Black Deer Surfboards France

Paul Lefevre is a very talented artist and surfboard builder . I first met him a couple of years ago here on the Gold Coast at DMS working for Dan Mac Donald. He was a sander and polisher . He moved back to France and works with Tristan Mausse at their company " The Lucky Bastards Glassing Co." but has his own brand Black Deer surfboards.

Here is Paul working on a new shape for himself.

"The core it's an EPS high density, with wood veneer skin, No fiber, No resin (only for plug and edge) the finish is multiple coats of varnish,at the moment I try many different woods, (light, hard, and local one) always to make more light and more flex.... the boards is around 3kg"

Not wall hangers, these guys perform.

Paul is a very talented guy , making some great looking boards. Check him out at :

http://blackdeersurf.blogspot.com/

http://polish-artworks.blogspot.com

Curly Mal Jam this weekend

Great to see an event that includes some wooden boards and heritage of early Australian surfing.

" Curl Curl Longboarers Inc presents what is a truly unique sporting event at Curl Curl Beach on the 30th of April 2011. The MALJAM, as it is known, combines all aspects of the art of modern and traditional longboard surfing that has evolved over the last sixty years.

The Event is an amalgam of the pre modern era of the 1950’s “toothpick” cruiser, the glide and expression of the 1960’s where the board was the instrument of creation at the feet of the “logger ”and the aggressive take no prisoner attitude of the contemporary exponent who elicits every ounce of speed and maneuver out of the pulsing wall of water and foam.

Some say it is attitude some say it is perception but no matter what your notion of beauty and creativity is you will find all at the expo at Curl Curl Beach. Add to this a martial arts display by some of Australia’s best and a trade display of the coolest surf equipment and fashion in captivity and you have a day that will live with you for years.

This is a Pro Event that has been designed to attract the best surfers in Australia and indeed the world. Australian, American and World Champions will compete in the three disciplines that are the basis of modern longboard surfing. Reminiscent of 1964, when Midget Farrelly became the first ever World Surfing Champ, the Northern Beaches returns to showcase the cutting edge of the excitement and visual beauty of the sport of longboard surfing.

The toothpick event is by invitation only because of the immense skill and water knowledge that the riders must possess – some of the invitees have grown up in the modern age of surfing and spectators will be gob smacked with the skill that these athletes display as they glide into the waves on their fifteen foot plywood and metal craft that are the beasts of a bygone era. The cult of surfing from the 1940’s and !950’s will jump out and grab the attention and admiration of onlookers who will see, many for the first time, the grace, beauty and danger inherent in guiding these monsters from takeoff zone to the beach.

“Logger” is the name used to describe the surfer that chooses the traditional board from the 1960’s, or replica thereof, as the instrument to carve an impression on the ocean face. These are not warriors they are the artists of the lineup and their intention is to gracefully extract the most out of every wave they launch into. Stylish bottom turns, looping cutbacks and round outs are punctuated with deft walking of the “plank” and neat hanging fives and tens. These are the guys and girls who conceive surfing as an art form and refuse to conform to the formula that dictates to the exponents of the modern short board approach – To them the wave is the music to which they dance. The wave is their canvass and their board an instrument of creation.

Enter now the contemporary longboarder who probably rides all types of boards from the snappy responsive short board through to the graceful and traditional standup paddle. These warriors need to dominate the line and perform amazing rips, reentries, three sixties, aerials, tail slides as well as the walking and hanging techniques used by the loggers. The approach is not one of grace but of extreme functionality and spectacular moves that attempt to tame forces of nature. The wave will eventually dictate but these guys and gals are reticent to surrender to the vagaries of the ocean.

Join us at Curl Curl Beach on the 30^th of April 2011 and enjoy the exhilaration of a day that moves forward by looking back and showcases the beauty and awe of the sport of longboard surfing. "

Find out more at : www.curlymaljampro.com

Peter Walker to exhibit on the Gold Coast

Surfing and beach culture are integral to the Gold Coast lifestyle – that culture is also a great source of inspiration to artists who continue to engage with the rich stories and visual imagery of this dynamic sport.

We present two distinct but connected exhibitions in gallery one featuring a new series of beautifully crafted wooden surfboards by furniture maker and designer Peter Walker and ceramics by artist Gerry Wedd which reference both ancient and contemporary myths and legends of the perils of the sea and the underbelly of the the surf world.

Walker is a surfer and was born in Sydney and now divides his time between Adelaide and working as Associate Professor at the Rhode Island School of Design in New York. Always fascinated by hand skills and fine craftsmanship, Walker’s awareness of the complexity of surfboard performance and design led him to start making his own wooden surfboards – embellished with the work of leading Australian contemporary artists.

His boards will be at The Gold Coast Arts Centre 28th of May to 10th of June.

You need a "Nice Rack" to show off your board

" The Hawaiian Gun Rack is designed specifically for your home. The design gives the appearance that your board is suspended on the wall which allows you to show your surfboard and not the rack. It will turn any surfboard into a work of art!"

• Holds up to 45lbs.
• Anchors into drywall or studs
• All hardware included
• The specialty anchors are construction grade hardware that will withstand 70 psi. shear strength in 3/8" drywall, giving you the freedom to put the board anywhere on the wall you want.
• Cork/neoprene padding for board rail protection
• 2 anti-slip dowels
• Extends only 10" from the wall
• 10.5" high
• For indoor wall or office display
• For surfboards, snowboards, skateboards, wakeboards, kite boards, street-luges, guitars, skis and special wooden paddles

I don't normally promote commercial products , but these guys have done a nice job and after all the effort you have put into your board you want to be able to show it off well.

For more info check these guys out at : www.thenicerack.com

Kiwi , John Sutcliffe's chambered log

John has just picked up his chambered Redwood and Pine strip longboard. The Redwood was locally milled and he made the board to donate to raise funds to build a skateboard park in Mangawhai.
" The usual positive input from Roger and an awesome glass job by Matt and Emma from Surfline Surfboards. Carmen and I will be there in August with a twin fin fish made with Kahikatia which I have just started."

Nice fin to compliment the board.

Kiwi fush underway

Johnny Sutcliffe with the framework of his wooden fish project, redwood rails and the stringer is unkown species but he retrieved it from a skip bin.He will keep us posted on the progress and we should see the finished project in August. Nice one John.

The Ventana Surf Co

Martijn Stiphout and Tyler Frome are a couple of mates from Santa Cruz who build some good looking wooden boards .Here they are after a session on R&D.

Hollow framed wooden boards take time and skill.

This is a 1970′s inspired single-fin shortboard with down-turned rails, low nose rocker, and the wide point forward of center.

A classic fish en l’honneur de lis. 5’ 10” birch decks with cork and mahogany rails. The nose block is salvaged redwood from a 140-year-old Santa Cruz home. Abalone is inlayed in leash and vent plugs. Ready to slide.

They custom build fins...

Some nice details and a variety of woods

The guys have stock boards on hand and can custom build for you as well. Check them out at ...
Ventana Surf Co

Bob McTavish and the Balsa Pigs

Each one hand shaped and signed by the little master

Here's a couple of photos taken by Samuel Lindsay of Bob working on the first 2 of our limited edition balsa pigs. 12 boards will be made all-up, over the next 12 months, and each will be hand-finished and signed by Bob. They are all solid balsa, have a glass-on timber D fin, and an individually numbered copper plaque instead of a decal. These are beautiful collectors boards, and will look great on the wall, or if you're keen, in the water. I'll get more photos up as they come through.

Check out the new McTavish site and Bob's blog

The Walnut Glass Tiger

Mark Roberts from Glass Tiger Surfboards in the UK just sent me these shots to share of this great looking board. It has an EPS core and then a 1.5mm veneer of Walnut vacuum bagged top and bottom with glass under.

The rails are Chestnut with a Mahogany pin line

The nose and tail blocks are Iroko.

And the finish is varnish not glass to save weight.

So check out Glass Tiger to see what other great projects they have been up to. They are doing some nice work.

Masterclass with Tom and Thomas

Surfrider Foundation Melbourne and Rhombus Surf Shop are teaming up with two legends to bring you ‘Masterclass’ – an afternoon celebration of surfing’s original design. 

Wooden board aficionado Tom Wegener and Californian surf artist and film maker Thomas Campbell will join forces in Fitzroy on Sunday May 1 for an afternoon of shaping, art, film and conversation.

Wegener has hand-shaped hundreds of finless wooden boards in the style of the ancient Hawaiian alaia. He and other curious souls are leading a modern revival of the lost designs now re-emerging in the lineup after decades (or centuries) on the board rack.

Campbell is best known in surfing circles for his widely acclaimed 2004 film, Sprout; as well as The Seedling and most recently The Present, featuring the likes of Rastovich, Reynolds, Cassador and Malloy among others. There’ll be a special screening of ‘The Present’ on the day, followed by Q&A.

Together they’ll produce a unique, one-of-a-kind hand-shaped, hand-decorated alaia which will be raffled on the day. All proceeds of the event will go to Surfrider Foundation Melbourne to support their efforts in safeguarding our marine and coastal environments and cherished surf breaks, such as the currently threatened Bastion Point break at Mallacoota.

The event will be held at Melbourne’s finest dedicated surf shop Rhombus, in the heart of Fitzroy. Food and beer (courtesy of Little Creatures) will be on hand too.



Tickets are limited and available from Greentix



For further inquiries, please contact Rhombus Surf Shop on 9077 9878 or Surfrider Melbourne at http://www.facebook.com/surfridermelbourne

Tony's next board

A classic shape nicely executed.

Some nice work by Tony Crimmins from Brisbane as he gets ready to laminate the rails of his latest board. All Paulownia frame and skins with a Cedar accent down the stringer line.

Grain Surfboards reach a milestone...

Grain Surfboards in Maine have helped well over a thousand people feel the satisfaction that comes with surfing a board built with your own two hands. Building boards of locally grown sustainable-yield, northern white cedar since 2005, Mike LaVecchia and Brad Anderson have used their skills from previous careers in boatbuilding, board sports and computer technologies to refine the method of designing and building hollow wood surfboards.