SB_issue54_digital

After significant hard work and refurbishment, this became
the permanent location for what is today the largest private
collection on public display of surfboards in Australia. The
exhibition space and display are of a very high standard and
Wayne talks of drawing inspiration from MONA in Tasmania.
It is apparent when visiting the venue that Wayne has a focus
and attention to detail that is present in all he undertakes.
Wayne with Neves and
the Mexican Board
The surf gallery houses an extensive collection of
boards dating back to the origins of surfing through the
development of the surfboard up until the current day. It
is hard to describe the quality and historical importance of
some of these boards but consider some highlights such
as an original 1975 Jerry Lopez Lightning Bolt, a 1968
George Greenough Spoon and a 1981 Michael Peterson
Winterspoon. But there are so many more, some 80 in total,
on show.
There are also a range of historic photos and a curated film
on display taken by Wayne and his brother that transport you
back in time. The exhibition also includes a brief evolution of
the skateboard from the 60s to the 80s along with a viewing
window into Wayne’s workshop where, if you are lucky, you
can see him working his magic.
Since opening, Wayne continues to develop his collection,
with people often giving him surfing memorabilia knowing
it will be valued and may be given the opportunity to be
appreciated by a broader audience.
Alongside the gallery is a coffee shop (for which Carol bakes
fresh cakes daily) and a restored dairy shed and meeting
place which makes for a great place to chill and reflect on
this little gem of a setup. In the near future there will be
opportunities for related artists to access gallery space so
keep an eye out on the website for more information.
thesurfgallery.com.au
surfboardresto.com.au
IT IS HARD TO DESCRIBE
THE QUALITY AND
HISTORICAL IMPORTANCE
OF SOME OF THESE BOARDS
BUT CONSIDER SOME
HIGHLIGHTS SUCH AS AN
ORIGINAL 1975 JERRY
LOPEZ LIGHTNING BOLT, A
1968 GEORGE GREENOUGH
SPOON AND A 1981 MICHAEL
PETERSON WINTERSPOON.
THE MEXICAN
When talking about value to an individual it is not
necessarily about financial worth. Wayne’s favourite and
personally most valuable board is ‘The Mexican’. He
obtained the board in the 80s and it is the one he feels the
most attached too. The board is a short twin fine shaped by
Ian Keightly in 1976 (Mt Pleasant WA) and depicts a lonely
Mexican riding a donkey across the desert, with perfect
unridden barrels in the background. For Wayne, this image
captured and continues to conjure up the allure of surfing
and travel in the 70s, with a world of unknown waves to be
ridden by adventurous surfers.
The story of this board became even more interesting when
Wayne was able to locate the artist, Neves Sumner, who
airbrushed the image at 16 years of age. Wayne described
the moment as being quite emotional when he was able
to show the board to Neves some 40 plus years later. The
Mexican takes pride of place in the exhibition.
75 / #54 / SB