Clyde Aikau’s pale blue steed
Tuesday 01/03 18
A friend in need is a friend indeed, especially when it comes to guns.
Design Outline
Shane Dorian, Varial Foam, and the stringerless gun - interview and video
Monday 29/02 20
The wooden stringer has been the veritable backbone of the surfboard for over half a century. Varial Foam blanks require no stringer or parabolic rails, all the strength comes from the core, and Shane Dorian has been riding a 9'8" stringerless JC in the biggest waves on the planet.
Bending the rules
Friday 04/12 159
"A lot of surfers don't know why their boards work the way they do," says Greg Webber, before adding, somewhat cheekily. "But then a lot of shapers don't why either."
Webber gives Swellnet the straight talk on his latest experiment.
Mitch Surman and the ghost of George Greenough
Friday 06/11 16
Come meet a shaper called Mitch, a legend called George, and a flex tail spoon called Gwen.
Jet powered channel bottoms - literally
Thursday 08/10 20
The fastest boards in the world just got faster. Dale Wilson of Byrning Spears recently revealed a 6'8" channel bottom with an inbuilt jet engine for tow surfing.
Rasta on the torus channel
Thursday 24/09 37
Dave Rastovich explains the new bottom contour - the torus channel - he and Gary McNeill have been working on.
Inside X-Core Reactor blanks
Thursday 17/09 119
It's been ten years since Gordon Clark upped and shut his foam blowing operation and the reverberations are still be being felt. The latest blank technology - developed by a young Sydney surfer - is getting the thumbs up from shapers, including the world's largest board manufacturer.
Corey Graham is the Willy Wonka of Torquay
Monday 13/07 15
"I wanted to create a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory vibe – bring back the fun, create some fascination in surfboards and take the piss a bit." - Corey Graham on his Wonka-inspired surf shop.
Neal Purchase Junior and the Duo - interview and video
Friday 10/07 27
A nose for curiosity and a willingness to follow the scent has led Neal Purchase Junior down an interesting trail. The Duo is his latest design, a concept that, "splits the single fin apart."
Hydroflex and 3D glassing
Wednesday 08/07 43
More strength, no delamination, better flex. Hydroflex make some big claims with their new construction technique. Swellnet speaks to their CEO about 3D glassing.
Smoking guns: Who shaped what during WA's hell swell
Thursday 02/07 52
“Just watching guys riding waves like that on your boards…it’s validation of all the work you’ve put in over the years.” - Marty Littlewood.
Now that the dust has settled on WA's hell swell, Swellnet chats to the blokes who mowed the foam on the boards that mattered.
Mick Mackie on shaping history
Tuesday 30/06 28
While many modern shapers tinker with tiny increments, Mick Mackie refines whole ideas. Here he chats to Swellnet about the ghosts of surfing's past and many other things.