircut as<br />
a kid, in case you’re wondering) said the boutique<br />
business operat<strong>ed</strong> with eight Wetsuits Specialists<br />
including herself and her daughter Janee who run<br />
the shop and the admin side of things.<br />
In the cutting room, the experience runs deep, with<br />
head fitter Janet having start<strong>ed</strong> with Paul 35 years<br />
ago, and a couple of the other ladies who start<strong>ed</strong><br />
there as crazy 16-year-olds more than a few moons<br />
ago and are still there. Together, Puff said between<br />
the team, Seventhwave had accumulat<strong>ed</strong> some<br />
120 years worth of skills and knowl<strong>ed</strong>ge in wetsuit<br />
creation, a rare commodity on a global level. This<br />
has, and still is, being driven by a strong female l<strong>ed</strong><br />
skill set.<br />
Puff, who’s surfing p<strong>ed</strong>egree includes competing<br />
and being on the core organising team for the<br />
Canterbury Women’s Champs, one of the biggest<br />
women’s only surfing competitions, celebrating<br />
its 20th year in 2022. Until she took ownership<br />
of the business, Puff said she had never worn a<br />
Seventhwave Wetsuit.<br />
“I’ve never had a wetsuit fit me because because<br />
there wasn’t a lot design<strong>ed</strong> for the smaller ladies. I<br />
wore a 4/3 all summer in the past and was still cold<br />
– then I wore a Seventhwave summer 1.5 suit that<br />
actually fitt<strong>ed</strong> me and I was never cold,” she said.<br />
Bor<strong>ed</strong> at work, Puff said she was looking for a<br />
business that would tie her lifestyle and deep<br />
passion for surfing together. When she heard Paul<br />
was looking to sell, it seem<strong>ed</strong> a serendipitous<br />
moment.<br />
Learning the ropes and setting up the business for<br />
today’s e-commerce world has not been without it’s<br />
challenges.<br />
<strong>SB</strong> / #52 / 18
photo: Jonathan Smit<br />
suppli<strong>ed</strong> by: Seventhwave Wetsuits<br />
Paul Zarifeh<br />
“The first three to four years, I didn’t take a wage<br />
and work<strong>ed</strong> for love and wetsuits,” Puff said.<br />
“I’m the tester and the product developer –<br />
somebody’s got to test them. I’m ‘that’ boss that<br />
gets bann<strong>ed</strong> from her own factory, which is perfect<br />
when the surf’s up.”<br />
Puff went on to say the fe<strong>ed</strong>back from her wetsuit<br />
ambassadors around NZ is irreplaceable for the<br />
ongoing development.<br />
When it comes to the wetsuits themselves Puff<br />
said since owning the business she had sourc<strong>ed</strong><br />
a wide range of neoprenes to trial from all over the<br />
world, but had found nothing work<strong>ed</strong> quite as well<br />
as the Japanese Yamamoto neoprene Seventhwave<br />
wetsuits are known for.<br />
The Yamamoto neoprene is a product made from<br />
limestone, not petroleum-bas<strong>ed</strong>, and is known for<br />
its exceptional thermal insulation, light-weight and<br />
unique high density cells that repel water keeping<br />
the suits dry and the weight stable in and out of the<br />
water.<br />
Seventhwave Wetsuits, in its current incarnation, is<br />
a boutique, custom-fit wetsuit business that sells<br />
a range of other neoprene products too, direct to<br />
customers all over the world via the internet and to<br />
plenty of locals from their shop at Ferrymead.<br />
Puff said the team was passionate about using<br />
quality New Zealand made products wherever<br />
possible, and about keeping their environmental<br />
footprint low – recycling neoprene off-cuts into<br />
stubby coolers and the like and sending other bits<br />
out to local schools for their art classes.<br />
The suits are built to last, which Puff jokes is a bit of<br />
an issue for a business built on word of mouth and<br />
repeat custom, as the repeat customers generally<br />
only ne<strong>ed</strong> a new suit every three to four years if<br />
they’re avid weekly surfers, or six to eight years if<br />
they’re not so regular surfers.<br />
Living where the water gets down to 8 degrees in<br />
winter and the windchill factor can turn you blue<br />
in a flash, Puff said the thermal qualities of the<br />
Seventhwave wetsuits meant about 50 percent<br />
of the suits in any line up in New Zealand’s South<br />
Island carri<strong>ed</strong> the Seventhwave label.<br />
“Our suits are the warmest, thinnest, lightest, best<br />
fitting suits you can get,” Puff said.<br />
Fully suit<strong>ed</strong> for a Winter’s Day, Puff said she can<br />
comfortably last a three hour session in the water.<br />
And while she said she’s a shortboarder at heart,<br />
these days the longboard gets the most work.<br />
The factory does repairs too, and Puff said she’s<br />
always talking to people in the line-up, checking<br />
out how they’re suits are performing, and reminding<br />
them that their services are there if something<br />
ne<strong>ed</strong>s a bit of fixing up.<br />
As we sign off from our chat, Puff heads back<br />
to the office where she suspects there may be<br />
an espresso martini waiting for her - a Thursday<br />
afternoon tradition it seems among the hardworking<br />
and fun loving crew at Seventhwave Wetsuits.<br />
One thing’s for sure, if the last 35 years are anything<br />
to go by, the next 35 years are bound to be a lot of<br />
fun!<br />
For more information visit seventhwave.co.nz,<br />
facebook.com/seventhwavewetsuits, phone<br />
+64 3 384 7878 or email info@seventhwave.co.nz<br />
19 / #52 / <strong>SB</strong>
Across the ditch<br />
“YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN HERE … LAST WEEK”!<br />
SUCH AN ANNOYING<br />
SENTENCE TO HEAR.. IS IT<br />
HABIT, OR HUMAN NATURE?<br />
WE ALL DO IT! REMINDS ME<br />
OF THE BANJO PATERSON<br />
POEM MUM USED TO PLAY<br />
ON THE OLD PIONEER<br />
STEREO WHEN I WAS A KID<br />
GROWING UP IN THE BLUE<br />
MOUNTAINS …<br />
“OH, THE NEW-CHUM WENT<br />
TO THE BACK BLOCK RUN,<br />
BUT HE SHOULD HAVE GONE<br />
THERE LAST WEEK.<br />
HE WENT FOR A DRIVE, AND<br />
HE MADE A START, WHICH<br />
SHOULD HAVE BEEN MADE<br />
LAST WEEK”.<br />
The forecast was so small … the swell, literally<br />
measur<strong>ed</strong> in centimetres, but it was a birthday<br />
weekend. It can be a fickle beast, anticipating<br />
South Island New Zealand weather? Modern<br />
day surf weekends are more a matter of; finish<br />
work at the shop as early as possible, load-up<br />
the NZSHRED wagon, run through the “DSN”<br />
List (Dead Set Necessities), grab some extra<br />
Cold Water Sexwax and just get things on the<br />
road.<br />
Despite the suggest<strong>ed</strong> swell size, we were<br />
heading to the deep south, where anything<br />
can happen. If there is one thing (and there’s<br />
many) that the diabolical nature of the last<br />
two years has taught us, it’s to ‘seize the day’.<br />
Horace thought enough to first say it 2000 years<br />
ago, then Robin remind<strong>ed</strong> us again, as that<br />
meaningful mentor. Now, more than ever, it’s a<br />
‘tool for survival’ … a head-clearer of the most<br />
refreshing type.<br />
As we got to the batch, the weather could only<br />
be describ<strong>ed</strong> as “inclement”. Kev and Mush<br />
arriv<strong>ed</strong> from the <strong>ed</strong>ge of Fiordland, with their<br />
van full of SUP’s … “How are ya mate?,<br />
So, what’s it doin?”. We crack<strong>ed</strong> a beer with<br />
that typical anticipation that midway through a<br />
can, someone would start searching for their<br />
wettie and booties and we’d be out there in no<br />
time. If there was even 10cms of swell, well, it<br />
had already been, gone, and look<strong>ed</strong> unlikely<br />
to return - replac<strong>ed</strong> by a tangl<strong>ed</strong> mess of<br />
windchop. Time to batten down the hatches for<br />
the night, cheers a mate and tell some stories.<br />
Of course, “You should have been here last<br />
week!”, as someone read the comments in the<br />
Guest Book. But we were there now, and it was<br />
what we all ne<strong>ed</strong><strong>ed</strong>. A group of friends, gather<strong>ed</strong><br />
together BY, the anticipation of some waves and<br />
solid water time, but FOR, the opportunity of<br />
comradery that is nurtur<strong>ed</strong> and develop<strong>ed</strong>, no<br />
matter what your age, where you work or how<br />
you perform in the water.<br />
The next day was something special,<br />
notwithstanding the irony of what turn<strong>ed</strong> out to<br />
be a fairly accurate surf forecast. As we awoke<br />
to the familiar sound of the verandah shuffle -<br />
the earliest riser struggling to pour themselves<br />
into their new Vissla Seven Seas Chest Zip<br />
4/3mm wettie. Realising the minute scale of the<br />
swells meandering their way into the bay we<br />
<strong>SB</strong> / #52 / 20
the<br />
thinnest<br />
warmest<br />
lightest<br />
best fitting<br />
wetsuits<br />
seventhwave.co.nz<br />
gather<strong>ed</strong> our variety of floatation – including a 10’6” Adventure 60/40<br />
SUP - and immers<strong>ed</strong> ourselves. Beautiful, consistent, but miniature!<br />
As I survey<strong>ed</strong> the crew in the water, I realis<strong>ed</strong> how much of a product<br />
service we provide at NZSHRED, to our local surf community - there<br />
were Ripcurl Dawn Patrol wettie and booties, Ocean & Earth leashes<br />
and of course our highest seller for this summer, the Torq TET’s and<br />
Mod Funboards. Anything in the 7’ to early 8’ is so useful for all levels,<br />
on these cruisy right-hand sliders.<br />
That session didn’t amount to much … for most of us … dragging<br />
the spell, till the welcome smell of freshly roast<strong>ed</strong> beans, outweigh<strong>ed</strong><br />
the suggestion of “a lil’sumpthin out the back”. It’s a lovely little surf<br />
community, where you can casually walk up from the flat sandy beach,<br />
along the recently mown verges, which are refreshingly sympathetic to<br />
feet that struggle with the 14 (and a bit) degree water temps.<br />
De-rubber<strong>ed</strong> and re-rob<strong>ed</strong>, I was onto my second caffeine ‘come alive’<br />
before I remember<strong>ed</strong> Webbo was still out. Like I said, it’s a relax<strong>ed</strong><br />
community, and common to pass someone else doing the same as you<br />
… walking down the street, coffee mug in hand, seeing if the swell had<br />
chang<strong>ed</strong> at all. As soon as I perch<strong>ed</strong> myself on the railing overlooking<br />
the casual break, there on his 7’6” Santa-deliver<strong>ed</strong> stick, the Birthday<br />
Boy cruis<strong>ed</strong> past with shallow, elongat<strong>ed</strong> ‘down the face’ drops that<br />
were link<strong>ed</strong> to nicely round<strong>ed</strong> bottom turns, as accurate as if they’d<br />
been drawn by his 6th Form maths protractor. As is generally the case<br />
at this break, the termination of your wave is a fine line between the<br />
distance back to the line-up, and running your ste<strong>ed</strong> aground from<br />
exhaustion … and I definitely replac<strong>ed</strong> a few fins for customers running<br />
that gauntlet. As he pull<strong>ed</strong> one last bottom turn and casually ambl<strong>ed</strong><br />
back to sneak one more, he look<strong>ed</strong> up and gave me a hand gesture like<br />
he’d just got a points victory over his idle, Occy.<br />
And why wouldn’t he - after all, it was his Birthday. With a casual “Yooo”<br />
he yell<strong>ed</strong> out, “You should have been here … A Bit Longer”. At least it<br />
wasn’t “Last Week” … Hmmm, perhaps I’ll get back in my wettie.<br />
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words: jase johns<br />
www.nzshr<strong>ed</strong>.co.nz<br />
sadhanasurfboards.co.nz<br />
21 / #52 / <strong>SB</strong>
X<br />
E<br />
Across the ditch<br />
O<br />
L<br />
R<br />
E<br />
W<br />
H<br />
A<br />
N<br />
G<br />
A M<br />
P<br />
A<br />
T A<br />
PEDal AND PADDLE<br />
“Explore Whangamata and the spectacular Coromandel region<br />
with courtesy vehicle pick ups and drop offs.<br />
“Extensive SUP hire range, surf or explore flat water.<br />
“Visit the now natural wonder of Whenuakura Island and its<br />
spectacular bush fring<strong>ed</strong> lagoon.<br />
“Have a day off the water but wish to explore the region? We<br />
have a wide range of E-Bikes available, or walk our bush and<br />
coast tracks.”<br />
www.p<strong>ed</strong>alandpaddle.co.nz<br />
N<br />
E<br />
W<br />
Z<br />
E<br />
A<br />
L<br />
A<br />
D<br />
N<br />
Maranui Surf Life Saving Cafe<br />
“Pop out to Lyall Bay to visit the iconic Maranui Cafe. Here you<br />
can forget about the time and tuck into something scrumptious<br />
while gazing out over the beach, which is often fill<strong>ed</strong> with surfers<br />
attempting to master the waves. Brimming with personality,<br />
Maranui has a feel for colour and embraces all things eclectic<br />
when it comes to design. Sitting above the Maranui Surf Life<br />
Saving Club with a great coffee in hand and staring into the<br />
glistening blue distance, you’re sure to feel the holiday vibes.”<br />
+6 4387 4539 cafe@maranui.co.nz<br />
Before<br />
AFTER<br />
MOANA SUP<br />
In addition to Moana’s very cool surf<br />
shop that we told you about last<br />
issue, Toby and Bridget also have a<br />
SUP School, board and kayak hire<br />
opposite the shop on Tahunanui<br />
Beach, Nelson’s favourite beach<br />
destination.<br />
It’s important to learn paddle board<br />
skills from a professional (see before<br />
and after photos) and Moana is the<br />
only Surfing N.Z accr<strong>ed</strong>it<strong>ed</strong> SUP<br />
school on the South Island of N.Z.<br />
Moana hosts a Wahine paddle<br />
morning on Fridays and they also<br />
have a floating SUP yoga studio,<br />
both of which can keep you out on<br />
the water right through Winter.<br />
So for some truly spectacular paddle<br />
destinations, sitting down or standing<br />
up, pop in to visit Moana either in the<br />
shop or on the beach.<br />
“Best little surf shop<br />
in town (and beyond)”<br />
LOCAL & INDEPENDENT<br />
Shop 6, 623 Rocks Road, Moana, Nelson<br />
visit<br />
moanasup.co.nz<br />
visit<br />
<strong>SB</strong> / #52 / 22
Across the ditch<br />
Real Surf<br />
“Real Surf is a locally own<strong>ed</strong> and operat<strong>ed</strong> Core Surf Store<br />
specialising in surfboards, wetsuits, hardware and rentals. Come<br />
check out our new store just down the road at 5/56 Kingsford<br />
Smith St, Lyall Bay, Wellington.<br />
“We’re open 7 days a week with a friendly and experienc<strong>ed</strong> team<br />
ready to help out with your next purchase!<br />
Alternatively check out our website for the latest products and<br />
sale deals at www.realsurf.co.nz or find us on social m<strong>ed</strong>ia.”<br />
+64 4 387 8798<br />
www.realsurf.co.nz<br />
team@realsurf.co.nz<br />
Coastal Sports Kaikoura<br />
“We’re a small shop living the dream in Kaikoura NZ,<br />
with adventures from the surf to mountains at our<br />
doorstep. Since 2003, owner operat<strong>ed</strong>, hardware<br />
focus<strong>ed</strong>, passion run business. Coldwater surf<br />
specialist, adventure gear, and all the fun stuff. Shop<br />
smarter, surf more, and consume less.”<br />
+6 3319 5028<br />
www.coastalsports.co.nz<br />
SUPCENTRE<br />
“Our epic summer may be drawing<br />
to a close but with the recent ease in<br />
covid restrictions, we can finally turn<br />
our gaze back to overseas travel.<br />
Open borders and larger gatherings<br />
call for finally taking that highly<br />
anticipat<strong>ed</strong> surf mission you’ve been<br />
waiting for.<br />
“The Supcentre is well stock<strong>ed</strong> with<br />
Stand Up Paddle Boards, Paddles<br />
and the latest accessories. We<br />
have all the equipment ne<strong>ed</strong><strong>ed</strong> for<br />
your next adventure sort<strong>ed</strong>. Our<br />
great range of stock also includes<br />
surfboards ( short and long), leashes,<br />
and board bags.<br />
“Next time you drop into the<br />
Supcentre, our friendly staff and a<br />
quick peek inside our legendary fin<br />
box is sure to get you all hyp<strong>ed</strong> for<br />
your next adventure.”<br />
visit<br />
www.supcentre.co.nz<br />
23 / #52 / <strong>SB</strong>
OUT<br />
OF THE<br />
SHES<br />
COLIN ASHFORD<br />
When Smorgasboarder set out to find<br />
people’s cool surf cars for this <strong>ed</strong>ition,<br />
little did we know the sorts of great<br />
stories we’d uncover.<br />
While Colin “Biggsy” Ashford’s 1937<br />
Vauxhall is undoubt<strong>ed</strong>ly a cool beast,<br />
the story behind its 76-year-old owner<br />
is something out of an adventure novel.<br />
Surfing, shaping, skiing, hang-gliding,<br />
bushfires, beating cancer… it’s got it all.<br />
When it comes to surfing, the adventure<br />
began 66 years ago when 10 yearold<br />
Colin first took to the water on a<br />
borrow<strong>ed</strong> board and was instantly<br />
hook<strong>ed</strong>.<br />
He grew up at Stanwell Park, a coastal<br />
community south of Sydney and north<br />
of Wollongong, in a time when kids found<br />
their own way, to school or the beach, by<br />
foot, bus, train, hitchhiking or bike.<br />
WORDS: GEOFF CROCKETT<br />
<strong>SB</strong> / #52 / 24
PHOTO: SUPPLIED BY COL ASHFORD.<br />
COL SURFING HIS FIRST COLLINS SURFBOARD AT SANDON POINT.<br />
25 / #52 / <strong>SB</strong>
PHOTO: SUPPLIED BY COL ASHFORD.<br />
For Colin, kicking off riding<br />
waves in the late 1950s meant<br />
jumping onto a “16ft plywood<br />
toothpick with a D-handle on<br />
the back.”<br />
“I’ve always liv<strong>ed</strong> in the country, so it’s always been<br />
a bit of a mission to get to places,” Colin said.<br />
“Where I liv<strong>ed</strong> initially was right on the top of the hill<br />
at the southern end of the beach – it was about a<br />
300m walk to the beach. Then we mov<strong>ed</strong> from there<br />
up to the highway and it was about 1km – you’d<br />
ride the bike with the board under your arm.<br />
“Back then, we were the only locals, it was like a<br />
holiday destination – people would come to town<br />
on a Friday night go back on Sunday and leave their<br />
boards at the surf club – which was really good for<br />
those guys who didn’t have a board.”<br />
For Colin, kicking off riding waves in the late 1950s<br />
meant jumping onto a “16ft plywood toothpick with<br />
a D-handle on the back.”<br />
“They weigh<strong>ed</strong> a tonne and leak<strong>ed</strong> like a sieve.<br />
You’d catch three waves and have to go back to<br />
the beach and let them dry out. There’d be a lot of<br />
blokes around who can relate to that.”<br />
Colin’s move into shaping and building boards<br />
came when he was about 15 years old and took<br />
on a job as a carpenter/joiner. The first factory he<br />
describes as being a “convert<strong>ed</strong> chookpen” in<br />
Stanwell Park.<br />
As the board trends mov<strong>ed</strong> away from balsa and<br />
into foam, Colin would strip down the discard<strong>ed</strong><br />
boards, re-use the old balsa and re-glass the<br />
boards to create more modern designs for his<br />
mates at no cost, other than materials, that would<br />
be sourc<strong>ed</strong> from the likes of local surf industry<br />
names, Brian Jackson, Ron Cansdell or Graham<br />
King.<br />
In 1966, Colin, together with a school mate, Bill<br />
Trestrail, decid<strong>ed</strong> the time was right to launch their<br />
own board business and Bill Collins Surfboards<br />
kick<strong>ed</strong> off in an old service station site right next to<br />
the hang-gliding launch area at Stanwell Park.<br />
It was to be short-liv<strong>ed</strong>. That location only last<strong>ed</strong><br />
a couple of months before the service station was<br />
reclaim<strong>ed</strong> and demolish<strong>ed</strong> as part of road widening<br />
plans (plans that have still never happen<strong>ed</strong>).<br />
With the first factory gone and the business clos<strong>ed</strong>,<br />
Colin finish<strong>ed</strong> his apprenticeship and head<strong>ed</strong><br />
back to the ocean, completing the life saving<br />
qualifications he requir<strong>ed</strong> to become the council’s<br />
full time lifesaver, then call<strong>ed</strong> Beach Inspector, at<br />
Scarborough Beach. Meanwhile, business partner<br />
Bill hit the road to drive trucks.<br />
As a young surf addict, Colin remembers his<br />
lifesaving days as one of his best – arriving at the<br />
beach early, surfing until the flags went up at 9am,<br />
patrolling all day, then surfing in the evenings after<br />
the flags went down whenever the conditions were<br />
right.<br />
SANDON POINT<br />
He tells a gnarly story of one of only two shark<br />
attacks he’d heard of during that time, when he was<br />
call<strong>ed</strong> to shut down his beach and head to the next<br />
beach at Col<strong>ed</strong>ale in February 1966 after a surfer<br />
had been attack<strong>ed</strong> and had his leg chew<strong>ed</strong>.<br />
Colin said the shark had been dragg<strong>ed</strong> ashore,<br />
with the boy’s leg still in its mouth, and kill<strong>ed</strong> with a<br />
surfboard fin to its head. A later autopsy found the<br />
shark’s stomach was empty and it appear<strong>ed</strong> the<br />
shark, a Great White, had been caught on a shark<br />
line and unable to escape to hunt when this poor<br />
kid’s leg just happen<strong>ed</strong> to appear before it in the<br />
wrong place, at the wrong time. The surfer, a then<br />
13-year-old Ray Short, surviv<strong>ed</strong> the attack with a<br />
very battle-scarr<strong>ed</strong> leg.<br />
<strong>SB</strong> / #52 / 26
27 / #52 / <strong>SB</strong>
<strong>SB</strong> / #52 / 28
Around the same time it could be said surfing sav<strong>ed</strong><br />
Colin from the Vietnam War.<br />
He was call<strong>ed</strong> up for National Service on<br />
February 2, 1966, however he last<strong>ed</strong> only one day<br />
after it was deem<strong>ed</strong> the “board lumps” on his feet<br />
were too big to fit into an army boot and he wouldn’t<br />
make it through training. He was m<strong>ed</strong>ically discharg<strong>ed</strong><br />
and Colin still considers that one of the luckiest days<br />
in his life.<br />
Colin sums up the next stages of his life pretty<br />
succinctly in a blog/bio he upload<strong>ed</strong> online back in<br />
2011 as part of a South Coast (NSW) surf research<br />
project.<br />
“I got marri<strong>ed</strong>, mov<strong>ed</strong> to Thirroul, start<strong>ed</strong> a factory in<br />
a big sh<strong>ed</strong> at the bottom of Kenn<strong>ed</strong>y’s Hill, between<br />
Austinmere and Thirroul. The neighbours complain<strong>ed</strong><br />
so I rent<strong>ed</strong> a workshop at 30 Flinders Street,<br />
Wollongong in 1967 and start<strong>ed</strong> Collins Surboards<br />
there.<br />
“Gave up the factory in 1974 and made boards under<br />
the house and went back to building houses and<br />
working in coal mines.<br />
“Then got a job on the professional ski patrol in<br />
Perisher Valley in 1975, then became a ski instructor<br />
in `76-77 and continu<strong>ed</strong> making boards and ski<br />
boats under the house under the brand name of<br />
Sybernaught and Seaglass. Many of these boards<br />
were sold through Southern Man Surf Shop at<br />
Ulladulla found<strong>ed</strong> and own<strong>ed</strong> by David Matthew.<br />
“A few years later I mov<strong>ed</strong> to Lake Conjola (1991)<br />
where I bought a 1 acre block. The first thing I did was<br />
to plant 10 Paulownia Trees.”<br />
Those Paulownia trees Colin plant<strong>ed</strong> when he first<br />
arriv<strong>ed</strong> at Lake Conjola grew at a great rate. While<br />
they’d been plant<strong>ed</strong> for shade, Colin said as they got<br />
larger, they became more dangerous with large limbs<br />
dropping off during the big westerly winds that hit the<br />
South Coast.<br />
Scar<strong>ed</strong> of the implications of the disintegrating<br />
trees, he had them cut down and the wood chopp<strong>ed</strong><br />
into useable pieces with a view to working with it<br />
somehow in the future.<br />
When a mate bought a milling machine, the wood<br />
was mill<strong>ed</strong> and Colin hatch<strong>ed</strong> a plan to start building<br />
hollow wooden surfboards from the light-weight<br />
Paulownia – much like he’d start<strong>ed</strong> out all those years<br />
ago with balsa boards.<br />
The boards became a work of love, and of art, and he<br />
said while he’d offer<strong>ed</strong> them to people to ride, and he<br />
was sure they’d cut through the waves as they were<br />
design<strong>ed</strong> to do – so far, none of his mates had been<br />
willing to take the wax to them, worri<strong>ed</strong> they’d wreck<br />
the final finish.<br />
It’s on that same block of land at Lake Conjola, where<br />
Colin lives to this day, that he has fought some of his<br />
biggest battles and had his biggest revelations.<br />
In a blog post in 2002 Colin frankly discloses the<br />
health battles he fac<strong>ed</strong> in his mid-50s.<br />
29 / #52 / <strong>SB</strong>
While now, at 76, he no longer surfs, he<br />
says it’s more to do with his body not being<br />
able to cope with it after nearly 60 years<br />
of hard work and manual labour, than any<br />
single disease or health challenge.<br />
“It’s now 2002. I have just spent the last four years<br />
fighting for my life after being diagnos<strong>ed</strong> with<br />
leukaemia and prostate cancer. This story I am<br />
happy to tell anyone that I might be able to help<br />
understand and inspire,” he wrote. “After enduring<br />
chemotherapy and radiation I am still here. I beat<br />
leukaemia, but maybe not the prostate cancer. My<br />
PSA levels are now 36 and still rising, this is more<br />
than 10 times the norm.”<br />
Colin, then 56-years-old, went on to say he’d<br />
start<strong>ed</strong> surfing again, but had to stop briefly as viral<br />
pneumonia put him back in hospital for a while.<br />
He quit working with fiberglass and paint when he<br />
got out and hit the surf again, slowly regaining his<br />
balance and control.<br />
While now, at 76, he no longer surfs, he says it’s<br />
more to do with his body not being able to cope<br />
with it after nearly 60 years of hard work and<br />
manual labour, than any single disease or health<br />
challenge.<br />
Those pesky diseases are still hanging around<br />
though. Colin said he wound up in hospital in<br />
October 2019 and tests reveal<strong>ed</strong> the leukemia had<br />
return<strong>ed</strong>.<br />
<strong>SB</strong> / #52 / 30
31 / #52 / <strong>SB</strong>
“On the 3rd of December 2019 I start<strong>ed</strong> chemo<br />
again, just when I was sure that things could not<br />
possibly get worse the New Year’s Eve bushfires<br />
hit Conjola park destroying 98 homes all around me<br />
with the loss of three lives - one of them my friend<br />
and surfing mate Laurie Andrew where we had<br />
mill<strong>ed</strong> the timber a couple of years earlier to make<br />
my first hollow wood surfboard,” Colin said.<br />
“My house somehow surviv<strong>ed</strong> but my sh<strong>ed</strong>, and all<br />
of the last 10 foam boards I had made for myself<br />
and one of the three hollow wooden boards - all of<br />
my tools, my machinery, and my boat, that were not<br />
insur<strong>ed</strong>, went up in smoke.<br />
“For the last two years, I have been working 7-daysa-week<br />
rebuilding the sh<strong>ed</strong> bigger and better than<br />
before.<br />
“I’ve mill<strong>ed</strong> a huge pile of timber that got cut down<br />
from all over the local area after the fires and I am<br />
well into making my next 8ft 6in Indo gun from the<br />
timber salvag<strong>ed</strong> from the ashes of the fire.<br />
“After eight months of chemo, my blood counts are<br />
good again my prostate cancer is still there and my<br />
PSA has taken more than 20 years to reach 98, so<br />
I should make it for a few more years yet. I plan to<br />
continue making wooden surfboards for as long as I<br />
am able to - all for the love of surfing.<br />
For Colin, who scor<strong>ed</strong> his nickname “Biggsy” as<br />
a fit young apprentice weighing in at over 100kg<br />
many years ago, there has been a ton of adventure<br />
in his life so far.<br />
He took to the skies, hang gliding under the tutelage<br />
of Steve Cohen, often cr<strong>ed</strong>it<strong>ed</strong> as being one of the<br />
founders of the sport in New South Wales.<br />
And he join<strong>ed</strong> some mates to learn rudimentary<br />
Japanese before heading the land to the Cherry<br />
Blossom on numerous occasions hunting for fresh<br />
powder snow in out of the way locations.<br />
As were chatting he broke off briefly to cough<br />
deeply, explaining soon after that particular affliction<br />
was the result of damage done to his throat as a<br />
younger man drinking too much port and other grog<br />
and causing himself permanent damage when he<br />
threw it up again later.<br />
“I want another innings. I want another go. To make<br />
good everything I did wrong and live long enough to<br />
implore other people to do whatever it is they would<br />
want to do. Just get up and have a go.”<br />
<strong>SB</strong> / #52 / 32
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<strong>SB</strong> / #52 / 34
IVES<br />
words : geoff crockett<br />
photo : Niyama Private Island<br />
courtesy : Stok<strong>ed</strong> Surf Adventures<br />
35 / #52 / <strong>SB</strong>
UXUR<br />
If you were to fly north,<br />
north-west for 7242km from<br />
the centre of Australia, you’d<br />
land in Male, the capital of<br />
the Republic of the Maldives.<br />
Male<br />
Australia<br />
It’s a nation made up of 1192 islands in the Indian Ocean<br />
stretching 871km from tip to toe - that’s a little bit less<br />
than the drive from Brisbane to Mackay, and about<br />
exactly the same as the drive from Melbourne to Sydney.<br />
Geographically, it’s just around the corner from Sri Lanka,<br />
off the bottom tip of India.<br />
The pr<strong>ed</strong>ominant religion is Muslim and as this <strong>ed</strong>ition<br />
of Smorgasboarder goes to print the locals will have<br />
celebrat<strong>ed</strong> the end of Ramadan for 2022 (approximately<br />
April 2 to May 1).<br />
For Muslims, Ramadan is the month where healthy adults<br />
fast from dawn to dusk. It’s also a good month for surfers<br />
booking travel to the region and looking for a few less<br />
locals on the waves.<br />
The Maldives is divid<strong>ed</strong> into a double chain of 26 atolls,<br />
and then again into regions, the northern atolls, central<br />
atolls and southern atolls.<br />
Only 200 of its islands are inhabit<strong>ed</strong>, and its unique<br />
ecology has creat<strong>ed</strong> a paradise of islands, reefs and deep<br />
channels.<br />
It’s at the breaks in the islands, where the deep water<br />
meets the reefs, that some of the best waves in the world<br />
are to be found and explor<strong>ed</strong>.<br />
Once kept secret by locals, the waves of the Maldives are<br />
now in hot demand from across the world.<br />
While for Aussie surfers, the COVID travel restrictions<br />
of the past two years have made it all but impossible to<br />
leave our country and explore – our surfing mates from<br />
Europe, the Unit<strong>ed</strong> States, Brazil and Russia have now<br />
found the Maldives thanks to the Maldivian government’s<br />
smart handling of COVID travel rules which meant it has<br />
been open for business for all but three months.<br />
Thankfully, as we head towards the back end of 2022,<br />
restrictions are easing here in Australia, passports are<br />
being dust<strong>ed</strong> off, and the Maldives are jumping out as<br />
one of the great surf travel destinations of our region, just<br />
waiting for surfers from Australia and New Zealand to<br />
come and have some fun.<br />
For this <strong>ed</strong>ition we’ve caught up with some of the big<br />
names of Maldives travel and ask<strong>ed</strong> them to share their<br />
thoughts on surfing the region and booking tours in 2022<br />
and beyond.<br />
In the following pages we’ll hear from Ian Lyon at Atoll<br />
Adventures, Chris Buykx from Perfect Wave, Steve<br />
Adams from World Surfaris, Shaun Levings from Island<br />
Hop Maldives, Chris Stevens from Stok<strong>ed</strong> Surf about<br />
what their businesses have to offer, and why now’s a<br />
great time to pack the boards and head to the islands.<br />
<strong>SB</strong> / #52 / 36
Y<br />
Maldives
Atoll<br />
Travel<br />
photos: dara ahm<strong>ed</strong><br />
photography<br />
When it comes to having<br />
an intimate knowl<strong>ed</strong>ge of<br />
surfing the Maldives there’s<br />
only a select few who can<br />
trace their experiences back<br />
to before it became a tourist<br />
destination.<br />
<strong>SB</strong> / #52 / 38
Cinnamon Dhonveli, the resort at the holy grail of surfing, Pasta Point<br />
Atoll Travel’s Ian Lyon fits into that group, having<br />
been lucky enough to have become mates with<br />
the godfather of Maldives surfing Tony “Honky”<br />
Hussein Hinde in the years after 1973 when Hinde<br />
was shipwreck<strong>ed</strong>, along with another Aussie surfer<br />
Mark Scanlon, on one of the nation’s atolls.<br />
Tony opt<strong>ed</strong> to stick around and explore the region<br />
and found so many great waves to surf he chose<br />
to never leave. He became a Maldivian resident,<br />
convert<strong>ed</strong> to Islam and marri<strong>ed</strong> the love of his life,<br />
Zulfa, in 1983.<br />
The Honky’s surf break was nam<strong>ed</strong> by Tony, along<br />
with a host of other popular breaks in the region<br />
such as Sultan’s, in respect to the history of the<br />
islands, Chickens, because of a chicken farm on<br />
the nearest island, and Colas, because of the Coca-<br />
Cola factory on another nearby island.<br />
Ian got the naming rights on Jailbreak – bas<strong>ed</strong> on<br />
the prison island that in those days was on the point<br />
of Himmafushi island where Tony liv<strong>ed</strong>.<br />
“In the southern atolls, Tony nam<strong>ed</strong> pretty much<br />
all those breaks,” Ian said. “I’ve still got his original<br />
treasure map in the filing cabinet down here.”<br />
Ian said in those early days, the only way Tony<br />
could get around the atolls was to hitch a ride on a<br />
fishing boat or a supply boat. Nothing like the surf<br />
charter boats on offer these days.<br />
He remembers a time in the early 80s when there<br />
were only about 10 surfers in on Tony’s secret<br />
waves in the Maldives and years of no crowds. It<br />
was also a time when most people believ<strong>ed</strong> there<br />
“were no waves in the Maldives” - a rumour Tony<br />
and his friends had been keenly propagating to<br />
keep the location a secret for themselves.<br />
39 / #52 / <strong>SB</strong>
Ahm<strong>ed</strong> Umar<br />
Dhoni team.<br />
Dara Ahm<strong>ed</strong>, Tour’s Operations<br />
Manager, through the ages.<br />
Ian said in those early days, the<br />
only way Tony could get around<br />
the atolls was to hitch a ride on<br />
a fishing boat or a supply boat.<br />
Nothing like the surf charter boats<br />
on offer these days.<br />
Tony “Honky” Hussein<br />
Hinde in the 70s<br />
When it became clear that the secret was out and<br />
tourism start<strong>ed</strong> to increase in the Maldives, Tony<br />
creat<strong>ed</strong> Atoll Adventures (1989) and ask<strong>ed</strong> Ian to<br />
manage the bookings. Atoll Travel, bas<strong>ed</strong> out of<br />
Victoria, was born at the hands of Ian and his wife<br />
Lynne soon after.<br />
In 1991 Tony chose a little resort on Kanuoiy Huraa<br />
island in North Male Atoll to set up a land-bas<strong>ed</strong> surf<br />
tour. While it was a little run down and ne<strong>ed</strong><strong>ed</strong> some<br />
work, it had the big positive of having the best access<br />
to the consistent break of Pasta Point, a wave Tony<br />
continu<strong>ed</strong> to ride until 27 May 2008 when he sadly<br />
di<strong>ed</strong> surfing there, report<strong>ed</strong>ly from a heart attack.<br />
And yep, in case you’re wondering, Pasta Point’s<br />
quirky name was relat<strong>ed</strong> back to its island - the<br />
kitchen hands on the resort us<strong>ed</strong> to throw the unus<strong>ed</strong><br />
pasta from the restaurant out onto the rocks at the<br />
surf point.<br />
Now, in 2022, with the tour’s 30th birthday behind<br />
them, the Atoll team are gearing up to help Aussie<br />
and Kiwi surfers back into the Maldivian waters once<br />
again.<br />
Ian said despite the challenges of COVID-19 around<br />
the world, the Maldivian government had done a<br />
very good job of protecting its tourism industry by<br />
targeting travellers from parts of the world where<br />
travel restrictions were a little easier to navigate than<br />
in Australia.<br />
He said the nature of the small, individual islands,<br />
made it easier to isolate travellers from crowds and<br />
keep each resort, or island, COVID-free.<br />
At Cinnamon Dhonveli (Pasta Point) resort, where Atoll<br />
Travel holds the exclusive surf tour booking rights,<br />
Ian said the rooms had tick<strong>ed</strong> over with surfers from<br />
Brazil, Israel, Russia, the Unit<strong>ed</strong> States and Europe<br />
who were able to land in Male with negative tests and<br />
transport directly to the resort and take advantage of<br />
being one of an exclusive number of surfers on the<br />
island with access to the famous Pasta Point surf<br />
break.<br />
The maximum surfers book<strong>ed</strong> with access to the<br />
Pasta Point wave at any time is 33.<br />
“The season was ok for 2021, pretty good at Pasta<br />
Point – we were selling b<strong>ed</strong>s there well to other parts<br />
of the world,” Ian said.<br />
“The phone hardly rang here (in Atoll Travel HQ in<br />
Victoria) for about two years though.<br />
“Now, it’s turn<strong>ed</strong> around, particularly among the<br />
people who are annual visitors to Cinnamon. Forward<br />
bookings are looking pretty good,” he said.<br />
The race will now be on for Kiwi and Aussie surfers to<br />
secure the bookings and dates they’d prefer for 2022,<br />
2023 and beyond against a little extra competition<br />
from the surfers from further afield who have now<br />
discover<strong>ed</strong> the joys of surfing the Maldives thanks to<br />
COVID’s travel rules.<br />
<strong>SB</strong> / #52 / 40
Left -hand wave machine, Pasta Point.<br />
Sultans, the majestic wave.<br />
Flexible arrival and<br />
departure dates mean<br />
the length of stay can<br />
be adjust<strong>ed</strong> to suit and<br />
fishing and snorkelling<br />
are available for the<br />
non-surfers too.<br />
Water Bungalows & Pasta Point<br />
41 / #52 / <strong>SB</strong>
As for when to find the<br />
best waves, Ian said it<br />
was really in the lap of<br />
the gods, although it was<br />
generally accept<strong>ed</strong> that<br />
the bigger surf season was<br />
March to October.<br />
Horizon 2 explores the truly isolat<strong>ed</strong> southern atolls<br />
Pasta Point<br />
One thing’s for sure, those who do secure a spot at<br />
Cinnamon Dhonveli, will be landing in style and with<br />
guarante<strong>ed</strong> access to some great surf breaks.<br />
The four-star resort is the closest resort to Sultans<br />
(R), Honky’s (L) and Jailbreak (R) – all of which are<br />
within 10 minutes by boat.<br />
The tour’s operations manager Dara Ahm<strong>ed</strong>, who<br />
has more than 25 years’ experience, is in charge of<br />
a well-practic<strong>ed</strong> team who work with walkie talkies<br />
and boats to ensure surfers staying at the island<br />
have quick access to the best breaks on any given<br />
day.<br />
The first boat to Sultan’s leaves at 5.30am for those<br />
keen to be the first on the wave each day.<br />
Being bas<strong>ed</strong> on land, a stay at Cinnamon Dhonveli<br />
is perfect for surfers on their own, or with partners<br />
and children.<br />
Flexible arrival and departure dates mean the length<br />
of stay can be adjust<strong>ed</strong> to suit and fishing and<br />
snorkelling are available for the non-surfers too.<br />
As for when to find the best waves, Ian said it was<br />
really in the lap of the gods, although it was generally<br />
accept<strong>ed</strong> that the bigger surf season was March to<br />
October.<br />
At Cinnamon they run surf tours all year round –<br />
even if the waves are a little smaller outside of the<br />
season, there’s still the pool, the Makana Restaurant,<br />
the waterside Raiyvilaa Bar or the Raalhu Bar<br />
overlooking the break at Pasta Point to be enjoy<strong>ed</strong><br />
until the weather gods smile.<br />
And, just in case you’re thinking its just us who have<br />
fallen in love with the idea of a trip here, the Atoll<br />
Adventures Surf Tours have had plenty of attention<br />
from their peers in the travel world, notching up wins<br />
for Best Surf Resort in South Asia in 2016, 2017 &<br />
2018; Best Surf Resort 2019 in the Maldives Travel<br />
Awards; and Best Maldives Surf Resort 2020 in the<br />
South Asian Travel Awards.<br />
Best of all Atoll deliver peace of mind in these<br />
uncertain times providing cr<strong>ed</strong>its or refunds for<br />
COVID caus<strong>ed</strong> cancellations.<br />
4 Bridge Street, Foster, VIC<br />
(03) 5682 1088 or toll free<br />
(Australia) 1800 622 310<br />
atolltravel.com<br />
<strong>SB</strong> / #52 / 42
Outer Atolls - Group or Individual Bookings<br />
Central Atolls - Group Charters<br />
43 / #52 / <strong>SB</strong><br />
Pasta Point @ Cinnamon Dhonveli<br />
Pic: Dara Ahm<strong>ed</strong> Photography
Perfect<br />
Wave<br />
photos: suppli<strong>ed</strong> by<br />
Perfect Wave Travel<br />
<strong>SB</strong> / #52 / 44
45 / #52 / <strong>SB</strong><br />
Kandooma Rights breaking just out front the Holiday Inn Resort
As a global specialist travel agency,<br />
surf resort operator and surf charter<br />
operator, Perfect Wave Travel have<br />
cater<strong>ed</strong> for hundr<strong>ed</strong>s of thousands<br />
of travellers, including a few of the<br />
world’s top surfers.<br />
Jackson Dorian, the son of former pro surfer Shane Dorian<br />
<strong>SB</strong> / #52 / 46
If you’re looking for a surf trip to just about<br />
anywhere in the world, a visit to the website of<br />
www.perfectwavetravel.com should be high on the<br />
research list.<br />
Hit Surf Trips: All Surf Trips and 49 destinations are<br />
list<strong>ed</strong> across Indonesia, Maldives, Asia, Pacific, The<br />
Americas, Africa and Europe.<br />
As a global specialist travel agency, surf resort<br />
operator and surf charter operator, Perfect Wave<br />
Travel have cater<strong>ed</strong> for hundr<strong>ed</strong>s of thousands of<br />
travellers, including a few of the world’s top surfers.<br />
In the Maldives, Perfect Travel Group GM Chris<br />
Buykx said the group’s luxury charter boat of choice,<br />
Carpe Vita, was also a favourite with surfing’s elite,<br />
having play<strong>ed</strong> host to Barton Lynch, Shane Dorian,<br />
Taylor Knox and Layne Beachley.<br />
Ask<strong>ed</strong> for his thoughts on the Maldives and 2022,<br />
Chris said the region was hot with surfers.<br />
“Maldives is our top destination world-wide,” he<br />
said.<br />
“It was our biggest destination pre pandemic –<br />
however Maldives has remain<strong>ed</strong> open when Indo<br />
and the Pacific clos<strong>ed</strong> – so Maldives is the top of the<br />
list for every surfer in 2022.<br />
“Only the better resorts and boat charters are fully<br />
open.<br />
“Availability can be tight – if you see something you<br />
like and it’s available just book it. It’s not going to get<br />
any cheaper.”<br />
For Chris, who, no surprise, is a keen surfer himself,<br />
his favourite waves in the world are found in the<br />
Pacific, with the Maldives not far behind.<br />
47 / #52 / <strong>SB</strong>
The break has two designat<strong>ed</strong><br />
take-off spots, one for easy<br />
cruising and a more critical one<br />
for clocking time in the tube.<br />
<strong>SB</strong> / #51 / 48
49 / #52 / <strong>SB</strong><br />
Pro Surfer, Dash Pinegar surfing at Kandooma.
<strong>SB</strong> / #51 / 50
“I love the adventure and uncrowd<strong>ed</strong> waves of<br />
PNG,” he said.<br />
“Favourite breaks are many, but I am excit<strong>ed</strong> about<br />
returning to Maldives’ Southern Atolls this year to<br />
surf Love Charms! Solid outer reef barrels more like<br />
Fiji than Maldives!”<br />
As a travel agency, Perfect Wave Travel books<br />
people onto both boats and resorts and Chris said<br />
often the recommendation came down to who was<br />
travelling and whether surfing was the sole focus.<br />
The group’s favourite resort, Holiday Inn Resort<br />
Kandooma, offers an exclusive wave out front, and<br />
Chris said it was also perfect for families and nonsurfing<br />
partners.<br />
In terms of value, and time on the waves, he said the<br />
boats won out.<br />
“Boats are great value. Your accommodation,<br />
transport and meals are all includ<strong>ed</strong>,” Chris said.<br />
“All our surfers agree that you always surf more<br />
when you’re on a boat charter compar<strong>ed</strong> to a landbas<strong>ed</strong><br />
resort.”<br />
When we put Chris on the spot about the ultimate<br />
luxury surf trip, he suggests you’d struggle to go<br />
past a charter on the boat Sea Rex.<br />
A click on the weblink and it’s not too hard to see why.<br />
The 130ft, luxury super yacht can accommodate up<br />
to 16 people with two luxury suites, six luxury cabins<br />
and packages offering breakfast, lunch, dinner, visits<br />
51 / #52 / <strong>SB</strong>
to desert<strong>ed</strong> islands, snorkelling, and even a sundeck<br />
with a large outdoor spa. See for yourself at www.<br />
perfectwavetravel.com/surf-trips/maldives/sea-rex/<br />
Chris said surf travel had chang<strong>ed</strong> over recent times,<br />
and Perfect Wave Travel, which celebrates its 15th<br />
birthday this year, had evolv<strong>ed</strong> with it to continue to<br />
offer surfers the best trips available.<br />
“Surf travel has chang<strong>ed</strong> over the last couple of<br />
years and surfers must adapt,” he said.<br />
“There are fewer options. Much of the Pacific is yet<br />
to open to travel, so surfers must look to what is<br />
available.<br />
“Flights are also fewer and more expensive – so surf<br />
travel is for those that really know what they want<br />
and are prepar<strong>ed</strong> to invest time and money to make<br />
it happen.<br />
“A good agent is requir<strong>ed</strong> to advise and navigate the<br />
new normal of surf travel.”<br />
When it comes to size and experience, Perfect Wave<br />
Travel would fall into that category.<br />
“Perfect Wave Travel has grown and evolv<strong>ed</strong><br />
continuously so we are the biggest specialist surf<br />
travel network in the world now,” Chris said.<br />
“The last few years have been tough, but we<br />
remain<strong>ed</strong> open, with surfers still able to travel to the<br />
Maldives.<br />
“The best thing is we have kept our team together,<br />
from the Maldivian Surf Guides and operations team<br />
through to our surf travel gurus here in Australia, Indo<br />
and in Europe.<br />
“The experience behind our trips is unmatch<strong>ed</strong> – we<br />
really have the best working with us to deliver trips of<br />
a lifetime to surfers.”<br />
“Perfect Wave Travel has grown and<br />
evolv<strong>ed</strong> continuously so we are the<br />
biggest specialist surf travel network<br />
in the world now,” - Chris said.<br />
<strong>SB</strong> / #52 / 52
32 Orlando Rd, Cromer, NSW<br />
1300 009 283<br />
info@perfectwavetravel.com<br />
info@perfecttravelgroup.com<br />
perfectwavetravel.com<br />
53 / #52 / <strong>SB</strong>
KANDOOMA ISLAND<br />
Bless<strong>ed</strong> with white sands, azure skies, lush tropical greenery and clear turquoise waters.<br />
To complement this, Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma has creat<strong>ed</strong> services intend<strong>ed</strong> to<br />
satisfy, engage, entertain, inform, <strong>ed</strong>ucate and luxuriate. With limit<strong>ed</strong> numbers at the<br />
resort, we can now guarantee that all surfers on Kandooma Island will be able to enjoy<br />
one of the best right handers in the Maldives uncrowd<strong>ed</strong> every day. We believe that there<br />
is no closer accommodation to take off zone in the world. You barely have to walk 30<br />
meters from your villa to the paddle out point, and you literally lie in b<strong>ed</strong> and watch the<br />
hollow and highly rippable waves peel down the point.<br />
Bespoke Design<br />
We’ll plan your surf trip around your specific<br />
interests, tastes and preferences, providing<br />
helpful tips and honest advice bas<strong>ed</strong> on firsthand<br />
knowl<strong>ed</strong>ge of the destination.<br />
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Our expert surf guides and brilliant travel<br />
concierges are hand-pick<strong>ed</strong> to provide<br />
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55 / #52 / <strong>SB</strong><br />
CALL 1300 009 283 | perfectwavetravel.com.au
World<br />
Surfaris<br />
<strong>SB</strong> / #52 / 56
photos: suppli<strong>ed</strong> by World Surfaris<br />
When Queensland-bas<strong>ed</strong><br />
World Surfaris’ General<br />
Manager Steve Adam finally<br />
got back to the Maldives<br />
on February 18 this year,<br />
he land<strong>ed</strong> in a country<br />
that had just record<strong>ed</strong> its<br />
highest number of tourist<br />
arrivals since the pandemic<br />
began in 2020.<br />
57 / #52 / <strong>SB</strong>
On the resort side<br />
of things, a stay at<br />
Hudhuranfushi Surf<br />
Resort, home to the fam<strong>ed</strong><br />
left hand break Lohis,<br />
will set you back between<br />
$400-$449 a night.<br />
Hudhuranfushi Surf Resort by Ryan Thoribb<br />
When Queensland-bas<strong>ed</strong> World Surfaris’ General<br />
Manager Steve Adam finally got back to the Maldives<br />
on February 18 this year, he land<strong>ed</strong> in a country<br />
that had just record<strong>ed</strong> its highest number of tourist<br />
arrivals since the pandemic began in 2020.<br />
With not a lot of places around the world for COVIDweary<br />
travellers to go, the Maldives had hit the top<br />
five as a tropical destination for the leisure markets<br />
of Europe, America and South America and beyond.<br />
At Hudhuranfushi Surf Resort in the Male Atolls,<br />
popular with World Surfaris’ surfing groups, surf<br />
passes were sold out in 2021 over peak periods –<br />
with demand remaining high into 2022 to be one of<br />
the 45 lucky surfers allow<strong>ed</strong> on the resort’s popular<br />
Lohi’s break at any point in time.<br />
“April is chockers,” Steve said. “We’ve got pretty<br />
much this whole month book<strong>ed</strong> out – most of the<br />
charter boats, through to June are kind of back-toback,”<br />
he said.<br />
The current bookings are travellers from places other<br />
than Australia and New Zealand.<br />
Steve said at the start of April, the Australian market<br />
was still a little reluctant to book, with clients pushing<br />
trips back and resch<strong>ed</strong>uling to 2023 in the wake of<br />
the Omnicron COVID strain’s impact at the start of<br />
2022.<br />
However, with changes in the wind around<br />
vaccination rules and testing, he expect<strong>ed</strong> business<br />
could pick up quickly from here once confidence<br />
return<strong>ed</strong>.<br />
“It is progressing toward, what I think will be a better<br />
end to the year. It’s kind of moving now, and then<br />
in three to four months, I think we’ll be jumping on<br />
planes again.”<br />
For World Surfaris, having the Maldives still active for<br />
international tourism, has provid<strong>ed</strong> some relief while<br />
other markets such as PNG, Somoa and Indonesia<br />
were off limits.<br />
Steve said the majority of World Surfari’s business<br />
each year came out of Australia, and it was really<br />
good to have the phone ringing again with people<br />
wanting to talk about travel, or the cost of a Tiger<br />
on the charter boat (about $7.50 AUS in case you’re<br />
wondering), rather than cancelling or postponing<br />
trips.<br />
He said after so long coup<strong>ed</strong> up he expect<strong>ed</strong> there<br />
would be a big rush from surf travellers all over the<br />
world to get back out on the waves, and suggest<strong>ed</strong><br />
it was wise for those seeking adventure to look into<br />
the cr<strong>ed</strong>entials of the company’s they book<strong>ed</strong> with<br />
to ensure they met international standards of service<br />
and support.<br />
World Surfaris, which this year celebrates 25 years<br />
of providing surf adventures to its clients, promises<br />
a high level of service and support, back<strong>ed</strong> by its<br />
membership of the Australian F<strong>ed</strong>eration of Travel<br />
Agents and its participation in the AFTA Travel<br />
Accr<strong>ed</strong>itation Scheme (ATAS).<br />
Another element Steve suggest<strong>ed</strong> all travellers<br />
should look into was their travel insurance, noting<br />
that a lot of the providers of comprehensive policies<br />
had now reword<strong>ed</strong> their policies to provide m<strong>ed</strong>ical<br />
coverage for COVID-relat<strong>ed</strong> m<strong>ed</strong>ical issues that<br />
happen while on tour.<br />
<strong>SB</strong> / #52 / 58
59 / #52 / <strong>SB</strong><br />
Photo by Richard Kotch
Pic by Rhys Bates<br />
When it comes to cancellations and refunds, he said<br />
as COVID was now a known thing, travellers were<br />
requir<strong>ed</strong> to take it into consideration when booking<br />
their holidays and should work closely with their<br />
agents to understand any cancellation or holiday<br />
cr<strong>ed</strong>it rules that might apply to a particular tour<br />
should COVID rules change in the countries being<br />
visit<strong>ed</strong> along the way.<br />
While the situation remains fluid, Steve said there<br />
was a move back to a more normal set of travel<br />
circumstances and now really was the time to start<br />
thinking about booking some waves in 2022 and<br />
2023.<br />
He said one of the great things about surfing the<br />
Maldives in particular was the range of breaks<br />
available across the atolls and the ability to move<br />
around to avoid the crowds.<br />
“There’s still some really quiet corners of the<br />
Maldives – especially with the boats,” he said.<br />
The southern atolls, and the southern breaks of Tiger<br />
Stripes, Love Charms, Five Islands, Blue Bowls,<br />
Castaway and Beacons get a mention.<br />
“If there’s even a small whiff of surf, you’re on. You’re<br />
never short of swell and you’ve got no surf resorts.”<br />
A quick look at the World Surfaris Maldives tab on<br />
their website reveals a wealth of opportunities for the<br />
keen surfer to explore.<br />
On the resort side of things, a stay at Hudhuranfushi<br />
Surf Resort, home to the fam<strong>ed</strong> left hand break<br />
Lohis, will set you back between $400-$449 a night.<br />
Niyama Resort Maldives in the Central Atolls starts<br />
from $550 a night and is describ<strong>ed</strong> as a luxury<br />
experience with two small islands and surf breaking<br />
at the door at Vodi surf point.<br />
Ayada Resort on the Outer Atolls offers a land-bas<strong>ed</strong><br />
location with daily surf transfers to Tiger Stripes,<br />
Love Charms, Two Ways, Five Islands and Antiques.<br />
For the more hardcore surfer, happy to spend their<br />
nights on the ocean and their days riding waves,<br />
World Surfaris work with four charter boats, Maavahi<br />
(Outer Atolls), MV Adora (Male Atolls), Atoll Jade<br />
(Central or Northern Atolls) and Fascination Maldives<br />
(Central Atolls).<br />
Each of the boats offer trips ranging from seven to<br />
10 days with a vast array of package deals on offer<br />
depending on the timing of your travel and the size of<br />
the particular boat you choose.<br />
Given the focus on surfing tours, it’s no surprise<br />
the World Surfaris team includes a bunch of great<br />
local surfers in the Maldives who are on hand to<br />
offer advice, direct the boats and help to find the<br />
best swell. We’d ne<strong>ed</strong> another <strong>ed</strong>ition to share their<br />
stories, but you can check them out for yourselves at<br />
worldsurfaris.com/we-are-a-great-team.<br />
L1, 100 Brisbane Road,<br />
Mooloolaba, QLD<br />
1800 611 163 (Australia only)<br />
or +617 5444 4011<br />
worldsurfaris.com<br />
<strong>SB</strong> / #52 / 60
61 / #52 / <strong>SB</strong>
sland<br />
op<br />
photos: chris grundy<br />
<strong>SB</strong> / #52 / 62
Grabbing a bunch of friends,<br />
booking a luxurious charter<br />
boat and hunting down the best<br />
waves you can find day after day<br />
for at least a week at a time is<br />
the type of Maldives experience<br />
you can have with Island Hop.<br />
63 / #52 / <strong>SB</strong>
A surf charter concept that is primarily<br />
target<strong>ed</strong> at family, friend and business groups<br />
of between 6-10 people who are keen to see<br />
the Maldives, surf lots, and enjoy great food<br />
and service along the way.<br />
It’s no surprise that when the opportunity came for<br />
Shaun to work with the owners of the charter boat<br />
Handhu and organise surf trips for small groups<br />
looking for something a little different, he jump<strong>ed</strong> at it.<br />
Shaun is a veteran of surfing tourism, having start<strong>ed</strong><br />
World Surfaris back in 1997, before selling it in 2016<br />
to John Finlay and the current crew. He was lur<strong>ed</strong><br />
back however when the owners of the boat got in<br />
touch in late 2019. Shaun was keen to see what they<br />
could do together.<br />
The result is Island Hop Maldives, a surf charter<br />
concept that is primarily target<strong>ed</strong> at family, friend and<br />
business groups of between 6-10 people who are<br />
keen to see the Maldives, surf lots, and enjoy great<br />
food and service along the way.<br />
Home, for those who book with Island Hop Maldives,<br />
is the 90ft charter boat Handhu, which will have<br />
just had a new engine install<strong>ed</strong> as this <strong>ed</strong>ition of<br />
Smorgasboarder goes to print.<br />
Shaun said the owners had opt<strong>ed</strong> to take advantage<br />
of the quieter times creat<strong>ed</strong> by COVID to invest in<br />
their business for the better times ahead.<br />
Handhu had an extensive makeover in 2019 to<br />
update the interiors and layout and now includes six<br />
guest cabins on the lower deck, all aircondition<strong>ed</strong><br />
with an ensuite.<br />
The mid-deck features a large saloon/lounge/dining<br />
area with bar, with room for fishing off the back (The<br />
Aft deck) and dining out the front. There’s also plenty<br />
of storage for the surfboards.<br />
Climb the stairs from the mid-deck to the top<br />
sundeck and there’s ample room to relax in a sun<br />
lounge and enjoy the surrounds, to host a function,<br />
or even do a bit of yoga.<br />
There’s also a spe<strong>ed</strong>boat to race surfers out to the<br />
waves, a range of basic snorkelling and fishing gear<br />
for anyone keen to make the most of their ocean<br />
experience in ways other than surfing (hard to<br />
believe, we know!).<br />
Byron Bay surfers Josie Prendergast and Oscar<br />
Langburne and a few of their friends were among the<br />
first to try out the revamp<strong>ed</strong> tour in late 2019, and<br />
Shaun said interest had been high.<br />
“The boat was nearly full for 2020, then COVID hit<br />
and clos<strong>ed</strong> everyone down,” Shaun said.<br />
“We’ve been in a holding pattern - the boat’s been<br />
working and it’s done a few dive trips. Now that<br />
Australia’s quarantine-free and people can commit to<br />
annual leave with their employers it should get better.<br />
“Hopefully it’ll gain a fair bit of momentum this year –<br />
leading into a big 2023.”<br />
While the boat itself is one thing that contributes to a<br />
great trip, Shaun said it was the quality of the people<br />
they had assembl<strong>ed</strong> to work with travellers that made<br />
the real difference.<br />
One of the contributing factors for Shaun becoming<br />
involv<strong>ed</strong> with the boat’s Maldivian owners, Radiant<br />
Heat Travels, was their decision to employ a retir<strong>ed</strong><br />
army general and head of coast guard General Zuhair<br />
as their head of operations in the Maldives.<br />
“I went over there and met him – he’s the guy you<br />
ne<strong>ed</strong> on the ground to make sure everything’s<br />
running smoothly,” Shaun said.<br />
Another big plus for travellers is the experience of the<br />
tour’s chef Gopal – and Indian train<strong>ed</strong> master who is<br />
renown<strong>ed</strong> for his ability to find rare produce even on<br />
remote islands.<br />
“Chef Gopal has been working on the boat for the<br />
last decade or more,” Shaun said.<br />
“I’ve never tast<strong>ed</strong> better food on a boat.<br />
“He finds the best local produce. Because they’re<br />
such an isolat<strong>ed</strong> nation and it’s all sand islands –<br />
they can’t grow a lot of stuff there – But Gopal, he’ll<br />
put some coriander in, or come up with all these little<br />
special things – he’s got his culinary connections.<br />
“If you catch a fish, he’ll be down on the stern gutting<br />
it promptly – you’ll have fresh sashimi within an hour.”<br />
On the surfing front Shaun said they had assembl<strong>ed</strong><br />
a strong team of local guides, including Hussain<br />
“Iboo” Areef, a local surfer who’s won numerous<br />
domestic surf championships over the years and<br />
had develop<strong>ed</strong> an intimate knowl<strong>ed</strong>ge of the nation’s<br />
best breaks and when they’ll be working.<br />
It’s on the surfing front that Shaun paints a vivid<br />
picture of the fun to be had.<br />
“We’ll anchor in the main channel, in very deep<br />
water,” he said.<br />
“During the days we drop anchor in the middle of the<br />
channel with a grandstand view of the break. We<br />
use a tinny to ferry the surfers to the break and when<br />
they’re finish<strong>ed</strong> surfing, they wave their boards in the<br />
air and we jump in the tinny and go and pick them up<br />
and bring them back to the main boat. At nights, we<br />
retire to a tranquil lagoon behind an island.<br />
<strong>SB</strong> / #52 / 64
“The Maldives is a lot more<br />
forgiving than Indo as it’s a deep<br />
water take off. You get on the<br />
wave, and you look down the<br />
line – Happy Days! 200m of fun<br />
ahead of you.<br />
“The Maldives is a lot more forgiving than Indo as<br />
it’s a deep water take off. You get on the wave, and<br />
you look down the line – Happy Days! 200m of fun<br />
ahead of you.<br />
“In my 26 years surfing the Maldives I’ve never been<br />
hurt. It’s super consistent, super user-friendly. When<br />
it’s six to eight feet, if you’re a good surfer, you’ll get<br />
heaps of waves. I’ve had the best waves in my life<br />
over there on the bigger days.”<br />
For Shaun, one of the best things about operating<br />
Island Hop the way they do is that the pressure’s not<br />
there to book hundr<strong>ed</strong>s of people each year.<br />
There’s flexibility in organising departure times,<br />
lengths of trips and size of the group. The boat and<br />
its crew are part of the package, and the rest of the<br />
details can be work<strong>ed</strong> out and sch<strong>ed</strong>ul<strong>ed</strong> within<br />
Island Hop’s current aim of having 10-12 tours<br />
book<strong>ed</strong> each year.<br />
As an indication only, an 8-night Male’ Atolls Charter<br />
for eight nights sole use of Handhu with a party of<br />
10 people would cost $17,735 US dollars or about<br />
$1738 US dollars per person (approx. $2330 AUD per<br />
person). Prices include three meals a day, snacks,<br />
high quality drinking water, an expert surf guide and<br />
airport meet and greet.<br />
The options are almost endless, so the best bet is<br />
to talk to Shaun at the start and work out your plans<br />
from there.<br />
+61 408 691 025<br />
info@islandhopmaldives.com<br />
islandhopmaldives.com<br />
<strong>SB</strong> / #52 / 66
“Love everything about it. Had the best<br />
time with the best people. Food and staff<br />
are epic. I miss everyone already. Can’t<br />
wait to go back! One of my favourite and<br />
most memorable trips ever.”<br />
— Josie Prengergast<br />
BESPOKE GROUP CHARTERS<br />
EXPERIENCE THE REAL MALDIVES ONBOARD THE NEWLY REFITTED 90’ HANDHU<br />
BOOK THE BOAT FOR YOUR TRIP OF A LIFETIME<br />
LIMITED VACANCIES FROM JULY FOR 2022 OR LOCK IN FOR 2023<br />
DISCOUNT CODE: <strong>SB</strong>IH2022 =5% OFF OUR BEST VALUE GROUP RATES<br />
67 / #52 / <strong>SB</strong><br />
ISLANDHOPMALDIVES.COM | INFO@ISLANDHOPMALDIVES.COM
<strong>SB</strong> / #52 / 68
Stok<strong>ed</strong> Surf<br />
photos: suppli<strong>ed</strong> by Stok<strong>ed</strong> Surf Adventures<br />
When we call<strong>ed</strong> Stok<strong>ed</strong> Surf Adventure’s Chris<br />
Stevens to chat about the mighty Maldives – he’d<br />
just hopp<strong>ed</strong> back in the car after a surf on his home<br />
break at Byron Bay.<br />
Chris, who spent 10 years on the road chasing waves<br />
and adventure, found<strong>ed</strong> Stok<strong>ed</strong> Surf Adventures as<br />
a way of sharing what he found out along the way.<br />
He aims to connect other surfers with the world’s<br />
awesome waves. It also doesn’t hurt that he set the<br />
business so that the only way a tour makes it on to<br />
their site is if he, or one of his team, has check<strong>ed</strong> it<br />
out personally and given it the tick of approval.<br />
Stok<strong>ed</strong> book trips to a range of international surfing<br />
destinations, from Bali, to South Africa, Sri Lanka,<br />
the Mentawais and the Maldives, aggregating a<br />
range of trips, covering a range of price ranges, for<br />
customers all over the world.<br />
Chris said for Australian and New Zealand travellers<br />
for the past two years, surfing outside of their home<br />
breaks was all but impossible – but with the easing<br />
COVID restrictions and great deals coming online<br />
from airlines keen to get people out and about again,<br />
the Maldives was looking good for the rest of 2022.<br />
“I saw a flight from the Maldives to the Gold Coast<br />
direct for $250 US, and Air Asia has potential via<br />
Kuala Lumpur when their routes start returning,” he<br />
said.<br />
Chris said the Maldives had continu<strong>ed</strong> to grow its<br />
tourism despite COVID and some venues, such as<br />
Pasta Point, had super limit<strong>ed</strong> dates remaining for<br />
2022.<br />
He said as travellers rush<strong>ed</strong> to get out there the<br />
demand would be high – and as much as we’d all<br />
been train<strong>ed</strong> to book last minute, those who book<strong>ed</strong><br />
further in advance were most likely to get the dates<br />
and the trips they want<strong>ed</strong>.<br />
While the Maldives has develop<strong>ed</strong> a bit of a reputation<br />
as an expensive travel location, Chris said adventure<br />
Chris said adventure could<br />
still be found at a lower cost, it<br />
just took some planning, and a<br />
willingness to travel outside of<br />
the peak seasons.<br />
could still be found at a lower cost, it just took some<br />
planning, and a willingness to travel outside of the<br />
peak seasons.<br />
One thing he recommends people keen to surf the<br />
Maldives don’t go skimping on is travel insurance<br />
– simply because most of the waves finish on fairly<br />
shallow reefs and the risk is there of having a few<br />
bumps and scratches that may ne<strong>ed</strong> m<strong>ed</strong>ical help.<br />
He said most of the comprehensive policies would<br />
cover COVID-relat<strong>ed</strong> m<strong>ed</strong>ical issues that occurr<strong>ed</strong><br />
while travelling, however now that COVID was a<br />
known thing, travellers ne<strong>ed</strong><strong>ed</strong> to check on their<br />
cancellation policies when booking any trips in terms<br />
Adventures<br />
Vodi Surf Point
“The Maldives aren’t as<br />
expensive as you may think<br />
and there’s a range of resorts<br />
and local island options for<br />
all budgets.”<br />
of when, or if, refunds would be offer<strong>ed</strong> should rules<br />
change or borders be shut. He said airlines, resorts,<br />
and different countries all had different rules in place,<br />
so it made sense to take the time to research well and<br />
stay up to date when planning a trip at the moment.<br />
While Stok<strong>ed</strong> does book non-Australians into Pasta<br />
Point via Atoll Adventures as part of a deal with the<br />
team there, it also books trips to private islands, on<br />
to charters, and to other resorts.<br />
For Chris, the stand-out at the luxury end of the scale<br />
is Niyama Private Islands Maldives Surf Resort with<br />
its private left-hand break Vodi.<br />
“The seaplane journey to Niyama, it’s just next level,”<br />
he said. “The resort itself is stunning.”<br />
He said another thing to remember when travelling<br />
to the Maldives is that it is an Islamic country, where<br />
the towns and villages are “dry” and the dress code<br />
is in line with religious rules. These rules don’t apply<br />
in the resorts, but if you’re looking to stay on a locals<br />
island, it’s something you ne<strong>ed</strong> to keep in mind.<br />
On the wave side of things, Chris said the better<br />
surfer you are, the more waves you’ll catch and the<br />
more fun you’ll have.<br />
“Most of the Maldives surf breaks are shallow<br />
reefs, so its best suit<strong>ed</strong> for interm<strong>ed</strong>iate surfers and<br />
upwards. If you’re looking to learn to surf I would<br />
certainly suggest checking out destinations like Sri<br />
Lanka instead, which offer a better variety of waves<br />
for learners.”<br />
Searching the Stok<strong>ed</strong> Surf Adventures website for<br />
trips to the Maldives and the range on offer is large.<br />
At the top end, a five night stay for two adults in a<br />
Beach Villa with daily breakfast and airport transfers<br />
to and from the Four Seasons Kuda Huraa – Maldives<br />
Surf will set you back about $4200 AUD per person.<br />
The resort package can include surf transfers to the<br />
surrounding breaks of Cokes, Chickens, Sultans,<br />
Honkys and Jailbreaks.<br />
The site also lists half a dozen surf charter boats<br />
with 7-night tour prices ranging from about $3400<br />
AUD per person to $2300 AUD per person. Each<br />
boat tackles a range of breaks, some with flexible<br />
departure dates and the option of a private charter if<br />
you have a crew of mates in tow.<br />
At the budget end of the scale, a stay in a local<br />
guesthouse on Thulusdhoo with daily surf transfers<br />
to Cokes, Chickens and other North Male surf spots<br />
works out around AU$700 per person, bas<strong>ed</strong> on two<br />
sharing - including surf transfers, half board meal<br />
plan and day trip of your choice.<br />
WhatsApp: +44 7401 827 447<br />
hello@stok<strong>ed</strong>surfadventures<br />
www.stok<strong>ed</strong>surfadventures.com<br />
<strong>SB</strong> / #52 / 70
DREAMING<br />
OF YOUR<br />
NEXT SURF<br />
TRIP?<br />
Nature’s Playground, Niyama Private Islands<br />
Vodi Surf Point at Niyama<br />
www.stok<strong>ed</strong>surfadventures.com<br />
Mail: hello@stok<strong>ed</strong>surfadventures.com<br />
WhatsApp: +44 7401 827 447<br />
@stok<strong>ed</strong>surfadventures<br />
71 / #52 / <strong>SB</strong>
arly in the morning we’ll b<br />
Some honeys will<br />
e coming along, We’re<br />
loading up our wo<br />
<strong>SB</strong> / #52 / 72
e startin’ out<br />
ody With our boards inside<br />
Photo. Ric Chan<br />
1976 Chris Fullston’s Ford Falcon station wagon park<strong>ed</strong><br />
behind the line-up at Left Handers surf break WA<br />
73 / #52 / <strong>SB</strong>
It’s one thing to have a great surfboard, the<br />
coolest of wetsuits, fitness and a keen eye<br />
for the waves, but without some form of<br />
transport to get you to the breaks you most<br />
desire, surfing is just a dream.<br />
In Australia, surfing culture is strong,<br />
and in the 60s and 70s in particular it hit<br />
the mainstream to the point where car<br />
manufacturers were making cars with surfers<br />
in mind.<br />
When Surfing Australia celebrat<strong>ed</strong> its 50th<br />
anniversary in 2013 Australia Post releas<strong>ed</strong><br />
a set of 60c stamps (imagine that!) featuring<br />
four iconic images, including a Holden<br />
Sandman panel van pull<strong>ed</strong> up at the water’s<br />
<strong>ed</strong>ge with a board strapp<strong>ed</strong> to the roof.<br />
At the Australian National Surfing Museum<br />
in Torquay the relationship between Waves<br />
and Wheels has been immortalis<strong>ed</strong> in an<br />
exhibition of the same name that celebrates a<br />
time when finding the right wagon to get you<br />
to the beach was almost as important as the surf at<br />
the end.<br />
The museum’s curator, Craig Baird, said when the<br />
idea for the Waves and Wheels Exhibition was put<br />
out to the broader surfing community they’d had<br />
a great response from photographers from around<br />
Australia keen to showcase photos that captur<strong>ed</strong> a<br />
lost era.<br />
“Adrian Lockart (TAS), Ric Chan and Jim King<br />
(WA), Mal Sutherland, John Standing (QLD), Peter<br />
Kitchingham, Terry Mervin (NSW) Alan Clissold,<br />
Peter Ginnane, Dick Hoole (VIC) all suppli<strong>ed</strong> us with<br />
some epic vintage pics of surfers and their cars,”<br />
Craig said.<br />
“As part of the display we have the door of the<br />
Seaview Road Boardriders (SA) hearse, with video<br />
footage of Kym Thompson talking about seeing the<br />
hearse for the first time and wanting to be a part of<br />
the club.<br />
“We also have a tyre off the first vehicle (a WW2<br />
Willys Jeep) to drive into Bells Beach and Bells<br />
pioneer Terry Wall talking about the early days at<br />
Bells.<br />
“We built a panel van into the display to give people<br />
a sense of road tripping down the Great Ocean<br />
Road in an old Holden Panel Van with Jack and<br />
Belle the Border Collie.<br />
“Skateboards, roof racks, model cars, quotes from<br />
the Roadies book, vintage advertising, LP’s and a<br />
Great Ocean Road game for kids to play, rounds<br />
out this celebration of Waves and Wheels.”<br />
The description of the exhibition captures some of<br />
the essence of the times.<br />
“In the late 50s and early 60s surfing became part<br />
of a youth movement that swept the world,” it says.<br />
“Shorter, lighter surfboards f<strong>ed</strong> a surfing boom as<br />
music, fashion and language became center<strong>ed</strong><br />
around the beach.<br />
“Surf adventure became a central part of the surfing<br />
experience as surfers and their friends start<strong>ed</strong><br />
exploring the Australian coast in wagons, vans and<br />
other trusty surf-mobiles in search of fun times and<br />
perfect waves.<br />
“On the back of celebrat<strong>ed</strong> surfing antics the<br />
car companies start<strong>ed</strong> to release surfing specific<br />
models and often featur<strong>ed</strong> surfing in their<br />
mainstream advertising.<br />
“Sandman, Sundowner and Drifter panel vans<br />
were soon hitting the road, available in hyper<br />
colours featuring over the top graphics and<br />
advertising that made real surfers cringe.<br />
“For many, van life was reality, with surfers<br />
greet<strong>ed</strong> by a wide-open road, and very few<br />
rules.<br />
“For flat days surfers invent<strong>ed</strong> skateboards<br />
(miniature wheel<strong>ed</strong> surfboards) to maintain<br />
their stoke, invading footpaths, roadways<br />
and carparks to go sidewalk surfing (as the<br />
American’s call<strong>ed</strong> it). Originally inspir<strong>ed</strong> by<br />
surfing, skateboard moves would find their<br />
way back to the beach, with modern surfers<br />
adapting skateboard moves into their surfing<br />
repertoire.<br />
“Through the Waves and Wheels exhibition<br />
the Australian National Surfing Museum<br />
in Torquay is celebrating the relationship<br />
between surfers and their cars in the 60s and<br />
70s.”<br />
For those lucky enough to be near Torquay, the<br />
Surfing Museum can be found at 77 Beach Rd and<br />
is open 9am to 5pm seven days a week, every day<br />
of the year except Christmas Day.<br />
While the museum’s exhibition celebrates a time<br />
that was – surf culture and surf mobiles are still very<br />
much a “thing” in 2022.<br />
Among the exhibits at the Australian National<br />
Museum are several photos from photographer Ric<br />
Chen, a Kiwi who came to Australia to chase surf<br />
photos, starting on the East Coast, then moving<br />
to Western Australia where he stay<strong>ed</strong> until the<br />
early 80s before moving back home. Ric’s<br />
story in itself could fill a magazine – check out<br />
surfingdownsouth.com.au for more about<br />
his time in Australia, then Bali where he<br />
manag<strong>ed</strong> Cheaters Nightclub in Kuta for<br />
many years.<br />
Ric’s photos, sent to the surf<br />
museum, with his permission, by good<br />
mate Jim King, captur<strong>ed</strong> the essence<br />
of surfers piling into whatever<br />
vehicles they could find to head out<br />
and chase waves.
Photo. Ric Chan<br />
1968 Ric Chan’s gold kombi park<strong>ed</strong> outside Wilderness<br />
Surfboard Factory Yamba NSW.<br />
75 / #52 / <strong>SB</strong><br />
Our own Mark Chapman’s interpreation of Surfboard<br />
and hotrod loon Mark Rabbidge.<br />
One shot, taken of Ric’s gold and slightly rusty<br />
looking kombi outside the McTavish surf factory in<br />
Yamba, NSW, boards strapp<strong>ed</strong> to the roof, captures<br />
a moment in surfing history.<br />
His 1976 photograph of Mandurah surfer Chris<br />
“Feggsey” Fullston with his Ford Falcon station<br />
wagon park<strong>ed</strong> up on a limestone and sand car park<br />
made by surfers at the Left-Handers surf break in<br />
Western Australia captures the willingness to take<br />
any vehicle, anywhere, to get to the waves.<br />
Jim said surfers had bash<strong>ed</strong> a track through to<br />
the carpark they made and it was known to wave<br />
chasers and fishermen.<br />
He said the road in had since been clos<strong>ed</strong> for<br />
conservation and environmental reasons and there<br />
was now a bitumen car park further to the north and<br />
a walk back along the beach to get to the waves.<br />
On the Sunshine Coast champion longboarder<br />
Bowie Pollard has built quite a collection of<br />
classic steel to make his beach trips all the more<br />
interesting.<br />
Bowie, who manages the Caloundra Beach Beat<br />
Surf Shop when he’s not surfing or working on his<br />
cars, traces his interest in vehicular restoration to<br />
his childhood.<br />
“I’m pretty much my dad’s son,” he said. “My Mum<br />
work<strong>ed</strong> and Dad built cars and boats and sold<br />
houses.”<br />
He said his earliest memories are of surfing and<br />
cars and to this day he’s retain<strong>ed</strong> a love of classic<br />
surfboards and cars.
His Dad was a self-taught mechanic who<br />
homeschool<strong>ed</strong> Bowie as a child, teaching<br />
him the basics of academia and the<br />
realities of working with your hands and<br />
creating something from nothing.<br />
Bowie’s current car collection, in various<br />
states of repair, includes a 1959 Cadillac,<br />
a 1966 Ford XP Coupe, a 1959 Corvette,<br />
and a 1962 Ford XK wagon which is the<br />
go-to surf wagon. He also has a 1989<br />
Heritage Soft Tail Harley and a 1978<br />
TT500 Yamaha in the sh<strong>ed</strong> for some<br />
spe<strong>ed</strong> on two wheels.<br />
His daily drive for work – a Hyundai Getz.<br />
“I’ve kind of got to a point I’ve got what<br />
I want. I’m always buying, building and<br />
selling, but I’ve built my way up to go<br />
what I’ve got now,” Bowie said.<br />
“Everything I have has air bag suspension,<br />
so it’s just low. It’s something you don’t have in a<br />
lot of these cars, but the ride is really nice.”<br />
The XP Coupe was the first car Bowie bought, when<br />
he was a 13-year-old. It’s still in the sh<strong>ed</strong> and his<br />
Dad is working on it now to give it another lease on<br />
life.<br />
For the next generation in Bowie’s life, the children<br />
of his partner Janelle, Kaylah (8) and Chloe (10), the<br />
love of surfing and cars has been pass<strong>ed</strong> along.<br />
There already plenty of photos of the kids hanging<br />
out of the car windows or tackling the waves –<br />
making the most of the Sunshine Coast life.<br />
While Bowie’s choice of classic vehicles, particularly<br />
the Caddy, have ample roof room for boards, for<br />
others their choice of surf mobile has been a little<br />
more rugg<strong>ed</strong>.<br />
On the south coast of New South Wales surfer,<br />
fiberglass artist, and mad scientist Neal Cameron<br />
has always has a penchant for Manx Surf Buggies.<br />
Bowie pollard’s roadster and corvette<br />
With big fat wheels, a low centre of gravity, and<br />
plenty of power, the buggy cuts a Mad Max type<br />
vibe on the beach – with the extra practical side of<br />
being able to tackle the dunes and the road.<br />
Neal’s Manx even made the national news in<br />
January 2020 when he us<strong>ed</strong> it to drive down the<br />
beach and deliver fuel to Bendalong and Manyana<br />
when other routes were cut by the bushfires.<br />
He’s also known for travelling Australia in a coach<br />
he convert<strong>ed</strong> into a two-b<strong>ed</strong>room mobile home,<br />
complete with a bath, solar power, kitchen and<br />
living room.<br />
When it comes to the buggy, he warns that its not<br />
all fun and games when it comes to driving them.<br />
“If you make a mistake on the road, you know<br />
you’re driving - you get lots of fe<strong>ed</strong>back,” Neal said.<br />
“It understeers downhill and around corners.<br />
There’s an art to driving a short wheel-base buggy.<br />
“If you put your foot down it picks the wheels up. It<br />
takes a while to get us<strong>ed</strong> to.”<br />
When he’s not driving the buggy to the<br />
beach Neal has a V8 Holden Commodore<br />
station wagon that is his chariot of choice.<br />
Across the ditch, surf photographer,<br />
publisher and all round lover of<br />
recreational campers, Craig Levers has<br />
plenty of stories to tell about wild surf trips<br />
chasing waves, photos and fun.<br />
“Kiwi and Aussie grommets are brought<br />
up on a steady diet of road trip tales,”<br />
Craig said.<br />
“ I grew up frothing over the Road Trip<br />
issues of Surfing World in the 1980’s.<br />
It’s hardwir<strong>ed</strong> into us to want to explore<br />
coastlines, push our own surfing and<br />
boundaries.<br />
“Camping is a distillation of that and in<br />
turn having a vehicle that is specialis<strong>ed</strong> for<br />
extend<strong>ed</strong> roadies.<br />
“When I was a grommie, my best mates Ste’en and<br />
Tim Webster had access to their oldies’ VW Kombi<br />
camper.<br />
“All my first surf and skate trips where in that, so<br />
the prec<strong>ed</strong>ent was set. It had a fridge and stove,<br />
we could make hot tea after a cold winter surf at<br />
Indies!”<br />
For Craig, the early introduction to the potential<br />
of a vehicle offering more than just a seat to sit<br />
on, meant every wagon he’s had since has been<br />
work<strong>ed</strong> into a camper of some sort.<br />
“Every vehicle I’ve own<strong>ed</strong> has been with surf<br />
roadies in mind,” he said.<br />
“The standard surf buying prerequisites - can you<br />
chuck a squab in the back? Where are the boards<br />
going?<br />
“As an evolvement of my love of surf tripping, I<br />
start<strong>ed</strong> taking photos. The combination of those<br />
two passions lead to me becoming the Senior<br />
<strong>SB</strong> / #52 / 76
Photo: CPL Craig Lever’s Chevy Silverado on another surf trip.<br />
Photographer at NZ Surfing Magazine.<br />
“I held that position for 15 years, and for eight of those<br />
I was also the <strong>ed</strong>itor.<br />
“I had to [want<strong>ed</strong> to] have good roadie wagons for that<br />
job. The Toyota Surfs and the Nissan Terrano were<br />
the best.<br />
“But I have always covet<strong>ed</strong> proper campers.<br />
“Ironically, seven years after leaving the magazine I<br />
finally bought a campervan.<br />
“It was an old Hi-Ace 4x4 Japanese convert<strong>ed</strong><br />
camper.<br />
“I bought it as a tester, to see if the campervan thing<br />
was really what I want<strong>ed</strong> to do. I fricken lov<strong>ed</strong> it!”<br />
One thing Craig didn’t love so much about that<br />
particular van was its slowness on the open road with<br />
all of the camper gear built into the back adding plenty<br />
of weight.<br />
“I was always mindful of pulling over to let people<br />
pass. Even so, some drivers did some pretty loose<br />
manoeuvres around you,” he said.<br />
“The missus and I start<strong>ed</strong> associating long hauls with<br />
dodgy over-takes.<br />
“So, we lost the plot and bought a Chevy Silverado<br />
4x4 ex Ambulance that had a 6 litre V8 petrol motor.<br />
“It was so sick, the only thing it couldn’t pass was a<br />
petrol station.<br />
“We lov<strong>ed</strong> the room in it, the comfort of driving it. Say<br />
what you like about Seppos, they do know how to<br />
make a mean machine.<br />
“After three years owning that we realis<strong>ed</strong> it wasn’t<br />
quite right. I have to add though, even now we have<br />
moments of seller regrets...then we remember the<br />
petrol bills.”<br />
Neal Cameron and his Meyers manx<br />
77 / #52 / <strong>SB</strong>
Photo: CPL Craig Lever’s landcruiser troopy<br />
“Go! The best<br />
stories are made on<br />
surf trips, don’t<br />
procrastinate... go.”<br />
When it came time for a replacement, a Hi Top<br />
Landcruiser 75 Series Troopy popp<strong>ed</strong> up on Craig’s<br />
radar and he swoop<strong>ed</strong> in and bought it.<br />
“We both have lov<strong>ed</strong> Troopys for a long time.<br />
“Ours was convert<strong>ed</strong> from new in Auckland for a<br />
rental company. So, it had everything, it all work<strong>ed</strong>,<br />
totally functional.<br />
“I still pull<strong>ed</strong> out the whole back and replac<strong>ed</strong><br />
everything.... it was lockdown, can’t go on surf trips<br />
anyway right?”<br />
With so many vehicles to choose from, and so many<br />
surf trips to recall, Craig said picking the best ever<br />
was pretty hard.<br />
“You’d probably think I’d say the Troopy aye???<br />
“I think the Troopy is the best surf wagon I’ve ever<br />
own<strong>ed</strong>. It’s the one I go ‘this would have been THE<br />
one for working at the surf mag, doing photo shoots<br />
and trips’.<br />
“But weirdly, and it’s probably nostalgia, it’d be the<br />
second wagon I ever own<strong>ed</strong>; a 1967 HR Holden 186<br />
longblock with a Nissan 4 spe<strong>ed</strong> conversion - 4 on the<br />
floor instead of 3 on the tree.<br />
“I chuck<strong>ed</strong> a mattress in the back and had a little crate<br />
with a camp stove, plates and cutlery.<br />
“Me and the lads thought we were full-style bandits in<br />
that thing.”<br />
As for the “must have” for any decent surf wagon?<br />
“You gotta be able the stash the boards inside so they<br />
don’t get nick<strong>ed</strong> or fri<strong>ed</strong> in the sun.<br />
“At a pinch, be able to sleep comfortably in the back.”<br />
When Smorgasboarder ask<strong>ed</strong> Craig about his “wildest<br />
surf trips” – the challenge level was high.<br />
“Pretty hard not to sound like a wanker answering this<br />
one!!!<br />
“It was my job for 15 years to have the wildest<br />
surf trips. Like, literally, that actually was the job<br />
description. I’m so grateful for those times.<br />
“We had an electrical fire in a six-berth motorhome<br />
just south of Forster on a Rusty Road trip once, that<br />
was pretty hectic. Got our tires slash<strong>ed</strong> on the South<br />
Coast of NSW on another one.”<br />
As for Craig’s best advice for anyone considering<br />
sorting out a vehicle of their own and hitting the road?<br />
“Go! The best stories are made on surf trips, don’t<br />
procrastinate... go.”<br />
For Ulladulla surfboard shaper Jye Glass, who runs<br />
Glass Handcrafts (an extension of his old man’s brand<br />
Terry Glass or TG), surfing trips have been part of life.<br />
Jye sent us through a picture of his well kitt<strong>ed</strong> out<br />
B<strong>ed</strong>ford camper which has taken him to breaks all<br />
over the country.<br />
“She’s a beaut, gotten me all up and down the east<br />
coast, from the Daintree to Warnnambool, bloody<br />
weapon!”<br />
Another surfboard shaper with a penchant for cars is<br />
the legendary New South Welshman Mark Rabbidge.<br />
Mark is well known for his one of a kind surfboards,<br />
jewellery and cars, and when we spoke to him for this<br />
story he had a yard full of metal to talk about.<br />
“There’s the Woody, the Dodge, my old International<br />
School Bus, an LTD Fairlane,” he said.<br />
With training back in the day as a toolmaker Mark<br />
said he’d been tinkering with cars since he was a lad<br />
growing up in Manly.<br />
<strong>SB</strong> / #52 / 78
owie pollard’s 1959 cadillac<br />
Jyes Glass’s b<strong>ed</strong>ford<br />
79 / #52 / <strong>SB</strong><br />
Mark Rabbidge and his dodge
Mark Rabbidge’s woody<br />
“Back in the 60s we all had hot cars because it<br />
us<strong>ed</strong> to take 14 hours to get to drive from Manly to<br />
Crescent Head and if you could do it in 10 it was<br />
better.”<br />
Mark’s collection are customis<strong>ed</strong> to suit his own<br />
ne<strong>ed</strong>s rather than being recreat<strong>ed</strong> to original spec.<br />
Most run Ford V8 engines (you can buy a whole<br />
car for $1000 and transfer the gear), including the<br />
Dodge which in its original form Mark said us<strong>ed</strong><br />
to cost him cents per metre (not kilometre) at the<br />
petrol bowser.<br />
The bus is the most surf orient<strong>ed</strong> of the vehicles,<br />
set up specifically for trips with a ladder to the top<br />
racks so the 12ft and 13ft gliders can be taken<br />
along – and doors put in the back to load up more<br />
boards and electric bikes for road trips up to Scotts<br />
Head.<br />
Mark said there’s a joy in taking an idea and making<br />
it real – like sculpting something unique, that puts a<br />
smile on people’s faces.<br />
His vehicles are meant to be driven, and he said<br />
there’s nothing better than coming out of the café<br />
with a coffee in the morning and seeing other<br />
people enjoying the cars – posing for photos or<br />
asking him about them.<br />
“They are happy things.”<br />
Mark said<br />
there’s a<br />
joy in taking<br />
an idea and<br />
making it<br />
real – like<br />
sculpting<br />
something<br />
unique, that<br />
puts a smile<br />
on people’s<br />
faces.<br />
<strong>SB</strong> / #52 / 80
81 / #52 / <strong>SB</strong>
<strong>SB</strong> / #52 / 82
Swiss Bliss<br />
words: dave swan<br />
Snowboarding – shockingly I would consider it as good,<br />
if not better than surfing. I absolutely, categorically love it.<br />
Unfortunately, given that I live in a perennial summer town,<br />
we don’t see any snow and thus there is no snowboarding.<br />
I only get to indulge when I travel and thanks to that bloody<br />
coronavirus, none of us have being doing any of that for a<br />
few years. But soon, hopefully soon, I will once again get to<br />
glide down the face of a 100ft frozen wave.<br />
Thinking of snowboarding recently had me reminiscing<br />
about our family’s last visit to the snow before all the<br />
craziness began in 2020. Those who read our keepsake<br />
50th <strong>ed</strong>ition may recall my son got the chance to play<br />
football in Portugal in late 2019 with me his on-tour<br />
manager (believe me, it was hard work :) At the end of his<br />
stint, the rest of the family join<strong>ed</strong> us to embark on a<br />
20-day trip through Europe. High on our agenda was<br />
hitting the slopes, the only trouble being there’s often not a<br />
great deal of snow on offer in mid-December. Good mate<br />
Craig Russell, who owns Helloworld Travel in Kawana,<br />
recommend<strong>ed</strong> we try Engelberg, a little mountain resort in<br />
Central Switzerland.<br />
83 / #52 / <strong>SB</strong>
Given we were travelling around Austria and<br />
Switzerland, and our budget was limit<strong>ed</strong>, Craig<br />
suggest<strong>ed</strong> Engleberg was our best chance of<br />
snow given its altitude as it is usually one of the<br />
first resorts in the Alps to get snow from the north<br />
or north-west. Engelberg is surround<strong>ed</strong> by major<br />
mountain summits, the most imposing being Mount<br />
Titlis to the south standing at 3,238 metres above<br />
sea level with the majority of ski terrain above<br />
2000 metres. With heaps of runs and stacks of<br />
off-piste options, there’s plenty of room for skiing,<br />
snowboarding and sl<strong>ed</strong>ding.<br />
Originally fam<strong>ed</strong> for its Ben<strong>ed</strong>ictine monastery<br />
found<strong>ed</strong> in 1120, Engleberg later emerg<strong>ed</strong> as an<br />
internationally known mountain resort from the<br />
19th Century onwards. With that said, despite its<br />
proximity to Zurich (less than two hours away by<br />
train) and Lucerne, Engelberg is not as well-known<br />
as other Swiss resorts but it can certainly hold its<br />
own with regards to the facilities on offer. Inde<strong>ed</strong>,<br />
amongst d<strong>ed</strong>icat<strong>ed</strong> powderhounds it is consider<strong>ed</strong><br />
to be one of the top freeride destinations in the<br />
world. Asides from downhill, there are plenty of<br />
cross-country ski tracks and an indoor and outdoor<br />
ice-skating rink.<br />
Where to Stay<br />
Thanks to Craig at Helloworld Kawana we had a<br />
truly stunning, fully equipp<strong>ed</strong> apartment less than<br />
a couple of hundr<strong>ed</strong> metres from the ski lift. It was<br />
an amazing property equipp<strong>ed</strong> with the expect<strong>ed</strong><br />
drying rooms (for snow gear) but also a day spa<br />
including a sauna, steam bath, sound wave solo<br />
pool and multi-sensory shower. Never in my wildest<br />
dreams did I think we could afford it but Craig<br />
somehow manag<strong>ed</strong> to get an incr<strong>ed</strong>ible deal for<br />
us. How good? 7 nights accommodation with lift<br />
passes and gear hire for the duration all for under<br />
$1200 per person - a week out from Christmas. It’s<br />
mind boggling how good a deal that is.<br />
How to get there<br />
Engelberg is connect<strong>ed</strong> to Zurich, Lucerne and the<br />
rest of Switzerland by the wonderful Swiss railway<br />
system, making it the recommend<strong>ed</strong> mode of<br />
transport to the ski area.<br />
The main international gateway airport is Zurich,<br />
which is only 85km north of the town (just under two<br />
hours by train). The closest city is Lucerne, 35km to<br />
the south (about 50 minutes by train). Trains leave<br />
every hour to the various cities within Switzerland.<br />
<strong>SB</strong> / #52 / 84
Nearby<br />
Less than an hour by train is the beautiful compact city of Lucerne. Known for its<br />
preserv<strong>ed</strong> m<strong>ed</strong>ieval architecture, Lucerne sits amid snowcapp<strong>ed</strong> mountains on<br />
Lake Lucerne. Its colorful Altstadt (Old Town) is border<strong>ed</strong> on the north by 870m<br />
Museggmauer (Musegg Wall), a 14-century rampart. The cover<strong>ed</strong> Kapellbrücke (Chapel<br />
Bridge), made entirely of wood was built in 1333 and links the Aldstadt to the Reuss<br />
River’s right bank. It is nothing short of breathtaking to see, especially in winter with a<br />
dusting of snow. As for the Christmas markets, our favourite, they are out of this world,<br />
and this dad certainly loves the beer.<br />
A further hour along the train is the city of Zurich, Switzerland’s largest city. It is among<br />
the world’s largest financial centres, with the city home to many financial institutions and<br />
banking companies but it is the way it has beautifully blend<strong>ed</strong> all the modern amenities<br />
of a cosmopolitan metropolis, without sacrificing its natural side. Inde<strong>ed</strong>, Zurich has<br />
for many years rank<strong>ed</strong> among the world’s top cities in terms of quality of life. It is a<br />
boutique city that offers everything that implies, albeit in small and exquisite format.<br />
photo: Lucerne - gotta be worth it<br />
85 / #52 / <strong>SB</strong><br />
photo: Zurich - trace hudson
gear<br />
magic<br />
phoebe stealing her dad’s<br />
new board and waves again!<br />
photo: josh mostert<br />
This board is like a self-help<br />
guide to finding your inner<br />
mojo.<br />
“Please explain”, I hear you say. Well, my surfing<br />
has never been terrific but it is not altogether terrible.<br />
However, with the passing of age it is undeniably not<br />
getting any better. Sure, I may joke around, referring<br />
to myself as the Count of Carve, regaling how much<br />
I look and surf like Slater, but the cold hard reality is<br />
I do not.<br />
Often readers ask me why I am so self-depreciating.<br />
Plainly put, I am honest with myself. I love my surfing<br />
but with work and family commitments, I do not get<br />
as much time in the water as I would like. And yes,<br />
age and niggling injuries are catching up with me.<br />
And before someone reminds me, I know, Slater just<br />
won Pipe (The Pipeline Masters) at 50, but the guy is<br />
an out and out freak.<br />
So, what does all that have to do with this board?<br />
Well, when the waves are good here on the Sunshine<br />
Coast, I love getting out on a little 5’8” fish or an<br />
even smaller mini simmons, very occasionally a<br />
performance shortboard if the conditions are right,<br />
but in the main I surf a 9’4” log and 9’8” single-fin<br />
noserider. It had been a while since I had surf<strong>ed</strong> a<br />
high performance mal. Inde<strong>ed</strong>, one of the best I have<br />
ever ridden was by Mike Thompson, aka Mickey T of<br />
Raglan Longboards fame. It was his HP model. But<br />
as I said, it had been a while between drinks.<br />
Anyhow a few weeks ago I was passing my local surf<br />
shop, Beach Beat at Alexandra Headland, and saw<br />
a second-hand Brett Munro 9’1” longboard for sale<br />
in the trade-in rack. I was tempt<strong>ed</strong>. The reason being<br />
is my brother has a few Munro shortboards and<br />
fishes, which I have ridden, and they’re all crackers.<br />
Plus, our golden rule here at Smorgasboarder is<br />
to support good people and not tossers. Brett<br />
Munro is not one of the former. He’s a real salt-ofthe-earth<br />
bloke and I am stok<strong>ed</strong> anytime I get the<br />
chance to catch up with him when passing through<br />
Byron. There are no airs and graces, he is not too<br />
cool for school, will always give you the time of<br />
day and is more than happy to explain what he has<br />
endeavour<strong>ed</strong> to achieve with each board he shapes<br />
– and he shapes a wide variety. I always recall what<br />
my brother said to me about Brett Munro that best<br />
sums up his demeanour, “He’s not up himself and<br />
there’s no attitude. He just listens to what you want,<br />
answers your questions, asks a few of his own and<br />
steers you in the right direction. You’re not made<br />
to feel like a dickhead if you don’t understand the<br />
intricacies of surfboard design.”<br />
Anyhow, back to the story about this board. As I<br />
mention<strong>ed</strong>, I saw it on the rack and couldn’t resist it.<br />
It seem<strong>ed</strong> super lightweight and I figur<strong>ed</strong> if I couldn’t<br />
get the best out of it, it would be perfect for my<br />
surfing buddy – my daughter Phoebe. It was late in<br />
the afternoon by the time I got home – a little too late<br />
<strong>SB</strong> / #52 / 86
gear<br />
photo: josh mostert<br />
Phoebe Swan<br />
for a surf unless I want<strong>ed</strong> to entice num num time,<br />
so I figur<strong>ed</strong> I would just have to wait until morning to<br />
christen it.<br />
Any surfer knows how incr<strong>ed</strong>ibly important it is to<br />
have the first ride on your new stick so even though<br />
it was more than likely going to end up in the arms of<br />
my daughter, it would forever be my board with that<br />
initial surf.<br />
Paddling out I was surpris<strong>ed</strong> how quick it was. I<br />
thought being so lightweight it would have been<br />
thrown around in the choppy conditions but it rather<br />
skipp<strong>ed</strong> across the water. Then came the moment of<br />
reckoning and by goodness this thing was a spe<strong>ed</strong><br />
machine. I could not believe how quickly you could<br />
move across the face and how much it perform<strong>ed</strong><br />
like a shortboard. So us<strong>ed</strong> to riding a log, I was<br />
initially outrunning sections before I could think of<br />
what to do on the face. Being more of a front foot<br />
surfer I found the round tail so much to my benefit<br />
in terms of easily turning the board on a dime. It<br />
had been quite a while since I had done a cutback<br />
on a mal (in my own awkward way). Suffice to say<br />
this board made me feel like I could surf again. It<br />
was a rather surreal feeling and I cannot thank Brett<br />
enough for allowing me to feel a little younger again<br />
and just that incy wincy bit more like Slater (on a<br />
longboard).<br />
The Board<br />
9’1” x 22 1/4” x 2 3/4” Flat-V<br />
modern longboard<br />
burford blank with 5-ply stringer<br />
6oz bottom, 6+4oz deck with tint<strong>ed</strong> free-lap<br />
glassing, pro-sand finish<br />
carbon fibre reinforc<strong>ed</strong> rails<br />
10” fin box with FCS2 side fins<br />
The Shaper<br />
Brett Munro has been shaping boards since 1974<br />
– just shy of 50 years. He learnt to shape under the<br />
guidance of mentors such as Kingsley ‘Knackers’<br />
Kernouski, Bob Davies, the late Al Burns, and Rod<br />
‘Grub’ Dahlberg.<br />
He has ventur<strong>ed</strong> far and wide from his native New<br />
Zealand in search of perfect waves, all the while fine<br />
tuning his shapes. In the summer of 1981 he mov<strong>ed</strong><br />
to Australia and establish<strong>ed</strong> Prana Surfboards out<br />
of an old banana sh<strong>ed</strong> in Coffs Harbour before<br />
eventually settling in Byron Bay in 1993 where he<br />
has been ever since.<br />
You have to love the description of his factory setup<br />
on the Munro + Sons website:<br />
“Tuck<strong>ed</strong> away out the back of the industrial estate,<br />
Munro + Sons is an old skool family-run, no frills,<br />
dust and fume fill<strong>ed</strong> factory where boards are still<br />
made entirely by hand, start to finish under one roof<br />
by master craftsman and living fossils, with decades<br />
of experience.”<br />
Brett has shap<strong>ed</strong> for state, national, professional<br />
and world title champions and is one of the few<br />
contemporary shapers who still hand shapes every<br />
single one of his models.<br />
Performance orientat<strong>ed</strong> in their design, Brett<br />
shapes a multitude of boards from twin-keel fishes<br />
and quads to shortboard thrusters, single fins and<br />
longboards. Best of all is his focus on personalising<br />
each one of his boards to suit his customers. As he<br />
explains, “We are a humble, small scale business,<br />
who have chosen to focus on building lasting<br />
relationships with every customer that walks through<br />
our door. We work directly with them to design their<br />
perfect board, whatever their ability, or wherever<br />
their next adventure takes them. Nothing will ride<br />
better than a custom board that was built to suit their<br />
personal ne<strong>ed</strong>s.<br />
As for my brother’s Munro boards I referr<strong>ed</strong> to earlier<br />
in this piece, some are now close to 20 years old and<br />
still look brand new, which speaks volumes of the<br />
quality craftsmanship and the top end materials they<br />
use at Munro.<br />
87 / #52 / <strong>SB</strong>
gear<br />
FILTHY PIRATE<br />
6’6” x 21” 2 7/8”<br />
Sweet twin fin for myself. Fantastic<br />
print by @surfdecals on 3.5 ounce<br />
impact glass. Hard to see but gloss<br />
finish has made this print jump off<br />
the board it’s so cool thanks Ian.<br />
Great glass and tint by @twin_peaks_<br />
glassing. Single concave to heavy<br />
vee with a deep double concave in<br />
vee running out of tail. Can’t wait to<br />
surf this little filthy piece of water toy.<br />
7’6” SPLINTER<br />
Catch waves with ease.<br />
Enjoy the single fin vibe or if you<br />
prefer set up as a thruster or 2+1.<br />
Build your own in one of our<br />
workshops or we can build for you.<br />
TREE TO SEA<br />
Mt Eliza, Victoria<br />
DARREN DICKSON<br />
SURFBOARDS<br />
Sh<strong>ed</strong> 4, 10 Baines Cr, Torquay, VIC<br />
M: 0437 246 848<br />
E: dickosurf@gmail.com<br />
M: 0409 211 751 0423 804 975<br />
E: info@treetosea.com.au<br />
W: treetosea.com.au<br />
SCAN FOR<br />
MORE INFO<br />
A fun board that was fun to make<br />
with a sweet resin tint.<br />
#clarksurfboards #resintint #cutlap<br />
#madeinadelaide #burfordblanks<br />
#ridefutures #customsurfboards<br />
V2 ROCKET MOD<br />
TWIN<br />
5’6” X 19 7/8 X 21/2<br />
Flat rocker, single concave into<br />
double with V tail.<br />
Single channel to tail.<br />
Lively! Plenty of volume under the<br />
chest. Go to board in your quiver.<br />
S deck tail.<br />
THE DING KING /<br />
CLARK SURFBOARDS<br />
Units 7 & 8, 9 Chapman Road,<br />
Hackham, SA<br />
E: leightonclark01@yahoo.com.au<br />
M: 0422 443 789<br />
NERVOUS INDUSTRIES<br />
M: 0418 110 044<br />
<strong>SB</strong> / #51 / 88
surfer_ Matt Mcleod | pic by_ Michael Lester | shaper_ Darren Burge<br />
WORLD CLASS<br />
AUSTRALIAN MADE<br />
SURFBOARDS AT<br />
AFFORDABLE PRICES<br />
Custom Shortboards<br />
Hybrid & Fishes<br />
Mals and Logs<br />
Factory 3/6 Kerta Rd,<br />
Kincumber NSW 2251<br />
M: 0415 577 085<br />
RABBIDGE<br />
SURF<br />
DESIGNS<br />
PHONE: 02 4456 4038<br />
MOBILE: 0427 767 176<br />
EMAIL: markrab88@gmail.com<br />
mark_rabbidge_surf_design<br />
different to the rest.<br />
89 / #52 / <strong>SB</strong>
gear<br />
“Custom made surfboards for<br />
real surfers”<br />
6`10” DMT<br />
Twin Fin flax se<strong>ed</strong> and basalt<br />
with bio epoxy resins.<br />
100% handcraft<strong>ed</strong>.<br />
MUNRO SURFBOARDS<br />
2/7 Acacia St<br />
Byron Bay, NSW<br />
M: 02 6685 6211<br />
W: www.munrosurfboards.com.au<br />
ROCKET ACE ECO-<br />
SURFBOARDS<br />
“The Happy Planet Surf Project”<br />
4/1 Unit<strong>ed</strong> Road, Ashmore, QLD<br />
E: rocketaceecosurfboards@gmail.com<br />
M: 0415 727 670<br />
5’ 7” TWIN FIN<br />
MANUFACTURERS OF FINE QUALITY<br />
LONGBOARDS, CLASSIC RETRO AND HYBRID BOARDS.<br />
Noosa Heads, Australia<br />
fuyusurfboards.com | Paul Winter 0418 884 242<br />
CHRIS GARRETT SHAPES<br />
| PHANTOM SURFBOARDS<br />
M: 0424 450 690<br />
E: phantomsurfboards@gmail.com<br />
W: chrisgarrettshapes.com.au<br />
<strong>SB</strong> / #52 / 90
SURFING<br />
WITH EMUS<br />
THERE’S NO SURF<br />
ON THE CAPRICORN<br />
COAST.<br />
Maybe one day soon Yeppoon will have the coolest surf parks<br />
ever in Surf Lakes, but the ocean? Usually, it’s beautifully flat<br />
as a tack - as you’d expect on the tropical Queensland coast.<br />
But when the cyclone swell is on, so are the waves!<br />
91 / #52 / <strong>SB</strong>
With recent storms, Emu Park - a little coastal<br />
village about 20 minutes south of Yeppoon - was<br />
one of the local spots that saw locals spending a<br />
good few days in water, making the most of the<br />
conditions while they last<strong>ed</strong>. Whether surfing,<br />
watching, or simply getting amongst the broad<br />
smiles and good vibes that the wind blew in, Emu<br />
Park’s main beach (just out the front of the Emu<br />
Park SLSC) was the place to be for fun waves. The<br />
lesson? Always have a board handy - you never<br />
know when you’ll ne<strong>ed</strong> it!<br />
Always have a board<br />
handy - you never know<br />
when you’ll ne<strong>ed</strong> it!<br />
Photo courtesy of Honeybee Collective
About Emu Park<br />
20 minutes from Yeppoon, 40 minutes from<br />
Rockhampton, Emu Park is home to the Singing<br />
Ship monument, a moving ANZAC memorial<br />
boardwalk, multiple beaches and walks, as well<br />
as a generous helping of country Queensland<br />
friendliness.<br />
The pristine coastline overlooks the Keppels (which<br />
are only a quick 30 minutes trip away on the ferry -<br />
or even easier, from the Emu Park boat ramp if you<br />
happen to have a boat handy).<br />
Emu Park is the perfect, picturesque base to<br />
explore the Yeppoon area, or to simply enjoy some<br />
downtime - hide away the car keys, unwind and<br />
relax.<br />
Some of the picks for a bite and a drink? Start<br />
your morning with a coffee from the friendly folks<br />
at Honeybee Collective, the little coffee shop that<br />
runs from the Surf Club. In the evening, enjoy some<br />
local craft brew and great food with live music<br />
at Forty Seven 10 in the evening. Alternately,<br />
pick up some tasty takeaways from Emu Park<br />
Pizza, or relax with a beer and some true country<br />
atmosphere at the Piney - the Pine Beach Hotel.<br />
There’s plenty of accommodation right in the<br />
village, from hotel rooms at the Endeavour Inn, to<br />
camping at the Fisherman’s Beach Holiday Park.<br />
Or why not just book a full house with parking<br />
for the boat, walking distance to everything, like<br />
the Cockatoo Beach Cottage on AirBNB - see<br />
emuparkholidays.com.au.<br />
Photo courtesy of Tourism and Events Queensland
All tangl<strong>ed</strong> up<br />
words: dave swan<br />
Those of us who have rais<strong>ed</strong> kids have<br />
possibly turn<strong>ed</strong> around on occasion to<br />
find their lovely little cherub doodling<br />
away on the living room wall.<br />
That initial shock is always follow<strong>ed</strong> by an exasperat<strong>ed</strong>,<br />
“how the hell am I going to clean that off” while the<br />
little bugger smiles away at you so pleas<strong>ed</strong> with their<br />
artistic masterpiece.<br />
Many articles on child psychology will explain why<br />
kids do this, namely that it is a means of expressing<br />
their creativity and a wall is just a huge blank canvas<br />
that is so much easier to draw on then a flimsy bit of<br />
paper that moves around underneath their arms as<br />
they scribble away. And a wall has such scale for those<br />
sweeping, big, colourful swirls they so frequently like<br />
to draw.<br />
Such articles also tell us that rather than remonstrating<br />
with your child for massacring your walls, we as<br />
parents should create a “safe” space for them so that<br />
they can doodle away uninterrupt<strong>ed</strong> by your scorn in<br />
an area that won’t affect the resale value of your home.<br />
We had one such child in our family and so it was,<br />
many many, many years ago, we allow<strong>ed</strong> our daughter<br />
Mikaela to start drawing on her walls and she has been<br />
at it ever since, some 21 years now.<br />
Looking back on the decision, I think my wife Katie and<br />
I made a good one. Those walls have f<strong>ed</strong> Mikaela’s<br />
creativity and hopefully that creativity will one day pay<br />
off our house.<br />
Thinking of our decision I can’t help but recite the<br />
words of the famous and yet still anonymous street<br />
artist Banksy who has paint<strong>ed</strong> walls in cities around the<br />
world: “Imagine a city where graffiti wasn’t illegal, a city<br />
where everybody could draw whatever they lik<strong>ed</strong>.<br />
<strong>SB</strong> / #52 / 94
95 / #52 / <strong>SB</strong>
“Imagine a city where graffiti wasn’t<br />
illegal, a city where everybody could<br />
draw whatever they lik<strong>ed</strong>. Where<br />
every street was awash with a<br />
million colours and little phrases.”<br />
“Where every street was awash with a million colours and little phrases.<br />
Where standing at a bus stop was never boring. A city that felt like a party<br />
where everyone was invit<strong>ed</strong>, not just the estate agents and barons of big<br />
business. Imagine a city like that and stop leaning against the wall - it’s wet.”<br />
Mikaela’s scribbles have brought another dimension to the room and make<br />
it so uniquely hers, not to mention a fantastic backdrop for her drum clips.<br />
Yes, aside from her art, which she now extends beyond just walls to tiles,<br />
t-shirts, tote bags, coasters, murals and music gear, she is also quite an<br />
accomplish<strong>ed</strong> drummer playing in three bands as well as amassing a huge<br />
social m<strong>ed</strong>ia following – like a 165,000 people on Instagram.<br />
In terms of her art exploration, she goes by the name Miktangle, given that a<br />
Murals<br />
Mikaela’s first work<br />
with colour on a surfboard<br />
shower.<br />
Album Covers<br />
Some of Mikaela’s cover<br />
art for Nonberk, Eli Herron<br />
and Happy Valley<br />
<strong>SB</strong> / #52 / 96
large focus of her creativity is centr<strong>ed</strong> on her own<br />
unique Zentangle art she has perfect<strong>ed</strong> since way<br />
back when. For those less artistic like myself, a<br />
zentangle is a form of m<strong>ed</strong>itative doodling that has<br />
patterns, or tangles, put together to form a Zentangle.<br />
Simply put, it is a fun way to create beautiful<br />
images by drawing structur<strong>ed</strong> patterns. It is said this<br />
method for drawing not only promotes concentration<br />
and creativity but at the same time increases<br />
personal well-being.<br />
As it is just plain weird to interview your daughter,<br />
I grabb<strong>ed</strong> an excerpt from the bio on Mikaela’s<br />
website as to how her art pseudonym came about.<br />
“The name Miktangle came about when I was<br />
looking back on how I start<strong>ed</strong> this artistic journey.<br />
Funnily enough my drawings start<strong>ed</strong> off with a few<br />
simple lunch time sessions drawing small zentangle<br />
tiles (as seen on my tile wall) and believe it or not<br />
they were the very first pieces that play<strong>ed</strong> a part<br />
in discovering my style as an artist. From there my<br />
style develop<strong>ed</strong> from these m<strong>ed</strong>itative exercises. So,<br />
when figuring out my name I thought why not join<br />
Miki (my nickname) and tangle to create Miktangle.<br />
Mikaela goes on to explain<br />
her creative journey.<br />
“Ever since I was young, I’ve always lov<strong>ed</strong> art. I even<br />
start<strong>ed</strong> drawing on my b<strong>ed</strong>room walls, documenting<br />
and expressing myself in all ways possible. Every<br />
expression I have made is the subsequent entrance<br />
to my soul. Either way, my life has always veer<strong>ed</strong> in<br />
one creative direction or another.<br />
“I use inspiration from philosophical teachings,<br />
zentangles and nature to create intricate and<br />
dreamlike creatures and spaces. I specialise in<br />
creating black and white images, and I invite viewers<br />
to explore my mysterious worlds one piece of art at<br />
a time.”<br />
Aside from the murals, tarot cards and Zentangle art,<br />
Mikaela has undertaken a number of commission<br />
pieces, namely some album covers and a surfboard<br />
silk overlay. And so it was when we had the world’s<br />
greatest plumber, Stew McLean, install a custombuilt<br />
outdoor surfboard shower at our home, it was<br />
only fitting I commission<strong>ed</strong> Mikaela to adorn it with<br />
some of her work.<br />
I would like to wrap up this little piece by stating Katie<br />
and I could not be more proud of our daughter.<br />
To some this article might seem like absolute<br />
nepotism, writing about your child in your own<br />
magazine, and it is but to those I say, who cares –<br />
work your guts out, start your own mag and you can<br />
do the same. The grit and tenacity Mikaela has shown<br />
to pursue her dreams is nothing short of amazing and<br />
we simply love her so very much. And if you think<br />
her art is pretty impressive, just wait until you see her<br />
drumming. You can check it all out here:<br />
Instagram: mikaela.swan<br />
Tik Tok: mikaela_swan<br />
Web: miktangle.com.au<br />
STAPLES<br />
LOUNGE BAND<br />
“Drawing influences from post-punk, alternative rock<br />
and Britpop, Staples present their unique sound<br />
through a modern indie lens, combining passionate<br />
vocals with soaring guitar leads and jangly chords,<br />
and ambient synths with driving basslines and punchy<br />
drums.” - Triple J Unearth<strong>ed</strong><br />
One of the Sunshine Coast ‘s most lov<strong>ed</strong> singer<br />
songwriters, the super chill<strong>ed</strong> Oskar Campbell, has<br />
recently form<strong>ed</strong> an alternative rock band entitl<strong>ed</strong> Lounge<br />
fusing his love for old school rock with modern folk, pop<br />
and soul music. The number of gigs they’ve scor<strong>ed</strong> since<br />
forming speaks volumes for their rapid rise in popularity.<br />
DIZZY DAYS<br />
Injecting fresh pop sensibility into 80’s discotheque,<br />
Brisbane’s latest dance band Dizzy Days are front<strong>ed</strong> by the<br />
goose-bump inducing vocals of Aisling O’Byrne, adroit guitar<br />
work of EJ Carey, hypnotic bass of Bridgette Dabinett, and<br />
whirlwind percussion of drum prodigy Mikaela Swan. Dizzy<br />
Days radiate swagger, offering a sound that entices indie<br />
scenesters whilst being unquestionably global in scope.<br />
HAPPY VALLEY<br />
“Happy Valley is an alternative rock band bas<strong>ed</strong> on the<br />
Sunshine Coast. They bring a boundless sound to the<br />
Australian music scene, colour<strong>ed</strong> by their unique choices of<br />
expression.” – Triple J Unearth<strong>ed</strong><br />
If you like bands such as Nothing But Thieves and Amber<br />
Run, you will love these guys. There are even hints of John<br />
Butler and Jeff Buckley to their sound.<br />
Aside from her art<br />
which she now extends<br />
beyond just walls to<br />
tiles, t-shirts, tote bags,<br />
coasters, murals and<br />
music gear, she is also<br />
quite an accomplish<strong>ed</strong><br />
drummer playing in<br />
three bands.<br />
97 / #52 / <strong>SB</strong>
SMORGAS<br />
BOARDER<br />
SMORGAS<br />
BOARDER<br />
SMORGAS<br />
BOARDER<br />
Surf is free.<br />
SMORGAS<br />
BOARDER<br />
2021<br />
#50<br />
Art: Mitchell Rae - Telo Islands<br />
th<br />
smorgasboarder magazine<br />
2021<br />
SURF<br />
smorgasboarder<br />
<strong>ed</strong>ition<br />
magazine<br />
#51<br />
T-shirT $39<br />
T-shirT + annual<br />
subscripTion $55<br />
www.outerislandsurfboards.com<br />
E_ outereye@gmail.com<br />
P_ 02 6655 7007<br />
Portugal, wave pools, wooden boards<br />
and what it feels like to be 50.<br />
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Order at www.smorgasboarder.com.au
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