Happy New Year from the Gold Coast

Happy New Year to all of you that have supported the Wooden Board Day and my blog. Close to 600,000 pages viewed now. Thanks guys and look forward to seeing you and your boards in August 2013

Paddle out for Chris Walton

 Today Friday 28th Dec we had a paddle out at Currumbin Alley for local surfer Chris Walton. Chris was unfortunately critically injured in a freak accident when a verandah over the street front of a number of shops in James Street Burleigh Heads came crashing down. Just a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Chris was the developer and master mind behind the Currumbin Eco Village up the valley from the Alley where he was a regular early morning surfer. He was the most passionate man you could ever meet , the Eco village was his life and life's work. It was with his support that I organised the wooden board building class conducted by Paul Jensen to launch the Wooden Board days in August 2009. The class was held in the recycling centre at the Eco Village. Chris was also a client at work as we did his advertising for the Eco Village.

Chris and I at the Eco Village 2009

 Herold from Japan and Paul Jensen

 Classes in full swing

 Jesse Watson from Black Apache Surfboards

Chris was a good guy taken too soon , survived by his wife Kerry and son Fin.

Thanks mate for all your support.

Boards need names ?

 Toby surfed this little 4ft 8" simmons at the Byron Bay Surf Festival and just had to have it. He picked it up from me last week after I finished the 4ft 4" for Raz to replace this one. Toby said it was so good to ride this board that has named it "Morning Wood"

  "Been surfing the board heaps and love it man, attached a crappy pic of a mushy day, but so stoked- the thing makes me smile....YEW!  'best morning wood I've ever had....ha'."

 

 This is Raz's 4ft 4" x 22" x 2 1/4" that I built him to replace the 4ft 8" above.

 Raz has called this the "Micro Chip"

Unglassed Paulownia finished in Lanolin ( the waterproof grease from sheep's wool)

Merry Christmas

Grain on show

Fozzy's first board

David "Fozzy" Fosbinder lives in San Diego and has just shaped his first Paipo out of Balsa. He is not sure yet what to finish it in , but I would suggest glassing it as Balsa is prone to suck in water and so you really need to seal it up tight. And with its soft nature a good hard coat would be best rather than varnish or most other things. It will then last and take a few knocks. Looks like fun. Go Fozzy.

Grain at the Surfing Heritage Foundation

Grain Surfboards brings NEW 4-day surfboard building class to Surfing Heritage Foundation in San Clemente, CA   

Just imagine it, six people building boards with their own two hands surrounded by the complete history of surfing told through shapes; guns and toothpicks, alaias, noseriders, thrusters, kneeboards and more.

On February 6th through the 9th, Grain Surfboards will be setting up a West Coast classroom smack dab in the middle of the Surfing Heritage Foundation- one of surfing's most treasured collections of history.

Curator and Creative Director Barry Haun: "We have not done anything like this before in the space. We're very stoked to be able to host this here and look forward to documenting the class to share with our followers."

Grain's unique construction style makes it possible for every surfer to build something just as functional and beautiful as the classic boards that will surround them as they work.  The class includes the full course of instruction, use of tools, all the supplies and materials and two meals a day.  Each student walks away \with their own wood board ready-to-glass and a free membership to the Surfing Heritage Foundation.

" We're doing alot to help surfers get the chance to build their own - our new 4 day class format allows people to take just a few days off from work, and setting up a moveable shop close to where people are saves the expense of coming to all the way to Maine.  We are so honored for this opportunity to work within the walls of SHF," said Mike LaVecchia, Grain Surfboards co-owner.

The class is only open to six students - spots fill up quickly. Registration is currently open.

Click here to find out more on the classes
Click here for more information about the Surfing Heritage Foundation

Wooden boards Vancouver Island

www.wefisurfboards.com

Tree to sea ...

An original Bob Simmons in Victoria

The real deal out for the day -  shot from Scott Wintle